Following more youtube tutorials tonight! This technique requires thinking backwards. First, tape off the edges of the paper. Paint a  light wash of blue and yellow for the background, then paint in a few leaves, but only paint AROUND them. Leave them the lightest color.. (those end up being the lightest leaves) After this dries, add a few more leaves, again painting AROUND them only, and around the first set of leaves, using a slightly darker color… do this until you are really out of room for leaves, finishing up with a very dark bit of in-between-leaves. Then add a touch more color to the lightest leaves, some little veins with colored pencils, remove the tape and you have a leafy masterpiece full of depth. 🙂

I used the EEM paints here… I really like them. They rewet very easily, and the M41 is a really beautiful yellow for mixing greens. (I almost didn’t order that one!)I especially enjoyed using Cote d’azure violet and caput mortuum for the little dark accent on the tips of the leaves.

This technique is a little bit of a brain teaser. But go try it!