GINGKO LEAF

DIFFICULTY:

It’s said that the gingko is a sacred tree of the East, a symbol of unity of opposites, a symbol of hope and love. The leaf’s distinctive, aesthetically pleasing fan shape translates nicely into string art. Also, the leaf lines are perfect for string! In this project, instead of our usual fill technique, we will give our art more of a realistic appearance. You, as the artist, can of course fill the leaf however you like. Plan ahead for this one, as the layers of paint on your board will take some time to dry. This project has step photos that will help guide you in the design of the leaf fill.

Materials

Pine board: 1" × 10" (2.5cm × 25.5cm), cut to 12" (30.5cm) long and painted gold (acrylic craft paint; see step 1)

5⁄8" (1.6cm) silver nails

Size 10 crochet thread in black

Photocopy of pattern (page 78)

Picture-hanging hardware

2 felt furniture pads

Tools: Hammer, needle-nose pliers

Basic supplies: Superglue, scissors, transparent tape

Techniques Used

Preparing a board (page 8)

Applying a nail pattern (page 9)

Stringing basics (pages 10–11)

Double-wrap technique (page 13)

Finished Size (h × w)

12" × 9.5" (30.5cm × 24cm)

  1. Paint your board solid gold with the craft paint. I applied five coats, alternating directions with each coat. This gives the paint a unique texture, almost like woven cloth, when the brush strokes are overlapping perpendicular to each other.
  2. Trim around the pattern, position it on the board, and secure it with tape. Add nails through the pattern. If any areas feel a little tight, use your needle-nose pliers to hold the nail for you. One great thing about patterns from nature is that they are imperfect, leaving some flexibility in the design for errors. Remove the pattern and debris.
  3. This project is best done with a spool of crochet thread because you want to be able to continue the design uninterrupted. Tie onto the design at the base of the leaf stem (see photo 3), trimming and sealing your knot with superglue.

  4. String the nails up the stem, then stretch up to the nail at the base of the small “V” in the center of the leaf’s top edge (see photo 4).

  5. Pull your string to the next nail on the right, then stretch your string back down to the nail you started from, at the top of the leaf stem (at the fan base). Continue this back-and-forth pattern to fill the leaf (see photos 5.1–5.2). As the nails at the base of the leaf get crowded, slowly move to the nails to the right. The idea here is to fan out, giving us the distinctive gingko-leaf look.

  6. Once you’ve completed the right side of your leaf, return to the nail at the top of the leaf stem, at the fan base (see photo 6).

  7. Repeat the process from step 5, moving left instead of right to form the left side of your leaf (see photos 7.1–7.2). Remember, if the nails at the base of the fan get crowded with string, slowly move to the nails to the left.

  8. Now that the leaf has been filled, you can outline your leaf with the string, using the double-wrap technique (see photo 8). Remember to secure your knots with superglue.

  9. Attach the picture-hanging hardware and felt pads to the back side. Sign and date your work.

GINGKO LEAF PATTERN

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