leaf printing tutorial

i finally got around to doing a little leaf printing this past weekend and kept my camera handy to document the (very easy) process. here's the scoop:


what you need: fabric paint, plate and a knife to mix colours should you desire to do so, cotton or linen fabric, roller, sponge brush, newspaper, scrap paper and, of course, leaves.


1. Spread newspaper down over your work space and mix up a custom colour to your liking:


2. Place the leaf with veiniest side up on a scrap piece of paper and, using your sponge brush, dab it with paint until evenly coated (not too thick though).


3. Now place the leaf, paint side down, onto the fabric. Cover with a piece of scrap paper to avoid getting paint on your roller, hold the paper down and roller over top of it, using even pressure.



4. Remove the piece of paper, peel back your leaf and there you have it!



i'd love to see what other people do with this technique, drop me a note if you do some leaf printing of your own!


TIPS:
• i use gocco stamp paint 'cause that's what i have on hand and it works great but i'm sure any fabric paint would be fine.
• look for leaves that have prominent veins and a non-waxy coating (the hairier the better, in this case, as the paint sticks better to the surface.)
• if you find leaves but don't want to print right away, wrap them in damp paper towel, pop them in a plastic bag and stick them in the fridge. the fig leaf i used here was in the fridge for a week before i got around to using it!