Almost exactly a year ago I posted THIS tutorial on painting watercolor leaves. It was such a hit, and even includes a free printable of different leaf shapes that you can use to trace, color, or guide your painting!
Well, I had the idea that I wanted to create a similar page full of leaves, but I wanted to make it more unique. So, I decided to use just one color (an unusual orange) and use the magic of watercolor to make all my different leaf shapes stand out!
Thus the idea of this “monochromatic” or “monochrome” watercolor leaves tutorial came about!
I personally just LOVE this tutorial because it is such a great way to practice both painting leave shapes, but also painting with watercolors!
Painting With Watercolors
One of the main concepts of watercolors is using different amounts of water and pigment (paint) to create different levels of vibrancy or saturation in your painting. It is amazing what you can create using just one color and changing up the amount of water or paint you pick up on your brush!
This concept can also be a little tricky and can take practice to figure out!
So, by giving this tutorial a go- even outside of your Bible as a side painting- it can really help you get the hang of how much water or pigment to use!
You, of course, can also practice this concept with elements other than leaves, such a simple shapes or florals. Painting these monochrome leaves is just one idea!
The Tutorial
So let’s get to the tutorial! Check out the video below to learn more about playing with watercolor saturation and painting leave shapes!
Also, don’t forget to check out the original watercolor leaves tutorial and download the free printable! You can find that post by CLICKING HERE.
Supplies Used
I use the same eight supplies for almost all of my Bible journaling pages. (Many of which were used in this tutorial and are listed below.) To find out more about these supplies and why I recommend them, check out THIS POST.
*This article contains affiliate links. CLICK HERE for my full disclosure*
- ESV Double Column Journaling Bible
- Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor Set (I used color #33, but you can absolutely use any color you like.)
- Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen
- Unibal Signo White Gel Pen
- Micron Pen (To underline the verse, though you can also use the Fudenosuke to do this- both pens are waterproof. You also can wait to underline your verse until you finish with painting, and use your favorite pen of choice.)
- Craft Heat Gun
- Small Round Paintbrush, and 1/4″-1/2″ Flat Paintbrush (Link is to a variety pack of brushes that I use and like, though I use any cheap synthetic brushes I can find.)
Other Helpful Links
- Original Watercolor Leaves Tutorial– WITH FREE PRINTABLE
- Brush Pen Calligraphy Basics
- Brush Pen Calligraphy- Bounce Lettering
- Faux Calligraphy Tutorial- Three Simple Steps To Beautiful Hand Lettering
- 10 Simple Hand-Lettering Styles (Plus a free cheat sheet)
