Easy Warli Art for Kids and Beginners
18 designs Warli art Updated 9 Oct 2026
Easy warli art is the best first step into Indian folk painting, because every picture comes from circles, triangles and lines. The style belongs to the Warli tribe of Maharashtra, and it suits anyone who can hold a brush or a pen.
This page shows 18 original designs, from single figures and warli art for kids to simple scenes, step by step sheets and school projects. Each card lists the medium, the motifs, the best use and a practical tip.
Easy Warli Art Figures for Beginners
Warli art for beginners starts with one figure. Draw a small triangle pointing down, a second pointing up below it, touch the tips, then add a round head and stick arms and legs.
A tribal easy beginner warli art sheet of basic figures, standing, walking and waving. Fill one before you try a scene.
Artist tip Make the top triangle a little wider than the bottom one. The figure looks steadier.
The same figure in new poses: bend the arm lines and it dances, carries or climbs. Very easy warli art practice.
Artist tip Only the arm and leg lines change between poses. Keep the triangles the same.
Turn the figure sideways and add four legs: now it is a cow, a goat or a dog. A quick way to add life to any scene.
Artist tip Add horns for a cow, a short tail for a goat and a curly tail for a dog.
Five shapes you will use again and again. Learn them once and you can fill any village.
Artist tip Draw the hut roof as a triangle on a square. Add a door last.
Warli Art for Kids
These pieces are easy warli art for kids. They use sketch pens, oil pastels and crayons on materials found at home, so the whole family can join in.
A bright white sketch pen on black paper gives bold lines with no paint and no mess. Ideal for a rainy afternoon.
Artist tip Use a fine tip for figures and a thick tip for the ground line.
White oil pastel glides easily on brown paper, so younger learners can draw a whole dance ring in minutes.
Artist tip Press lightly. Oil pastel builds up fast and the small heads can turn into blobs.
A paper plate painted red becomes a ready round frame. Hang it with a ribbon on the bedroom door.
Artist tip Paint the plate and let it dry for an hour before drawing on it.
Reverse colours: brown crayon on white paper. It still reads as warli and needs nothing but a crayon box.
Artist tip Keep the crayon sharp with a sharpener for the tiny triangle bodies.
How to Draw Easy Warli Art: Basic Steps
- Colour thick paper or card red ochre or brown, or use brown kraft paper as it is.
- Practise the two triangle figure on scrap paper. Draw ten in a row.
- Lightly pencil the big shapes of your scene: huts, a tree, a ground line.
- Paint the big shapes in white with a size 2 round brush.
- Add figures and animals with a size 0 brush or a white gel pen.
- Finish with dots and a simple border, then let it dry for an hour.
Thin the white paint with a few drops of water so it flows like cream. Too thick and the lines look heavy.
Simple Warli Art Village Scenes
Once the figures feel easy, join them into a scene. Easy traditional warli art keeps to a few huts, a tree and some daily work.
Two huts, one tree and a well. The smallest full scene you can draw, and a good first frame.
Artist tip Place the tree off centre. A centred tree makes the scene feel stiff.
The sun rises over the huts as cattle walk out to graze. A calm scene that is easy to repeat for a set.
Artist tip Paint the sun rays as short even strokes so the circle stays round.
Five dancers and a player in the middle. A short version of the famous dance, easy to finish in a sitting.
Artist tip Trace a cup for the ring so the circle comes out even.
A boat, some fish and a hut on the bank. Wavy lines do most of the work here.
Artist tip Draw the fish as small leaf shapes with a triangle tail.
Easy Warli Art Drawing Step by Step
These sheets show warli art drawing easy enough to copy line by line. Each one moves from left to right in clear stages.
Stage one is two triangles, stage two adds the head, stage three the limbs, stage four a pot. Teachers like it on the board.
Artist tip Use a 0.5 mm pen. It is forgiving for first lines and easy to see.
Trunk, branches, leaves, birds: four stages that turn a line into a full tree.
Artist tip Draw the leaves as a centre line with short side strokes, like a fishbone.
Pencil rings first, then the centre player, then the dancers. You can still see the faint guide rings.
Artist tip Rub out the pencil rings only when the white paint is fully dry.
Warli Art for School Project
Need a warli art for school project idea? These three are easy, cheap and look neat on submission day.
A full chart of farming life: ploughing, sowing and harvest in three bands. Strong for a social science file.
Artist tip Divide the chart into three bands with pencil before you paint.
A painted bottle with a band of dancers and a tree. A simple upcycle that also works as a desk vase.
Artist tip Base coat the bottle twice, letting each coat dry for two hours.
A plain file becomes a project cover with a strip of dancers along the bottom and a hut in the corner.
Artist tip Plan the border with light dots so the figures are evenly spaced.
Materials for Beginner Warli Art Painting
You do not need much. Brown kraft paper or 200 to 300 gsm paper, white poster colour or acrylic, two round brushes (size 0 and 2) and a pencil cover most pieces. A white gel pen or 0.8 mm paint marker is easier for small hands than a brush.
For a quick base, mix red oxide with a little white. When you want bigger work, our warli art painting page covers walls, pots and cloth.
Tips for Teachers and Parents
Start with a practice sheet, then a simple scene, then a dance ring. Show learners that every figure is the same shape in a new pose. Keep sessions short: thirty minutes is enough for one small scene. For more ideas on line work, see warli art drawing, and for the history behind it, visit our main warli art gallery. If you are new to Indian folk art easy beginner warli art is the gentlest way in.
Questions about these designs
How do I draw an easy warli art figure?
Draw one triangle pointing down and another pointing up below it so the tips touch. Add a round head on top and thin lines for arms and legs. Bend the lines to make the figure walk or dance.
Is warli art easy for beginners?
Yes. Warli art easy shapes are just circles, triangles and lines, so anyone who can hold a pen can start. Practise figures first, then join them into small scenes.
What is the best warli art for kids?
A simple village with two huts, a tree and a few figures, or a small dance ring. Use a white sketch pen or oil pastel on brown or black paper for clean results.
Which colours do I need for warli art painting easy at home?
Just white paint on a red ochre or brown base. Brown kraft paper saves the base coat. A white gel pen works if you do not have paint.
What is a good warli art for school project idea?
Make a chart of farming life in three bands, paint a bottle with a band of dancers, or decorate a file cover. All three use only white on brown and take an evening or two.
Where can I find more simple designs to try next?
Try easy mandala art for another relaxing hobby, or move on to bigger scenes on our main warli gallery.
