If you’ve ever felt a tinge of uncertainty when faced with the intricate details of a leaf, fear not – you’re not alone.
Embarking on the journey of botanical art, especially when it comes to leaves, can initially seem like a daunting task. The delicate veins, the subtle gradations of colour, and the challenge of capturing the realistic texture can make any beginner artist’s heart skip a beat. But let me assure you that what might appear as a complex puzzle is actually a beautifully solvable mystery.
In this comprehensive blog post, I’m here to dispel those initial fears and hesitations. Together, we will unravel the steps of painting a realistic leaf in watercolour, breaking down each stage into manageable and enjoyable phases. As a fellow lover of flowers and botanical wonders, I understand the fascination with leaves and the desire to bring their elegance to life on paper.
Throughout this tutorial, I will guide you through every step of the artistic process. From the moment you mix your first colours on your palette to the final intricate details that add depth and realism, you’ll have a front-row seat to my entire creative journey. No secrets will be kept – I’m here to share every brush stroke and every technique that transforms a blank canvas into a masterpiece.
But that’s not all, I have created a PDF guide of this blog post which you can download and keep to refer to every time you need it, AND inside you will find a tracing of the leaf to follow along if you like :-)
So, gather your watercolour palette, brushes, and paper, and let’s embark on this artistic adventure together.
Color Matching and Mixing
Color matching for the Medlar leaf
I use I small sketchbook I’ve made to record what I call “Colour Recipes”. You can use any sketchbook you like for this, but I like to use the same paper as the one I’ll use for my final project. So as I like to work with Arches paper, I made the sketchbook with Arches paper (300gsm, hot pressed). Then I use the colours recorded here to find the nearest match and I start mixing from there
Mixing green for the Medlar leaf
Of course you don’t need to have a colour recipe book for this exercise, I have included a list of the colours I use.
For this particular leaf I used the colours listed in the picture in the next page (there is also a full list of materials at the end of this guide).
To check if the colours match I use a bit of scrap paper (again, possibly the same type of paper you will use for your final painting), and check a colour swatch against the subject to paint.
I use the Darkening Mix to darken the green colour used for the leaf.
This mix is perfect if you want to darken a colour without changing its hue. If you add the complementary colour, which is red, to darken the green you will get a brown, as you can see from the bottom colours which I obtained using the same pigments I used to mix the green, but I added more Quinacridone Red.
I made two versions of the brown, one with Winsor Blue red shade and another with Winsor Blue Green Shade. You will get slightly different browns but the difference is not huge so if you have only one of these blues you can still mix the brown colour.
Watch the colour mixing video here
Painting The Leaf
If you’re using the tracing I have provided you with, you can now transfer it to paper using a light-box or a window.
Otherwise you can draw your own leaf and just follow my techniques to make your very own, personalised leaf.
Once you have the tracing done, you can apply the first wash. Make sure the pencil lines a not too strong. In the case of this leaf the green is quite dark, but if you’re painting a lighter subject, the pencil lines might show if they are too dark.
Make sure the paint is light, so add lots of water.
Apply the flat wash all over the surface, including veins and midrib, only excluding areas where, for example there are holes or imperfections in the leaf
Don’t be afraid to turn the page around to make it easier to reach the edges of the leaf
Now is time to apply the second wash and start giving form to your leaf.
The paint is only slightly darker. I prefer to apply a few layers rather than using a dark colour straight away, this method gives you more control I find.
Also at this stage make sure you don’t paint over the midrib if this is lighter than the rest of the leaf.
I like to work in sections, this makes the task less daunting and more manageable. Wet one section and then drop the paint in the area that is going to be the darkest part. Then use a clean, damp brush to soften the edges and avoid the formation of a hard edge.
Work on sections that are not adjacent so the paint won’t flow to the wet section where you just applied the paint.
Keep applying the second wash on all the sections. Also don’t forget to keep checking the reference image to avoid applying the paint on “autopilot” and thus making mistakes.
Once the second wash is dry you can start applying the third wash. At this stage I like to apply the paint wet on dry and then soften the edges with a clean, damp brush.
Continue working as you did with the second wash, apply the paint section by section while you keep observing the reference picture.
At the end of the third wash your leaf should look something like this. If it’s lighter don’t worry, you can always add one more layer to strengthen the colour.
Remember that is better to apply more layers slowly rather than a very dark colour straight away.
Now, you can add some details like the smaller veins. You don’t have to make your painting photo-realistic and try to paint all of the most minute details (although you can if you want to), but it’s nice to add a few details to make the painting more interesting.
Here I’m adding a few of the more visible tertiary veins. You can see these veins more on the right side of the leaf which is the side where the light hits the leaf blade more.
As always, don’t be afraid to turn the page around if it makes your work easier...
Don’t forget to add a small shadow on the left edge of the leaf too.
In this particular leaf the edges tend to curl downward, so if you observe it carefully, you will see a small shadow there too. It works a bit like when you draw a cylinder
Once I finish the details, I paint the imperfections.
I like to find leaves with small imperfections as this, in my view, makes the leaves seem more real somehow... at least to me :-)
With the brown mix I paint the imperfections with a stippling action to give the impression of texture.
I first apply a light wash and then add the darker colour around this area. Of course this will be different on every leaf so always look at you reference image... did I mention this already? :-)
This leaf was starting to dry on the tip as well. I applied the brown on top of the green here because the brown was quite dark so it wouldn’t be a problem if there was the green underneath. In fact I think it helps the fact that some of the green still shines through the brown layer. Keep using a stippling action while applying the paint.
Congratulations, you finished your leaf!
I hope you’ve enjoyed painting this leaf because painting should be an enjoyable task, always.
If you’d like, you can download the PDF guide by clicking HERE
Or if you prefer to watch a video of me painting the leaf you can click HERE
Let me know in the comments of you have enjoyed this tutorial and if you have painted the leaf.
Till next time
Paint and be happy!