Paint an Elephant
& Balloons 🐘

Using your pencil, sketch the elephant on the right side of the canvas — a large rounded body, a round head, an upward-curving trunk, and two simple legs. On the upper left area, draw 3 circles of slightly different sizes for the balloons. Add a small triangle at the bottom of each balloon for the knot, and a thin curved line hanging down from each one for the string. Keep all lines light and loose.

Load your large flat brush with Lemon Yellow and apply it evenly across the entire canvas. The yellow should be bright and saturated — don't dilute it with water. Let dry for 1–2 minutes before moving on.

Load your brush with Cobalt Blue and fill in the entire elephant shape — body, head, trunk, and legs. Use smooth strokes that follow the rounded shapes. Apply the paint generously for solid, even coverage. The elephant doesn't need to be perfectly symmetrical — a slightly rounded, imperfect shape looks more charming and hand-painted.

Fill in all 3 balloon circles with Crimson Red. Then paint a small triangle at the bottom of each balloon for the knot. Apply the paint evenly and solidly — the bold red against the bright yellow background creates a striking contrast.

Using a fine brush and Titanium White, add evenly spaced white polka dots across each balloon. Then switch to Lamp Black and paint the thin string lines hanging from each balloon knot. Finally, add a small round eye on the elephant's head. Keep all details simple and clean.

Step back and look at your painting. Touch up any areas where the yellow background shows through the elephant or balloons. Your elephant and balloons painting is complete! 🐘