Creative Catharsis: Watercolor Printmaking with Leaves

Printmaking has been done for thousands of years. It’s fun and repetitive and can be done through carving into a surface, such as stone, wood or rubber. But you can also make prints with found objects such as leaves. This lesson was a favorite with my Spring and Summer students. Enjoy the cathartic experience of looking for and finding different shapes and sizes of leaves. Once you have the hang of it, use this technique to make a homemade card, start a nature journal, or to even to make your own gift wrap!

Supplies:

• 5 to 10 different sizes and shapes of leaves and/or small branches with leaves, freshly picked

• Watercolor or Mixed Media Paper (paper with enough weight to hold wet media without ripping) - 90lb or higher is recommended

• Masking Tape

• Watercolor palette with mixing space (a plastic or ceramic dinner plate is always an easy option)

• Jar with water

• Round or Flat brush

• Paper towels, folded for easy pressing during transfer process