Naomi Judd, CIG, has been a writer for six years and been published in Tidal Echoes, Centripetal, The Capital City Weekly and Northwest.com. She has a self-designed Bachelor of Arts degree in adventure writing from Plymouth State University and is currently earning an Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from University of Southern Maine.
SUPPLIES
- Paintbrushes
- Paints
- Palette
Overview
There are thousands upon thousands of different species of trees and plants, and therefore thousands of different leaves an artist could paint. If you are intending to paint a specific species of leaf, then it is important to study this species before painting. The following tips will guide you in painting the leaves of any plant you wish, and gives examples of simple, compound and fan-shaped broadleaf leaves.
Step 1
Study the shape of the leaves you wish to paint either in real life or from a photograph. A field guide to trees is perfect for this purpose. Don't just study the outline of the leaves but notice how many lobes it may have, how many veins are visible from the midrib (central vein), and how long and wide the petiole (stem) is. Are the leaves "simple," with just one leaf attached to a stalk, or are they "compound," with more than one blade attached to a single stalk?
Step 2
Sketch your leaves with a pencil before you paint. No matter what kind of leaves you are painting, it always helps to have a rough sketch of the subject before meeting brush to paper. You may wish to paint just two or three large leaves on the edge of a branch if it were, say, a Rocky Mountain Maple. But if you were to paint compound leaves, such as the leaves of an Elderberry or Oregon Ash, then you will first need to sketch five to seven leaves to each stalk.
Step 3
Prepare your paper or canvas and your brushes and paints depending on the type of paint you will be using. Erase your sketch so that it only slightly shows for your guidance but will not be seen through thin layers of paints or watercolors.
Step 4
CottonwoodPaint simple broadleaf leaves, such as those of a cottonwood, by using a thin brush and first painting the outline of the leaves, then filling in the leaf and lastly painting the veins. Simple leaves, like their name entails, are the easiest leaves to paint. They do not have multiple lobes and are usually ovate or heart-shaped.
Step 5
ElderberryPaint compound broadleaf leaves, such as those of an Elderberry, by creating multiple ovate simple leaves on each branch. Compound leaves usually have one single leaf at the tip of a branch and pairs of opposite or alternate leaves behind that one.
Step 6
GinkgoPaint fan-shaped broadleaf leaves, such as those of the Ginkgo tree, by using a fan-shaped brush if you have one or a fine-haired medium brush and fanning out the paint from the stems.
TIPS AND WARNINGS
- TIP : Paint deciduous trees, such as oaks or maples in their summer greens or their beautiful fall hues such as red-orange or deep-red and brown. If painting with watercolors, first paint the darker areas first, let dry and then paint the lighter areas of the leaves.
