Kids' drawing (6–12)
Shapes, shading, colour pencils, oil pastels and poster colour. One finished picture every week to take home. Handwriting improves as a side effect.
Age 6–1290 minTwice a week
Bhowanipore, Kolkata
Everyone can draw.
Everyone can draw.
We teach you how.
Pencil, watercolour and sketching classes for children from age 6 and adults of any age. Small batches, patient teachers, and a proper portfolio if you are aiming for an art college.
About us
A two-room art school on Sarat Bose Road
Rong Tuli was started in 2009 by Debjani Ghosh, a Government College of Art & Craft graduate, after years of teaching from her verandah. The school now has two rooms with north light, a shelf of 400 reference books and a kettle that is always on.
We teach drawing the old way: look first, then draw. Children start with shapes and shading. Adults start wherever they are. Exam students work on a timed portfolio from day one.
Every student gets a folder. At the end of each term we put the work up on the wall and invite parents in.
- 2009Teaching since
- 110Students this term
- 38Art college admissions since 2015
- 8Students per batch, maximum
What we teach
Five courses, colour-coded
Pick by age and by what you want to make. Each course runs in three-month terms. You can join mid-term and pay for the months left.
Pencil & sketching
Still life, perspective, light and shadow, graphite and charcoal. The foundation for everything else. Good for teens and adults who want to draw "properly".
Age 13+2 hoursTwice a week
Watercolour
Washes, wet-on-wet, Kolkata street scenes and the lakes. We paint outdoors at Rabindra Sarobar one Sunday a month in winter.
Age 14+2 hoursOnce or twice a week
Art college exam prep
For Government College of Art & Craft, Rabindra Bharati, Kala Bhavana and NIFT/NID. Timed object drawing, memory drawing, composition and a 20-sheet portfolio. Mock tests every month.
Class 10–12 & gap year3 hoursThrice a week
Weekend hobby batch (adults)
Saturday afternoons. No exams, no homework. Pencil, pen-and-ink or watercolour, your choice. Most students are 25 to 60 and have not drawn since school.
Age 18+2 hoursSaturdays
Short workshops
Two-day workshops in the school holidays: alpona, Pujo-theme poster, charcoal portrait, urban sketching. Announced on our WhatsApp group a month ahead.
All ages2 days₹600 – ₹900
Batches & fees
Weekly timetable
Fees are per month, paid in the first week. Paper and basic materials for kids are included. Older students bring their own (list below).
| Course | Days | Time | Batch size | Monthly fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kids' drawing A | Mon, Thu | 4:30 – 6:00 pm | 8 | ₹900 |
| Kids' drawing B | Sat, Sun | 10:00 – 11:30 am | 8 | ₹900 |
| Pencil & sketching | Tue, Fri | 5:00 – 7:00 pm | 8 | ₹1,200 |
| Watercolour | Wed, Sun | Wed 5 – 7 pm, Sun 7 – 9 am | 6 | ₹1,300 |
| Exam prep | Mon, Wed, Fri | 6:00 – 9:00 pm | 6 | ₹2,500 |
| Weekend hobby (adults) | Sat | 3:00 – 5:00 pm | 8 | ₹1,000 |
Admission ₹300 once, includes the folder and a sketchbook. Pay three months together and the third month is ₹200 off. Trial class is free, no admission needed for it.
Before your first class
What to bring
All of this is available at the stationery shop below us or at any art shop on College Street. Bring what you have; we lend the rest for the first month.
Kids' drawing
- A4 drawing copy, 100 pages
- HB and 2B pencils, eraser, sharpener
- 24-shade colour pencils
- Oil pastels, 25 shades
- An old shirt or apron
Pencil, sketching, exam prep
- Cartridge paper, A3 and half-imperial
- Pencils 2H to 8B, charcoal sticks
- Kneaded eraser, blending stump
- Drawing board 18 x 24 inch with clips
- Fixative spray (exam prep only)
Watercolour & hobby
- Watercolour paper, 300 gsm, A4 pad
- 12-pan watercolour set
- Round brushes no. 2, 6, 10 and a 1-inch flat
- Two water jars, cloth rag
- Masking tape
How it works
A term at Rong Tuli
Three months, one theme, one wall show at the end. This is the same for a six-year-old and a sixty-year-old.
Trial class
Come for one free class. We watch how you hold the pencil and suggest a batch. No admission fee for the trial.
Weeks 1 to 4
Basics for the term's theme: lines, shapes, tone. Everyone draws the same still life so progress is easy to see.
Weeks 5 to 10
Your own work. Teacher sits with each student for ten minutes every class. Corrections are drawn on tracing paper, never on your sheet.
Wall show
Last Sunday of the term. Work goes up on the studio wall, parents and friends come, tea is served. Then a new term begins.
On the wall
From the studio
Students and parents
In their words
My son could not sit still for ten minutes. After a year at Rong Tuli he draws for an hour at home without being asked. His school art teacher noticed before we did.
I joined the exam prep batch in Class 11 with no portfolio at all. Debjani di made me draw one object a day for a year. I got into Government Art College in 2024.
Find us
Near Jadubabur Bazar, Bhowanipore
Address
Rong Tuli Art School45/1 Sarat Bose Road, 2nd floor
Bhowanipore, Kolkata 700025
Above Maa Tara Stationery, 5 minutes' walk from Jatin Das Park metro
Studio hours
- Monday – Friday4:00 – 9:00 pm
- Saturday10:00 am – 6:00 pm
- Sunday7:00 am – 12:00 noon
- ClosedDurga Pujo, Saptami to Dashami
First class is free
Bring a pencil this Saturday
Message us the age of the student and what you want to learn. We will reply with the batch to come to and what to bring.