Bamboo leaves in blue-greenViridian, cobalt blue, indigo. Two layers: paint around clusters of five pointed leaves.
Bed of clover leaves, the front ones palestLemon yellow, sap green, Hooker's green. Three layers: three round leaflets to a stem, more in each wash.
Curtain of long willow leavesLemon yellow, olive green, indigo. Three layers: thin leaves in front, more of them in each darker layer.
Drift of fall leaves from yellow down to brownCadmium yellow, orange, burnt sienna, burnt umber. Four layers: add leaf shapes in each, the last near brown.
Eucalyptus stems with round leavesCobalt blue, viridian, Payne's gray. Two layers: a blue-green wash, then gray around each coin of a leaf.
Fern fronds, the front frond palestLemon yellow, sap green, indigo. Three layers: paint around the front frond, dry, then around two behind it.
Ginkgo leaves fanning over a gold washLemon yellow, raw sienna, burnt umber. Three layers: go one tone darker around each new row of fans.
Heart-shaped leaves stacked like shinglesLemon yellow, sap green, viridian, indigo. Four layers: each darker wash leaves one more row showing.
Holly leaves with berries dropped in lastSap green, indigo, cadmium red. Two layers: dark around the spiky leaves, then the red berry dots.
Ivy runner crossing the sheet from corner to cornerSap green, indigo. Two layers: one pale green wash, then indigo around every leaf and the stem.
Leaf wreath with the center left paleLemon yellow, sap green, indigo. Two layers: darken outside the ring and between the leaves, never inside.
Maple leaves in fall reds, the deepest red behindCadmium yellow, orange, alizarin crimson. Three layers: a yellow wash, orange around leaves, crimson in gaps.
One pale leaf against a dark groundSap green, indigo. Two layers: wash the whole sheet green, dry, then paint indigo around a single leaf.
Overlapping oak leaves, two acorns saved paleRaw sienna, burnt sienna, burnt umber. Three layers: keep the acorns in the first wash and darken around them.
Split tropical leaf, its holes and notches left paleLemon yellow, viridian, indigo. Two layers: paint the leaf around its holes, then the dark around the leaf.
Trees and grasses 15
Bamboo canes in three greensLemon yellow, sap green, viridian. Three layers: leave a thin gap at each joint of the front canes.
Bare oak with the sky painted between its branchesRaw sienna, cerulean, ultramarine. Two layers: a sienna wash for the tree, then blue in every gap.
Bare winter branches saved from a gray skyPayne's gray, burnt sienna. Two layers: a pale warm wash, then gray sky painted between the branches.
Cattails at a pond edgeRaw sienna, sap green, indigo. Three layers: save the brown heads first, then the blades behind.
Edge of a wheat field, ears in front of crossing stalksCadmium yellow, raw sienna, burnt umber. Three layers: ears in the first wash, stalks found in the next two.
Meadow grass blades, three depths of greenLemon yellow, sap green, Hooker's green. Three layers: paint the small wedges between crossing blades.
Pale saplings in front of a dark hedgeLemon yellow, sap green, indigo. Two layers: the saplings are the first wash; the hedge goes in around them.
Palm fronds against a dusk washCadmium yellow, rose, violet. Two layers: blend yellow into rose, dry, then violet around each frond.
Pine forest, the front trees palest and the gaps darkestLemon yellow, sap green, indigo. Three layers: outline a new row of pines with each darker wash.
Row of poplars saved from a storm skyLemon yellow, sap green, Payne's gray. Two layers: tall pale flames of green, then gray sky around them.
Snow-covered pines saved from a night skyUltramarine, violet, indigo. Two layers: the trees stay bare paper; shade their undersides pale blue.
Tall grasses and seed heads against a sunset washCadmium yellow, orange, violet. Three layers: grasses show orange, then more behind them in violet.
Tangle of winter twigs, four layers deepRaw sienna, burnt sienna, burnt umber, indigo. Four layers: finer twigs appear as each wash darkens.
Tree trunks in a wood, four depths backLemon yellow, sap green, viridian, indigo. Four layers: thinner trunks in each darker wash.
White birch trunks against a blue washCobalt blue, Payne's gray. Two layers: paint the blue between bare-paper trunks, then gray bark marks.
Flowers 15
Blossom branch saved from a blue washRose, cerulean, burnt umber. Two layers: pale pink first, then blue sky around each flower and bud.
Dandelion clock saved from a meadow-green washSap green, Hooker's green. Two layers: mask the fine seed lines, wash green, then rub the mask off.
Hydrangea head, its petals found by darkening the gapsCobalt blue, violet, indigo. Three layers: small petal shapes, with fewer left pale each time.
Lacy white flower heads against a dusk-blue washCobalt blue, indigo. Two layers: mask the tiny florets, wash blue over them, then rub the mask off.
Lavender stems against a soft washViolet, ultramarine, sap green. Two layers: a pale violet wash, then deeper blue around each spike.
Magnolia blooms on a branch against gray-violetRose, violet, Payne's gray. Three layers: a pink blush, the blooms saved, then the branch behind.
Poppies on a pink wash, darker red behindRose, cadmium red, alizarin crimson. Three layers: front poppies stay pink, the back ones go red.
Rose carved from its center by darker glazesRose, alizarin crimson, violet. Four layers: paint the shadow between petals, spiraling outward.
Snowdrops against dark earthSap green, burnt umber, indigo. Two layers: bare-paper bells, with the dark painted around them.
Sunflower petals saved from a blue groundCadmium yellow, burnt sienna, ultramarine. Two layers: a yellow wash, then blue painted around the petals.
Tangle of cosmos, three flowers deepRose, magenta, violet. Three layers: simple daisy shapes, each layer one tone deeper.
Water lily left as bare paper between green padsLemon yellow, viridian, indigo. Three layers: the lily is paper, the pads green, the water indigo.
White lilies with dark leaves behindLemon yellow, sap green, indigo. Three layers: the lilies are paper, the leaves green, the gaps indigo.
White tulips saved from a violet washViolet, sap green, ultramarine. Two layers: paint violet around bare-paper cups, then the green stems.
Wildflower meadow, three rows deepLemon yellow, sap green, indigo. Three layers: flower heads and stems in front, darker gaps behind.
Shapes and letters 15
A short word in block letters with the background darkenedCadmium yellow, orange, crimson. Two layers: letters stay yellow; blend orange into crimson around them.
Beach pebbles with darker gaps between themRaw sienna, burnt sienna, Payne's gray. Three layers: round stones on top, smaller ones in each gap.
Bubbles rising through a blue washCerulean, cobalt blue, ultramarine. Three layers: circles in front, smaller ones behind them.
Butterflies saved from a green washLemon yellow, rose, sap green. Two layers: a mottled pale wash, then green around each pair of wings.
Hearts stacked three deepRose, magenta, alizarin crimson. Three layers: add hearts behind hearts as the wash deepens.
Honeycomb cells, a few left pale as honeyCadmium yellow, raw sienna, burnt sienna. Three layers: darken a few cells each time and leave the rest.
One initial left pale in a blended washRose, violet, ultramarine. Two layers: blend a pale wash, dry, then paint deeper color around the letter.
Overlapping circles, darker around each new setCerulean, cobalt blue, ultramarine, indigo. Four layers: trace a lid for new circles each time.
Paper-cut hills, the front ridge palestLemon yellow, sap green, viridian, indigo. Four layers: one ridge line higher with each darker wash.
Shoal of fish, the palest in frontCerulean, viridian, indigo. Three layers: every fish points the same way; add more behind in each wash.
Snowflakes masked out of a blue washCobalt blue, ultramarine. Two layers: draw each flake in masking fluid, wash blue, then rub the mask away.
Stars saved from a night-sky washLemon yellow, ultramarine, indigo. Two layers: a pale yellow wash, then the night painted around each star.
Village of pale roofs, three rows up a hillRaw sienna, burnt sienna, burnt umber. Three layers: the front row of houses is the first wash.
Washing on a line, pale against a dusk washCadmium yellow, rose, violet. Two layers: violet around each shirt and sock over a dry blend; the line last.
White moon and cloud edges saved from indigoIndigo, Payne's gray. Two layers: paint the dark around a traced circle, then soften the cloud edges.
How it works
Negative painting means painting the space around a shape and leaving the shape itself alone. In watercolor each pass is a transparent wash over dry paint, so the picture gets darker and deeper one layer at a time.
Read the full guide
Two, three or four layers
Every idea says how many layers it is planned in. Two is one pale wash, then a darker color around the shapes: Ivy runner crossing the sheet from corner to corner. Three or four repeat the step, each darker wash going around new shapes behind the first, as in Heart-shaped leaves stacked like shingles.
Shapes too fine to paint around
Masking fluid covers a shape while the wash goes over it, and the paper shows again when the mask comes off. Snowflakes masked out of a blue wash and Dandelion clock saved from a meadow-green wash both use it.
Let each layer dry before the next: paint on dry paper keeps a sharp edge, and a wash over damp paint spreads.
Questions and answers
What should I paint first for negative painting?
A two-layer subject with a plain outline: One pale leaf against a dark ground, or Stars saved from a night-sky wash. 28 of the 60 ideas take two layers; choose Two layers under More filters.
Which colors work best for negative painting?
Three that run from light to dark in one family. Lemon yellow, sap green and indigo is the palette of six ideas here, Fern fronds, the front frond palest among them. Indigo is in 26 palettes, nearly always as the darkest layer.
Can you do negative painting with acrylic?
Yes, with thinned paint. Acrylic can be thinned with water and used as washes like watercolor, and a dry acrylic wash does not lift when the next one goes over it. The same subjects work on paper or canvas.