Macro Leaf Project

For this assignment, we first went outside and collected leaves that we would use to create a macro leaf piece. When I found the leaf that I wanted to use, I cut a small rectangle out of it and used that as my reference for the piece. I started by using graphite to draw the thicker lines for the veins of the leaf. I used a really light hand to do this because I wanted the lines to look natural and not be super straight. Then I went on to draw the thinner, lighter veins of the leaf. Once I was done making the lines for the veins, I shaded them a little bit so that they blended into the overall design. Then I used graphite to outline the random splotches all over the leaf, I obviously couldn't make it look exactly like the original leaf, but I thought that would be ok because it is very random anyway. Then I filled in the splotches because I originally wanted to leave it black and white. When the drawing portion of the project was finished, I looked at it and felt like if I added color, it would add a lot more to the piece. I used watercolor to mix the perfect shade of green that matched the original leaf almost identically. I used random brushstrokes to make the leaf seem more realistic and give it more value. Then, I mixed orange, brown, and a little bit of yellow to make the color for the splotches. I painted over the outlines to make the leaf seem more natural. Finally, I used a mix of yellow and a little bit of orange and used that to go over the outlines of the veins of the leaf. When I was done, I took the tape border off that I had made and made sure that the edges were clean. Overall, I am proud of how realistic I was able to make the leaf. If I were to do this project over again, I would probably pick a leaf with more small details and a better range of color.