09/28/2026
One of my favorite foundational painting exercises: “The Autumn Leaf.” 🍂
Give students a real leaf to observe and paint from life. Instead of reaching for ready-made browns, ochres, siennas or blacks, have them build the leaf’s complex earthy colors from pure hues using watercolor paint 🎨
It’s a simple exercise, but it teaches several essential painting skills at once: careful observation, color mixing, subtle value and temperature changes, and the ability to see beyond the name of a color.
A brown leaf isn’t just “brown.” Learning to see what’s actually there is where real painting skills begin.
academicpainting arteducationforchildren
