Exercise Magnification

Came across a picture in  a book of John Ruskin's  Study of a spray of Dead Oak Leaves  (c.1879), Which helped me decide on the subject matter for this exercise...definitely an an object from nature rather than a man made item. The following quote by John Ruskin certainly supports the benefit of this type of exercise

‘We cannot learn to paint leaves by painting trees full; nor grass by painting fields full. Learning to paint one leaf rightly is better than constructing a whole forest of leaf definitions.’


Fortunately, given the time of year finding a dead leaf was not going to be a problem, a quick walk the the dog and I had my leaf.

I did think about painting holly or an ivy leaf rather than a dead leave but I find the earthy brown colours more aesthetically pleasing than the greens I would have had to have used for the live leafs.


Leaf study 1:

After this study I simplified versions  using resist techniques


Leaf study 2:

I have used masking fluid to define the vines of the leafs and wax to define the boundary of the shadow and the planes of the near side of the leaf. 

Leaf Study 3:

Here I am looking at the tip of the leaf through a magnifying glass, the brown takes on a more greyish hue and and the network of small vines become visible, lucky I have pen for dispensing masking fluid in a fine line and for the 1st time I feel a real need to use masking fluid.

Adding the blue background was very much a decision influenced by Ruskin's study. Looking at the at my finished study I am now looking at a map... Manhattan island rather than leaf.