Ankylosaurus colouring tips and ideas
Begin with the ankylosaurus, the star of the show. Lay down a light olive green base with a soft pencil, then deepen shades toward the spine with darker greens applied in small circles to build volume. Blend touches of earthy brown into skin folds for a rugged texture. Highlight the top edges of each back plate with a whisper of lemon yellow to mimic direct sunlight, and softly outline each scute with a grey-green pencil, blending the line with a cotton swab for a seamless look.
The horns and tail club deserve stony greys mixed with burnt sienna; shade nearest the body and drag pigment outward so they appear polished by ancient battles. Eyes sparkle when you layer golden ochre, then a hint of amber along the upper iris, finishing with a pinpoint of white gel pen. Inside the mouth, fade coral pink into brick red for warmth and depth.
Shift to the landscape. Let the volcano pulse with cool rock greys and molten orange-red (blend crimson and cadmium orange). Where lava flows, streak central areas with hot yellow and edge them with soft violet to suggest cooling. Ash clouds work well in bluish grey; smudge lightly with your finger for a diffused veil.
The sky benefits from a gentle gradient: pale cyan at the top melting into sky blue and nearly white near the horizon. With alcohol markers, move quickly to avoid streaks; with watercolor, pre-wet the area so the pigment glides effortlessly. Distant mountains recede with washed-out violet-blues, capturing atmospheric perspective.
Palm trunks come alive using layers of raw sienna and burnt umber, applied in zigzag strokes for fibrous bark. For the fronds combine emerald and turquoise, reserving bright turquoise for sun-kissed edges and darker green near the central vein. A very light yellow pencil on the tips makes them glimmer. The river should mirror both sky and foliage: first a thin wash of sky blue, then, once dry, add horizontal dashes of green and orange reflections that shimmer like ripples. Finally, ground each element with near-invisible violet-grey shadows beneath the dinosaur and rocks.
Fun facts and anecdotes
Ankylosaurus—literally “fused lizard”—roamed western North America about 68 million years ago. Though no taller than a modern giraffe’s shoulder, it stretched longer than a school bus and wore bone armor so tough it inspired early bullet-proof vest designs. One swing of its tail club could shatter a predator’s bones. The palm-like trees in your page resemble cycads, living fossils that shared the Cretaceous landscape and still grow in botanical gardens today.
Victorian painters of prehistoric panoramas experimented with mineral pigments to achieve the same rich greens and fiery reds you’ll recreate. Modern watercolor pencils let you mimic their palette without grinding stone. Meanwhile, Cretaceous volcanism was intense; some scientists think massive eruptions helped trigger the climate shifts that spelled the dinosaurs’ end. Every time you stroke red into that lava, you blend art and science in one vivid gesture.
