Paint leaves in a basket is the second part of a series of beginner-friendly painting tutorials in acrylics. By the time you paint along with each segment, you will have a completed painting.

Let’s paint leaves in a basket. This acrylic painting tutorial will help you paint some leaves and some foliage in and around the basket. We are getting it ready to add some simple flowers. Painting the foliage first helps to set the back in the design.

The last we left off we had completed painting our basket in acrylics. If you missed that tutorial you can go there now.

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Paint Supplies to Paint Leaves in Basket

Paint Stems in the Basket

Though this is called Paint Leaves in a Basket it is actually more. We will start with some flower stems. This is simple to do.

Double load the #12 flat brush with Basil and Thicket.

Using the chisel edge of the brush, pull the stem from the basket to however tall you want it to be. I have them at an angle. We will be placing more in the basket a little bit later.

You can add more stems now or add a couple of leaves.

Paint Leaves by the Basket

When painting I tend to hop around and I decided to paint a couple of leaves at the base of the basket before painting more stems.

The colors used for the stems are Basil Green and Thicket. I do touch into the Fresh Foliage on the Basil side for a hint of color variation. You can see me adding that touch of color here and there in the video.

I painted the simple scallop leaf but in the video, I share another way to make the leaves that you may find easier. I do know that some find creating the scalloped leaf a bit challenging at first.

Paint Side Shoots for Flowers

Add more stems and a few side shoots. The side shoots are just short chisel edge strokes with a double load of the greens and the #12 flat brush. If you are not comfortable using the flat brush for this you can use a liner brush.

Note the stems don’t come all the way into the basket.

Add more leaves as you please. Adding smaller slider leaves along with larger leaves. Where you place your leaves is entirely up to you. This is your painting, just have fun with it.

You can add just a few, and then add more later if you wish. Sometimes it is easier to add than to take away while painting.

Paint Foliage in Basket

I am using the #12 flat brush but if you prefer you can use the scruffy brush. Double load with two colors or you can work in one color at a time, slip slap some loose strokes onto the basket.

You may partially cover some leaves but that is fine, it sets them to the back.

You can always paint more leaves on top of the foliage.

To deepen the green at the base of the foliage add just a touch of black to the Thicket Green and paint in.

Sorry for the glare. You can see how to deepen the color in the video too. The video is only 10 minutes long but you can see exactly how you can paint each step.

Next Paint Blue Flowers in the Basket

Please enjoy and share!