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Llama Painting Tutorial

This painting is for the llama lovers and it’s a great one you can do with the kids! You will learn how to paint a simple llama painting step by step. 

I have provided a traceable that you can print out on standard size computer paper and use transfer paper to get it onto your canvas. 

You may also customize the background for this painting.

I used medium magenta and titanium white which created the pink abstract looking background. 

If you want a different color, select any color you have and load it in titanium white to still get the same effect. 

Materials For Llama Painting

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Yield: One 11 x 14 Canvas

Llama Painting

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Create a llama painting step by step with acrylics! This tutorial uses only five colors and has a traceable you can print and trace onto your canvas.

Active Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Difficulty Easy, Kid Friendly

Materials

• Acrylic Paint
• Brushes
• 11 x 14 Canvas 
• Traceable 
• Transfer Paper 

Colors

• Medium Magenta (if you don’t want to do a pink background, select any color)
• Titanium White
• Mars Black 
• Raw Sienna 
• Gold (used only for dots in the background) 

Brushes

• 3/4 Flat 
• 12 Bright
• 5 or 6 Round Brush (something not too big or small but has a point to it)
• 5/0 Round Brush (for small detail work or you can use a black paint pen)

Instructions

1. Transfer the llama to the canvas.
2. Use a 3/4 flat brush to double load in medium magenta and titanium white. Paint up and down strokes all around the llama.
3. To cut in closer to the llama, use a 12 bright brush.
4. Paint the llama white.
5. Use the round brush to paint the eyes and nose mars black.
6. Paint the inside of the llama’s ears with gray. To make gray, mix 3 parts white and 1 part black.
7. Use the round brush to paint the hair on the llama. Load the brush in a combo of white, raw sienna and mars black. Paint vertical wavy lines all on the neck area.
8. Paint the fur texture around the eye, top of head and ears.
9. Paint the nose area the same gray you used for the inside of the ears.
10. Paint a white highlight on the nose and the white dots on the eyes.
11. Paint fun little dots in the background using gold and white. You may also wish to use black or gray or other colors you may have for the dots.

Notes

Traceable is optimized for 11 x 14 size canvas. Print both parts and tape together. If you have any questions about materials or this tutorial, feel free to leave a comment on the bottom of this post.

Color Palette

Traceable For Llama Painting

Note: to get the PDF for this file, scroll up in the materials section or get it from my traceable library. The PDF is optimized for the 11×14 canvas. 

Directions At A Glance

Video For Llama Painting

Step By Step Directions

1. Transfer the llama to the canvas.

To do this, you’ll need a sheet of graphite paper and the traceable. Print the traceable on two sheets, tape together.

Then lay the graphite paper below and trace using any writing utensil. 

This bottom of the llama lines up with the bottom of the canvas. To get the lines to be nice and visible, press firmly while you trace on a flat surface.

2.Paint the background

Use a 3/4 flat brush to double load in medium magenta and titanium white.

Paint up and down strokes all around the llama. Let the pink and white blend together to create an abstract background. 

It looks best when the white and pink don’t mix fully. 

The goal is to fill as much as the background as possible without painting over the llama. 

3. To cut in closer to the llama, use a 12 bright brush.

Use the smaller flat brush (12 bright) to get closer to the edges of the llama. 

You can use the edge of the brush to outline the shape including some of the fur. 

Then after outlining the llama, fill in all the space with the up and down strokes. 

Your background is complete. You will need to let this dry or use a hair dryer to speed up the drying process. 

4. Use the round brush to paint the eyes and nose mars black.

You’ll need both your 5 round brush and your 5/0 round brush. You will also need mars black. 

Start with the larger round and paint the main shape of the eye as drawn in the traceable. 

Then use your tiny 5/0 brush to paint the lashes. I did two lashes on each side. 

Next use your 5 round brush to paint the nose. 

5. Paint the inside of the llama’s ears with gray.

To make gray, mix 3 parts white and 1 part black. As an alternative, you can use already mixed gray paint (neutral gray value 5). 

Use your round brush to paint the inside of the llamas ears this gray color. 

6. Paint the llama white.

Next you will need to paint the llama white.

Use a 12 bright brush to fill in all the space white around the ears, around the eyes, around the nose and mouth area, etc. 

Note: Leave the mouth area blank for now so you can still see the drawing part of it. 

Note: in the next steps, it is okay that the white stays wet. There is no need to dry the painting at this point. 

7. Use the round brush to paint the hair on the llama.

Load your 5 round brush in a combo of white and the light gray. When you paint these strokes, the line is to look wavy going in a vertical direction. 

Paint this gray wavy type of line all through the the neck region, cheeks and a little above the eyes. 

8. Paint the nose and mouth area

Next you will need to paint the mouth area with the same gray you used for the inner parts of the ears.

Then the bottom part of the mouth is painted with a slightly darker gray. To make the gray slightly darker, mix a tiny bit more black into it. 

Then use your 5 round brush (or 5/0 round if you feel more comfortable with the smaller one) to paint the mouth. 

9. Continue to add fur texture with a little raw sienna in the mix

To give the llama a little more color variety and warm tones, add a little raw sienna to your palette. 

You will need to mix the white into the raw sienna to make it lighter (about 2 parts white and 1 part raw sienna).

Continue to add layers of this llama fur texture in the neck, cheek and eye area. 

Also, the hair on the top of the head was painted using a variety of these colors. 

Tip: make sure that you are using mostly titanium white in addition to the other colors. It should be very light with the other colors more subtle. 

10. Paint fur texture on the ears and the top of head and pain bridge of nose

Use either the 5/0 or the 5 round brush to add strokes that slightly overlap the inner gray part of the ears.

Use a variety of the raw sienna, titanium white and gray on your palette.  

Also paint slightly vertical lines above the nose. 

11. Paint a white highlight on the nose

Use the 5/0 round brush to paint a highlight on the nose. 

12. Paint fun little dots in the background

To do the fun dots in the background, I used the back of my paintbrush handle.

Dip it in gold and stamp dots around the canvas.

Then do white dots. You can do other colors as well but I just stuck with white and gold.

Finished!

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