This is my tried and true way of sketching beautiful simple Autumn/Fall leaves. I use this method for creating motifs for surface pattern design but you can use them for anything! It’s a fun, stress-free way of drawing for any level, including beginners. Get outside and collect your leaves!
We had a lovely trip to the Queenswood Arboretum in Herefordshire last month, just as the leaves were turning to beautiful Autumnal colours. I have recently had a leg injury and was still using an iWalk leg crutch to get around, as you can see by the photograph on the right.
We are lucky to have a few arboretums within an hour’s drive of where we live and Queenswood is one of my favourites. It has a beautiful collection of trees and a specific ‘Autumn Garden’, where you can see some of the most stunning autumnal colours gathered in one spot (this was perfect for me with limited mobility and meant I didn’t need to walk far).
It is also free to enter (there is a small charge for parking) and there is a lovely cafe and shop.
How to
1 – Get outside and Collect leaves
Try to collect as many interesting shapes as you can, picking up the leaves that aren’t damp. Remember to also make sure you have a good selection of sizes of the same type.
2 – Press your leaves
It helps when tracing around the object if it is as flat as possible. Use a flower press, paperweight or something heavy like a book to press your leaves flat until you are ready to draw. (I have left them for a couple of days before and they were fine.)
3 – Draw the outer shape with a pencil.
Draw around the leaf with a pencil, not forgetting the stem. You don’t need to be too precise with this, the general shape is fine.
4 – Details!
Draw in as much detail as you would like, veins, etc. I didn’t put much detail into mine, just the main veins and a few off to the sides. I used a my fine liner pen for this but you could keep using your pencil, if you’re not sure how much detail you want to add in.
TIP: If you turn over the leaf you can see the veins more clearly from the back.
Please comment below with any other videos you would like to see from me!
Ukulele music by Kate Lennon