Bamboo

For my project Owl Forest I needed bamboo. I studied reference photos, looked at different types of bamboo. I decided I needed a species of giant bamboo for my project. But I couldn't find any tutorials that showed me how to make realistic bamboo without paint.

Since I was looking for a tutorial for this, I figured there might be other people like me looking for this (little chance, I know…😏). I took on the challenge of coming up with a method myself. I filmed bits and pieces throughout the process, but also switched techniques a few times. This resulted in hours of footage, all of which had to be edited into a usable tutorial 😅. I hope the number of hours I spent experimenting, filming, and editing will save others a lot of time making beautiful bamboo for their own projects. If after watching the tutorial you think: "I could use some help with this," feel free to contact me about the possibilities for Workshops!

I aimed for the most realistic effect possible. This also means consciously creating a number of imperfections, varying the texture, patterns, and sizes. In the video, I demonstrate the techniques and tools I used to create the trunks and leaves. Because there are plenty of good tutorials on skinner blend and ikat cane techniques, I won't go through them in detail or step-by-step. The focus is on making the bamboo itself.

Below is the tutorial, have fun making your bamboo!