Leaf Rubbings

What do you get when you lay a piece of paper over a highly textured item, such as a tree leaf, and rub over the item with a crayon or colored pencil? You get a beautiful, ultra-realistic replica of the original. Leaves are easy and fun to use for making a rubbing - you can choose your color: green for summer or reds, oranges, yellows for fall. Or you can make the leaf any fantastic color you wish if you’re feeling playfully artistic! In these beautiful leaf rubbings, each student chose leaves of varying sizes to make their art interesting. In addition to the rubbing of the leaves, you can see how the background areas are filled in so that the leaves are the predominant feature, given a “home” among the surrounding colors and textures.

Rubbing Art relies on textured items under the paper you color on, so go ahead and look for household items such as paper doilies or woven cloth items that you can make a rubbing of. Want a few ideas? Check out Pinterest’s page on “rubbings.”

This colorful collection of art inspired by Leaf Rubbings is displayed in Wings Tails & Fins at 6 W. Main St. Check out the furry, feathered, and finned denizens of this shop but don’t forget to add 6 in the block labeled LEAF.