How to draw watercolor caladium leaves #watercolor #howtodraw #tutorial #drawing, by Curious artist on YouTube. 1 min.
- Video length
- 1 min
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Tape a sheet of cold-press watercolor paper to your board so it stays flat while you paint. Keep the paper dry for now.
Sketch the leaf lightly in pencil. Draw a heart shape with a deep notch at the top, a pointed tip at the bottom and a curved stem.
Mark the midrib down the centre and four or five side veins branching out to the edges. Keep these lines faint.
Mix two puddles of paint: a light yellow-green and a deeper sap green. Test each on scrap paper before you start.
Wet the leaf shape with clean water, leaving the vein lines dry. Drop light green into the middle and deeper green near the edges.
Tilt the paper slightly so the colours blend, then stop touching it. Let the first layer dry completely before adding more.
Paint a second layer of stronger green along the outer edge and around the notch to give the leaf depth.
Paint the veins with a thin mix of pale green or white, using the size 6 brush and a steady, light stroke.
Add the stem in the same deeper green, then leave the painting flat to dry fully before you remove the tape.
Tips and common mistakes
Wet the paper only inside the leaf outline, or the paint will bleed into the background.
Let each layer dry before adding the next, otherwise the greens turn muddy.
Leave a little white paper showing on the veins instead of painting them in for a brighter look.
Keep your brush barely damp for the veins so the lines stay crisp.
Questions
Do I need special watercolor paper?
Yes. Cold-press paper made for watercolor handles the water without buckling. Thin printer paper will wrinkle and pill.
How do I get the white veins to stand out?
Paint the leaf first and let it dry, then add the veins with pale green or white paint. You can also leave thin gaps of bare paper.
Can I use acrylic or gouache instead?
You can, but thin them with water and work fast, because they dry quickly and do not blend as softly as watercolor.
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.
