Negative Painting

One of my favorite YouTubers introduced me to the concept of “negative painting.” The idea is to paint something OUT of your chosen page (whether from a book, magazine, etc.) and then put IN whatever you need to create your own little world. YouTubers make it all look so easy, right?

Since this was my very first attempt, I thought I’d go low stress and use a magazine page. If I didn’t like the end result, I could just throw it away and no one would have to know, right?

This page started as an ad – the only original items left are the “window” and the trees in the middle. My idea was to redo the rest of the page so the viewer actually felt “underground,” looking out. For me, the best way to create an underground feel was….insects and spider webs. Sort of an Indiana Jones/Lord of the Rings feel.

I started with a deep breath. I love experimenting but it’s also a little stressful. I have to remind myself it’s an experiment, it doesn’t matter how it looks in the end, it’s all about the journey, learning about the materials, etc., etc., etc.

I finished up my internal pep talk with an internal high five. Then took black paint and painted over everything starting from the edges and working my way in, leaving only 3-4 layers of stones around the “window”.

Using grey and white paint and a small paint brush, I added several layers of concrete around the original window.  Always searching for ways to add depth and dimension. More medium grey to paint over the small stones, even adding a few. After watching the paint dry (just kidding, I have a heat tool), I used a lighter grey to create some highlights on the stones closest to the light source. (Reminds self not to make the “stones” too symmetrical.)

Spider webs not being part of the very short list of things I know how to draw, I had to consult The Internet. I really wonder who their algorithms think I am. I drew a few practice spider webs on some scratch paper, then just went for it with more (lighter) grey paint and a paintbrush.

(I’m the boss of my art….I’m the boss of my art.)

Finally, I flipped through a book on insects that I keep as source material for collage.

I wanted large insects to make the viewer feel like they were close to the wall (and maybe imply the insects were extra big and creepy). Then at least one smaller insect to give the big guys perspective. Plus, to balance the image, I wanted the insects to not be facing the same way.

The end result was…interesting. Not bad for a first try. It was quick enough that I finished in an hour or so. It more or less reflected my original “plan” and I felt like I learned enough to make improvements on my next attempt.