What Is Negative Painting in Watercolor?

Welcome! In this post, I’m sharing one of my favorite watercolor techniques, negative painting and showing you how it works in a new video demo.

Sometimes the most powerful techniques are also the simplest.

Negative painting in watercolor is one of my favorite approaches for creating layered, luminous shapes without painting the subject directly. Instead, you build the image by painting the space around your shapes, letting them appear gradually through contrast.

I recently filmed a video to show you exactly how it works, using simple leafy shapes and gradual layering to let the image appear through contrast. If you would like to see the process in action, you can watch the full tutorial below.

👉 Click the image above or the link below to watch the full step-by-step tutorial:

Watch the full tutorial

You don’t need perfect lines or a steady hand—just a willingness to let the process unfold.

Have you ever tried negative painting before? I would love to hear your thoughts, or if this inspires you to give it a try. You’re always welcome to leave a comment below.

Joyfully,

Krista