In this prompt I explore painting with negative space, meaning the focus goes on everything but your subject.

Here I've used a plant as my subject since I have a bunch of them around the studio (and also because I miss going outside!), but you could draw a person, an animal, fruit, a vase…

Required Material:

• Watercolor paper or heavy sketch paper

• Watercolor paint and/or acrylic or gouache

• Pencil

• Fine tipped black marker

• Magazine or other scrap paper clipping

• Scissors

• Glue

Step 1: Sketch out the silhouette of your subject, no need to go into detail, we just need the outline

Step 2: Blot watercolor paint (or watered down acrylic/gouache) roughly filling in the entire silhouette. Finish off by adding some random splatterings of primary colors. Set aside to dry.

Step 3: Once your paper in completely dry, retrace the outline of your silhouette with a finely tipped black marker.

Step 4: Fill out the background with an opaque layer of black paint.

Step 5: Trace out the desired shape for the bottom portion of your artwork onto a magazine clipping, wrapping paper, newspaper or other scrap of paper with an interesting pattern or color. Cut out the shape and glue it to the artwork.