Autumn Leaves Re-purposed/collectables
$.25
30 Minutes
Easy
When I first began to paint many of the supports being painted were small. Truthfully the thought at the time of painting larger pictures was intimidating. Also painting on small supports made it much easier and less costly to mail finished pieces to friends and the groups I donated artwork to for their fundraising projects.
Leaves certainly were light enough and there are more than enough available at the right time of year But....
Leaves certainly were light enough and there are more than enough available at the right time of year But....
But dry leaves do not press out well or at all. I tried to soften the leaves by soaking them in water or flattening them before they had completely dried but nothing worked.
By applying the acrylic gloss that I found can be applied to either side of the leaf , the gloss works like a laminate and binds the leaf along with making it a bit flexible. The leaves do need to be allowed to turn brown. ( atleast past their fall color stage).
Leaves collected and prepped can be pressed and kept in a photo album . Many of the leaves I have are several years old and very useable.
For this post these three were chosen. With the backs having been glossed a small piece of masking tape was stuck to the backs and the leaves were secured lightly to the plastic sheet. I use plastic so that the paint that goes beyond the leaf does not cause the leaf to stick tightly to the base and risk ruining the finished piece. Leaves can be base coated with gesso or as here Zinsser water based primer.
Three different backgrounds were chosen simply to provide variety.
For the leaf on the left, the distant mountain was painted, then some trees with their reflection on the water. When that part of the scene had dried the foreground tree and dry ground. The middle scene was started the same way but once the background was on, a large pine and ground were painted in the middle ground. Then the foreground land. The third scene did not come together so I'll leave it alone here.
To finish the scenes simple additions were painted giving each some personality and providing the viewer the opportunity to come up with a story as to what is taking place in each.
Sharing some of the other leaves that have been painted.
Leaves hold up nicely. I have had these and others from my collection out to show friends and potential customers so the leaves show some wear.
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Oh my you are so talented. Such a joy to see your work. I paint on anything I can find usually. But, I have never tried a leaf. Do you spray them with clear sealer after you have painted them? Is it best to frame them?