Negative Painting ~ HandDrawn/HandPainted, Mixed Media ~ Due June 30

Foxglove

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Swap Due Date: June 30
Sign-up/Withdraw Date: June 15
Number of Cards: 3:3
Number of Participants: 12
Media: HD/HP, Collage with, Mixed Media. No Digital or chunky embellishments please.

This swap is about Negative Painting, which, at it's basic, is defined as painting the space around the object, rather the object itself. Part of the beauty of Negative Painting is that it's a forgiving style of painting for both the novice and the experienced artist. I will add photos so you can see an example of what I am talking about, or feel free to google the term.

Here's how you do it:
~Paint a random background (mixed media/collage artists can also include paper as part of the background.)
~Sketch or stamp your focal image. Don't worry if you feel like you can't draw - draw a wonky star, lopsided heart or stem with leaves....whatever you like!
~Paint the space around the focal image so that it stands out. This may take several colors or layers to make it look interesting, but that's it!

There are a ton of videos out there, but typically the watercolorists use 2-3 lighter colors in their backgrounds, and will build up to darker colors outside the focal image. Mixed media folks - go wild! Use papers and vibrant colors, background stamps, stencils, scribbles, splatters and splotches as part of your base layer.

CARD GUIDELINES
~Cards must be 2.5x3.5 inches and be sturdy (not limp or floppy.)
~May be portrait or landscape in orientation
~Completed cards must be in a protective sleeve
~Because the focus of these cards is the negative painting, embellishments aren't necessary, but if used, they must compliment the card, not compete with it. Quotes or relatively flat gemstones are okay, but I don't recommend adding rickrack, diecuts, foam shapes, etc... Ask if you're unsure of anything!
~No white-spaces unless it's part of the focal image (ie, daisies, snow on a snow-capped mountain) and use more than just two colors. It won't be very interesting to look at if you just use one color for the base and one color for the 'outside' part of the painting.
~If able, please post photos in the thread so we can all admire it!
~Because this is a limited swap, returns will be random, however I will make every attempt to swap effort for effort. This means a watercolorist may receive a mixed media card in return. If you have concerns, please feel free to PM me!

MAILING GUIDELINES
~This is a limited swap because I am a first-time host. If you think you won't have time to make the cards or the deadline, please let me know so that I can open up your slot to someone else.

~I will be an on-time hostess, so plan accordingly when mailing your cards, especially for those outside the US.
~Please write your AFA name on the back of your envelope so it's easy for me to see who I received cards from.
~Please include a forever stamp (if within the US) or a US dollar (if outside the US) and a mailing address label with your name clearly printed. I will provide the return envelopes. For those outside the US, I will cover the return postage for the first two non-US players.
~Hostie gifts are not required, but will be cherished.

I will give out iTraders when I receive your cards. When the Player receives their return, please give an iTrader to the host (me) and You Rocks to the artists of the cards they received.

Mixed Media Negative Painting Example (by me): View attachment 194868
Watercolor Negative Painting Example (by me): View attachment 194914
Mixed Media art journal (acrylics, spray inks, archival inks, stencils) View attachment 194916

Now, who wants to play?

1. CreativeK Rec'd
2. Prex79 Rec'd
3. AmySi Rec'd
4. Karenr (Returns cov'd) Rec'd
5. Marie - Rec'd
6. Pouringdiva - Rec'd
7. Xela7072 - Rec'd
8. Ann_stebbing - Rec'd
9. NYJunkie - Rec'd
10. Bastcrystal - Rec'd
11. TherapeuticArt Rec'd
12. Bluesky - Rec'd
 
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Awesome, thank you for joining! :jiggy: As you're the first of the non-US players, I will pay for your returns. :D
 
Thank you! And I hope so - I hadn't seen a technique swap quite like this, so I hoped it would be interesting and appealing to most everyone.
 
So happy to have you! Edited to add that your are my second International, so I will pay for your returns!
 
Lurkers welcome, but you don't need mad artsy skills for this! :) Trust me, I don't have any skill either, but somehow it still comes out looking nice!

Edited to add an example of a watercolor I just did. (Not the best example...I was a little too heavy with the water...)
I laid down a light layer of blue and brown. Once dry, I sketched the top three leaves and trunk, then painted the card around the sketch in a darker layer of blues and browns. Then I sketched more leaves, waited for it dry, and then laid down another layer of blues and browns outside the leaves and trunk.
View attachment 194915

And finally, this is an art journal spread. I layered acrylics, went over the top with spray inks through stencils and background stamping with household items and archival inks. I then outlined a silhouette and a butterfly stencils and went around it with the black acrylics. The other page with the flowers and butterfly was just me doodling. Hopefully this will give a better idea of the variety of ways a person can use the negative painting technique.
View attachment 194917
 
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Haha, have to share this. I did a watercolor negative painting...it was *supposed* to be a piece of coral in the ocean. My oh-so-funny significant other took a look and thought it looked like some kind of abstract, a twisted vase, crater on the ocean floor erupting... When I told him what it was, he studied it a moment, then proclaimed: "Well. I got the ocean part right."
:twitcy::twitcy::twitcy::twitcy::twitcy::twitcy:
Everyone is a critic. :huh:
 
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