Watercolor Greeting Cards
using leaves as Stamps & Stencils

This fall project is fun for artists of all ages and skill levels, Enjoy!

Choose one or more shapely leaves.
Your leaves can be fresh or dried.
A dry leaf may be brittle and need to be soaked in water for several minutes to rehydrate.

Use a sponge or damp brush to dabble paint over the leaf creating a void.

Stamp the veins of your leaf into the void using thick paint applied directly on the leaf. Let dry. Fill in using warm fall colors.

As a stamp: The underside of the leaf usually has raised veins better for printing. Place the leaf paint side down on your card and apply gentle pressure to transfer the paint to the card. Repeat this process until you have a composition you like. Allow to printed leaf patterns to dry. Next, fill in the stamped leaf pattern with warm autumn colors.
Your cards will look like you spent hours painting in the details! Some leaves receive paint better than others, so experiment with different leaves.

As a stencil: Blot diluted watercolor paint over a leaf to create a void. Using a sponge, dampened paper towels, or a moist paint brush. Allow the first layer of blotching to dry, then apply a second layer of a complimentary color. Or add the second color while wet to allow the colors to blend, Flip the leaf to apply thick paint to the reversed side to stamp in the vein pattern. Or paint in your veins freehand.
HINT: Waxy leaves repel paint better than fuzzy leaves. However, fuzzy leaves make better stamps. Try experimenting with different leaves types. Have fun! Susie

Susie Short's Watercolor Hints and Tips