Yawning Hippo in Water Coloring Page

A hippo's massive open jaw dominates the composition, its thick lips curling back to expose broad, rounded teeth and a cavernous mouth interior that forms the focal point of this printable illustration in this printable coloring page. Water ripples fan outward from the submerged body in curved, parallel lines, while flat lily pad shapes float at varying angles across the surface. Reed stalks with long, tapered leaves frame both sides of the scene, their vertical lines contrasting against the wide, rounded bulk of the animal. The hippo's rough hide suits a dry-brush technique using warm grays and dusty mauves, with darker tones pressed into the skin folds around the neck and shoulders. Use murky blue-greens for the water and try leaving the lily pads in two or three distinct shades - pale yellow-green, mid-green, and deep olive - to add visual depth to the foreground. The mouth interior could feature pinks ranging from dusty rose at the edges to a deep reddish-brown near the throat.