A Study of Leaves
1800
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1800
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This print shows a close-up of plants and leaves in earthy brown tones. The leaves are detailed, with some large and others small, arranged in a natural cluster. The background looks like soil and grass, with tiny plants scattered around. The artist used a mix of fine lines and shading to show texture. This was done with a technique called aquatint, which lets you create smooth tones. Check out etching, drypoint, aquatint to see how artists make prints like this.
