![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEPUxhebEGA7Y8LVtpGA9IasYiDLwPfwxsLO7NsfZ0JHeCf24F2H8Cd3wZ0BOcKJBOOum7DqEE9O6j9lVbxqfMh1in6uzS6uRZcmdKMz3GghtS3sUEDYgiF8u8wnmX8ca6O4cQdvdcd6M/s400/peeling3.jpg)
While skimming through my latest
Craft Magazine email update, my interest was piqued by the entry "How-To: Simple Botanical Prints." I love botanical prints & illustrations. Flowers are one of my favorite subjects to draw, and I've a tendency to want to capture their EVERY detail.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1x57xx4eH8VV_ALV80ef8M2xUDMHmus1P1G8q40L1XUGJIcn9bzfUa5AYuO0dvGpSGmVF8v2NO5kKgTA7etFx3pE9fmzXkKPrnp3fnAEb8D1cE_sMPrwWp6J7TFUxIdKs-Vgh9h2NOs/s400/variety2.jpg)
A lot of times when I see a flower or leaf that has interesting contours, I'll think about what a cool illustration it would make, but then I decide not to do it because I know I will get obsessive about the detail, making it a time-consuming & somewhat frustrating drawing exercise. Isn't that silly of me? It's ridiculous, I know, but it's true.
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So imagine my delight when I saw
this tutorial for hammered flower & leaf prints, written by Wendy of
Build/Make/Craft/Bake. Seems like a great way to capture all the gorgeous details of a flower or interesting leaf, with their original colors, even! You hammer the plant to release its natural dyes, resulting in a beautiful, life-like image. Great for those artists with obsessive-compulsive tendencies, like me. I can't wait to try this awesome idea.
P.s. All the pics here are Wendy's.