Into the Rainforest

Into the Rainforest

Dates: 5 Thursdays March 19,26, April 2, 9, & 16 2026
Time: 1:30-4:00 PM (ET)
Skill Level: Beginners to Advanced
Live on Zoom

Into the Rainforest: Drawing & Painting the Tropics

Step into the lush world of the rainforest and learn to draw and paint its remarkable wildlife and tropical plants through a guided, multi-media approach designed for artists who love both beauty and scientific observation.

Inspired by Mindy Lighthipe’s decades of travel and teaching in Costa Rica, Peru, Colombia, Belize, & Honduras, this 5-week online workshop explores the rich relationships between rainforest animals and the plants that sustain them. Together we will study and create compositions that weave flora and fauna into cohesive rainforest scenes — blending scientific accuracy with artistic expression.

Subjects We’ll Explore

• Toucans, Toucanets & Aracaris
• Tree frogs and Poinson Dart frogs and their vibrant color relationships
• Sloths and the quiet poetry of rainforest life
• Brush-footed butterflies (including Owl. Morpho & Heliconia butterflies)
• Heliconia butterflies and wing pattern studies
• Tropical Gingers, Bird of Paradise and Heliconia flowers

What You’ll Learn

• How to design cohesive rainforest compositions that integrate plants and animals
• Multi-media techniques combining drawing and painting approaches using watercolor, gouache & colored pencil
• Observation skills for anatomy, texture, and natural behavior
• Strategies for layering color, pattern, and atmosphere
• How to use photographic references and handouts to achieve scientific accuracy while maintaining artistic freedom

Class Details

• Format: Live Online Zoom Workshop- recordings available each week for 90 days
• Duration: 5 Weeks
• Dates: Thursdays — March 19, 26, April 2, 9 & 16
• Recordings: Available after each session (so you can learn at your own pace)
• Included: Handouts, photo references, and guided demonstrations

This class is ideal for artists who want to deepen their drawing and painting skills while celebrating the biodiversity of the rainforest through meaningful, story-rich artwork.

Click here for a recommendation of suggested art supplies.   Please note we will be exploring gouache, watercolor and colored pencil. You are welcome to work with whatever you prefer.