Fundamentals of Indian Miniatures – Sunday – September – November 2026

Course Description

A series of seven practical sessions providing a focused introduction to the art of Indian miniatures and its traditional techniques. The sessions focus on three core themes: ink drawing and shading, painting trees in the Pahari style, and painting lotus flowers and their leaves.

Participants practise using fine brushes, controlling line quality, applying primary colours, planning, building up tonal values using the pardaz technique, and executing fine details. Some subjects are repeated on different dates to provide more than one registration opportunity and to enable participants in the full package to develop their skills through repeated practice.

You can attend a single session independently, or register for all seven sessions to get a broader practical experience and develop a higher level of accuracy and brush control.

Schedule and Registration Options

Sunday, from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm.

• 11 October 2026: Miniature ink drawing – planning and shading.
• 18 October 2026: A painting of a tree in the Pahari miniature style.
• 25 October 2026: Drawing lotus flowers and their leaves.
• 1st November 2026: Miniature ink drawing – planning and shading.
• 8 November 2026: A painting of a tree in the Pahari miniature style.
• 15 November 2026: Drawing lotus flowers and their leaves.
• 22 November 2026: Miniature ink drawing – planning and shading.
• Duration of a single session: 3 hours of training.
• Duration of the full package: 7 sessions | 21 training hours.
• Course Language: English.

Prices

• Single session: 90 dirhams.
• The complete bundle: 630 dirhams.

Learning Objectives

• Identifying the basic techniques used in Indian miniatures.
• Developing brush control and line quality when inking.
• Practising sketching, hatching and building up tonal values using the pardaz technique.
• Applying colours and painting fine details on small botanical elements.
• Study of the distinctive tree shapes and leaves in Pahari painting traditions.
• Exploring the relationship between line, colour, shading and texture in drawing natural elements.
• developing precision, patience and focus when working on a small scale.

Learning outcomes

In each study session, the participant completes a practical exercise related to its topic, such as ink drawing and shading exercises, a study of a tree in the Pahari style, or a small painting of lotus flowers and their leaves. Those enrolled in the full package develop a higher level of brush control, line quality, colour application, tonal gradation, and the execution of fine details through regular and repeated practice.

About the Teacher

Dr Susana Marin is an artist, researcher and educator specialising in Pahari painting and Indian miniatures. She trained in India under a number of traditional artists, including Padma Shri Vijay Sharma and Manish Soni. She holds a PhD from the Prince's Foundation School of Traditional Arts in London, and works as a teacher of Indian painting and a PhD supervisor. She also delivers international workshops, and her work has been exhibited in the United States, Europe and the Indian subcontinent.

Location:

In person in Fujairah – School of Calligraphy and Ornamentation.

Refund Policy

All fees are non-refundable upon completion of registration.