At first glance Colorful Leaves looks like any other coloring book. But the moment you begin to read the introduction, you discover it is not your average coloring book. It is instead a coloring book and a how-to book rolled into one nice package.
Written by writer and illustrator Gail Selfridge, Colorful Leaves is a 45-page lesson in observing leaves, transferring images and capturing Nature’s colors. Selfridge, a member of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators and the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA), was awarded the ASBA’s Anne Ophelia Dowden education grant in 2015. The award enabled her to write Colorful Leaves so she could introduce new audiences to the world of plants through the peaceful and revealing process of leaf rubbing.
The line illustrations in Selfridge’s new book should not be viewed simply as shapes to be colored. They should be viewed as the author intended, as templates to use while exploring color media and botanical art techniques. Selfridge helps new and experienced artists with their experimentation by offering recommendations for pencils, colored pencils, markers, paint and paper. Selfridge explains:
Botanical art is an art form that can be learned and enjoyed by both children and adults, and it is a pleasurable activity that can be pursued for a lifetime. Establishing a preliminary image is often the most challenging and difficult step in this learning process. By starting with these line images, fussing over measurements and details is avoided thus allowing one to get on with learning, not only about the specimen, but also about using various art materials and techniques. These preliminary images can be repeatedly transferred and used to explore many different techniques, both traditional and digital.
Colorful Leaves can be used for personal enjoyment or it can be used by community arts programs, botanical gardens, arboretums, public schools, 4H groups, garden clubs, etc. as an educational outreach activity that provides an enjoyable experience, encourages observation of plants, and provides tools for the accurate portrayal of plants.
Included in Colorful Leaves are line illustrations for 23 trees and four shrubs. Tree genera represented are: Quercus, Platanus, Acer, Cercis, Ulmus, Populus, Fraxinus, Gingko, Aesculus, Liquidambar, Prunus, Diospyros, Morus, Carya, Pyrus, and Malus. Shrub genera represented are Euonymus, Rhus and Rubus.
This week we have the opportunity to learn from Gail Selfridge. You are invited to join the conversation. Post your questions or comments below.
Special Opportunity for Educators from Gail Selfridge
Populus deltoides © Gail Selfridge
The American Society of Botanical Artists funded Colorful Leaves, and my objective never was to make money selling it. I want to put the publication in the hands of persons who would make use of it. To that end I will send six complimentary copies (including shipping) to anyone who agrees to use them as part of an educational program in exchange for photos of the event and a short (no longer than one page) description of what they did, and the results/success of the program.
Request your complimentary copies of Colorful Leaves.
[Note: Offer no longer available]
Update February 2017
Colorful Leaves is now available for free on the ASBA website. Visit the page about Gail’s project to download a copy of the book and to read how teachers have used Colorful Leaves in their classrooms.
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ArtPlantae Today 
ArtPlantae:
Gail, thank you so much for your time this week. As you know, ArtPlantae’s focus is encouraging an interest in plants in formal and informal settings. How can educators use your book in their classrooms or programs? How have you used this material at outreach events?
Gail Selfridge:
Tania, Thank you for inviting me to share information and experiences with others who are interested in using botanical art in conjunction with educational programs both in the classroom and as part of outreach events.
In conjunction with science projects
In addition to leaf identification, the information of Colorful Leaves has been used to illustrate other science concepts as well. For example, why do leaves change colors? In the fall I am giving a hands-on workshop at the Kansas Research and Extension State Conference as part of Advanced Master Gardener Training that uses Colorful Leaves to focus not only on leaf identification but looking at the fall leaf colors as real-life examples of leaf color changes.
For educators needing a refresher course, information is readily available online regarding the science of leaf color change. Just go to Google and search Why do leaves change colors?
For a project about the science of leaf change, educators can arrange a field trip to gather leaf specimens in a range of different colors. Back in the classroom teachers can lead a short and simple discussion about the science of leaf color change using the gathered leaf specimens to demonstrate the various colors and stages of color change. This science information can then be combined with an art project using leaf drawings/colorings to illustrate color change.
When completed, it is important to organize and display drawings and illustrations of the finished material, especially when working with children. This can be done either as an art exhibit or, for example, as a teaching exhibit demonstrating identification of plants by their foliage rather than by their blossoms.
Displaying finished works
Colorings, drawings, and rubbings can be cut out and arranged on a background. They can be organized as a collection that is kept in a scrapbook, photo album, portfolio, or booklet. Temporary exhibits can be arranged on a bulletin board. Finished works can be displayed by matting and framing then hung as artwork, or mounted on a roll of paper creating a scroll that is attached to a dowel rod and hung vertically. They can be used to illustrate a book that records plants in your neighborhood, or to illustrate reports and other writings.
Short-term events
For short-term events involving primarily children and their parents, I often use leaf rubbing as an introduction to creating scientifically accurate leaf images as a means of learning leaf identification. One such event was held in conjunction with the opening of the Kansas State University Gardens Adaptive/Native Plant area. When the area walkway was under construction a decision was made to imprint leaves in the concrete as a means of teaching leaf identification to visitors. I had created a checklist/brochure for this Leaf Walkway and visitors were encouraged to use the brochure to find and identify leaves imprinted in the walkway. As part of introducing this new attraction to both children and adults, there was a hands-on leaf rubbing station that demonstrated the leaf rubbing technique as a means of learning leaf identification and as a way of recording leaves in your own neighborhood.
Another outreach event was held in conjunction with the local area garden show. The show opened Friday evening with several educational hands-on activities, including leaf rubbing for children and their parents, as a means of attracting visitors and learning about plants.
I also teach the teachers. The Huyck Nature Preserve and Scientific Research Station offers summer programs for local students. In 2012 I was an artist-in-residence there and gave a presentation to the counselors for using leaf rubbing as a means of teaching leaf identification.
See more about my educational outreach activities and leaf rubbing online.
AP:
What observations &/or experiences did you have that led you to create an instructional book centered on preliminary drawings?
GS:
As an educator and scientific illustrator I have observed that persons wanting to create botanical art either for personal use or as part of an educational program are often unsure of how to get started. Getting started requires an underlying image and the development of a scientifically accurate preliminary drawing is the place where many encounter “drawing phobia”, a condition preventing people from moving forward and rendering the specimen with various art materials. The line drawings of Colorful Leaves are intended to serve as tools for bypassing the creation of an initial drawing thus allowing attention to be directed to looking at specimens found in nature for color inspiration.
Colorful Leaves combines color inspiration from nature with a selection of reproducible and/or transferrable preliminary line drawings. There is also information on how to develop scientifically accurate line drawings from materials found in your own neighborhood, a practice section with step-by-step illustrations matching colors found in nature to colors available in art materials, and a listing of all the colors/materials that were used to create the examples.
Unlike illustrating complicated 3-D plants and blossoms, leaves can be laid flat, and leaf rubbing can be used to devise a scientifically accurate specimen image. In Colorful Leaves, leaf rubbing is presented as just one way to create additional images from material found in your own neighborhood. Copy machines and scanners, also suggested and described as ways for devising additional images, are covered on pages 7-9.
As a child leaf rubbing was my introduction to scientific illustration. Details of that experience are online.
AP:
How long did you work on this project? What kind of field work did you do?
GS:
In the fall when colorful leaves are falling, that woman you see going down the street picking up first one leaf then another–that’s me. I collect beautiful color specimens wherever I see them. They can be just lying on the ground or they can be growing on a tree in the Target parking lot. One day I was waiting at a stop sign when suddenly across the street I saw the most beautiful red shrub peeking over the stone wall of a cemetery. I had to have samples, and these ultimately became the inspiration for Euonymus alatus (Burning Bush) the colored pencil drawing featured on the back cover and example number 4 in Color Notes Illustrations.
There aren’t any two leaves alike, so I keep picking them up and taking them home for my own personal color collection. Once leaves are pressed and dried they no longer retain the colors so in the beginning they are scanned to record their colors and subsequently maintained in my own digital herbarium.
I don’t usually take art materials out to do drawing in the field. What I do take is pruning shears and a large plastic bag for collecting specimens. And before taking samples I make certain to have approval for collecting. My work takes place when the samples and I return to the scientific research station or to my own studio. While working as an artist-in-residence at the Huyck Nature Preserve I began organizing my material into what has become Colorful Leaves. You can read more about my adventures in the Huyck wilderness online.
AP:
You did a wonderful job laying out your book. The paper you used is thicker than what you normally find in coloring books. It has a very nice feel and seems very durable. I am sure publishing this book took a lot of planning. What kind of advice do you have for educators who want to create an activity book about the flora and fauna of their region?
GS:
Tania, I am happy to hear that you noticed the paper. I tried several samples before settling on Exact Vellum Bristol. Although I recommend running copies and/or transferring the images I know that some people will work directly on the pages of the book, and this was one of the deciding factors for the paper decision. Of all the samples, Exact Vellum Bristol worked best for colored pencils, graphite pencils, and crayons; however, for markers or watercolors I recommend transferring the images to suitable art paper.
Regarding advice to educators who want to create an activity book, a lot of research goes into such an undertaking not the least of which is determining the market for the publication. Notice I didn’t say audience for the publication because there may be many people who enthusiastically encourage you (called audience), but when the project is completed they do not come forward to purchase the material (called market). Printing is not only an expensive business but very time consuming as well. While the finished line drawings of Colorful Leaves may look simple, what you are not seeing is the stacks of preliminary work and the wastebaskets full of rejects.
I have worked with publishers not only as a writer and illustrator but also for a time as a printing consultant, so my best advice here is to determine if there is a need for your publication and if so who will buy it, who will pay for the printing, how will you market and promote the finished publication, and perhaps most importantly are you willing to commit the time required to actually complete all aspects of the project.
Colorful Leaves was made possible by a grant from the American Society of Botanical Artists. Without their funding the book as it appears today would not have been possible. It has taken a lot of time and effort and the verdict is still out regarding any overwhelming distribution, use, and number of sales. Colorful Leaves is available at Amazon.com but persons wishing to obtain multiple copies either for use in educational programs or for resale can contact me.
Dear Readers,
Gail has announced she is writing a sequel to Colorful Leaves called The Art and Science of Colorful Leaves that describes science projects that interface with the botanical art of Colorful Leaves. She hopes to have it completed in two to three weeks so it can be sent out with the book.
Gail, I have laughed out loud when I read your answer to the question about your field work. I also am “that woman you see going down the street picking up first one leaf then another”. I have a credit card-style Swiss Army knife in my purse and more often than not, the small flat scissors have been used to cut a leaf specimen (with permission) from the Del Taco parking lot or where ever I spy a brilliant, irresistible specimen.
A couple of years ago in the fall, my husband and I took a cruise from New York to Quebec and my most treasured souvenirs are the leaves that I collected in every port. Each evening I would carefully press them in paper towel between the pages of glossy cruise brochures.
When my four children were small (25 years ago), we would go on “Explores” in the woods to collect leaves. At home, the children would do rubbings, tracings or make placemats by sticking leaves between two sheets of clear contact paper. I still have the contact paper placemat my oldest daughter sent home her first year of college filled with beautiful leaves from the top of Lookout Mountain, Georgia. Just last Thanksgiving, my other daughter did the placecards for our family feast in beautiful calligraphy on maple leaves. I am forever surprised and delighted to open a book and find “forgotten” colorful leaves pressed between paper towel among the pages!
I just ordered your book from Amazon. It looks wonderful. Can’t wait! I have been taking classes in the Botanical Art and Illustration program at Denver Botanic Garden and one of my favorite mediums is colored pencil. I am hoping to learn more about your technique for doing rubbings from the book. And, I will probably be ordering more for my children to use with the grands. Thank you for your perseverance to print.
Carole,
Thank you for all the kind words. It is great to hear from others who share my interest in beautiful leaves. I am attaching a copy of the pdf for my article called “Drawing from Your Collection” and here is a link to the info re leaf rubbing for the GNSI Journal.
https://gnsi.org/journal/leaf-rubbing-educational-outreach
I am preparing for the ASBA grant report/presentation that takes place at the national conference in October. In my presentation I want to include photos and comments from persons who have use the Colorful Leaves material. After you have worked with Colorful Leaves if you have any material or information you would like to contribute, I would be glad to include it.
Thanks for writing and hope you enjoy the material/info.
This would be a good book to use in Botanical Drawing class at Saddleback College, Adult section where some of the students are having difficulty drawing leaves and need more direction under the teacher’s (Jean Marie Christian) to do leaves better.
Yes, in the beginning the most difficult part of botanical illustration is often in devising the underlying image, and the line drawings of Colorful Leaves serve as tools for moving past this initial challenge. Users are then encouraged to devise additional images from material found in their own neighborhood using leaf rubbing, copying machines, and scanners. After gaining skills and confidence through this introductory method there is a wealth of information available in existing publications and online for learning more about advanced drawing techniques and art materials.