Have you tried to draw a boat? I am sure you would like to. Today we will explore some traditional boats in India and try to sketch them.

These man-made objects have been used for centuries to ferry men and goods across water. These are also used for fishing. Today we are interested to sketch the canoes, rowboats and the sailboats.

Should we first visit some paintings of boats drawn by famous artists over the years? See the way artists represented boats in their painting. Some were so realistic while others were quite abstract.

Artists like Winslow Homer concentrated painting watercolour landscapes of life around the sea. Other famous artists like Claude Monet and Van Gogh painted boats in the Impressionism art style. Abstract painting of boats was seen in paintings of Paul Klee and Henry Matisse Le Bateau. 

So it’s our turn to sketch boats in our style.

Have you noticed the different shapes of boats that you find in India? Take boats from different states and sketch them. 

I chose these five boats to draw.

Traditional Boats In India

To draw a boat, you have to see that it is symmetrical. Here is an old style boat from Kolkata was meant to carry cargo. To know more about old heritage boats from Kolkata visit this site. Even the roof of terracotta temples seen in Bishnupur looks like these inverted boats.

These decorative traditional boats from Odisha once sailed to faraway lands of Malaysia and Indonesia. In the unique ceremony of Boita Bandana, celebrated in Kartik Purnima during the month of October and November., the people of Odisha gather near the river banks and sail small boats in remembrance of their ancestors.

I am sure you have seen atleast pictures of these joy ride boats that sail in the Dal lake of Srinagar. Known as the Shikhara, these boats are grand and can carry almost a dozen people.

The famous boat race Vallam Kali in Kerala has these long snake boats racing against each other. It is a form of canoe racing which people all around visit and enjoy watching.

Talking of canoe, have you seen the canoes of Kolleru in Andhra Pradesh? These dugout canoes are used by the locals for fishing in the lake.

Try also sketching the round boats known as the Parisal found at some waterfalls in Karnataka.

Sketching boats will help you improve your sense of perspective. They have different shapes and need to be symmetrical to float. Try drawing them from the top view, side and also at an angle. You can also paint them with soft watercolour pencils.

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