The Art of Nature: Creating Organic Watercolor Leaf Compositions

I found I really enjoy using actual leaves in my art. There’s something really unique about it because no two leaves are alike. For this piece, I combined nature with watercolor and other supplies to create this colorful autumn leaf composition. The technique created a  loose and spontaneous piece while still having control over the final look.

The Process: Layering Nature and Pigment

This began with real leaves. I hand-picked them while I was out for a walk on the greenway. Each leaf carries a bit of that moment and no two are alike, each has it's own unique characteristics that I love. After bringing them home, I washed and carefully arranged them on wet watercolor paper. 

First Wash: Setting the Stage

I prepared the paper with a loose wash of yellows, browns, and greens, creating an organic background that complemented the natural forms. The leaves were placed directly on the wet paper, acting as to both resist and become a texture-makers.

Second Wash: Where Magic Happens

Here’s where things got interesting. I applied heavily pigmented liquid acrylic and watercolor paints over the leaves while the paper was still wet. The high saturation meant the colors spread rapidly on contact with water, creating those beautiful blooms and organic color bleeds that you can’t really control, but guide. 

Building Depth: The Refinement Stage

After everything dried completely, I went back in with multiple layers:

• Additional watercolor for subtle color shifts

• More liquid acrylic for saturation and vibe

• Black ink to outline the leaves and define their structure

• Watercolor pencils for highlights