🍁 Layered Leaves | Easy Negative Painting🎨 (Patreon)

Today I'm exploring negative painting using something I can always find right outside my door—leaves from my garden! 🍂🌿

For this painting experiment, I gathered a few beautiful leaves and traced their shapes onto my paper, arranging them so they appeared layered and overlapping. I then numbered the leaves to help me keep track of which shapes to cover with each successive wash.

I used a rich autumn-inspired palette of beautiful oranges, deep crimson, and olive greens, gradually building the painting by painting the negative space around the leaves rather than painting the leaves themselves.

Negative painting is such a fun technique because it encourages you to look at your subject in a completely different way. Instead of asking, "How do I paint this leaf?" you're asking, "What do I need to paint around it?" And that's where the magic happens!

You don't need perfect leaves, perfect drawing skills, or even a plan. Grab a few leaves from your garden or neighborhood, some watercolor paint, and give it a try. It's a wonderful way to experiment with shapes, layers, values, and color while letting the painting develop one wash at a time.

🍁 Come paint along and experiment with me!

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