Leaf Paint and Print for Fall

I'm awfully busy with hubby' recovery, but wanted to post something for fall. This leaf print is so beautiful........  
ENJOY! 

Leaf Paint & Print

Collect fresh green or supple autumn leaves. Paint a leaf with watercolor paints, and then press paper on the leaf to lift a print.

Materials

drawing paper or construction paper

large fresh green leaf or supple autumn leaf

permanent black marker, optional

watercolor paints and paintbrush

 

Process

1. Place a large leaf on a covered workspace. Paint the surface of the leaf surface with watercolor paints. Use one color or many. While the leaf is still wet, press white paper on the painted leaf, patting and pressing with your fingers to help the paper pick up the paint.

2. Lift and peel the paper from the leaf to see the leaf print transferred to the white paper. (Sometimes the leaf sticks to the paper and needs to be peeled away.)

3. Continue making prints, adding several leaf prints to one larger sheet of drawing paper or use a new sheet of paper for more prints.

4. When the prints are dry, some artists like to draw around the leaf shapes with a permanent black marker.

 

Variation

* Tempera Paint Leaf Print
Follow the same steps with tempera paint mixed with liquid starch. Brush paint on the leaf (the colors will be bright and glossy) and then press a sheet of paper on the leaf and rub the paper gently to absorb the print. Lift the paper to see the print. Try colored paper or fabric to see leaf prints in new ways. (If you don’t have liquid starch, tempera paint works fine alone.)

Comments

[Andrea Mack]

Thanks for this great idea! I'm going to try it with my K students.

[MaryAnn F. Kohl, art book author]

I like making this print on paper that has been painted first with watercolor paints.