Quick Tip 267 - Negative Space

[@joanistotler8804]

That certainly expanded my understanding of positive and negative shapes. Thank you, Dianne!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Glad it was helpful!

[@josephtermeer4595]

Thank you Diane, I look at many artists to obtain as much knowledge to develop my techniques. I love this history lesson and the lesson on neg/pos space. You are a pillar in this painting community!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Thank you, Joseph.

[@Suzibee65]

Another great tip!! You are awesome Dianne. So wonderful of you to share these things about painting.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Thank you so much! It's my pleasure to share these.

[@pe.g3436]

Lovely lesson again! Thanks a lot. And funny that you showed a piece of Qiang Huang, whose works i discovered just recently. I love his way of painting!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

You're very welcome! To my eye and feeling, Qiang is among the masters of our contemporary painters.

[@gaelhillyardcreative]

Not only a great teacher, but fabulous taste too!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Wow, thank you!

[@roseofloveandlight]

Thank you Dianne for this very helpful quick tip.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

You are so welcome!

[@KayJohnsonArt]

Thank you Dianne. Another very helpful video. You are such a generous teacher nd explain things so well.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Glad it was helpful, and thanks.

[@sophiefly4258]

Thank you so much Dianne. You’re an amazing teacher ❤️

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Thank you. And for all your emojis in other tips. 😃

[@froggyman9588]

Can you make a video about painting fire?

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

I'll put this on our filming schedule. Look for it sometime in July.

[@Disirablepossessions]

Can you explain how to flatten the image please.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

You do that by omitting gradation--just paint the surface of the shape flat.

[@Woodeneyejust]

Is there a preferred ratio?

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Not really so long is it is not 50/50.

[@Woodeneyejust]

Thanks@@IntheStudioArtInstruction

[@jjroseknows777]

Dianne, I've been working on a project: I'm painting 5 one-foot-tall, fully decorated, Christmas trees on a 16x20 canvas board. It did not start out this way; this is what it grew to be. I'm sorta' hoping it stops soon. LOL As far as details, I'm re-thinking, and redefining, and refining the positive space. Since I've found myself cycling through them for about the 4th or 5th time, each former wave felt like, "There! That one's done." But with each cycle when I'd look back, I'd see improvements for the visual although today I did find myself doing what I'd been warned against: painting with a brush that only had three hairs. I have to declare finished, because when they are deemed Ready, they must dry and then I'll be adding the finishing touch... many strands of tinsel done by the thinnest lines of the glue and the superfine silver glitter. I have painted the original which evolved to that level over a couple years time. {Editor's note: I said a couple years time but quickly realized, like pounding on prey, that it was just since this last Christmas season when I painted a picture of my own little tree. What I'm getting at here is it seems like 2 years and it's only been 4 months, what with the lockdown and all. Oh my} I've learned many lessons as I came to see that a good teacher teaches you, at least, how to do it right the first time. SO HERE'S MY QUESTION: I have JUST NOW noticed that these oil paintings seem to have resorted to a dull finish....no oil gleams in my eye. I'm asking you why. I think of 4 distinct possibilities. 1. Too much Liquin 2. Pretty much student grade paint. 3. Sitting too close for too long/over-thinking 4. Wasn't there one more possibility?! Thank you. I should probably edit out all the extraneous stuff...but no....I'm leaving it in.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

I gather you are working with oil paint, so we'll begin there: There are several reasons why paintings done in oils turn dull when drying. (1) It's the nature of some pigments, especially opaques, for the oil to sink in, causing the pigment itself to lose its surface shine. Whites will do this. In that case, the piece should be oiled out before working on it again. (2) Overworking can also cause the surface to turn dull. (3) Too much solvent in the paint can cause dullness. Painting conservators tell us to keep solvent out of our paints because they cause the paint to lose its integrity. So that's one thing. But to bring a dried painting back to a surface gloss when it is finished, varnish it. You can go to Gamblin's website to find a video on how to correctly varnish a painting.

[@jjroseknows777]

@@IntheStudioArtInstruction Thank you so much for your detailed response. Would you specifically recommend buying the $35 Titanium white rather than the $15? (I agonized over that choice before I noticed this problem?) Tell me, Dianne, is Liquin considered a solvent? Will IT cause dullness? Thank you for recommending varnishing....I'll be looking into that. I appreciate your answering and your answer.

[@rosarebada4777]

Hello, I was so taken with the title image for this tip, but didn't know where to look for a credit. Was it a Kandinsky? But further, did you do the intricate job of inter-working the title, Negative Space, with the background? It was a splendid overlay and inter-lacing! Good to see you carrying on strong during these times. Thank you. Bless you. PS I would be remiss not to let you know that your version of Cameron's artist block steps has been my crutch, cane, and walker these past few weeks sheltered-in-place and I'm making tracks! ; ) Take good care.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

The term "negative space" is used universally, just as is the terms value, balance, unity, etc. We cannot trace who used it first (probably a critic or theorist), but as nomenclature the term now replaces the older term, "figure/ground" and as far as we know, that happened during as a result of the abstract movement. By the way- Roger, my producer from SauteeLive, gives these their title.

[@mariegamber]

Thank you for a great video on negative space.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

You are so welcome, Marie!

[@giovannisiano574]

Beautiful and competent explanation for a somehow controversial topic. Many realist painters tend to criticize the contemporary art instead of finding explanation and parallels.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

I'm aware of that and I find that attitude to be more limiting than helpful.

[@lindakacer6453]

Thank you very much your explanation are so clear. Cheers from France.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

You are welcome!

[@helenedesmarais8697]

You can inverse the process making the negative space create the positive space . The canadian artist Tom Thomson was a master at it.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Yes, there are many ways to use and interpret negative space.

[@pooja1664]

Thank you! This was really helpful!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

You're welcome!

[@pooja1664]

In the Studio Art Instruction 🙂

[@CarlosCastro-wt9gy]

Thank you for helping the 🌎.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

My pleasure!

[@sujanithtottempudi2991]

Could you please do a video on watercolour.....whatever you teach goes directly into my soul🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Thanks for that suggestion, but is there something specific you'd like to see done in watercolor?

[@sujanithtottempudi2991]

@@IntheStudioArtInstruction Thanks...I want to see and learn doing backgrounds in multiple colours without hard edges

[@Ravenzpeak]

What is it about the Franz Kline painting that makes it a good piece of art? Can we do an episode about how art is judged by experts?

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Wow, that's a big one! Art "experts" vary to a large degree as to what makes a good piece of art. Some base their judgment on the strength of the composition, some on the expressive quality, some on the inventiveness -- and on and on. Some just have their own biases. Generally, agreement can be found when there is unity, order and rhythm. Many books have been written on this subject alone. I will consider putting together a Quick Tip about it, after I've given adequate thought to how I can simplify the subject. To answer your question about Franz Kline--he was of the Abstract Expressionist era in the 1940s-1950s. So we must consider his work accordingly. Highly valued among Abstract Expressionists of that time was spontaneous expression of the artist’s psychic states in strong abstract design.