Watercolor Painting, My Way!: Autumn Leaves: L2/5

Author: Rod Webb, Associate Editor

	The paper has been left to completely dry before the next stage. Make sure you have enough green mix to cover the whole leaf. Also be sure to have some of the brown mixes left for the tip of the leaf. Our next job is to paint the leaf green, but leave the veins by painting around them. The original wash will still show through in the vein areas.
	Complete one side of the leaf at a time. Slowly work along one section at a time being careful to paint around our water drops. As you paint along each section, and while they are still damp, you can using a separate brush to add the odd spot of brown to produce some blemishes. As you approach the end sections, mix in some brown. Just dip your  brush into the brown mix and paint on. Go back to green for the start of the next section and change to brown halfway along.
	As they are both applied while wet, the two colours will merge smoothly with soft-edged joins. Work along the other side in the same way. Changing from green to brown in the latter sections to give the autumn burnt leaf look. The very ends are painted with pure brown mix.

A mix of ultramarine with a touch of light red is added to our palette.

	The paper was left to completely dry again. Then a wash of our ultramarine mix was painted over the whole leaf except for our oval water drops.
	This softens the edges of the veins and merges the whole section washes together, making it look more realistic. While this was still damp, I painted the stem with burnt umber allowing it to spread slightly into the leaf.

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