Tanjore Painting Course Details: Everything Included in Our Courses
Written by
Vibha Raj
A clear inventory of what every Tanjore Collective course includes: live twice-weekly teaching or DIY video lessons, recordings and the student app, the materials kit, WhatsApp feedback from your teacher, and a certificate on completion.
By Vibha Raj, Founder and Tanjore Artist at Tanjore Collective. Vibha learned the art from her mother, master artist Vani Bhaskar, and leads our studio and its teaching.
Every Tanjore Collective course includes teaching (live twice-weekly classes over Zoom, or 22 to 27 self-paced video lessons), recordings or video access in our student app, the materials for your painting, feedback from your teacher on WhatsApp, and a certificate when you complete your course. Here's exactly what you receive, so you know the full value before you pay.
Key takeaways
- Live online courses meet twice a week over Zoom, filmed with three cameras so you can see every detail.
- DIY video courses have 22 to 27 lessons and 75 to 90 days of access, depending on the deity.
- Live sessions are recorded, and recordings stay in our student app for one month after the course ends.
- We provide the materials for your course, and your teacher reviews your progress through photos on WhatsApp.
- You receive a certificate on completion. In 40 years we've taught more than 5,000 students.
Before you sign up for anything, it's natural to wonder what you're really getting. Will someone actually help me if I get stuck? What happens if I miss a class? Do I need to buy anything else? Those are good questions. You're giving us your time, your evenings and your trust, and you deserve a clear answer.
So here's everything, laid out plainly. If you're still choosing between live online, studio and DIY, our guide to which format fits you will help you decide first.
What's included in a Tanjore painting course, at a glance?
Every course includes teaching, access to your lessons, materials, feedback and a certificate. How each one works depends on whether you learn live or through DIY videos.
| What you get | Live online course | DIY video course |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching | 2 live sessions a week over Zoom, filmed with 3 cameras | 22 to 27 pre-recorded video lessons |
| Course length | 6.5 weeks for most deities; 10 to 11 weeks for advanced subjects | At your own pace |
| Access | Recordings of every session, for 1 month after the course ends | 75 to 90 days of course access |
| Student app | Yes, on web, iOS and Android | Yes, on web, iOS and Android |
| Materials | Essentials Material Kit (₹4,000), added after you register | Kit bundled with the course |
| Feedback | Live correction in class, plus photo feedback on WhatsApp | Photo feedback and questions on WhatsApp |
| Certificate | Yes, on completion | Yes, on completion |
What does live teaching include, and how do DIY lessons work?
Live online courses give you two sessions a week with a master artist over Zoom. DIY courses give you 22 to 27 pre-recorded lessons to follow whenever you like.
Live online classes
In a live course, you paint alongside your batch while your teacher demonstrates each stage and corrects you as you go. Our sessions are filmed with three cameras, so you can follow the fine detail of each stage up close. A master artist leads the course, often with our other teachers supporting as assistants, so there's always someone watching how you're getting on.
Most deities take 6.5 weeks. Larger subjects take longer: Lakshmi Narasimha is taught as an advanced 10-week course, and Lord Balaji runs about 11 weeks. Our next live batches start in January 2027; you'll find them all in our course dates guide. Curious how a session actually feels? Read what a live online class is like.
DIY video courses
A DIY course is a complete, lesson-by-lesson course you follow at your own pace. Our Goddess Lalitha Devi course has 27 lessons, Lord Ganesha has 24, and Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Saraswati each have 22. The lessons take you through every stage, in order: preparing the canvas, transferring the sketch, setting the kundan stones, building the gesso relief, laying 24 karat gold, painting and, finally, the face.
It's ideal if your weeks are unpredictable, or if live class times don't suit where you live. You can learn more in our guide to the DIY course.
Watch: how a traditional Tanjore painting is created
Here's a short look at the stages you'll learn in every course, from the base to the gold.
How long can you rewatch your classes?
Live session recordings stay available for one month after your course ends. DIY courses come with 75 to 90 days of access, depending on the deity.
Everything lives in the Tanjore Collective student app, which you can use on the web, on iOS and on Android. For live courses, that's where your session recordings appear, so if you miss a class, or just want to watch the gold-laying stage again, it's there. For DIY courses, it's where all your lessons sit, ready on your phone or laptop.
The app holds more than videos, too. You'll find your course sketches, information on where to source materials, and answers to the questions students ask us most often, so help is close at hand even between classes.
| DIY course | Lessons | Access | Size (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goddess Lalitha Devi | 27 | 90 days | 10 x 12 or 12 x 15 |
| Lord Ganesha | 24 | 90 days | 12 x 12 or 15 x 15 |
| Goddess Saraswati | 22 | 90 days | 10 x 12 or 12 x 15 |
| Goddess Lakshmi | 22 | 75 days | 10 x 12 or 12 x 15 |
Is the material kit included?
Yes, we provide the materials for your course. With DIY courses, the kit is bundled in. With live online courses, you add our Essentials Material Kit (₹4,000) after you register.
The kit has everything you need for your painting:
- A pre-sketched canvas, so you don't need to know how to draw
- 24 karat gold sheets
- Arabic gum and chalk powder, for the gesso relief
- Kundan stones and original Swarovski crystals
- Four premium brushes
It's shipped via FedEx. Please allow 5 to 7 days within India and 3 to 4 weeks outside India, so order as soon as you've registered. See the full list on our Essentials Material Kit page.
What feedback and support do you get?
Your teacher reviews your work through photos you send on WhatsApp, and answers your questions there on weekdays. In live classes, you also get correction in real time.
This matters more than people expect. Early on, a small correction to your relief or your face saves you from habits that are hard to undo. So whenever you finish a stage, or feel unsure, you simply take a photo and send it to us. You'll hear back from someone who knows this art inside out, not an automated reply.
And when you finish, you receive a certificate of completion: a digital certificate and a physical one, signed by me. It's a small thing, perhaps. But it marks the weeks of patient work behind your painting, and we think that deserves celebrating.
So many of our students begin feeling too scared to even touch a brush, and slowly learn to trust themselves through every painting. Everything above exists to help you do the same. When you're ready, our guides to course fees and EMI and how to register will take you through the next steps. I can't wait for you to fall in love with this art form.
Frequently asked questions
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. When you complete your course, you receive a digital certificate and a physical certificate, signed by our founder, Vibha Raj.
How long can I rewatch the classes?
Live session recordings are available for one month after your course ends. DIY courses include 75 to 90 days of access, depending on the deity. Everything is in our student app on web, iOS and Android.
Is the material kit included?
We provide the materials for every course. DIY courses come with the kit bundled. For live online courses, you add the Essentials Material Kit (₹4,000) after registering.
How do I get feedback on my painting?
Send photos of your painting to your teacher on WhatsApp, and they'll guide you on what to adjust. Live students also get correction during class.
Do I need any experience?
No. Every canvas comes pre-sketched, and we teach each stage step by step. Most of our students are complete beginners.
More blog articles
Tanjore Painting Course Registration: How to Register, Step by Step
How to register for a Tanjore painting course, from choosing your batch to receiving your kit and starting class.
Online Tanjore Painting Classes for NRIs: Time Zones and Shipping
Learning Tanjore painting from abroad: live class times across time zones, kit shipping and when DIY fits best.
Tanjore Painting Course Fees, EMI and Registration
How our course fees work, paying in EMI over 3 to 36 months, and what to know before you register.
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Hear from students who've learned the art of Tanjore painting with us.
