This rainforest represents the expansion of the world’s largest tropical rainforest, Serriana de chiribiquete. This rainforest took several different mediums to create, and the overall finished project is pretty messy looking up close. This piece took a lot of time to layer the watercolor paint, so do give yourself a good amount of time to dry between coats.
What you will need
- Watercolor set
- Watercolor brush
- Acrylic paint in green and black
- Watercolor pencils
- Water
- Possibly colored pencils and pastels
- The article this was based off of
Coming up with a Concept
Start by drawing out at least three ideas, or thumbnails. They don’t have to be good or descriptive, just there to place out the biggest shapes.
Drawing out the Rainforest Painting
Using good thick watercolor paper, lightly sketch out your idea. Adjust things as needed to be where you need them. Do not press down too hard or use a harsh eraser to clean up lines you don’t like. Always use a kneaded eraser if you must, to protect the watercolor paper.
Ajusting the Lines and Asking for Feedback on the Rainforest Painting
When it comes to making art that doesn’t look bad, feedback is very important. Even if you just snap a picture and post it to Instagram, someone may have an idea to make it better. Of course, you don’t always have to take their advice, sometimes people are wrong.
Adding in Subtle Details of the Rainforest Painting
Since the article also talks about how they will prevent deforestation and pollution in these areas, I incorporated little broken symbols of things like saw blades and hatchets into the wall in front of the rest of the forest, to make it seem like a thing of the past.
Testing the Watercolors
Start figuring out your colors for the rainforest by painting them on another piece of paper. Go for yellows, greens, and blues primarily.
Painting the Trees Farthest in the Rainforest Painting
Scoop up some of the darkest green and put it along the farthest line of trees in a shaky line. Add water to the bottom of that line and pull the watercolor down to fade it out towards the start of the next row of trees below it. Add a touch of black to the top of the line to make it stand out against the light sky.
Painting the Rock Cliff
Using very watery black paint, paint the cliff in the distance. Nothing too fancy, a grey blob will do. We will define this little rock friend later.
Mixing up Green Acrylic Paint
If you do not have a good green acrylic, mix yellow and blue until you get a dull, foresty green. This will be the undercoat of all of the leaves on the wall. Make sure to water it down slightly so that it flows better on the bumpy paper.
Painting the Closest Palm Leaves of the Rainforest Painting
Mixing a lighter green, fill in all three of the closer leaves. Add darker green veins to all of them and their stems to make them stand out better.
Adding the Details of the Leaves
If you would like, you can use different shades of green and yellow to define the palm leaves. This will make them look more real and less like flat cardboard cut outs that look like something from the Jungle Cruise ride.
Filling in the Red Marks on the Wall of the Rainforest Painting
Using red acrylic, color in the markings lightly sketched on the grey wall. These are supposed to look really old, so make sure your lines aren’t perfectly straight. Part 2 is coming this Wednesday, let your artwork dry and Happy Crafting!