This elephant is inspired by beautiful Oaxacan wood animal carvings. Here’s how to do it:
STEP 1: Doodle some scribbly elephants in your sketchbook. Pick the one you like best, and scan into the computer. Enlarge to fit nicely on an 8″x10″ paper; print (I printed on 140# Fabriano hot press watrcolor paper).
STEP 2: With a black permanent marker, draw in curvy lines around the existing lines. Fill in.
STEP 3: Paint a transparent layer of watercolor, using several colors.
STEP 4: Using markers and colored pencils, color in your elephant with lines, dots and patterns until you are pleased.
STEP 5: Finish with a white paint pen. Add dots along the black lines, and any other place you feel needs a little white.
Denny said:
Carla: This looks like fun! I FINALLY found my stored watercolors and paper last night. I hope the colors are still good! I want to try this! Thanks for doing this.
Cindy Pestka said:
I am SO going to try this when I get home tonight! Thank you so much for sharing the technique!!!!
tawdirector said:
Love it. You’re brilliant.
tawdirector said:
BTW — “tawdirector” is Wendy. (I don’t know why it did that.)
Sarah said:
Your elephant is amazing!
kathy stewart said:
how beautiful! i can’t wait to try this – thanks for generously sharing your techniques! Kathy
Amy Smith said:
I love this!
Orly said:
I love your own Oaxacan Dotted Elephant…So sweet of you to show how to do it.
XOXOrly
Kim said:
I LOVE the elephant – I enjoy your blog, thanks so much for sharing. I rarely comment, but do enjoy your work – thanks so much for sharing
Jill Berry said:
I am all over this one. Maybe I will do a Oaxacan Sea Monster on our playdate! Well no, not unless it involves maps. But oh so tempting.
Looking forward to seeing you in your new environs.
Hugs
Me
Deborah Downing said:
Thanks Carla. I am wishing on every star that I can go to Journalfest in October!
What kind of white pen do you use?
Deborah D
carlasonheim said:
Usually a Sharpie water-based white paint pen!
Pingback: The Bearer of Good Luck |
Pingback: Quick 4-Minute Demo Video « Carla Sonheim: Snowball Journals
Shauna said:
Just beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing this tutorial with us. I am amazed at the end results, and I loved how you used different mediums to create it.
Shauna
myshaenoel.blogspot.com
TJ said:
I love this beautiful elephant, and it seems so fitting because the neighbor kids have chicken pocks!!! Thank you for sharing how to make it… best wishes from germany, tj
Genevieve Crabe said:
Carla, your elephant is luscious! Thanks for the tutorial.
Ginger Roo said:
Thank you so much for sharing this! I love the richness of the colors and the texture in the patterns…….I have always struggled with water colors (mostly because I’ve never learned what to do with them). I am going to give this technique a try….you inspire me!!
Catherine Witherell said:
I love the way you did that!