This colorful fall art journal page is all about leaning into the season, even if the weather has not gotten the memo yet. Using a warm, moody watercolor background, loose hand-drawn leaves, deep brown linework, and metallic gold accents, this project creates a rich autumn art piece without needing a complicated sketch or perfect plan. The result is full of teal, rust, yellow, burgundy, brown, and gold…basically fall on a page!
Begin by taping around the edges of your watercolor art journal page with painter’s tape. Press the tape down firmly, especially along the inner edges, so the watercolor does not seep underneath. This will give you a clean white border when the tape comes off at the end.
Wet your watercolor set and let the colors sit for about 30 seconds.
For this page, I’m working with earthy autumn colors including deep burgundy, rusty brown, yellow, teal, and soft blue-green shades. You do not need to copy the colors exactly. Choose shades that feel like fall to you.
Begin painting directly onto the dry paper using a wet brush. Drop in color loosely rather than trying to paint anything specific. Let the teal, rust, brown, yellow, and burgundy move into one another and form irregular shapes.
The goal is not to create a finished image yet. You are simply building a colorful fall background. If one area becomes too wet, dry your brush and use it to soak up the extra water. Allow the background to dry naturally, or use a heat tool if you want to speed things up.
Using a black Sharpie or waterproof pen, begin drawing simple leaves directly over the watercolor.
Keep the shapes varied.
Add:
- Long pointed leaves
- Small narrow leaves
- Pairs of leaves
- Overlapping leaves
- Leaves that extend partially off the page
Do not worry about making each leaf perfect or symmetrical. This page works because the leaves feel organic and layered.
Now switch back to watercolor and paint around the leaves instead of inside them. Use a deep burgundy-brown shade to fill the negative space surrounding the leaf shapes.
This instantly makes the leaves stand out and creates a dramatic, moody fall background. Keep wetting your brush as needed so the watercolor moves smoothly across the page.
Once the watercolor is dry, use Burnt Umber acrylic paint and a liner brush to define the leaf edges. Trace around the leaves loosely and add stems and interior veins.
Use the liner brush to add stems and subtle connecting lines between some of the leaves.
Because some of the Burnt Umber paint is applied a little thicker, you can use a heat tool to gently blister or texture selected areas. Keep the heat moving and do not hold it too close to the paper.
Now bring in metallic gold acrylic paint. Use a liner brush to trace portions of the leaf edges with gold.
You do not need to outline every single leaf completely. Let the gold appear in broken sections so it catches the light without overpowering the painting. The contrast between the dark background and gold accents gives the page a rich, glowing finish.
Load a fan brush with metallic gold paint and flick small splatters across the entire composition. Let some of the splatter land on the leaves and some in the background. If desired, use the brown paint again to add a second layer of splatter.
Use a heat tool or allow the page to dry naturally. Apply a thin layer of Dorland’s Wax Medium to protect the finished artwork. Rub it gently across the surface with a soft cloth or paper towel. This seals the watercolor and acrylic layers while preserving the texture and metallic details.
Carefully peel away the painter’s tape. Pull slowly and at an angle to reveal the crisp white border. This is always one of the most satisfying parts of the process because the clean edge instantly makes the artwork feel finished.
This project is a great example of letting color come first and structure come later.
The watercolor background creates the mood, the loose leaves give the page movement, and the darker linework helps everything come into focus. Metallic gold adds just enough shimmer to make the whole piece feel warm and special.
You also do not need to paint every leaf in traditional fall colors. Teal, blue, rust, burgundy, yellow, and green can all live together beautifully when the overall palette feels cohesive.
If you are craving fall, this is a fun way to bring a little autumn into your art journal!
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Supply List:
- Grumbacher 7 X 10 Watercolor Journal
- Painter’s Tape
- Sealer: Dorland’s Wax
- Watercolors: Essence
- Paint: Decoart Media – Burnt Umber and Extreme Sheen 24K Gold
- Brushes – Tracy Weinzapfel Brush Set 2
- Dynasty Stencil Brush
- Dynasty Micron Detail Brush
- Micron Small Detail Round Brush
- Micron Fine Liner Brush
- Foam Detailer
Check out Tracy’s Art Journal Starter Kit!
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