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ANSWER TO MYSTERY TECHNIQUE #143:

First I cut a maple leaf shape out of clear contact paper and attached it to watercolor paper, pressing down the leaf’s edges to keep paint from running underneath. Next I masked out the stem with a Molotow Masking Marker. After wetting the paper, I mixed diluted Hydrus Liquid Watercolors wet-in-wet and put several partially decomposed leaves towards the bottom. While the paint was still wet, I placed part of a plastic bag on top and manipulated the plastic with both hands to make interesting shapes. I waited for the painting to dry completely before removing the plastic, the masking, and the leaves. Here’s the result:

Shadows under the maple leaf came next, as well as touches of yellow and orange, especially in the partial leaves. I painted the leaf wet-in-wet and quickly scratched out the veins with the end of a metal paint tube before sprinkling in kosher salt for texture. After the paint dried, I brushed off the salt and used watercolor pencils for a few finishing touches, including the stem: