Thinking About Leaf Prints As The Season Changes

With fall just around the corner I can't help but think off all the fun things to do with leaves. I always get a kick out of making leaf prints and then using them for cards -- this is also a neat activity to do with kids. All you need are leaves that have fallen from the trees, some acrylic paint (washable paint if you're working with the kids), and paper.

Once you've found a leaf that you want to use to make your print, just paint the front of it and then press it down on your paper. The amount of paint that you use will determine how detailed your print will be -- play around with it until you find the look that you want. When I did this one I decided to use green and yellow paint on my leaf, and then I did a watercolor wash over it when it was dry.

Another Leaf Printing Idea

This is another take on the leaf print idea. It's has more muted tones and is a bit more subtle, but it still adds a nice touch to a botanical card (or print if you want to frame it). All you need is some acrylic paint and watercolor pencils. Use the acrylic paint to create the image of the leaf and then use the watercolor pencils to do a wash for the background. If you reverse the process and do the background wash first and the work the image on top of the wash after, then your leaf will stand out more. It all depends on the look that you're going for. Just have fun with and see what you come up with.

Be Inspired By Nature

Don't overlook the beauty of nature when thinking about artwork to use on your cards. Leaf prints make wonderful cards, and if you're creative with the colors you'll be able to come up with a botanical print that will not only look great on the front of your cards but could also be a neat print that's suitable for framing.