Society of Botanical Artists - Assignment 3 Leaves

Painting leaves isn't my forte. As I reviewed my other artworks, I realized I haven't painted many leaves, and the idea of painting seven seemed quite intimidating. Yet, this is exactly why I enrolled in school, isn't it? To push my boundaries, tackle challenging projects, and develop as an artist. Right?! Still I find myself wanting to stay in my comfort zone.

Here are the assignment requirements.

1. Choose seven leaves - one must be a monocot

2. Two leaves must not be green

3. The backside of one leaf

4. Composition must be pleasing

5. One leaf must be on vellum (which was extra)

   
   

Where to start? It was early spring in Michigan with slim pickings with the majority of blooms being daffodils and tulips. There still weren't many leaves yet, mostly just buds so delicate they would curl up right after being picked. Nevertheless, I set out to forage :) I began in my yard and then took a stroll, collecting a few leaves from the flowering trees around the neighborhood.

The most challenging aspect for me was the composition. I needed to arrange all these beautiful elements on a single sheet without overcrowding, while also ensuring a smooth flow. Here's my final composition.

I realized that i had two maple leaves on my composition and needed to find another non green leaf. Here is my final composition all drawn up and ready to paint.

Leaf 1 - I started with a daffodil leaf for my monocot leaf. See below. I admired how it spiraled and twirled. The color was stunning, featuring blue-greens and a touch of yellow at the base.

My first leaf was the most difficult. mostly because of its size and straight lines. I learned from Jackie Isard’s book, Watercolor mixing techniques for botanical artists (link here on Amazon) about mixing your own colors especially greens. A super awesome book and i highly recommend it to anyone that has minimum paints or want to mix their own.

Paints used for daffodil leaf: WN (Winsor & Newton) Lemon Yellow, Scarlet Lake, Winsor Blue Green Shade. For the bottom of the leaf I used: WN Quin Gold, Prussian Blue, Transparent Yellow and Scarlet Lake

My second leaf was an oak leaf.

Paints Used: WN Lemon Yellow, French Ultramarine, Transparent Yellow, Quin Gold, Burnt Sienna, Prussian Blue.

My third leaf - a red maple leaf. I love all the edges of this leaf. it was a bit more difficult with the color matching and shadows.

Colors Used: WN French Ultramarine, Permanent Aliz Crimson, New Gamboge, Neutral Tint.

My fourth leaf - a hornbeam leaf and I chose to do the backside because I liked the ridges on the leaf.

Colors Used: WN New Gamboge, Permanent Rose, Indanthrene blue.

My fifth leaf is a coral bell leaf. My tutor was disappointed with my choice for the second non-green leaf. Reflecting on this painting, I understand their perspective. It closely resembles my maple leaf. Options were limited outdoors, and I should have gone to the garden center for a different color. Oh well. A reminder to myself or anyone considering the class: ensure that each leaf chosen is distinctly different in color.

Colors Used: WN Indian Yellow, Quin Magenta, Quin Sienna, Burnt Scarlet, Burnt Umber, Quin Burnt Scarlet.

My sixth leaf… A hydrangea leaf. I regret not choosing something else for this one too. It was slightly above my skill level due to the numerous details, which I struggled to capture. This leaf left me feeling quite overwhelmed.

Colors Used: Schmincke Pure Yellow, WN Phthalo Blue, Permanent Rose, Winsor Lemon

My seventh leaf - a peony leaf. This leaf was a joy to paint. I loved the colors, the textures and it was one of my favorite flowers in my yard at my old house. I was sad to leave them behind when we moved.

Colors Used: WN Transparent Yellow, Winsor Blue Red Shade, Permanent Rose, Perylene Green

Here is my final composition painting for the assignment.

I was thrilled to receive an 8.98/10. Although I find leaves challenging, I'm really excited to have had the opportunity to expand my skills and learn a lot! Now, I'm moving on to assignment 5, which focuses on flower heads. Stay tuned :)