In this new project I will show you how you can use the fantastic shape of the Ginkgo leaf to create a beautiful painting. This amazing tree has a long history and is actually considered to be a living fossil as it has hardly changed genetically for more than 180 million years. That puts it on the planet even before the dinosaurs!
Thought to have been extinct, these trees survived in the mountainous regions of China and were introduced to temple gardens and palaces of Japan by Buddhist monks, who considered them to be sacred. It is in Japan where the tree was rediscovered by German scientist Engelbert Kaempfer in 1691. But it was American William Hamilton who brought the first 3 trees back to the United States in 1785 ~ one of which still survives in Philadelphia. These beautiful trees can now be found across the globe as they are quite robust and are known for their glorious display of golden leaves in Autumn. I collected my leaves from Penshurst Place in Kent and pressed them in a book to keep them flat.
In this project I'm handing over the creative reins to you ~ you are going to decide the finished shape and size of your painting (feel free to enlarge the leaves as needed). You will also decide on the scale and position of the leaves along with your chosen colour palette.
When you work from most of my watercolour tutorials all of these decisions have already been made by me but often, changing any one of these aspects will make a huge impact on a final painting. Having the skills to be able to consider your approach when starting a project is just as important as learning the actual painting techniques. Making all of these creative decisions will help you to develop your own ideas and get you painting independently and confidently.
Before you begin, you might like to draw out a few 'thumbnail' sketches where you can try out different compositions and ideas. This is how most artists work when developing a design, as it allows you to see what works well and what is visually appealing to you.
Once you have decided on your shape and size of your painting it's time to consider how you want to place your leaves on the paper. For this project we are going to layer the leaves working one layer at a time.
You will start by drawing some of your shapes and then reserving some of them using masking fluid (to reserve the white of the paper) ~ you can also choose to include other graphic elements (like the moon silhouette) and mask these too if desired. Once complete, you will add a pale wash across your painting.
In my composition I have tried to evoke an oriental feel by drawing an elongated portrait format. I have also used an asymmetric design for the leaves and used a single colour but with slightly different hues. Soft cool greens can often be found in traditional Chinese paintings, so this helps to enhance the overall aesthetic. You will develop your painting, adding a few leaves at a time, giving consideration to your use of size, orientation, colour and hue until your design is complete.
To find out more about this project take a quick look at the video below.
I hope you really have fun designing you own compositions with this tutorial ~ remember you can choose your own colours and use more than one. Perhaps think about using your favourite colours or use colours to complement your decor. If you really enjoy this technique you could even paint more than one and create a pair or even a triptych!
Happy Painting!
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