How To Paint Fall Oak Leaves

How to Paint Fall Oak Leaves

The DIY Fall sign I posted last time has leaves and acorn on it and now I am going to show you how to Paint Fall Oak Leaves. I broke up the posts as they are so photo heavy with the step by step.
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First grab your supplies:
The paint colors on the sign and video for the leaves are
Plaid Folk Art:
Goldenrod
Pueblo
Raw Sienna
Burnt Umber
In this step by step post I used
Autumn Leaves
Buttercup
Pure Orange
Brushes
One stroke set
Graphite paper

Click here for my complete list of painting supplies including what I use for cleaning my brushes so they last a long time.

I have a downloadable oak leaf pattern for you to use, the link is at the end of this post.

Start by transferring your design with the graphite paper then you are ready to begin painting.

I load up my 3/4″ brush with Buttercup (in the video I use Goldenrod) and fill in your leaf.  You can use a smaller flat brush if you wish.

You may notice that this leaf design is slightly different than on my sign.  On the sign I used a graphic I had downloaded from the internet and I did not have the license to share a downloadable copy so I made my own. I think I really like mine better as it is taken from a real oak leaf.
Here is the one on the sign.

Now that you have your leaf filled in side load your brush (do not clean the brush) with your contrasting color, in this case Pure Orange (in the video it was Pueblo and/or Raw Sienna)

Notice how I still have the yellow in the brush and just dip the corner into the orange-ish color, I blend it a bit on my palette.

Along the left side of the leaf I paint the orange, blending in as I go. The yellow base coat is still wet.

Do this all along this edge.  You will see it in action on the video, that is at the end of this post.

Now you can just go along the right side with the same color as the left or put a different color (I used Autumn Leaves) on the right side of the leaf.  When using a different color wipe your brush out a bit on a dry rag or paper towel.  Don’t rinse, just remove the excess paint.
Load your next color as you did the orange and proceed to shade the right side of the leaf.  You will note that there is still some orange in the brush and that is creating another tone, that is great.

No two leaves will be exactly alike.  We don’t want neat and tidy, we want messy, mottled color that gives interest.

Now add the veining with the corner of your brush, just drag it down in a relatively straight line, and then the side veins too.

And now you know how to paint Fall oak leaves!  I know that typically oak leaves are not such bright colors. At least around here they are more of a muted tans and browns but that is the great thing with art, you can jazz them up all you like!
In the video I share how to shadow them to give a more 3-D effect.

Video:

Next up some Acorns to add to the Fall sign.

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Happy Painting!