Designing Leaves With Eduardo Xol

Oct. 6, 2006 — -- 1. Find leaves that you want to use.

2. Leaves from deciduous trees have nice color, however, any leaves that you want to use is great.

3. Place leaves inside a book soon after picking them from plant or finding on ground to preserve color and texture. It will also flatten the leaves and make them easier to work with.

4. Use paper that would ordinarily be used for watercolors, so it is a bit thicker.

5. Design the desired leaf pattern. It should include the branches and location of each leaf. Use a light pencil.

6. Attach leaves with acrylic polymer. Place a weight on top of each leaf and let it dry. (Acrylic polymer medium is useful for creating glazes, extending colors, enhancing gloss and translucency, and increasing film integrity. It will help protect against dampness and add an extra layer of protection against wear and tear.)

7. Paint the branches using acrylic paints.

8. Paint the background using acrylic paints.

9. Apply two coats of acrylic polymer medium over the whole painting.

10. Frame as you please.

For more on the photographs of Roberto Rodriguez Jr., featured in this segmentclick here.