Simple Watercolor Leaves On Branches For Shavuos!

I sharee this post last year, and thought I’d share it again, as it is so simple and perfect for the Jewish holiday of Shavuos, coming up on Saturday night. We fill our homes with greenery to remember the lush surroundings on Mt. Sinai where the Torah was given, and I’d say these watercolor paintings are perfect! If you like you can also cut the paintings out and make silhouettes to hang on a garland, which could also be great.

With just a few very simpe techniques under your belt the mystery of painting simple and beautiful watercolor illustrations becomes so much clearer! I’ll admit, learning how to paint leaves with just one stroke was a new one for me, and I am in love with this technique! Yesterday I shared with you my fern leaf watercolors, and today we’re going for a denser bush/tree look by painting leaves on delicate branches.

So get out those round watercolor brushes and some watercolor paper, or at the least round brushes and paint of any kind, and lets get started!

Here’s my little gallery display that has been filling out kitchen with joy for a few weeks…….true the colors from my basic watercolor palette aren’t exactly true to nature, but I love the look.

Creating a little display with mini wooden clothespins is a great way to enjoy your latest creations instantly!

You’ll Need:

• watercolor paper, preferably cold press
• watercolor paints, simple as can be
• round watercolor brushes

How To:

1. I used half a sheet of watercolor paper for each exercise, and then cut off the portions that I liiked if the whole painting wasn’t successful.
2. The main point here is to get the idea of painting one stroke leaves, which I’ve explained HERE.
3. Once you’ve practiced painting individual leaves, paint a bunch of connecting stems, with some overlapping if you like, and then add leaves to them. Use different shades and colors for a joyful effect, and enjoy!

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