We offer half-day, full-day, 3-day, and 7-day drawing and painting courses with our in-house master thangka painter, Kelsang Dorje. Kelsang was trained in India, Nepal, and Qinghai. He has studied a wide variety of painting styles, including traditional thangka, oil painting, and watercolor.
Half-day Painting and Drawing Course: This 3-4 hour studio class is either in basic thangka sketching, such as eyes, or to complete a simple modern landscape or animal painting. This course is free with lodge stay or according to our general a la carte activity pricing.
Full-Day Painting Class: Dive deeper into painting. Spend the morning sketching thangka designs, and paint in the afternoon. This is a 6-7 hour class. Included free with lodge stay or according to our general a la carte activity pricing.
3-Day Oil Painting Course, Tibetan Landscapes and Nomad Life Scenes (5 day total from Chengdu)
- All-inclusive course with transport from Chengdu, lodging, food, instruction, and all listed activites. CNY3720/$515 per person, double occupancy
- June 17-21, 2025
- 4-8 students
Day 1: Travel together from Chengdu, having lunch in Kangding. Arrive late afternoon, relax or take a stroll, join your group for a welcome dinner.
Day 2: Basic Skills: Sketching and coloring. This is a relaxed learning day with ample time in the afternoon to relax or take a walk.
Day 3: Visit a nomad camp and spend the day taking in the scenes and sketching ideas. Walk to the nomad camp, about 1.5 hours walk. Have lunch there and slowly observe the life there, participating as desired. Return to the lodge in the afternoon.
Day 4: Perfect and color your final painting. This should take half to full day, depending on your focus.
Day 5: Return to Chengdu by car.
7-Day Traditional Thangka Painting – Beginning to Intermediate Students Welcome! (9 day total from Chengdu)
Learn the basic rules and styles of traditional thangka painting in this weeklong course. This is an intensive 7 day course in which you will produce a small painting. Each day painting about 6-7 hours, with one day rest in the middle. Includes all food, lodging (double occupancy), instruction, and listed activities. Come enjoy our beautiful environment and enjoy painting.
- All-inclusive course with transport from Chengdu, lodging, food, instruction, and all listed activites. CNY7100/$985 per person, double occupancy
- April 12-20 or Aug 21-Sept 8, 2025
- 4-8 students
Day 1: Travel from Chengdu, with lunch in Kangding.
Day 2: Sketching traditional thangka
Day 3: Base color
Day 4: Painting detailed borderlines
Day 5: Rest day for temple tour — see old and new thangkas with an experienced guide
Day 6: Shading flowers and faces
Day 7-8: Painting internal designs and details
Day 9: Return to Chengdu.