Making Time
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Eight simple leaf shapes
Practice · 2026-10-12

Eight simple leaf shapes

Water & brush control3/5

Even, clean fills in almost every leaf. Some leaves have a darker rim where paint pooled at the edge as it dried, which is a sign of a very wet brush finishing the shape.

Colour mixing3/5

Real variety on purpose: yellow-greens, olive and grey-greens, and a warm brown for the stems. Not one green for everything.

Edges3/5

Veins dropped in while the leaf was still damp, so they're soft (top-middle sprig). The first time edges have been varied deliberately.

Drawing & shape3/5

Readable, varied leaf shapes with natural curves, and stems that branch instead of standing stiffly upright.

Scores are 1–5: 1 not yet, 2 emerging, 3 developing, 4 controlled, 5 expressive.