It's fall here in the mountains....my favorite time of year! And, a perfect time to do a leaf study. On a recent trip to the mountains, I collected a few leaves with interesting colors. Painting a single leaf (a leaf study) is a good way to practice blending colors.
The first step in a leaf study is to lightly sketch the shape of the leaf, leaving out the veins of the leaf until the color wash is applied.
Wet the entire surface of the leaf and apply (wet on wet) a light yellow base color. while the surface is still wet, drop in various colors to allow blending.
Don't forget to add the little imperfections in the leaf by dropping in browns. This adds character and makes the leaf interesting.
The photos above show this step. The photo below was taken while hiking in the Smoky Mountains.....which explains why my blog has been delayed recently. I have been hiking and enjoying the fall weather....and, of course, gathering inspiration for my upcoming paintings.
So, "take a hike" and gather some leaves......grab that paint brush and get started! My next blog will show how to finish the veins in the leaves.
Happy Painting!
Karen
No comments:
Post a Comment