Lord Krishna Tanjore Painting Class: Meaning and How to Learn It
Written by
Vibha Raj
Lord Krishna, the playful child, the flute player and the teacher of the Gita, is one of the most loved Tanjore subjects. Here is his significance, Janmashtami, and how to learn to paint him with us.
Key takeaways
- Lord Krishna is among the most beloved deities in India, adored as the playful child, the flute-playing cowherd and the teacher of the Bhagavad Gita.
- His birth is celebrated on Krishna Janmashtami, which usually falls in August or September.
- We teach him as a live online 6.5-week course starting 11 October 2027, on Monday and Thursday evenings, in 12 x 15 or 15 x 20 inches.
- The course is built for complete beginners, taught live by Vibha Raj with two supporting teachers, and every class is recorded.
- In 40 years we have taught 5,000+ students, and more than 95% finish their painting.
Krishna has a way of finding people. Some of us met him as children, in stories of stolen butter and a flute by the river. Others came to him later, through the Gita, in a season of searching. Krishna is a subject many of us at the studio love to paint. If you have felt drawn to paint him in the Tanjore style, and wondered whether you could, even as a complete beginner, this guide is for you.
Who is Lord Krishna?
Lord Krishna is revered as an avatar of Lord Vishnu and is one of the most loved deities in India. He is known in many forms. As a child he is the mischievous butter thief of Gokul, Benne Krishna, with butter in his hand and a smile on his face. As a youth he is the flute-playing cowherd of Vrindavan, beloved of Radha and the gopis. And on the battlefield of Kurukshetra he is the divine charioteer and teacher who speaks the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna.
What draws people to Krishna is how close he feels. He is divine, yet playful. He is wise, yet tender. Devotees keep his image for joy and love in the home, for the sweetness of devotion, and for the reminder that the sacred can be warm and near. Many families place a child Krishna in the puja room, especially homes with young children.
In the Tanjore style, Krishna is a joy to see. In the painting we teach, he is the beloved child, fair and plump, reclining on a rich red cushion with a ball of butter in his hand. His peacock feather, crown, necklaces and anklets are raised in gesso and covered in 24 karat gold, and set stones sparkle in his ornaments. It is a painting full of colour and life, and it brings that same feeling into the room it hangs in.
When Lord Krishna is worshipped
Lord Krishna is honoured throughout the year, and most joyfully on Krishna Janmashtami (also called Gokulashtami), the celebration of his birth, which usually falls in August or September. Homes are decorated, little footprints are drawn from the doorway to the puja room to welcome the child Krishna, and sweets made with butter and milk are offered at midnight.
Because Janmashtami follows the lunar calendar, its date shifts a little each year. Our October 2027 batch gives you plenty of time to finish your painting slowly, so your own Krishna can be part of your next Janmashtami celebrations, or simply part of everyday prayers in your home.
Why paint Lord Krishna yourself
You could buy a Krishna painting. Painting him yourself is different. Over the weeks, your hands learn the gestures of the tradition, the slow build of the relief, the laying of the gold, the delicate work of his face. The finished painting carries your patience and devotion in every line. Many of our students describe the weeks at the board as calm and meditative.
Krishna is also a lovely subject to learn on. He is a single central figure, so you practise every core technique, embossing, gold work, stone-setting and face painting, on one composition. Everything you learn carries straight into the next deity you paint.
The Lord Krishna course at a glance
| Format | Live online, over Zoom |
| Starts | 11 October 2027 |
| Schedule | Monday and Thursday, 5:45 to 7:30 PM |
| Duration | 6.5 weeks, 2 sessions a week |
| Painting size | 12 x 15 or 15 x 20 inches |
| Teachers | Vibha Raj, supported by Spurthy GB and Yashaswini Jaishankar |
| Level | Complete beginners welcome |
The course page has the current fee and full details for the batch.
What you learn and create
You will create a Tanjore painting of Lord Krishna in the size you choose, from a blank canvas to a finished, framed-ready piece. Along the way you learn the full traditional process: preparing the canvas and transferring the sketch, building the raised gesso relief for his crown, jewellery and ornaments, setting kundan stones, laying genuine 24 karat gold foil, and then painting his body, garments and background before the final stage, his face.
The weeks build on each other gently. The first sessions are about the surface and the sketch. You don't need to know how to draw, because the sketch is provided. The middle weeks are the embossing and the gold, when the ornaments rise and begin to shine. The final weeks are for colour and the face, taken slowly so you never feel rushed.
Child Krishna's soft, rounded form is a beautiful lesson in itself: building even, glowing skin tones, then shading them gently so he feels plump and alive. And his face, the gentle eyes and the hint of a smile, is the part students approach most carefully and are proudest of at the end. We build up to it slowly, so your hand is ready when you get there.
Watch Krishna in our studio
The materials you will use
We provide your material kit, with everything you need to paint Lord Krishna: a pre-sketched canvas, 24 karat gold sheets, Arabic gum, chalk powder for the embossing, kundan stones, Swarovski crystals and brushes. You will find the details for this batch on its course page. Within India the kit usually reaches you in about 5 to 7 days, and internationally in about 3 to 4 weeks, so it's worth enrolling early.
Learning with us, even as a complete beginner
In the live online course, Vibha Raj teaches you over Zoom, twice a week, with Spurthy GB and Yashaswini Jaishankar supporting as assistant teachers. Vibha learned the art from her mother, master artist Vani Bhaskar. Spurthy trained at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, and Yashaswini began with us as a student before she became a teacher. Every class is recorded and shared with you, with access for a month after the course ends.
Most of our students arrive sure they "can't draw", and many have never painted before. They finish anyway, because each step is broken down, shown up close and repeated until it feels natural. Watching someone go from nervous first session to a finished Krishna on their own wall is the part of teaching we love most.
In 40 years our studio has taught more than 5,000 students, and more than 95% of them finish their painting.
Frequently asked questions
Can a complete beginner paint Lord Krishna?
Yes. The course assumes no experience. The sketch is provided, and every stage, including the skin tones and the face, is taught slowly and in order. More than 95% of our students finish their painting.
When does the Lord Krishna course start?
The next live online batch begins on 11 October 2027, with sessions on Monday and Thursday from 5:45 to 7:30 PM, for 6.5 weeks.
What size is the finished painting?
You can choose 12 x 15 or 15 x 20 inches. The course page lists the options for the batch.
Do I need to arrange materials myself?
No. We provide your material kit, with everything you need to paint Krishna. The details for this batch are on its course page.
Can I join from outside India?
Yes. Students join us from India, the USA, the UK and beyond. Tell us your city so we can confirm the timings in your time zone. Every class is recorded, so you can catch up if a session falls at a difficult hour.
Will my painting be ready for Janmashtami?
The October 2027 batch finishes well before the next Janmashtami, so you'll have time to frame your painting and place it in your puja room for the celebrations.
Whenever you feel ready, we would love to help you bring Lord Krishna to life in gold and colour. Explore the other deities we teach, read about how our class formats work, or, if you're new to all of this, start with our guide to learning Tanjore painting as a beginner. You might also love painting Lord Balaji or Lord Hanuman.
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