This simple journal page turned into a layered symbol of new beginnings – of growth, movement, and rising through the season we’re in. Let me walk you through how I made this dreamy background filled with floating leaves, golden outlines, and five little red hearts…because sometimes it’s those small details that bring the most joy.
Prep your art journal page by taping off the edges with painter’s tape. Mist your watercolor palette with water to activate the colors.
I started with a loose watercolor wash using the Terrain watercolor set, mostly sticking to greens with a bit of blue. You can use a wet-on-wet technique with your paintbrush or simply spritz your paper and start dropping in pigment.
Dab, blot, let it flow. This is your grounding layer, your fresh start. Let it dry (or speed it up with a heat tool).
Now for the fun part…layering bold, floating leaves over the background using acrylic paint. I used a mix of Green Gold, Leaf Green, Dioxazine Purple, and Dragon Teal.
Each leaf was painted with two brushstrokes: one to the left, one to the right. Don’t overthink it. Let some leaves overlap, some tilt, some float from the sides.
Want them to pop? Add a little Titanium White to your acrylics before layering – it gives them softness, contrast, and makes the colors sing. Let dry.
Once the leaves were dry, I came in with Extreme Sheen 24K Gold paint and a liner brush to add outlines and small leaf veins. This added shimmer and movement like the leaves were catching the light as they rose.
To finish the page, I added five tiny Pyrolle Red hearts. I don’t always include them, but sometimes I feel called to. To me, they represent contrast, joy, boldness, and intention. And yes, five is my lucky number.
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Supply List:
- 7 X 10 Grumbacher Watercolor Journal
- Painter’s Tape
- Watercolors: Terrain
- Decoart Media Acrylic Paints: Titanium White, Pyrrole Red, Dioxazine Purple, Green Gold, Dragon Teal
- DecoArt Extreme Sheen – 24K Gold
- Brushes: Tracy Weinzapfel Set 1 and Set 2
Check out Tracy’s Art Journal Starter Kit!
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