My water color painting uses various shades of water colors to portray a collection of leaves. While painting this piece, I learned how to paint in layers by starting with the lighter colors first and building from there. Also, I learned that in order to emphasis the white in the painting, I can use the white of the paper. Background color is made by either using brush water, or a mix of blue and black to make a gray. I used various art elements including color, value and texture. My goal was to focus and create the most accurate painting possible based on my photo. The texture was difficult because I had to be very patient in layering each color by lightest to darkest. This painting shows a great amount of still life. It expresses something once living and in the process of drying out and dying.