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ANSWER TO MYSTERY TECHNIQUE #155:

I love to collect fall leaves and use them as inspirations for paintings!

First I cut a maple leaf out of contact paper, removed the backing, and stuck the shape on watercolor paper; then I painted the background. After this layer dried, I used a damp sponge to apply suggestions of shadows. Next I removed the contact paper.

Before painting the leaf, I drew the veins with a waxy yellow colored pencil, which resisted the paint and left light veins surrounded by darker color. I scraped flecks of Derwent Inktense Blocks into the wet paint for added texture. After the leaf dried, I used a uni-ball Signo white gel pen to lighten parts of the veins and blended it in with a damp brush. I also used watercolor pencils to paint the stem and enhance some of the veins with darker touches. To create the hole in the leaf, I painted the shape with water and blotted it with a paper towel to remove some of the red before painting it grayish blue.