Leaf prints
Paint the back of a tree leaf and press it on paper: all the veins appear, like an X-ray of nature.
Age : age 3+
Materials
- Fresh tree leaves, still bendy : Dry leaves break.
- Poster or acrylic paint : Autumn colours or bright ones.
- A brush or foam roller
- Thick paper
- A sheet of newspaper : To press without getting messy.
Steps
- Turn the leaf over: the back, with the raised veins, prints best.
- Brush a thin layer of paint over the whole back.
- Lay the leaf paint-side down on the paper.
- Cover with newspaper and press all over with your hand or a roller.
- Lift the leaf by its stem in one go.
- Do it again with other leaves and colours, overlapping them.
Veins are the leaf's pipes: they carry water and sap. Compare leaves: oak, maple and chestnut have completely different patterns.
Draw a trunk and branches, then print leaves around them: a whole autumn tree.
If it goes wrong
- The print is a blob : Thinner, well-spread layer.
- No veins : Paint the back of the leaf.
- Leaf tears : Use fresh leaves.
Safety
- Acrylic stains clothes: wear an apron.