Smiling Toucan is an original line art drawing by me, Amy Shulke of Vanilla Arts Company. I started this drawing in April 2018 for my own entertainment but mid-project I was asked to guest post at SarahRenaeClark.com so I included my work-in-progress photos as part of the article. We then used the Smiling Toucan image as a student project for one of my weekend coloring retreats in northern Michigan.

I've always loved birds and I find them less intimidating to draw and color than dogs or cats. I think it's because birds are not naturally warm and cuddly, so if the finished facial expression on a bird is remote and distant, it simply adds to the realism rather than detracting.

For Toucan, I did set out with the goal of creating a realistic yet very friendly bird. The prior project was a bald eagle and the bird before that was a raven on a tombstone-- both projects featured very stern faces. Toucan was my way of turning 180 degrees for a bit of fun. I ate a lot of Fruit Loops as a child, so Toucans have always been my idea of a Best Buddy kind of bird.

This is a light hearted project so don't get too bogged down in the details. Frustration and tension show up in your coloring strokes and it can change the expression on your bird too. Relax and have fun. And follow your nose, it always knows; the flavors of fruit, just follow my snoot...

Yes, I can sing the whole darned song.

Amy’s stamps are suitable for colored pencil, alcohol markers, pastels, watercolor....get creative!

Smiling Toucan was the September 2021 challenge project for our artistic coloring community, the Underpainters. For more information on the Underpainters visit: https://www.vanillaarts.com/underpainters

FILE CONTENTS:

• JPG digital stamp file of "Smiling Toucan”, high-res 300 ppi

• PNG digital stamp file of "Smiling Toucan", high-res 300 ppi

• PNG digital stamp file of "Smiling Toucan", high-res 300 ppi (black lines version)

• PDF easy-print option, prints one (1) "Smiling Toucan" image per page

*black line version included for tracing and/or adjusting the opacity to print in gray

Artistic Coloring Kit PDF including:

• Suggested Color Palette

• Photo Inspirations

• Greyscale Image

• Color Map of Amy’s Coloring Project

• Coloring Process Tips & Photo Collage

• Terms of Use Information

PLEASE NOTE: You will be emailed a link to access this digital stamp kit. LINK WILL EXPIRE 24 HOURS FROM PURCHASE TIME. Please save the file immediately. I also recommend saving a backup copy on an alternate drive or cloud system. Lastly, save your receipt.

DUE TO THE DIGITAL NATURE OF THIS PRODUCT, NO REFUNDS OR RETURNS ARE POSSIBLE.