How to paint a realistic oak leaf in watercolour

How-to-paint-a-realistic-leaf-in-watercolour

Ever spent ages painting a flower, nervously putting off the moment when you have to tackle the leaves?

Leaves are crucial to botanical painting and can really let your painting down if you don’t get them right.

But they can be intimidating because there is often SO much detail to try to capture and it can be very difficult to paint a leaf so that you can see that detail – but also keep the leaf looking real and solid.

So in this tip video I thought I’d walk you through my process for painting them

Unfortunately there’s not a quick magic formula – leaves do take time – so the trick is to learn to relax into them and enjoy taking your time with them.

Let me know if you’ve experienced leaf-angst in the comments below! You won’t be alone.

Even if you have struggled before, I hope this video inspires you to get out your paints and try leaves once more this weekend!

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14 Comments

  1. Valéria on October 3, 2015 at 12:48 pm

    I loved! Thank you!

  2. Valéria on October 3, 2015 at 12:48 pm

    I loved! Thank you!

  3. hilda on October 3, 2015 at 1:44 pm

    Thank you so much for the video of the oak leaf. Beautiful as all your videos have been. Enjoyed your rose too very much. Thank you again.

  4. hilda on October 3, 2015 at 1:44 pm

    Thank you so much for the video of the oak leaf. Beautiful as all your videos have been. Enjoyed your rose too very much. Thank you again.

  5. Debbie Hamilton on October 4, 2015 at 9:48 pm

    I am terribly inspired by your video of the oak leaf. I am going to try it! Thank you!

  6. Debbie Hamilton on October 4, 2015 at 9:48 pm

    I am terribly inspired by your video of the oak leaf. I am going to try it! Thank you!

  7. sylvia on October 5, 2015 at 4:41 pm

    you are a very talented lady thanks

  8. sylvia on October 5, 2015 at 4:41 pm

    you are a very talented lady thanks

  9. Heather on October 6, 2015 at 1:23 am

    I love your tutorials! You produce such beautiful works of art!

  10. Heather on October 6, 2015 at 1:23 am

    I love your tutorials! You produce such beautiful works of art!

  11. Lisa Plocktis on October 22, 2015 at 2:56 pm

    I love seeing other students’ work- so inspiring !!!!

  12. Margaret on October 29, 2015 at 3:19 pm

    Another great video Anna. My problem with leaves is, no matter how hard I try, I end up painting rigid straight veins which then make the leaf appear unrealistic. I am sure all I have to do is pay more attention to the direction in which the veins go but even when I start off correctly they end up rigid in the end. If at first……….

  13. Sharon Sallis on August 3, 2018 at 9:27 pm

    Beautiful ! Can you do a brown old leaf all twisted please.

  14. Jean on September 24, 2019 at 4:33 am

    Very he.lpful and inspiring video. I am working on an oak leaf for a class taken at Longwoof Gardens. You have removed some of the angst.

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