3 Things I Learned from Stenciling on Leaves
I imagine that a choice of leaf plays a role in how it becomes preserved on your art journal page. I had a lot of debate about whether or not to use a dried leaf or a new one. In the end, I felt a fresh leaf would offer more flexibility. I chose a sprig of mint from our family’s potted plants and set to work. Here are a a few things I discovered as I worked:
- Some leaves are thicker than others and they want to curl up. You will need a LOT of gel medium.
- The leaves are delicate and once covered in gel medium, they might rip or even disintegrate. Be gentle.
- Some leaves will shed a bit of pigment when wet. I did see a bit of very light green mixed into the gel medium. It was not noticeable after the gel medium dried.
There are Some Things I Don’t Know About the Leaf Queen
Though I made her, I didn’t create a back story for her. Yet. My biggest concern is how the leaves will fare under the coat of gel medium. I have hopes that it will preserve the leaves. So far, they remain somewhat green after a few days in the journal. I am worried that they might mildew a bit due to them being fresh leaves and that I live in a humid climate. I will need to revisit the page in a few weeks or so to let you know what how she fared. What I do know is that she is a queen who seems to have the weight of the world on her shoulders. You can see this in her expression. I shared a little bit about why she looks this way along with tips about how I created her crown in this video.
