Quartered Leaves

This is a favorite art project I have been doing for years. The three big kids and I did these when they were small and I have used it many times since. Simple with impressive results.

Here is the process:
1. Draw a grid quartering your paper. If doing this for a class, you may want to do the grids ahead of time.

2. Hand out dried, pressed leaves of various types and sizes. Students can trace the leaves in outline on their papers, being sure that some of the leaf is on each quarter. Leaves can be straight or tipped. It helps to not get too detailed unless the kids are old enough to outline carefully.

3. Choose two colors and color in alternate sections of the leaves with one color. Be sure to color all partial bits of the leaves in each section with the same color. Color the other two sections with the other color. Now do the opposite colors with the background.

4. Any medium works for this. I like it for a watercolor introduction. (Be sure to use watercolor paper-very worth it for the results.) Instruct the kids to do each section and let it dry a bit before doing a section that touches it, UNLESS they want the colors to bleed into each other. I have done this with markers, colors, pastels, colored pencils, watercolor pencils and always have good results. A set of folded cards with these leaves on the front would make a lovely homemade gift.