HOW TO PAINT REALISTIC GREEN LEAVES 🍃 Advanced + Beginner-Friendly Watercolor Techniques

#watercolortutorial #howtopaintgreenery #watercolorleaves
In this tutorial I will explain how to paint natural looking fresh greens with watercolor using concepts of Value and Color Temperature. We will create beginner-friendly 1-layer version, and a more advanced 3-layer version step-by-step. In addition, we will cover:
🍃 Negative painting to create realistic leaf details with watercolor,
🍃 Glazing technique for natural color transitions,
🍃 Mixing greens with other colors on the spectrum.
💜 REAL-TIME (normal speed) version of this video, along with extra commentary, black & white outlines, is available on my PATREON feed: / annabucciarelli
🎥 VIDEOS MENTIONED:
- NEGATIVE PAINTING TECHNIQUE: • NEGATIVE PAINTING 🧡 Es...
- WATERCOLOR GLAZING TECHNIQUE TUTORIAL: • HOW TO GLAZE WATERCOLO...
🎨 WATERCOLOR SUPPLIES:
PAPER: W&N Cold Pressed block, 7x9, 140lbs
BRUSHES: W&N Series 7 in size #3
MEEDEN 12 Well Round Porcelain Artist Paint Palette: amzn.to/2L0wqMw
GLOVE: Protective Glove from Laughing Paw: amzn.to/2LLqcyC
PIGMENTS - GREENS:
Hookers Green DS (PG 36, PY 3, PY 150, PO 48)
Green Gold DS [PY 150, PY 3, PG 36]
Aqua Green W&N
Prussian Blue QOR
Granulating Greens: Cascade Green DS, Apatite Genuine DS
PIGMENTS - REDS:
Medium Red: Quinacridone Red QOR [PV 19]
Warm Red: Quinacridone Coral DS [PR 209]
Cool Red: Bordeaux DS

[@BS-detector]

I only found you a week ago, but I'm learning more from your videos than I have ever learned about watercolors before! I love your techniques & explanations and look forward to watching more of your videos. My watercolor paintings have improved dramatically over these past few days and I've only applied a couple of the techniques you demonstrated. You are a very talented and rare gift to this world! Thank you so much for sharing! 💜💜💜

[@maremacd]

Your skill level is beyond my loftiest goal, but is amazing to watch. Your control of the brush is astonishing to this very “green” beginner.

[@doralevitt2879]

I absolutely love greens to the point that it's like it's my "soul" color, as an artist I love all colors, but I can be looking a color chart or anything with mixed colors, and not only will my eyes go right to the greens first - but I get a sort of "zing" in my chest - I can't explain it any other way (and no- it's not my pacemaker 😂)- but to me it represents life, nature, regrowth, restoration and renewal, and I'm so amazed at God's artistry of everything He created!! 🤩🥰🤗🧑‍🎨🎨🖼️👆👑✝️👑☝️🌱💚

[@MoiAussie1]

I do too. I’ve made more green mix charts than any other. I paint a lot of leaves especially gum leaves because the aged leaves have so much character and I love granulated greens. Daniel Smiths undersea, cascade, green appetite and especially serpentine green with his primatek colours some amazing reactions take place wet in wet. Anna’s greens are not as natural as I usually paint and that’s why I love her work, it’s enchanting and a little unearthly and so it takes me out of my comfort zone. 🌿🎨🍃☘️.

[@sallykirkstephens8415]

Yep me too . Particularly all the olive tones !

[@lisbethjohannsen6613]

I have watched so many tutorials and videos on different platforms, but they were just "paintalongs". What I learn from your videos is overwhelming! And I can apply it directly to my paintings. Thank you so much for this 🙏❤️

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Thank you so much for your feedback Lisbeth 💕🌷 have a wonderful day!

[@justtubingby129]

She's amazing, isn't she?

[@melindaavila498]

I found you today! I feel like I am taking a true art class. I will be delving into your tutorials and looking for earlier ones to learn basics.

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Wonderful! Welcome to the channel Melinda

[@jojo_watercolors]

Anna, I love the 3 layers version but OMG the beginner friendly version is so amazing- the textures, the water cauliflower effect - all what I love about watercolors! And I would never consider dropping water into paint a mistake! It's what makes watercolors so awesome - to extract all these fun reactions of water with paint! I love the video Anna!

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

THANK YOU!!!!! I am so happy you enjoyed it Jo 💚 tbh I've been working on it since May - just writing and re-writing the script lol really wanted to cover all the different things I know here.... the granulation [as much as i avoid it in glazing] is something wonderful! I want to try more of granulating techniques but I am also currently obsessing over blue skies after seeing your gorgeous blue cloud washes recently!!!! 💚

[@jojo_watercolors]

@@AnnaBucciarelli And qor watercolors are sooo good for having fun, so many unpredictable "bleeds". I had so much fun with painting the sky with them! And it's 14x20, it's huge! and I hanged it in the living room! I can't stop starring on it hah. But as for your video, I am so grateful for it, I just simply can't paint leaves and I'm sitting at this moment and practicing on scraps of paper with your video on constant replay :D

[@dougmkeller9898]

Thanks for your sample on the different levels of green. Absolutely beautiful result!😊

[@marishkak2683]

Dear Anna, your beautiful paintings are the pleasure for my eyes, and your deep gentle voice is the music for my ears! Thank you for your videos and detailed explanation! You changed my opinion about water colors ❤

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Thank you so much for your kind words Marishka! I am delighted to hear you are enjoying the videos 💗💗💗💗💗💗💗 have a wonderful day!

[@betsyoglesartist]

This was a fabulous lesson! So helpful! I would love to see a video on tropical leaves.

[@ladyhecate9450]

I really enjoyed this tutorial. It was easier to see the different color of the leaves with your pointing white arrow. Simply fantastic. It was an excellent tutorial. I am a beginner, but one can still enjoy the beauty of a leaf coming alive.

[@Anna-jl1rx]

Clear, beautifully made video and lovely paintings! Actually, I like the "simpler", or more loose painting very much, but the choice of style of course also depends on the purpose of your work. As I said before, your beautiful, tighter style pictures would look great as fabric and wallpaper patterns!

[@montserratlavid3532]

Beautiful!! Tropical greens sounds like a treat . Thanks.

[@lemonade708]

This is such a wonderful tutorial. I probably have to rewatch the 3-layer technique a few more times to grasp the concept in greater detail, but I can't wait to try it out! Thank you for doing this.

[@helenduplessis9820]

Excellent tutorial!!! Many thanks! And yes for the tropical greens and whatever else you'd like to show us!! 🥰🥰🥰

[@Rachel-art-and-design]

So lovely. Your brush work is so amazing to me because I have a tremor and when i try to focus like that my hand jumps even more. It is just mesmerizing. Love it.

[@lindascott3885]

Thank you for a wonderful discussion on color theory & greens! I would enjoy seeing a tropical leaf demonstration. Using underpaintings is one of my favorite aspects of watercolor so I enjoy your techniques.

[@barbarasmith73]

Anna, I’m binging your videos and learning so much. I really appreciate the time you’ve taken in making these videos. I can only hope to aspire to painting like you :) I’ve been using DS granulating greens for my one layer leaves because I liked it and you showed me why. A lightbulb moment for me. Some day soon a 3 layer leaf! Thank you. So much

[@CastleMc]

You may be the best watercolor instructor on You Tube! Thank you

[@claudiahowell9508]

Love this video, I can watch it over and over to really absorb all the nuances. Excellent instruction.

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Thank you Claudia!!! 💕💕💕

[@lynnmccoysloan7705]

I'm watching this video like I used to listen to my favorite albums! Thank you sooo much for sharing your gift, Anna. I'm a beginner and this is the first leaves video that knocked out of of the park!

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

@@lynnmccoysloan7705 thank you so much for your kind words 💜 I am encouraged to record more! 😊

[@lynnmccoysloan7705]

@@AnnaBucciarelli Thank you! You mentioned tropical flowers/greens tutorial? This Florida girl would love that! 😊

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

@@lynnmccoysloan7705 I just released it a few weeks ago 🍀❤️ Watercolor Leaves 🌿 Tropical Greenery Tutorial kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKuweWNja56on9k

[@nacht98]

Stunning, thank you.!!

[@kristilyons8735]

I'm in awe of your skill. I've been trying this out today, and boy, do I have a long, long, loooong way to go. Your blends are so seamless. Granted, it's a bit mad to use watercolor in Colorado--things dry up before you blink; but we still try. How do you manage to keep your vein lines so clean?! Mine look as if they have a nervous disorder.

[@rhondaporro877]

Greetings Anna, from ," The Land of 10000 Lakes," Minnesota state. I am absolutely thrilled that I found your channel! ANNA, your content is amazing, you're an incredibly talented artist- WOW! It's hard to believe yourself taught. BRAVO! Your skill level in understanding the properties of your paint, your paper, and materials etc, is astounding to me. I am a disabled, self taught, "wanna be" artist. I have invested in and only use artist quality art materials, I started in colored pencils, watercolor pencils, and pastels. I would like to improve my watercolor painting skills and my learning curve just went full tilt by finding your KZbin Channel, AND OF COURSE, I SUBSCRIBED IMMEDIATELY! ANNA- A 1,000,000 Thank You's to you, for sharing your knowledge with those of us on KZbin, WHO ARE GRATEFUL FOR, AND TRUELY APPRECIATE ALL THE INCREDIBLE ARTISTS who are so generous with sharing their skills, knowledge and time with the world. I AM SO GRATEFUL, FOR THE "FREE" PLATFORM KZbin !! GOD BLESS, ANNA.

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Welcome to the channel Rhonda 💙 and thank you for your kind words! I am delighted to hear you are finding joy in watercolors and glad you found my videos useful 💕 and You are absolutely right about materials, especially paper which will make all the difference in how fast you will progress with this medium 👌 enjoy!

[@janetschlicht6984]

Both versions are just beautiful. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

[@susanjohnston6485]

Lovely videos, you are so talented! I find your instruction inspiring and easy to watch. Tropical painting sounds interesting. Thank you for putting the time in to do this

[@thuphan5493]

Thank you so much for not just this tutorial alone but also for your entire channel. You content is so much knowledge and experience and im inspired watching your videos. I hope one day i can get somewhere near your level. Thank you again

[@momomarie]

Your work is exquisite. I wish I could replicate it but it is beyond my ability. I really enjoy watching you paint. I will try some of your easier videos.

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Thank you so much 💕 Enjoy!

[@mihaelagrozdanova4059]

So nicely explained and great idea to separate the greenery from the flowers. Beautiful example

[@Yorimotashi]

Thank you so much for these, you’re a great teacher :)

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

❤️❤️❤️

[@ravenwinter6984]

This was so helpful, even from a digital painting perspective! I couldn't wrap my head around how to break down leaves in a way my brain could understand so I could "build" them. This video did that for me, thank you so much! I plan to work on traditional watercolor as well, so I'll definitely be coming back to this :)

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

I am sooo happy to hear that 💚 I do a ton of work digitally and you are right - it’s the same principles 😊😊😊

[@glowhomewithmaria]

@@AnnaBucciarelli if u like come to cooking big help for me 🙏🙏🙏

[@davidjennings127]

Just reading Al stholmans coloring leather ,he talks about saturation and layering,this video really hits home.🤩

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

So glad to hear that - sometimes I get into the details and wonder if I am boring people 😊 Thank you David!

[@blissyogi8699]

Very useful tutorial. Thankyou.

[@natlisan]

Great video again Anna! As always you have in depth colour theory tips. I created a maple leaf piece last year which turned out to be a study in greens! As you mentioned it's very challenging even for experienced painters. It's mind-blowing how many shades & tonal variations are possible in one colour! This piece turned out to be my most time consuming and challenging to date. I'll tag you to show you how it turned out!

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Great! Thank you Nathan I can’t wait to see it! 😊😊😊

[@jackieojeda6101]

I learn so much from your tutorials, maybe one day I will be able to paint as beautifully you!!😊💜🥰

[@effy2848]

Amazing! Yes to tropical leaves!

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Thank you! I posted a tropical leaves tutorial a few months after ❤️

[@mariannekeller7504]

Wonderful lesson! I just started watching your videos and I love your instruction and techniques!! Thank you so much!!

[@AlessiaDonatocoaching]

Found you yesterday and i love your tutorials i might hop onto patron!

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Welcome to the channel! 💚

[@d.s.2796]

I've just discovered your great channel yesterday and now I can't stop watching ... Every detail of your videos is so elegant .. ,So I wanted to thank you 🖤🌼.. please keep up the great work 🔥

[@donnaeturner]

Thank you!

[@madelinegrudens]

So much technique in one video! That was packed full, a great reference to go back to! Thanks so much for sharing ❤️

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Thank you Madeline 💜 glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@user-tc5rt4ju6x]

Lovely clear tutorial - thank-you so much.

[@ginettegingras7081]

So much info. Thanks!

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

💕💕💕

[@natford8271]

Thank you for providing the beginner version!

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

💚 thank you for watching Nat! I’ll keep experimenting with the format of my tutorials and provide a range of content from beginner to advanced 😊

[@jillkent6134]

I love both but think I actually prefer the second more loose leaves , lovely 😊

[@justtubingby8342]

Like a visual mukbang where I, always, want more 💚

[@dougraymer5358]

Love your tutorials. You are a wonderful teacher.

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Thank you 😊🍃 Gave a wonderful weekend!

[@zypentv5]

ang ganda po pagpinta buhay na buhay ang bulaklak

[@LilyMeng]

Love your tutorials, and bonus point - your voice is very soothing.

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Thank you 😊💕💕💕🌿

[@peggydwyer8187]

joining your Patreon today! love your teaching, and the quiet Chopin or Bach Gounod in the backgrounds, with your soothing voice. You're amazing!

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Thank you Peggy! 💜 welcome to the channel 😊 enjoy!

[@animalista_fabrics]

the second one is so much more art

[@emanuelaboiardi9041]

Beautifully painted.I usually paint with oil pastels but your technique is really perfect and makes me want to try watercolour.Tropical plants would really be interesting to study.congratulations and thanks

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Thank you Emanuela ❤️

[@vynedvyne59]

Many thanks for this clear and concise teaching moment

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

💚

[@luciejean3137]

Merci beaucoup Anna pour cette vidéo extrêmement inspirante et instructive!

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

[@sweethomes674]

Excellent explanations 😊

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Thank you 💕

[@sashahera5679]

Che brava che sei ❤ grazie per la video

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Thank you 💕😊

[@Mickey-jn8hz]

I have just found you…..I do want to start doing some water color and to be truthful…..I am not doing so good…..You totally amazed me with those leaves! Thank you so much for sharing your amazing talent! WOW!

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Welcome to the channel Mickey! Thank you for your kind words ❤️ Watercolor is one of the most enjoyable mediums I’ve ever tried and although it takes some time to get used used it will bring you so much joy I promise! Just start slow, use your favourite colors, and most importantly use good 100% cotton paper (this is absolutely essential because watercolors don’t work on regular paper) 😊 have a wonderful day!

[@virtualartclassforallages]

Anna, i love your painting, your watercolor painting and explanations are extrodinary. Many art related tutorials i am following. Recently I started seeing your tution. You are amazing. I love to try different mediums. Your tutorial increased my thirst of art. Thankyou waiting for more vedios.

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Thank you for your feedback! ❤️ happy to hear you are enjoying the videos 😊

[@Luc-uw8ur]

I learned a lot from this tutorial. Many thanks Anna!

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

❤️

[@grahamekellermeier8280]

Leaves me spellbound.

[@elconsultoriodecandida7304]

Sus dibujos son simplemente sublimes.gracias por compartir su talento.

[@HimanArtists]

Wow, Realistic painting

[@Mellacami]

Great tutorial 😊

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Thank you Camilla! 💗

[@grandmame6308]

Really love this tutorial, would like to see florals with 1-layer as well!

[@theceramicrepairstudio]

Really beautiful. 🥰

[@Diego_SanCA]

Great video

[@evarinkerode735]

Dankeschön ❤ Du bist hoch begabt. ... dazu die Musik von F. Chopin 🌟

[@joeavelar2222]

I love Anna!

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

😊😊😊

[@triciabennetts6578]

Thankyou Anna - love both techniques! Thankyou for sharing 😄

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

💚💚💚

[@jjartoart7302]

Thank you so much for this wonderful tutorial.. Both the techniques are useful and interesting..

[@Nancy-tr5fi]

beautiful, great lesson.

[@nancyhuerter8934]

Thanks!

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Thank you Nancy!! 💗💗💗

[@pamelarivers3924]

Such a great tutorial!!! Thank you!!!! 👏

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Thank you Pamela 💗

[@sharilyncoyle8272]

thanks

[@jamesmelton818]

Absolutely stunning.

[@RabbiMeirah]

Incredible!

[@arpitadatta2711]

😱 What magic did I see!!!! ❤️

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

❤️😊

[@mariapla2427]

Thanks Anna¡ So useful explanations¡ I love your accent¡ Also, I'm in the group that considers the cauliflower effects a very useful technique to bring textures, of course, this must be controlled.

[@ushaanand4940]

Thanks for your tutorials. Happy New Year !

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

❤️🎄

[@johannawerb-pieterman2857]

Fantastic tutorial, thank you Anna!

[@teriyoung5309]

Come for the education, stay for the WOWWWW!!!

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Thank you Teri 😊💚

[@SuzanneLegault]

Amazing video! Thank you so much for sharing all this valuable information about greens and leaves.

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Thank you Suzanne! 💚😊

[@vedericacopacanti7575]

Thank you for teknik water color

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

💚💚💚

[@sunilgoa5]

simply amazing.

[@bloomhavenstudios]

I would love a video on painting tropical leaves. I live In a tropical climate and am embarking on a project to create a series of leaf paintings of all the different leaves in my yard. I would also appreciate hints on how to paint leaves that have red streaks or marks in them without making mud. I'm sure I will be referring back to this video (and the hopefully upcoming one) repeatedly. I love the granulation in the one-layer version. I'm wondering if a granulating paint would work well as a second layer over non-granulating colours. I guess I'll have to give it a try.

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Thank you Anita. I hear you - lots of gorgeous tropical greens with beautiful red spots. I am in the process of choosing a reference photo ! 🍃💕 Granulating pigments are no good for glazing since they completely obscure the underlying layers… in some cases maybe as a second layer for wet “dirty” porous look (I am looking at wet chestnuts at the moment chestnut 🌰) I may be completely off here but I am talking strictly realistic Watercolor. For more decorative textured illustrations it may work much better but I never tried (I use gouache for decorative work).

[@marievanderwijk9845]

So good! Thank you for this.

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

💚

[@eugeniapruia6333]

Love it! Thank you.

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

💚

[@MsSylvana63]

I Thankyou ✨👌🏽

[@user-pv5pt9yx9q]

Спасибо. Урок замечательный!

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Спасибо Инна!

[@michaelklein5242]

Oh, those veins! Those veins! Mine always look gross somehow, like you could stick an IV needle in them, just hideous! Thanks for this very good video, which helps me there immensely! 💐

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Veins are hard! Mine looked pretty rough until very recently - I’ve experimented with masking fluid (too imprecise and messy) and negative painting, and over the years realized negative painting is probably the best way. Try adding a bit of a wave to the veins, don’t keep them too straight, and play around with brush sizes and stiffness. It’s a fine balance but I find that smaller softer brushes allow me to get really close to the vein (although they carry less pigment so that makes it a bit more challenging) those are the 2 things that helped me 😊 worth a try! 💗

[@glowhomewithmaria]

Waooo Fantastic work 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗👍🏼👌👌👌

[@amybesel]

Thank you so much!

[@carbonc6065]

Wonderful!

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

💚

[@redbrushart]

This is an amazing video. 👌👌 May you continue to grow.

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

💚

[@cassandrak9753]

Thank you

[@chialin9774]

Amazing, thank you for sharing :)

[@learnbyheart7]

Beautiful work! I subscribed....thank you.

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Thank you Mary! Welcome to the channel 💜

[@quilterming]

Could you show us more one layer paintings please? I really enjoyed this tutorial.

[@ennieharrison8177]

Wow, this is great, thanks a lot! :)

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Thank you! Happy new year ❤️

[@sandraocallaghan8616]

Super.

[@ArtistRajeshChowdhury]

Really amazing and beautiful ❤️

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Thank you! 💚

[@01fatina]

❤️💗💕👍🏻 Я очень люблю Ваши акварели!!

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Спасибо Светлана! ❤️😊

[@01fatina]

@@AnnaBucciarelli 🙏💕

[@justtubingby129]

Okay, I've finally tried to paint with water colours. All the while, I was thinking about your work. Even after several layers (many more than yours) my tulips looked flat and timid. I hung my head in shame and packed it in. Finished it off with coloured pencils. Sigh

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

Tell me everything: what colors did you use? How did you layer them (what sequence) most importantly- which paper? In general reds are super tricky and most do look flat due to drying shift. Do you have a reference photo I can look at? Let’s brainstorm this! Ps: any time I take a few weeks to edit and come back to painting I feel like it takes me 2-3 attempts to get my groove back - please don’t feel discouraged after one tulip 🩷 (especially if it was a red one!)😊

[@justtubingby129]

I was painting on cheap watercolour paper but I don't think that had all that much to do with it. It was a birthday card. I painted a pink and orange tulip. Kept adding layers of reds to achieve darkness and volume. Purple and blue for shadows. You are done after 3 layers and I must have used double that. Yet, it didn't look overworked but underworked. I had tried to take watercolour at my university, long time ago, but that course was always full with a waiting list. Perhaps, I was treating it as drawing with a paintbrush because that's how it felt. When I do acrylic canvases, it feels like painting. I was very disappointed with myself ... Pride and Arrogance

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

@@justtubingby129trust me it’s the paper - if it’s not 💯 cotton it doesn’t absorb the layers the same way. Even some supposedly cotton papers (ahem Fluid ) will give you super dull reds and violets no matter what you do! 2-3 layers of red should be enough to have a vibrant result, but not on every paper. Honestly I tried - it’s night and day. Also some reds look vibrant on packaging but in reality the drying shift makes them dull. I would go with cadmium substitutes, quinacridones of course and the most vibrant I recently discovered is Carmine. On the other hand my Pyrrols dry out super dull no matter what paper I use. If you are into cards I recall there was a really nice line of watercolor postcards made with Fabriano paper - at least I used to see it all the time here in Toronto. I did all sorts of postcards on it and it was fantastic. I hope this helps - please don’t get discouraged. If it makes you feel any better I completely butchered another purple tulip painting this week 🤦🏻‍♀️ and I was painting on Arches 😏 it just wasn’t the day to paint! it happens ❤

[@justtubingby129]

@@AnnaBucciarelli You're a gem. You actually made me feel better. I will invest in some good paper and give it another go. I really want to experience the "magic" of watercolours. The sheer purity of them amazes me. It is not easy for me to move from the heavy oils and acrylics to the delicateness of watercolours. Patience 🙂❤️❤️❤️❤️🌼🍀 Thank you