Our Paper Leaf Autumn Doodle Art is a lovely activity for inspiring color play and pattern creation, while enjoying a moment of creative mindfulness with your Arty Crafty Kids.
Doodling is well known for its relaxing benefits and is an art form that can enjoyed by kids and adults alike!
To get started, all you need is a favorite coloring medium, black marker pens and our printable leaf designs.
How the leaves are completed is entirely up to your Arty Crafty Kids. They can be painted or filled with torn collaged paper. Children may use the templates to explore different printing techniques and perhaps use real leaves to print patterns. The options are beautifully open-ended.
And while we have dedicated this post to creating Autumn leaves, the seasonal element could be adjusted to fit Spring or Summer, and maybe Winter too! For an abstract idea, the leaves could be filled with pretty snowflake patterns.
Related Posts:
How to Create Paper Leaf Autumn Doodle Art
Materials
White Card Stock for Printing
Black Card Stock
Favorite Coloring Medium
Black Marker Pens
Download the Leaf Outlines:
The Leaf Outlines (x3 different designs) are available to members of the Arty Crafty Kids club.
Members will need to log in to access the templates: https://www.artycraftykids.com/product/leaf-outlines-for-autumn-doodle-art/
Not a Member?
Watch the Step-by-Step Video Tutorial
Let’s Create Leafy Doodle Art!
Step 1: Color in the Leaf Outlines
Choose a favorite medium to color in the leaf outlines.
Our example features acrylic paint and we’ve just bright and bold Autumn hues from the brightest of yellow to deep red, vibrant pink and purple to an off-green teal color – to add a modern twist to the color spectrum.
Step 2: Experiment with Painting Techniques to Create Autumn Blends
If, like us, your Arty Crafty Kids have decided to paint their leaf outlines, encourage them to experiment with different blending techniques.
Sponges are a fantastic way to mix colors and with the right combination, can great an amazing variety of different hues derived from two or three core colors. Take a look at our Autumn Leaf Art for a complete tutorial on How to Paint with a Sponge.
Step 3: Use a Black Marker Pen to Draw Doodles
Once all the leaves are colored in and dry, grab a collection of marker black marker pens!
To begin, younger children may find a thick tipped marker pen (i.e. sharpie) more comfortable than a fine tipped pen.
Try dividing the leaves in half with a central stem and doodle unique designs within each half.
Step 4: Play with Doodle Patterns and Lines
Some of leaves can be divided into more segments and thus filled with a greater variety of patterns; zig-zags, swirls, wavy lines, straight lines, spots and mini rainbow arches!
Children could even take inspiration from real leaves and attempt to recreate their natural lines (veins – the arrangement of veins within a leaf is called the venation pattern).
Step 5: Try Segmenting the Leaves and Draw Smaller Doodle Patterns
Once your Arty Crafty Kids are feeling confident and creative with their pattern creation, perhaps they could try segmenting their leaves even further to create a “stained glass effect”.
For more pattern creation ideas, take a look at our Sunburst Heart Art Idea.
Step 6: Cut out the Autumn Leaves and Affix to Backing Card
Once the leaves are colored and doodled, carefully cut them out and pop them onto some black backing card.
Once affixed to the backing card, loosely cut around the shape of the leaf to create a black border.
The border adds a lovely contrast to the leaf design and reinforces the newly created artwork; allowing them to be used in a leafy Autumn display, an Autumn Leaf Mobile or Autumn Leaf Wreath!
As always, we love to Arty Crafty Kids’ creativity in action and if you happen to share their completed makes on social media, please do give us a tag or/and use the #artycraftykids – happy crafting!
More Autumn Art Ideas for Kids:
In addition to the Paper Leaf Autumn Doodle Art, there are plenty of other art projects for kids to enjoy. Check out some of our favorite tried and tested Autumn Art ideas that are sure to inspire creativity.
