Step-by-step beginners watercolour painting: Autumn leaf, painting wet in wet., by Cally Lawson on YouTube. 27 min 50 s.
- Video length
- 27 min 50 s
- Time to do it
- 45 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Tape your watercolour paper to a board or table so it stays flat when it gets wet. Keep the paper dry for now.
Draw a simple leaf outline in pencil. Keep the shape loose and add a central vein and a few side veins.
Leave the lightest areas of the leaf unpainted. The white paper becomes your highlights, so plan them before you wet the paper.
Mix a pale yellow wash and a warm orange in your palette. Test each colour on scrap paper before you paint.
Wet the leaf shape with clean water, then drop in the pale yellow and orange. Let the colours bleed together on the damp paper.
While the paper is still damp, add stronger red and brown near the edges and veins. Tilt the paper slightly to move the paint.
Let the first layer dry fully, then add darker reds and browns for depth. Keep the highlights clear.
Check the leaf against your sketch, soften any hard edges with a clean damp brush, and let it dry flat before removing the tape.
Tips and common mistakes
Wet the paper evenly with clean water so the paint spreads smoothly instead of pooling.
Stop adding paint before the paper dries, or you will get blotchy marks.
Test colours on scrap paper first, since watercolour looks lighter when dry.
Keep your brush damp, not dripping, to stay in control of the bleed.
Questions
Do I need special watercolour paper?
Yes. Use watercolour paper rather than printer paper, because it holds water without buckling or tearing.
What if the paint dries too fast?
Work in small sections and rewet the paper with clean water. A humid room or a slightly larger brush also helps.
Can I fix a mistake?
Lift wet paint with a clean damp brush or paper towel. Once dry, you can glaze over it with a darker colour.
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.
