Negative Space Leaves

Artist Statement

This project was a follow up from our previous negative space drawing, however for this project we were allowed to see the positive as well as the negative space we were drawing. We began the process by gathering six leaves of our choosing. Next, we arranged them on the paper in whatever shape or form we wanted, keeping in mind a fall theme. Then, by either tracing or copying, I sketched the leaves on to my paper, leaving a 1 1/4" border. At first I was stumped on what to create out of the negative space. I decided I did not want to do another pattern as that is what I had already done last time. Not till a couple of days later did I think of something. So, with the thinnest micron pen I owned (01), I drew houses and roads in the "indents" the leaves made. Where there was oddly shaped negative space I created smoke, which reminds me of fall as people are starting to heat again. After I had finished outlining everything with the micron, I went back to add detail and drawing. I really enjoy using the technique of criss-crossing lines to create shadow, and have used it numerously in other personal projects. Next, I went back with watercolors, ensuring to use the least amount of water possible as it wasn't watercolor paper. I decided to use soft earthy colors, including lots of red, brown, and orange, creating a fall theme. My project definitely evolved quite a bit, especially because I didn't know what I wanted to do at first. Originally, I was going to do one or two houses in the negative space, which would have filled the whole page. However, this drawing came out much better than my original idea, and better than I would have thought or hoped, and I am very pleased with it.

My art shows several elements of art including line, shape, color, value, and space. My buildings and roads are composed of many lines. The leaves add interesting shapes and also space to balance the art. By shading (sketching) shadows on the buildings and other areas I added value, and of course color. By using these elements I incorporated balance, contrast, and unity. By using all earthy colors, the buildings come together nicely. There is also balance and contrast between the watercolor portion of the drawing and the negative space left by the leaves.

In my art, there is some sort of a city-country picture going on. There are rows of houses, almost all of which have smoke coming out of their chimneys. This was partially to show the "people" in the art are alive, and it is not simply a deserted town. While I was creating this art I didn't really have a story in mind. I used techniques and colors I personally love, as well as my liking of architecture while drawing the houses. I definitely think the style of the houses has some European influence on it from my personal experiences in Germany. I am very proud of the entire drawing, yet specifically how well the shading and value of the houses came out. At the very beginning I struggled to find an idea in the first place. Once I had thought of the idea, I had a very specific vision in mind, and the drawing process went smoothly. I did struggle a little with the watercolors as I had to focus on not using too much water, but I also didn't want the color to be too saturated. I overcame this difficulty by painting on a seperate paper first, and then going back with less color and water on my brush.