Painting fall leaves with watercolors is a fun autumn art project suitable for kids, teens, and adults, which can be done at home or in the classroom.
Here’s a simple yet creative way for kids and adults of all ages and artistic abilities to paint fall leaves with watercolors using a striking color contrast that will make onlookers gasp with awe. Even toddlers and preschoolers can enjoy creating gorgeous autumn leaf art with this simple watercolor fall leaves painting idea for all ages. If you have ever wondered how to paint fall leaves with dimension, texture, and a beautiful contrast, you’ve come to the perfect watercolor art tutorial. Use paint and glue (or another black watercolor resist medium) to create fall leaves that burst with color with this easy, fall-themed art activity suitable for artists of all ages and abilities.
This autumn leaf project is a fall art activity that encourages sensory exploration and builds fine motor skills. This fall leaf art project can also introduce young children to the concept of seasonal changes in nature, while older children can begin to learn the basics of leaf identification. Painting autumn leaves with watercolors and a black resist medium is also a fun science experiment and STEAM activity for kids of all ages. Using watercolor paints and a resist medium allows for open-ended creativity and artistic experimentation, making it both calming and exciting for learners of all ages. You might also enjoy this list of Fall Art Projects, crafts, and painting ideas for kids and adults of all ages.
Projects featuring autumn leaves make it possible to create stunning fall art to frame and hang on the wall or give to someone you love. First published on August 29, 2017, this step-by-step fall leaf watercolor art tutorial is regularly updated to enhance the content and ensure its current relevance. Whether you’re a teacher, caregiver, or parent, this leaf-themed art project is a great way to bring the beauty of fall into your classroom or home. You might also enjoy rain painting.
How to Paint Fall Leaves with Watercolors:
This fall watercolor painting activity idea offers a fantastic fall-themed art lesson in watercolor resist techniques, suitable for use at home and in the classroom. The step-by-step directions below make it easy to enjoy this watercolor fall leaves art project with children at school for a fun weekend project or a homeschool art lesson. Alternatively, you can paint fall leaves with watercolors in a group art lesson, at a party, in a community art class, or as a solo artist. Start with the directions below:
- First, choose a black resist medium to create beautifully contrasting fall leaf art, such as the gorgeous autumn leaves in the photographs. Black pastels, crayons, or glue each make excellent resist mediums for painting autumn leaves. (The complete step-by-step instructions for making black glue are listed below this summary.)
- Next, draw or sketch fall leaves, or use these FREE fall leaf clip art printables with maple, oak, and beech leaves. Either option can be used as a guide for tracing with a black resist medium of your choice before painting the leaves with watercolors.
- Members of the Rhythms of Play Club (and those who purchase the fall leaf templates separately) have the option of accessing several more printable fall leaf art templates in the Rhythms of Play Learning Center at the following Links:
- Finally, choose 2-3 colors of watercolor paint for each of the autumn leaves. Use the watercolors to paint the leaves outlined with the black watercolor resist medium.
- For more detailed instructions, scroll down for the step-by-step autumn leaf art project tutorial below.
Fall Leaves Resist Art Supplies:
- Black watercolor resist medium of choice:
- White glue & black acrylic paint to make homemade black glue
- Black oil pastel
- Black crayon)
- Heavy cardstock or watercolor paper
- Watercolor paint (choose one of the following):
- Paintbrushes
- Construction paper or colored cardstock
- FREE Leaf Art Printable Templates
- Optional. You can also trace real fall leaves or draw simple autumn leaves to paint.
- Optional extra leaf art templates:
or 
or Related: The Best Art Supplies for Kids and Why Young Artists Should Use Them
How to Make Black Glue:
- Add a small amount of black acrylic paint to a bottle of white glue and shake well.
- Ensure the glue bottle is at least half full, allowing sufficient room for the ingredients to mix and blend.
- Remember that white glue dries clear. Black glue does not have to look completely black when it is wet. A greyish color will work. White glue will always appear black when it dries, as long as just enough black acrylic paint is mixed into the white glue.
- Please look at this winter tree, rose, or starfish art to see a few more projects you can create with black glue or an alternative watercolor resist medium, such as black crayon or oil pastel. The watercolor art tutorials mentioned above also include more tips for making and working with black glue.
My daughter and I have a small bottle of glue dedicated to continually mixing the white glue with black acrylic paint to make a never-ending supply of black glue. We never measure, and it always turns out fine. With this alternative fall leaf art idea, you may enjoy creating watercolor art with freshly gathered autumn leaves. Below is a photograph with a few examples of fall leaf watercolor paintings made using this art process.
Fall Leaves Watercolor Painting Lesson Planning Tip:
If you plan to use black glue as the resist medium of choice, or if you plan to have children draw their own leaf outlines. I recommend completing this fall art project for kids in two parts or stages. On the first day, draw or trace autumn leaves. On the second day, use watercolors to paint within the outlines of the fall leaves. Below are the directions for making black glue, along with the complete step-by-step tutorial for this fall leaf art project. Scroll down if you would like to see the steps to make fall leaves art with a bit more explanation. You might also enjoy these outdoor fall activity ideas.
Related: Fall Leaf Lacing Beginning Sewing Project for Kids
Watercolor Fall Leaves Art Project: Step-by-Step Tutorial:
If you are working with children, I recommend completing this fall art project in two parts or stages. Complete steps one and two on the first day, or prepare it in advance on your own and return another day to finish this fall leaves painting project for kids.
1. Draw autumn leaves, trace a natural leaf, or print free fall leaf art templates:
- Invite artists of all ages and abilities to do one of the following:
- Draw a fall leaf to paint.
- Trace gathered fresh fallen leaves to make your own autumn leaf template(s).
- Use several different types of leaves if desired.
- Access these FREE fall leaf art templates (maple, oak, and beech leaf outlines).
- Use your favorite, or print all three leaf art templates onto heavy cardstock or watercolor paper.
- Get access to several more printable fall leaf art templates in the Rhythms of Play Learning Center:
2. Choose a watercolor resist medium to trace the outline of the fall leaves:
- Trace the leaf outline with the preferred black watercolor resist medium.
- Choose at least one of the following art supplies:
- Mindfully trace the veins of the leaf and around the edge of the leaf with a black crayon, pastel, or back glue, as demonstrated in the photo below.
- Black glue adds dimension and texture to the fall leaf art.
- Please allow the black glue to dry completely before proceeding to the next step. (Overnight is best.)
- While black oil pastel and crayon can be painted over immediately, it’s best to allow these mediums a chance to set for 30-60 minutes before saturating them with watercolors.
3. Paint fall leaves with watercolors:
- Once the leaf outline is prepared and ready, invite children or artists of all ages and abilities to use watercolors to paint beautiful fall leaves.
- Place paper towels or newspaper underneath the leaf outline before painting to soak up any excess water, especially when working with young children. (This step is optional and not shown in the photo below.)
- Next, use a round brush or a small flat wash to paint warm (or cool) colors onto each leaf, as shown in the photograph below.
- Choose two to three colors per leaf for best results.
- Dip the paintbrush in clear water to rinse between applications of different colors.
- Read the watercolor painting tips below for more helpful suggestions and tips about how to paint fall leaves with watercolors. (Scroll down to see them.)
5. Mount fall leaf art onto pieces of construction paper (optional):
- Once the fall leaf art has had a chance to dry, use scissors to cut each craft out and glue them onto a piece of complementary or contrasting colored cardstock or construction paper, as shown in the photograph below.
- This step is optional, but it creates a more pleasing display if you want to hang this fall leaves painting idea in a frame.
- Fall leaves watercolor art is a lovely homemade gift for parents and grandparents. For more ideas, refer to this list of DIY gifts.
or 
, as shown in the photograph below.
Fall Leaf Art Activity Painting Tips for Young Children and Beginning Artists of all ages:
In our Waldorf-inspired daycare, we invite our preschoolers and kindergarteners to experiment with color mixing using Stockmar watercolor paints. For example, the preschool artist in the above photo uses red and yellow watercolors to paint a maple leaf.
Conversely, yellow and blue paint were used to paint the beech leaf in the photographs, and all three primary watercolors (red, yellow, and blue) were used to paint the oak leaf. But wait, there is no blue on the oak leaf painting. Or is there? Yellow and blue mixed within the oak leaf art to create a third color—green! However, my daughter ensured that all the blue in the watercolor leaf painting was mixed with yellow to create a mottled shade of green and yellow.
Watercolor painting is a perfectly imperfect art form. The key to working with watercolors is to go with, rather than against, how they naturally move and flow. Use water to help them flow, mix, and blend even more, but be careful; adding too much water can dilute the vibrancy of the colors. Suppose your children have never worked with watercolors. In that case, I recommend preparing at least one extra fall leaf printable. Use it to show young children how to paint with watercolors before asking them to try this fall art activity. Show more than tell. Young children learn best by watching and imitating the actions of others.
Painting Autumn Leaves with Watercolors:
Here’s another color-mixing example, the artist (my daughter) created in the photographs. The watercolor artist in the photo below created the orange by layering red and yellow watercolor paints as she worked on her fall leaf art masterpiece. Since she had painted several Waldorf-inspired wet-on-wet watercolor paintings, I thought she was ready for the challenge of color-mixing. Creating new colors by mixing primary colors, specifically red and yellow, to make orange, for fall leaf art. Add dots of blue watercolor paint to the yellow to create touches of green, and give the fall leaves the appearance of changing colors.
Painting Black Glue with Watercolors:
Black glue will resist watercolor paint, but can pull the color black into the fall leaf watercolor painting. Be careful; if you mix too much black acrylic paint into the white glue or if the art gets too wet, black will seep into the fall artwork. Please look at this black glue rose, black glue starfish, or winter tree art for more watercolor-resist art tips!
The fall leaf pictured below was painted with blue and yellow Stockmar Watercolor Paints to create green. Invite your children or students to try color-mixing fall leaf art. To do so, encourage them to use two primary colors to paint each outlined leaf. For more information about how to help children work with watercolors, visit the instructions for single-color, two-color, and three-color wet-on-wet watercolor painting. You might also enjoy this collection of Fall Books for kids. It shares several autumn-themed stories that children love. Several would make a lovely addition to this fall art activity.
More Watercolor Resist Art Projects and Painting Activity Ideas for Kids:
- The Science of Watercolor Resist Art
- Rose Watercolor Resist Art
- Watercolor Surprise Heart Art
- Winter Tree Watercolor Resist Art
- Snowy Alpine Tree Watercolor Art
- Ocean-Themed Under the Sea Watercolor Resist Art Projects
- Starfish Black Glue Resist Art Project
- Watercolor Surprise Easter Egg Art
Fall Leaf Art Project for Kids:
I hope you enjoy painting a beautiful collection of autumn leaf art. Outlining fall leaves with black glue and painting them with watercolors is a simple art project suitable for both kids and adults. This fall art activity isn’t just fun; it can be a meaningful learning experience that makes it easy to cater to the age group you are working with.
For example, this autumn art activity provides a fun way to help children learn about the changes that typically occur during the fall season and the basics of leaf identification. This leaf art activity also nurtures creativity, strengthens hand-eye coordination, improves fine motor skills, and provides a playful introduction to color blending techniques.
Best of all, this fall leaf art activity is easy to set up, low-mess, and rewarding for young and old alike. Hang up your leafy masterpieces to bring a burst of fall color to your space, and celebrate the joy of learning through art. For more fun painting ideas, try creating fall leaves art with real fall leaves, or try these gorgeous fall craft ideas for kids.
You may also like this Fall Bucket List of fun fall activities!
Learn more about Nell Regan Kartychok, author, photographer, and creator of this fall leaves watercolor art tutorial HERE, and Rhythms of Play HERE!
More Fall Arts, Crafts, and Autumn Leaf Activities for Kids:
- Best Fall Art Projects for Kids
- How to Make Leaf Lanterns
- Leaf Baby
- Watercolor and Fall Leaves Art
- Fall Leaf Lacing
- Turkey Leaf Lantern
- Fall Nature Craft Ideas
- Marbled Clay Gratitude Leaves
- Acorn Marble Necklaces
- Fall Leaf Crown or Tiarra
- How to Make a Thankful Tree with Real Leaves
- Autumn Books for Kids
- Fall Bucket List of Fun Fall Activities
This art is so creative! I really like how it looks in the end. I’m definitely going to make some. Thank you for sharing the idea!
You’re welcome, Diana! I’d love to see some pictures of your work when you are finished. Feel free to share your work on Facebook or Instagram–tag rhythmsofplay if you do 🙂 And don’t forget to join the Rhythms of Play community to stay updated!