Video Lesson: Negative Painting & Vibrant Autumn Leaves in Watercolor
A key to understanding your intrinsic personal style is found in noticing the aspects of painting that feel the most enjoyable to you; the moments when time slips away and you get lost in the process. Ever since I was a beginner to watercolor painting, I've loved the act of pulling beautiful shapes out of a wet-in-wet wash of color. There is something so peaceful about studying the shapes on the paper and defining them to suggest leaves, flowers, the contours of the natural world.
In order to do this well, you need to understand the concept of NEGATIVE PAINTING, defining the shape AROUND a shape to make the lighter shape stand out. For many, the term “negative painting” brings up an immediate mental block; I can’t think that way! And certainly, it's easy to get lost in negative painting, or to be intimidated by this technique, but you don't have to avoid negative painting! Break the learning process down into small chunks and it becomes much more doable.
The first step is simply to find ONE shape and define part of it. And negative painting never lives alone; it's a technique that works well with the traditional positive painting process, they really go hand in hand.
In this demonstration, I'm going to walk you through the FULL process of painting a wet in wet background in watercolor, using my favorite paints from Daniel Smith Watercolor, and then we'll move to defining the shapes and creating vibrant autumn leaves. I'll share secrets for keeping your colors vibrant, avoiding overworking and review a new paper I'm trying from Hahnemühle.
Notice as well that this is NOT the first time I've painted this subject! When I compare the first and second versions of this scene, the second version feels fresher and stronger to me. This is not surprising - giving myself a second opportunity to paint this subject allows me the chance to correct any weak areas in the first painting and have a more strongly defined goal for the painting.
This painting was originally created for members of my Heart-Led Artist Community. Members of the community have access to 29 online watercolor courses, 3 live lessons every month and an artist community that is the most supportive place for watercolor on the internet. You're welcome there! Find out more and join here: https://learn.angelafehr.com
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Paper: Hahnemühle The Collection 140lb cold press block https://bit.ly/3rOJN24
Brush: Lebenzon Paintbrushes Large Goat/Synthetic Blend https://bit.ly/38UanRc (use discount code ANGELA to get this month's special offer)
Paint: Daniel Smith: Nickel Azo Yellow, Quinacridone Sienna, Perylene Violet, Cobalt Teal Blue
Shop online at Blick Art Materials: http://bit.ly/2Z9jEQG
Old Holland Marine Blue
My palette (I know you love it!) is from https://Robax.com
I’ve love to hear how you make intuitive negative painting work for you! Leave a comment below, or let me know your biggest struggle with this technique.