Ever wonder how many spots a cheetah has? I wish I could tell you, but I lost count during this week’s project. a painted wooden cheetah.

Inspirations:
Resting in the Shade

Look at that gorgeous coat! It’s beautiful but also serves as camouflage. The black tear-like markings help these stealthy predators by cutting the sun’s glare.

Mother & Cubs

Their long muscular legs and bodies make cheetahs the fastest land animals. They often stand on trees and rocks for better views of their hunting grounds.

Keeping a Lookout

It’s important to stay alert. You never know when the next meal might come along.

Supplies:
Raw Wood Cheetah

Closeup – Raw Wood Cheetah’s Feet

Do you notice the problem with his front feet? If you are familiar with music from the 1970’s, you’ll know the rock group Kiss. Their costumes always included platform boots and apparently this cheetah is a fan! lol  This odd design choice will be corrected in a later step.

Acrylic Paints

How to Paint a Wooden Cheetah:
Paint Base Coats on Cheetah & Stand – Front View

Be sure to paint all surfaces, including the edges.

Paint Base Coats on Cheetah & Stand – Back View

Draw Details on the Body and Face

Defining the legs on the front and back is a bit of a challenge. You’ll notice there is extra wood at the edges, which should have been trimmed off. Instead, we will paint it brown in a later step so that it is less noticeable. Add the facial details too.

Paint the Details – Front View

The tail, belly, inner side of each leg, and areas on chest and face are white with black spots. The rest of the coat is tan or golden with black spots. The facial details bring this figure to life.

Closeup – Legs

As noted previously, the excess wood on the legs is painted brown to blend into the background.

Paint the Details – Back View

Paint the Spotted Coat – Front View

The tip of the tail is solid black with a few stripes above it. Spots cover the remainder of the body.

Paint the Spotted Coat – Back View

Completed Cheetah – Front View

Glue stones to the base, beneath the front feet, to correct the issue noted in the sixth photo and to create the illusion the cheetah is scoping out his surroundings.

Completed Cheetah – Back View

I hope you enjoyed this post and are inspired to begin your next creative project.

Thanks for Reading & Happy Crafting!

The mysterious legends of dragons have been a fascination for centuries. appearing in ancient and modern texts, maps, as well as artwork and architecture around the world. Some may say dragons are pure fantasy, but shown below are several dragons alive today. This week’s project, a colored/painted LED dragon, is easy to complete and suitable for all ages and skill levels.

Inspirations:
Komodo Dragon

Australian Seadragon

Green Iguana

Supplies:
Raw Wood LED Dragon

Magic Markers

Acrylic Paints

3-Dimensional Fabric Paints

How to Color/Paint a Wooden Dragon:
Apply Dark Blue Marker

Color the wing details and spines running down the dragon’s back and tail.

Apply Aqua Marker

Fill in the wings with magic marker. Don’t be afraid to experiment. You can always change it, as you will see in a later step.

Apply Lime Green Marker

Apply Dark Green Accents

I didn’t like lime green and dark green together and changed it in the next step.

Apply Dark Green Marker

Apply Dark Blue Marker

Cover the original aqua wing with dark blue. I liked the color, but it appeared to be rather dull for such a magical beast. At this point, if you are satisfied with your dragon, you could stop. I like to experiment with different paints, as you will see below.

Paint Wing Metallic Light Blue

Paint Face and Body Details Metallic Green

Paint Spines Metallic Purple

Paint the spines metallic purple. Add facial details with green 3D paint. Paint the eye metallic blue and outline it in 3D green paint.

Add Textured Scales with 3D Paint

To make tiny scales, dip toothpicks in 3D green paint and lightly touch the wood surface creating a textured pattern.

Add Wing Veins with 3D Paint

Finished Dragon

Paint the wing veins blue and outline the spines with 3D purple paint.

Finished Dragon Close Up

Dragon LED Lights Lit

Dragon Nightlight

This completes our dragon. It’s fun, colorful and functions as a night light too. I hope you enjoy it and feel inspired to explore the many creative options for your next project.

Thanks for Reading & Happy Crafting!