Mother nature has been a source of inspiration for artists all around the planet with the bounteous beauty she has created all around us. What if we were to pick up something that she has given us, use it to create art and then display it? Don’t you think it will be a fitting tribute to her? We are sure by now you must be as excited as we were when we first came across the concept of leaf art. Not just leaf art, but fallen leaves art, which takes it to another level altogether. However, some of you may wonder what fallen leaves art mean? It means literally what it says, which is picking up leaves that have fallen and being used as a part of an art project. It is not like the pretty popular peepal leaf art for a pristine effect, which is great in itself but not in the same league as fallen leaf art.
It is a good idea to get children in this kind of art so that they start becoming more aware of nature even as they grow up. You should get them involved in innovative examples of leaf painting that will have them researching the different kinds of leaves and identifying plants too as they get deeper into it. And if you are one of those smart parents who will come up with worthy summer projects for your kids to do, then you should include fallen leaf art in summer fun list ideas.
But how do you get started in fallen leaf art? While we cannot really claim to be experts on the technicalities of painting on leaves or for that matter any surface, we can give you some general guidelines to get started. We figure the first thing that you must figure out which kind of leaf you are going to use. Because this first step will help you plan what to paint and how to paint it. Once you have that down, you need to pick out fallen leaves of the kind you want in a pristine shape and condition. This way you can be sure that though the leaf is not attached to the tree or plant, the leaf is still in a good condition.
The next step is to gently clean out the leaf off dirt by brushing it off and wiping it clean with a wet brush. Then the next step is to flatten out the leaf so that you have a good surface to paint on. Place the leaf carefully between the pages of a book to press it gently into a flat surface. While this is happening, start researching quality paints that are non-toxic. After all, you cannot make all this effort only to have it spoiled by using paints that are full of harmful chemicals. Once the leaf is ready, then it is time to start painting on the flat leaf.
It goes without saying that the process of actually painting on the leaf will have to done with a light hand and with the utmost care. You will have to incorporate the veins and lines running through the leaf as part of the design and work at ensuring that the surface is not torn. And once you are done, you should let the paints dry and then spray on some kind of liquid to preserve the complete work of art.
We are sure by now, you must be thinking about all the different kinds of leaves that you can use to create your work of art. Do tell us how it pans out.