How to paint an Autumn Ginkgo Leaf | Easy Ginkgo leaf using watercolor | Watercolor Ginkgo, by Artful Vibes on YouTube. 4 min 1 s.
- Video length
- 4 min 1 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 7
What you need
Steps
Tape or hold your watercolor paper flat. Sketch a light ginkgo outline with a pencil if you want a guide: a fan shape with a small notch at the top and a thin stem at the bottom.
Wet your brush and load it with yellow. Paint the upper half of the fan shape, leaving a few small dry gaps for light.
While the yellow is still wet, touch in gold and orange at the edges and near the notch. Let the colors blend on the paper instead of mixing them on the palette.
Add a little brown or deep orange along the stem and the base of the leaf. Keep the stem thin with the tip of your brush.
Draw the veins while the paint is damp. Use a slightly darker mix and a fine brush tip, fanning the lines out from the base toward the outer edge.
Let the leaf dry completely, about 10 minutes. Then paint a soft shadow under one side with pale grey or brown to lift it off the page.
Check the edges. If the shape looks too soft, sharpen the outline with a thin line of the same autumn colors once dry.
Tips and common mistakes
Keep the paper damp but not soaking, or the colors will spread into a muddy puddle.
Test your yellow and orange mixes on scrap paper first so the leaf stays bright.
Paint several leaves on one sheet so you can pick the best one.
Let each layer dry fully before adding veins, or they will blur.
Questions
Which colors make good autumn ginkgo leaves?
Use a warm yellow as the base, then add gold, orange and a touch of brown at the edges. Mixing them wet on the paper gives a natural fall look.
Do I need to draw the leaf first?
No, but a light pencil outline helps beginners keep the fan shape. Erase gently once the paint is dry.
How do I stop the colors turning muddy?
Use clean water, rinse your brush between colors, and avoid scrubbing over half-dry paint. Let the paper dry between layers.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
