Art Unboxed Christmas Creativity

Last week in our Art Unboxed series, where we began a conversation about unboxing tools and ideas we already have access too. This week I’d like to talk about Christmas Creativity. To illustrate this, take a look at the sketch above using a marker I already had, and an idea.

The idea was to draw snowy trees with a black marker, and make it convincing. If it were a watercolor, we’d call it negative painting. In other words using the color of the paper and the blank space that is there to your advantage. As well as strategically drawing or painting around it.

When someone looks at the sketch, not because of artistic brilliance on my part, but a tried and true method. The sky, “snow” on the trees, and the “snow” on the ground are all just the color of the paper. What makes it happen is where the black lines are.

Many artists are already familiar with the concept, but that’s what Art unboxed is all about, revisiting. This same technique can be applied to another medium, or another idea. Perhaps a Christmas portrait below.

This is the same concept but in digital. The gray under the nose and cheeks is optional of course. In both cases, the same idea, applied to two different mediums, created something different. How could you use this idea to create something new during the Christmas season?

I’ve seen this minimal approach in sculpture, woodcarving, oil, and acrylic. Sometimes, the absence of detail can create very intricate pieces of art. I hope this inspires you this Christmas to take a very old idea, and make something new with it. Perhaps, even to give as a Christmas gift to someone who could use a smile this holiday season.