Falling Leaves of Autumn Shadow Box Art

Falling Leaves of Autumn Shadow Box Art

Posted by DecoArt on Oct 1st 2015

Enjoy the colors of fall all year round with a shadow box frame decorated with fall leaves.

SUPPLIES

    • water container
    • palette or plastic plate
    • paper towels
    • tracing paper
    • #6 flat brush
    • #8 round brush
    • #6 round brush
    • stylus
    • masking tape
    • 5/0 liner brush
    • dark graphite paper
    • 12 x 12 wooden canvas
    • 1/2" Filbert Wash Brush

    INSTRUCTIONS

    NOTES:

    Enlarge pattern to fit your surface

    Work the leaves as they are numbered. When you outline and rub out, some of the shadow color will go onto and underneath leaf.

    Do not leave a sharp edge of shadow as you rub or blend it out and away from the edge of the leaf.

    When slip slapping on your background, make sure to do a soft graduation of color, one into the other.

    1. Slip slap an area of the surface with a color of the Media Fluid Acrylic...you can start with any of the colors listed, thinned slightly with water, using the wash brush.
    2. Clean brush then apply the next color using the same slip slap technique. Continue using one color after the other of the Media Fluid Acrylics until you have gone through all of them. Repeat until all the background is covered with patches of color, bending to soften as one color flows into the other. Allow background to dry.
    3. Transfer pattern with dark graphite paper using a stylus to keep lines thin.
    4. Brush mix 1/4 Traditions Raw Umber and 3/4 Traditions Burnt Umber to create a shadow color.
    5. Apply Traditions Extending Medium to an area larger than the leaf you are going to work on using the wash brush.
    6. Wipe lightly with a soft paper towel to remove excess Extender Medium.
    7. Use the width of the #6 round brush filled with the shadow mix about 1/4 the way around the leaf.
    8. Change to the #8 round brush and rub or blend out the shadow color until it gradually ends. Do not worry if it extends out into another leaf.
    9. Repeat until the entire leaf is outlined.
    10. This same technique is used for the remaining leaves numbered 2 and 3 .
    11. Allow to dry before applying veins. Veins are done with the liner brush filled with the shadow color plus a little water.
    12. Only apply the main veins.
    13. Then come back and do the detail veins. You can also do a hit and miss line work on edges of hard to see leaves.
    14. Fill in any areas in the shadows with additional layer of shadow color between the leaves.
    15. Apply a wash of additional colors if desired on any of the leaves.
    16. If you get a leaf too bright, just let it dry and come back and apply a wash of Traditions Burnt Umber. For a wash use about 20% color and 80% water. Remember to touch the brush to a paper towel, so you apply color and not puddles.
    17. When all is dry, apply a top coat of Traditions varnish.

    DOWNLOADS

    Falling Leaves Pattern