Simplifying Design & Color for Artists: Positive Results Using Negative Painting Techniques

by Linda Kemp

When you become a better designer and colorist, you become a better painter.

Painting doesn't have to be complicated to be good. In fact, it shouldn't be. Artist and best-selling author Linda Kemp (Watercolor Painting Outside the Lines) bypasses all the complexities of design and color to focus on a fresh, simplified strategy for success that features negative painting--a method that uses the space around your subject to help define it.

Improve your painting step by step with projects and exercises that will help your work stand out from the crowd. With Simplifying Design & Color for Artists, you'll learn:

Strategies for creating simple yet effective compositions, focusing on the relationship between shape, space, and color. Useful tips on color--how to simplify it, mix your own, and work with value, hue and intensity. Techniques for designing with shape: size and edge, layering, and building dimension and movement. 18 step-by-step projects in watercolor and acrylic. The approach may be simple, but your art will be spectacular!

Genres: Art, Textbooks

435 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 8, 2013

Reviews

[BM · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does a great job of helping you understand design better. It is especially focuses on negative painting, painting around shape. Many of her demonstrations are in acrylics, but can be translated to watercolor if that is your preferred medium. There are some demonstrations that are also dead specifically in watercolor. The step-by-step exercises were useful. I feel like this book has helped improve my design abilities for my artwork. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who's seeking to improve their design work.

[Marcus Gunaratnam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novel way of painting using watercolours and Acrylics

Bought this as a kindle book,It is a novel and unique perspective on the use of watercolours and Acrylics.
Sketching with a watercolour pencil is a very good hint also layeringas a technique in painting

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got a lot out of reading this book and doing as many of the exercises as I could. It helped me extend my painting style and make better colour choices.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Challenging techniques

This is not a book for amateurs. It presents techniques involving negative painting and color theory. I learned a lot but it will take lots of practice to develop the eye for painting in this way.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Linda Kemp is one of the most well known advocates of negative painting. This beautiful book highlights her work and gives insight to her techniques.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good intro to negative space in painting, but a bit too much on color.