The teenage boy wants a rain-forest theme. The challenge is to make it look like a teenage boy's bedroom and not a little kid jungle theme.
We purchased a used bunk bed a few years ago for his room so it was time to tackle painting it. This is the first piece of furniture that I have painted. We decided to go with milk paint, for the distressed, weathered look. He wanted to do four graduated colors, starting with a brown to represent the ground and moving up to a green for all the greenery that is found in a rain-forest. I'll admit that I was a little skeptical of his vision, but it is his room, so I went with it. The first coat didn't take too well. It peeled of way too much. Think I should have sanded the bed down more before I started painting it. What I decided to do was mix the paint with an additive help it adhere to the wood better. It still had that weathered feel, and some flaked off. We picked up some knobs at Hobby Lobby for the drawers and the bed was finished.
I will post some better pictures of the bed as I get the room completely finished. For now you can see some of what we did, and the colors we went with. It is a loft style bunk bed with the bed up top, and a desk underneath.
Here is a close up of the knobs on this side.
This is the desk side and the different knobs we chose.
Then it was time for the mural. I started by finding some photos to use as inspiration, then I sketched it on wall. I don't get too bogged down on the details in the first sketching stages. I like to get an idea of where everything is going to be and start putting paint down. This is what I started with. Any idea what it is?
This is a more close up picture of the back legs.
This is the finished product. Now do you know what it is?
Lest you think I got confused and started to paint a zebra and then changed my mind, let me assure you this is indeed an actual animal.
This is an okapi (oh-COP-ee) Okapis are native to the Congo. Although they have stripes, they are more closely related to the giraffe, not the zebra. The stripes help conceal them in rain forest. They have very long tongues, like their giraffe cousin, to strip leaves from trees. The are often referred to as the "Forest Giraffe.
We are hoping to make it to a zoo so we can see these fascinating animals up close. Until then, we will enjoy the one on his wall.
I think he was a little skeptical of my artistic abilities when he agreed to let me start painting on his walls. Now he is impressed and wants a waterfall and a macaw on the opposite wall. We also have plans for one more okapi on this wall.
I hope to get a lot of painting done this week. I think I'm going to start with the macaw, to change things up a little. Then I may tackle the waterfall. I'll admit that I'm a little nervous about the waterfall, but I'm up for the challenge. Then we'll work on the 2nd okapi.
This isn't my first attempt at painting murals for the kid's rooms. When my son was born I did his nursery in bears and ballons, floating in the clouds. Then I did his "big boy" room in trucks and airplanes. When the rain forest bedroom is complete, I will tackle the butterfly garden bedroom for my girls.
I have decided to expand my artistic offerings. If you are local to the Richmond, Virginia area, and need a mural for a child's room or playroom, please contact me. You can reach me at ald040899@gmail.com
Anne
