Watercolour Leaves

So the other day we got a call from Fun Mamma SA asking us if we would like to join her on a 7 day kids art challenge…?? First off, I was in two minds my kids are already complaining we do too much art ha ha ha ha, just imagine is there even such a thing as too much art ha ha ha… but when she sent through the list of daily challenges and materials we were given by Dala to try out I was so excited… It just opened my eyes to think of things outside the box and try new techniques…So here we are at the start of day 1: Leaves…!!!

I love that day 1 is leaves you know how the saying goes “turning a new leaf”, hee hee hee… So hopefully we will help you to turn over a new creative leaf, this challenge for me is to inspire you to try some perfectly imperfect art as a family and just enjoy the process without worrying about what the end product will be… This is why we art, it helps me as a mom try to let go of the perfect expectations I put on myself and my kids… For my kids we art so they are encouraged to take risks, to try new ideas, be in a space where they are the decision makers, have fun and just be kids… So, know you know the why’s here is the how…I am excited let’s get started…!!!

What you need for watercolour leaves:

Dry Cake watercolours (we used dala’s ones they are so vibrant)
Water
Paint brush
Watercolour pad (it needs to be heavy duty to absorb the water)
Leaves (the softer leaves that lie flat leave a better print)

How to create a leaf watercolour masterpiece:

Have fun!!!!
With a clean brush paint the paper with plain water, cover the paper with a thin layer of water.
Start adding colour using the water colour… The paint moves in such an organic way it’s fun to watch…Get lots of colour onto the paper…
While the paint is still very wet add the leaves… Place them where ever you want on the paper…
Once the leaves are in place we added more water colours on top of the leaves with paint brush…
These take a while to dry don’t be tempted to lift them too soon or you won’t get the details… Leave it till it completely dries…
Once the paper is completely dry lift the leaves to reveal the magic.
The results are stunning and perfectly imperfect…