Paint a Fern Leaf With No Brush!

I love using different textures in my paintings and you can do so in many different ways. As my title says...you can paint a fern leaf with no brush. The painting above, Spring Baby, is a good illustration of this technique. The fern leaves are painted by placing actual fern leaves in paint and "stamping" on the paper. So before you start painting, take a trip to your backyard or to a park nearby and "pick up" a fern leaf instead of paintbrush. The following are the steps I used to "paint" the ferns:

1. I applied my background color wet on wet and allowed this paint to dry slightly. The paper must not be too wet or when the fern is "stamped" on the paper, the outline will blur.

2. Apply paint to one side of the fern by simply dipping your fern leaves in paint already prepared on your palette. Make certain that the paint is placed on all areas of the leaves, by gently pushing down on the fern leaves with your fingers. Vary the color of the paint in several areas of the fern to create dark and light areas for shadows and highlights.

3. Apply the fern to the painting and gently press into the paper with your fingers.

4. Lift the fern carefully and you will find a stamped impression of your fern leaves.

This technique can be done with all sorts of leaves, etc. and is a wonderful way to add a realistic touch to your painting.