Sometimes you just need to get your hands a little messy, play with your favorite colors, and enjoy creating without a plan! I gathered some leaves and ferns from my yard, pulled out my Distress Sprays in beautiful autumn colors, and started experimenting. Layer by layer, I created a rich background filled with rusty oranges, golden yellows, earthy browns, and touches of green. I added loose botanical drawings using acrylic paint, a little shimmer, and some distressed edges. The result? A beautiful fall botanical art journal page full of texture, color, and movement! And the best part is that you can create something similar using leaves from your own backyard.
Start by taping off the edges of your art journal page with painter’s tape. This creates a clean border around your artwork and gives you a defined area to fill with color and texture. Protect your work surface before getting started. We’re going to be spraying plenty of color!
Next, gather a few leaves or fern fronds from outside. I used foliage from my own yard. Look for interesting leaf shapes, especially those with delicate branches or long, narrow leaves.
They don’t need to be perfect. In fact, the more interesting the shapes, the more character they’ll add to your background.
Now comes the fun part! I started with several Distress Spray Stains in warm fall colors, including Candied Apple, Rusty Hinge, and Mustard Seed. Spritz the colors across your page, allowing them to overlap and blend. You don’t need to cover everything evenly. Let some areas become more saturated while others remain lighter. I wanted this background to have plenty of variation, so I worked with reds, oranges, and yellows to create that beautiful autumn feel.
One of the things I love about this technique is how each new layer changes the background. After working with the warmer colors, I brought in a little Mowed Lawn to add some green.
I also experimented with darker colors to give the page more depth. You can dry your background between layers with a heat tool to help preserve some of the individual colors and patterns. Then go back in with another spray, another leaf, or another color. Keep building until you like what you see.
With the background finished, it was time to add some botanical details. I looked at the shapes of the leaves and ferns I’d collected and used them as inspiration for my drawings.
Start with a long, slightly curved stem and add narrow leaves extending from either side. Vary the size and direction of your leaves to make the branches feel natural.
I reached for Payne’s Gray acrylic paint and a liner brush to create the botanical outlines. You could absolutely use black, but I liked the slightly softer look of Payne’s Gray against the warm autumn background.
Using your liner brush, paint the main stem first. Then add leaves with simple, loose brushstrokes. Start with smaller leaves toward the ends of your branches and gradually make them larger as you work toward the base. Don’t worry about making every leaf identical.
I added several branches across the page, allowing some to extend beyond the edges of the painted rectangle. The dark outlines contrast beautifully with the colorful background while still allowing all that texture to show through.
Once your botanical outlines are in place, you can add a little more color and shading. I used some of the Distress Spray color from my work surface and applied it with a brush. Because Distress Sprays are water-reactive, you can pick up and move the color with water. This creates subtle variations within the leaves without completely covering the background.
Now for one of my favorite finishing touches! I reached for Fossilized Amber Distress Spritz, which has a beautiful golden shimmer. Unlike regular Distress Spray Stains, Distress Spritz contains reflective mica particles that add a lovely sheen to the artwork.
Give the page a light spritz, allowing the gold to settle across the background and botanical details. I didn’t want to add too much. Just enough to catch the light and give the finished piece a little something extra. Sometimes that’s all a project needs! Let everything dry before moving on.
To finish the page, I wanted to add a little more of that earthy, aged look. Using a Ground Espresso ink pad and a foam applicator, gently pounce or blend color around the edges of the artwork. This creates a subtle border and ties the entire piece together.
Once the artwork is dry, it’s time to seal everything. I used Dorland’s Wax, applying it gently with a soft cloth or paper towel. I love using this over mixed media projects because it helps bring the different layers together and gives the surface a more consistent finish.
Rub the wax in carefully, following the product’s directions, and avoid dragging excess color across your artwork.
Finally, carefully remove the painter’s tape. And there you have it! A beautiful fall-inspired botanical art journal page with rich colors, layered textures, loose leaves, and a little golden shimmer.
Sometimes we get so caught up in everything else that we forget how much joy comes from simply sitting down and making something. Your art doesn’t always need to be complicated. It doesn’t need to be perfect. And it certainly doesn’t need to turn out exactly how you imagined.
Sometimes a few beautiful colors, a handful of leaves, and a little time to yourself are more than enough. So take a walk, collect some inspiration from nature, and give this fall mixed media technique a try!
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Supply List:
- 7 X 10 Grumbacher Watercolor Journal
- Painter’s tape
- Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Sprays — Rusty Hinge, Ground Espresso, Mustard Seed, Fossilized Amber, Candied Apple, Mowed Lawn, and Black Soot.
- Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Spritz — Fossilized Amber shimmer spray.
- DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics — Payne’s Grey.
- Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Archival Mini Ink — Ground Espresso.
- Jacquard Dorland’s Wax Medium — clear protective finishing medium.
- Dynasty Brushes — small round brush and fine liner or detail brush.
Check out Tracy’s Art Journal Starter Kit!
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