Kids Corner : Botanical Leaf Printing
Guest Artists : Dylan Sorenson , Age 16 , Elizabeth Sorenson , Age 13 , Luke Berta , Age 10
When I think of Fall , I think of leaves , colors , and the beauty of nature . Recently , we printed leaves on fabric on the new CMAP TV show Carol On Creativity Revisited . We had so much fun , I wanted to continue the idea of printing leaves in a different way . My grandchildren were all over , so I asked them to try this project with me not knowing what to expect . The random , unexpected , abstract results from printing leaves on to wet watercolor turned out spectacular !
By doing this project your child will enjoy collecting leaves , deciding on size , pattern , stiffness and variety , looking for different textures , outside shapes , and vein patterns . They will also have to be selective in color choice , placement of the leaves to form patterns . They will be pleasantly surprised at the end as the final results happen organically . This project is something that is easy and fun for ages 10 and up .
SUPPLIES NEEDED Step # 1 : With a large soft brush , apply water over the entire watercolor paper .
• Cover for work area
• Water in containers
• Brushes
• Watercolors
• Watercolor paper
• Painters Tape
• Leafs from Garden
• Table Salt ( optional )
Step 2 : ( Below Left ) While paper is wet , Luke puts two colors on his brush and brushes from side to side , letting the colors blend together .
Step # 3 : ( Below Center ) While colors are wet , Luke sprinkles table salt on selected areas . When the salt and paint dry , the salt will be brushed away leaving a lighter speckled pattern .
Step # 4 : ( Below Right ) Dylan places leaves on wet watercolor background , while Elizabeth begins pressing leaves on the wet background color .
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