FAQs Virtual Demo

Once all the photgraphing and sketching is completed, the actual process of working with the leather can begin. This demo outlines the basic steps involved in the creation of a single autumn leaf. To read more about the process in detail, please consult the article I wrote on the WETCANVAS web site.
leather sculpture leaf in progress
First, the leather is cut to shape. Next, the leather is made thinner (called skiving) using very sharp blades.
Then the back of the leather is smoothed (called slicking). Next the leather is dampened, and the veins of the leaf are added by hand.
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Once all the veins are added, the leaf is shaped and allowed to dry. Once dry, gesso is applied in several very thin coats.
finished leather sculpture leaf Finally, color is added by applying professional artists acrylics in thin layers, and the leaf is sealed with an acrylic varnish to bring out the colors and seal the surface.
 
As many of my sculptures are comprised of hundreds of individually sculpted and painted pieces, a single sculpture may take several months and hundreds of hours to complete.
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