Hawthorn Border. Fig. 2.
Plaque: W. Veitch’s Creeper Leaves. Fig. 5.
You will find that leaves are not alike in the character of the surface. Some are covered with hairs, like the mulleins; these will take almost any quantity of colour. Perhaps you had better begin upon such leaves. Others have a few stiff hairs, and others, again, are quite free from such appendages. These require least colour of all. You will find, too, that it is better to commence with the back of the leaf. The veins are usually more prominent, and the impression obtained is more interesting. There is greater difficulty in getting the colour on all parts of the leaf, close up to the principal veins, and the rubbing for the impression is harder. But by patience and perseverance, to quote the copybook, you will soon obtain pleasing results.
I don’t think I can tell you much more that will aid you in getting good impressions. I have recommended the use of burnt sienna, because it is a cheap and easily worked colour; but any oil colour can be used, either straight from the tube, or mixed to suit your judgment or taste. Greens, olives, russets, browns, greys, yellows, or even reds, can be used. You can certainly get some startling effects with these, if removed some distance from Nature; or by using two or more colours and dabbers you may graduate the tones or colours on the same leaf. Suppose you want an autumn effect. Mix or choose your yellow, and prepare also an orange-red colour. Coat the leaf first of all with the yellow—don’t use gamboge—then with the red dabber apply that colour to the end or margin of the leaf, and take off as before
You may say, What is the use of it all when the necessary skill is obtained? You will find it a very good and useful hobby even to so obtain a series of prints of the leaves of our forest trees. There are, perhaps, more of these than you are aware of. And there is another point—the leaves of any particular plant vary very much in shape.
