As the new school year settles in and everyone begins to adjust to their routines, it seems like a good time for a dose of creative stimulation. With the loss of summer’s freedom, it can be tough to find time for scribbling, but fear not! Your next scribblin’spiration is here and this time it is… autumn leaves!

 

What better time to embrace the change in seasons and use them for our artistic gain? The beautiful changing foliage is all around you, providing inspiration each day. You might take this inspiration literally and focus on drawing trees and leaves. Go to a local park or look in your backyard for a great landscape sketch. Collect leaves to study, press, or trace. Or use them as a starting point to create something different, abstract, or even unrelated.

photo by Pantone, via Plenty of Colour

 

The beauty of inspiration is that it can take you anywhere—different qualities of the leaves can stimulate your mind, perhaps even an image or association you have with them may arise.

 

There are so many elements within changing foliage to find inspiration; one of the most noticeable is certainly color. The rich greens, golds, reds, and oranges create a glowingly warm palette for the season. Try using these hues as a jumping off point for your project or picture.

 

photo by Corbis, via The Guardian

 

Another interesting quality of leaves is their shape—each type of tree’s leaves boasts a different figure and you can find all shapes and sizes on the ground. Experiment with the scale and design of leaves to inspire your creation. Also consider large-scale shapes, such as whole trees or forests. How are trees’ shapes affected as the leaves begin to fall?

 

photo via Fermilab Today

 

Finally, don’t overlook texture. The green leaves emerge from summer smooth and supple. As autumn advances, those leaves become dry, brittle, and crunchy. Play with surface and touch in your work to explore this element.

 

What images or ideas to changing leaves bring for you? See how they influence your art all season long. All you have to do is peek outside your window for a dose of inspiration!