2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Skeletonized leaves are the absence of soft tissues, the presence of dry veins and cuttings. The creation process is rather painstaking and time-consuming, but the result is amazing blanks for floristic masterpieces. Skeletons are sold online and at handicraft stores. Today you will learn how to get an openwork contour from veins in the form of a leaf yourself
Processing methods
Self-preparation of skeletons is an interesting process, which also gives you the opportunity to save money on buying ready-made copies. The work is carried out in different ways, the choice of which consists in the final quantity, density and stiffness of the material.
Dry method
To obtain just a few leaves, it is rational to use dry technique. Of course, this will take a lot of time, for example: processing one sheet takes 15-20 minutes. You will need a brush with hard natural bristles, you can take a toothbrush. The work consists in mechanical scraping of the pulp from the veins; as a result, only the "frame" with the handle should remain. Herbarium specimens can be used.
Natural way
Selected leaves are poured with water, the container is covered and left in a dark room for 2-3 weeks. Readiness is determined by the separation of the upper layer from the core. When this moment comes, you need to take out the workpiece and rinse the resulting mucus with water, carefully separating the soft tissue with your hands or with a not very hard brush. The process ends when a beautiful piece remains, which needs to be dried within two days. For such work, fleshy leaves of ficus, bergenia, physalis fruits are suitable.
Wet way
To obtain a large number of skeletons, it is wise to apply wet processing. For work, you will need to boil the leaves in a saucepan with a chemical solution "Mole" (2 tablespoons are used per liter), heat treatment lasts 2-3 hours. The time is chosen according to the density of the feedstock. After boiling, the leaves are placed in a bowl of cold water. The pulp is removed with a brush or by hand. Use rubber gloves. Further, the finished product in a straightened form is laid out to dry on a flat surface for 1-2 days.
Chemical method
The method is similar to the wet method, the difference is that cooking in a saucepan is not used. The plant material is filled with the composition "Whiteness" with the addition of water (1: 1). In such a fill, it should be kept until the structure is completely softened and discolored. As a result, the soft parts become transparent and only the dense structure stands out. Then lightly rinse, blot with a paper towel, final drying takes place under a press.
Professional advice
Labor intensity and the final result depend on the source material, more time and effort is always spent on a rigid sheet. But it is precisely these options that will ultimately be the most interesting.
It is easy to get a skeletonized leaf from oak, poplar, sycamore, birch, blueberry, ficus, aspen. You can work with cherries, currants, hawthorn, ash. To create exclusive compositions, individual pieces can be laminated, painted. When obtaining the desired shade, it is important to know that the previously processed sheet to remove the pulp is necessarily discolored with "Whiteness". If you need to create a dark contour, then the raw material is immersed in potassium permanganate, the more saturated the solution, the more intense the final color will be.
You can only set the desired scale for finished material that has gone through all the stages of development. For these purposes, a can of paint, gouache, and watercolor is used. To fix the color, the finished form should be varnished.
Ways to use skeletonized leaves in decor
The finished leaves are beautiful and original, but these are just blanks for the upcoming work. There are many uses, for example:
Leaf paintings
On tinted cardboard or thick paper, the leaves are combined with branches or other natural elements, as a result the original idea is embodied in the form of a landscape, ornament, and still life. Often, a background in the form of a canvas is created from glued leaves for further creativity, it can also be used for carving on leaves.
Texturing
Skeletons are relevant in some techniques to give texture, they are used in work with fabric, quilting, patchwork. Fellers combine the blanks with wool. The most popular way is to press into soft paper using a press.
Decorating
Skeletonized leaves are in demand for decorating various surfaces (pots, vases, any transparent and tinted vessels). Decoupage using blanks is acceptable for furniture, lamps, dishes. The processed leaves are glued to postcards, placed under glass, used to create panels, using the scrapbooking technique.
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