Macro Leaf

The assignment for this project was to recreate a leaf using a chosen media based on a leaf that I cut to match the shape of my paper. I chose watercolor crayon on watercolor paper for my media.

My process for this project required that I first get and cut a leaf. I first drew the veins of the leaf in light graphite. I then drew over the veins in brown watercolor crayon and also drew the brown spots on the leaf. I then began burnishing with green watercolor crayon, then yellow, then red. After adding the red I went back and added orange near some of the yellow areas. The burnishing with the crayon gave me the basis of the texture while also incorporating different values of each color. I then used a wet paintbrush to blend the colors together--creating the effect of fading one color into the next. I went over the piece with water twice to blend the colors more fully. Lastly I used a white charcoal pencil to outline a few of the veins to contrast with the other colors: the way it looks on the real leaf. This piece showcases informal balance in the red and green balancing each other and soft focus which is an effect of the water color. This project evolved in that I initially used a similar technique with watercolor crayons but didn't burnish and used watercolor paint on top of the crayon which made for an unappealing work. I then restarted, using burnishing and no paint to create this piece.

I chose this leaf because it has a variety of color including different reds, greens, oranges, browns, and yellows. I chose watercolor as my media because I thought that it would display the different colors and fades between them accurately. This piece is significant and relates to my life in that I live in a place with a lot of trees around me and get to see the colors of the leaves displayed in autumn. This leaf represents one of thousands with an array of different bright colors.

The most challenging part of this piece, and also the part I think could be stronger, is the blending of the colors to make it look realistic. I would have done this by leaving more space in my coloring for color transition and by blending more with water on the first application because it was more difficult to blend when I added water the second time. I am most proud of the individual colors and especially the brown spots which I think look realistic.This work illustrates my strength as an artist in my ability to work with and adapt to (through trial and error) a material that I hadn't used before. It illustrates my weakness in that the colors didn't all blend well and the transitions could be more smooth and visually appealing.