Flamingo painting tips and tricks

• Always, always, always paint a base layer of white. You can use chalk paint, acrylic, or gesso, but lay it down to help your colors pop.
• Lightly pencil in the design if you’re working with lighter hues or less saturated colors. Erasing sometimes creates a bigger mess than if you just would have left the errant pencil marks…
• The basic shapes for a flamingo in Kawaii style are:
  • a circle for the head,
  • a hook for the beak,
  • a sideways tear drop for the body,
  • a candy cane,
  • lines for legs (in a backward 4 shape), and
  • simple triangles for the feet.
• Below, I share how to create the Kawaii flamingo painting but all three rocks are shared in the full tutorial on YouTube.

Painting a flamingo ( something to paint on a difficult day)

Oh my, what strange and crazy times we are living through. I know we are all having to live with a whole new normal. I expect some of you are restricted to your homes and have no idea how long you’ll be there,feeling vulnerable and isolated.Others have children at home, maybe feeling scared and fed up , or simply just bored. Some of us are worried about our livelihoods, some of us have all these worries. It makes you think doesn’t it, but I have been heartened by how communities are helping each other , friends and neighbours are connecting in other ways. I have always connected with you all virtually but that doesn’t stop me from feeling I have made real friends and supporters via FB, or the internet. I hope this blog and maybe some of my other blogs may offer some support and solidarity through these difficult days. Let’s be kind to each other and support people who need help. And what better to have a go at a painting on a bad news day and what better than a happy pink flamingo !! Firstly sketch the flamingo Now I want this to be fun, I want a splishy splashy flamingo so take out a spray bottle I spray the paper around the feathers. Then I mix a flamingo colour, a mixture of rose madder and cadmium orange. Then I have fun splashing and splattering it over where I sprayed the water. This picture shows how wet the paper is ( I hope) Then the droplets can merge, and create their own patterns. Don’t do too heavy or use too strong colour. When you are happy leave it to dry, then you can move onto the flaming proper. I paint the eye and the beak very carefully I then move onto the rest of the body , look for the lights and dark tones. I use an under-painting of yellow then drop the orange /pink mixture into it I am now painting more and more loosely , it is good fun, and all absorbing. The best way to forget about the world is to do something like this, it takes over everything, even if it goes wrong , try again, creativity is a wonderful therapy. I want to paint the body loosely , let the drips and splatters tell the story, then suggest the legs and the water. And that is my splishy splashy happy flamingo. Have a go, or have a go at another painting or drawing. Be creative and enjoy the Spring sunshine. We are definitely all in this together so although we can feel alone , remember we all feel the same, and there is a lot of kindness in the world. I will try to post blogs for anyone who wants to have a go at watercolours, sending everyone lots of love x

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Flamingo Painted Rocks in Two Styles

Here at Ruffles and Rain Boots, I’m moving from Seattle, WA to Austin, TX soon and there a few things I refuse to move: potting soil, scrap wood, and random rocks. It so happens that neighbors loved the soil and wood but I didn’t have a single taker on the rocks. Shocking, yes? haha

I decided to create a little set of summer-themed rocks for my daughter to hide at the neighborhood park and this group was born. Two flamingos and a little gnome wearing a flamingo print hat – I just love the colors.

No Time to Make This Now? Please Save or Share for Later

If it’s midnight and you know you should be sleeping instead of looking at cute crafts (I get it), save this to a DIY pin board or share it on Facebook. It will make it easier to find when you’re rested.

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Tips for Making Rock Paintings with Bright Colors

• Always, always, always paint a base layer of white. You can use chalk paint, acrylic, or gesso, but lay it down to help your colors pop.
• Lightly pencil in the design if you’re working with lighter hues or less saturated colors. Erasing sometimes creates a bigger mess than if you just would have left the errant pencil marks…
• The basic shapes for a flamingo in Kawaii style are:
  • a circle for the head,
  • a hook for the beak,
  • a sideways tear drop for the body,
  • a candy cane,
  • lines for legs (in a backward 4 shape), and
  • simple triangles for the feet.
• Below, I share how to create the Kawaii flamingo painting but all three rocks are shared in the full tutorial on YouTube.

Below is the written and printable tutorial for the Kawaii flamingo painted rock. For a tutorial on all three, watch the full length How to Paint Flamingo Rocks for Summer on YouTube.

While you’re there, go ahead and subscribe. We have a lot of fun with crafts and simple DIYs for everyone.

Yield: 1 Flamingo Painted Rock

Kawaii Flamingo Rock Painting

This adorable Kawaii flamingo rock painting is part of a sweet little summertime set of painted rocks I made for my daughter to hide. Watch the full rock painting tutorial to learn to make all three rocks shown.

Active Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Difficulty Easy
Estimated Cost $3

Materials

• Rock
• White Paint
• Pink Paint
• Blue Paint
• Black Paint
• Liquitex Varnish

Tools

• Paint Palette
• Paintbrushes (Various Sizes)
• Pencil
• Sharpie Ultra Fine Marker
• Heat Gun or Hair Dryer (optional)

Instructions

1. Wipe off the rock and let dry. Create a frame in white paint to match the rock.
2. Use a light touch and the pencil to create a circle for the head near the top of the rock and a sideways tear drop for the body in the middle. Connect with a candy cane shape. Create a large hook for the beak, two lines for legs, and small triangles for feet.
3. Use pink paint and a brush to fill in the entire flamingo drawing.
4. Use the blue paint to fill in the white area as a background.
5. Use a thin paintbrush (or the Sharpie) to go over the penciled in two vertical lines for legs and small triangles for flamingo feet. Add a sleeping eye curve, and the wing outline. Mix the pink and white paint to create a pale pink and fill in part of the beak next to the body. Use black paint to finish out the flamingo beak.
6. Create a border for the entire piece by painting the edge outside the blue background and the entire back of the rock black. Seal with varnish to protect indoors or sealant for outdoors.

Notes

I use a heat gun in between paint colors to ensure my paints do not blend.

Always put the varnish into a separate container from the original to prevent color transfer.

If hiding these rocks outside or if they will be distributed as kindness rocks, use an outdoor spray sealant to protect the rocks.