Tropical Drawing Ideas

Learn to draw watercolor and ink tropical and beach themed illustrations.

  • How to draw a surfboard to celebrate Christmas in July
    Blog,  Christmas Drawing Ideas,  Tropical Drawing Ideas

    How to Draw a Surfboard to Celebrate Christmas in July

    After deciding on this tutorial, I realized that Christmas in July has an actual date, July 25, rather than celebrating the whole month. Makes sense. The 'real' Christmas has an actual date, too, but ... I still celebrate it all month long. So, even though I missed the actual date, the tutorial stands. If you'd rather use it to celebrate something else, like a birthday, it will work for that too. I'm all for celebrating whenever we can, so the idea of an extra holiday in July totally works for me, minus snow. I can't do snow. Though I look for holidays all over the place, seasons are to be…

  • How to draw a pineapple tutorial
    Blog,  Tropical Drawing Ideas

    How to Draw a Pineapple

    For me, seasons tend to carry themes. Maybe it has to do with temperatures where I live. We get a good dose of each season … frigid temperatures and snows in winter, hot and sticky summers, blooming springs, and breezy falls. As each season passes, one or two ideas grow into many ideas until they threaten to spill over into the next year. Right now, we’re in the middle of summery ninety-some-odd degree days when the pool invites and everyone looks for ways to “chill.” Maybe that’s why I’m dreaming of the tropics lately and summery, tropical drawings keep coming to mind. Why don’t we just go with that theme?…

  • How to make a beach time clock drawing
    Blog,  Lettering Ideas,  Tropical Drawing Ideas,  Watercolor and Ink

    How to Make a Beach Time Clock Drawing

    Most of the year, I keep pretty busy in among a slurry of artwork, sports schedules, gardening and the neverending homemade menu. But when I’m on vacation, everything is peaceful and relaxed. All time melts into a calm, very flexible plan. We rarely have to be anywhere at a given time. I mean, who cares if we eat at set times? Sure … we have time for another walk on the beach. Ice cream instead of lunch? Let’s do it! Sit on the balcony and stare at the waves for hours? Soak it up. In fact, on this year’s vacation, I realized just how stressed I operate the rest of…

  • flamingo drawing
    Blog,  Tropical Drawing Ideas,  Watercolor and Ink

    How to Make a Flamingo Drawing with a Splash

    Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been all about pink, green and blue. Why? I had a request for some artwork, a flamingo and a dragonfly. I love drawing dragonflies, but why had I never thought about a flamingo drawing?! Might as well stay with the pink for a little while longer. So, while I was drawing flamingos in different poses and painting them in different styles, I decided that a flamingo drawing tutorial would be the perfect end to summer drawings. Shall we take one more trip to the beach? It might be the last for a while. Let's get started.

  • Draw with words - turtle lettering
    Blog,  Lettering Ideas,  Tropical Drawing Ideas,  Watercolor and Ink

    Draw with Words – Turtle Lettering

    Get ready to draw with words as we create turtle lettering inside a turtle drawing. I seriously debated between more turtles and a unicorn. I know. I don’t usually head down the unicorn road. I’m a boy mom, after all. But I have a couple of special little unicorn lovers in my life, one of whom will soon have a birthday. That makes me want to pull out the calligraphy supplies, some pink and purple watercolor and … you guessed it! Glitter. I think I’ll save that unicorn for now (it might be the next tutorial … we’ll see). After the last tutorial, a turtle drawing, it felt like too…

  • Beach Quote, Beach Words, Beach Background
    Blog,  Lettering Ideas,  Tropical Drawing Ideas,  Watercolor and Ink

    Beach Quote, Beach Words, Beach Background

    Oh … that beach still calls … those waves still beckon … so let’s continue with our beach theme a little longer. How about some lettering styles for a beach quote or a few beach words. Then we'll bring in some beach color with a watercolor background. Calligraphy and watercolor, my favorite mix. I have really been missing the beach this year. These summery projects help me feel a few moments of that relaxing beach feeling, the glint of a beach memory. I hope they bring some vacation reminders and cheerful thoughts to your day too. I'll walk you through the background and quote I chose and include a video…

  • sand castle drawing with a loose watercolor background
    Blog,  Tropical Drawing Ideas,  Watercolor and Ink

    Sand Castle Drawing with a Loose Watercolor Background

    Okay, I admit. I’m missing the beach. Don’t get me wrong, I love the rolling hills and low mountains that I call home, but it’s been several years since we were able to take a beach vacation. And I’m longing to go again. When I go to the beach, I can relax and enjoy the salty smell, the tickling breeze, the warm sun, digging my toes in the sand while I read a book, the rhythmic sound of the crashing waves … the cool water lapping at my toes as I walk and look for shells, sand dollars or shark teeth (depending on the beach) … sigh … I guess…

  • Beach drawing cover image
    Blog,  Lettering Ideas,  Tropical Drawing Ideas,  Watercolor and Ink

    Beach Drawing and a Happy Birthday Lettering Printable

    Learn how to make a beach drawing and turn it into a birthday card with one of the style options on a Happy Birthday Lettering Printable. Most of the designs I make are created around flowers or colorful backgrounds, but occasionally, I like to come up with cards or designs that show off a scene with a touch of humor. These cards are created while thinking of the men in my life and usually involve sleeping and mishaps (ex. A hunter falling asleep in a tree stand while a big buck looks on or a fisherman sleeping while a large fish thinks about nibbling his fingers). With the approach of…