NEGATIVE PAINTING/ZENTANGLE CHRISTMAS CARD

This project can be done with any repetitive shape: trees, snowflakes, etc.

        

1.       Begin by taping down card if doing card size, leaving ¼ inch edges. 

2.       Draw some circles for ornaments. Leaving some white, paint background and add some salt for snow effect.

         

3. Paint around the other ornaments in the next value. I plan to go greener as I go, so I used cerulean and pthalo.     With each new layer, before the paint dried, (but was still damp) I spattered with water to keep the snow effect.                                                                                                                                                                        

 

                                                                                                                                                    

4.       Draw in some small background circles for ornaments.

Paint around those with darker value…I used turquoise and green.

You can go darker if you choose. As the paint lost its shine, I

Continue to spatter with water droplets for snow effect. I also darkened some “shadow” areas on the small blue ornaments.

                      

5.       I added some color to the ribbons.

 

6.       I outlined with ultra fine sharpie. Then I used the Sharpie to create a zentangle design on the ball I left white. I could also do the zentangle on some other places.

 

7.       To finish, I cleaned up some of my edges. I added a small touch of quin gold to the white zentangle ball. I also lifted out a faint ribbon for the blue ball beneath the white one. Then I spattered with gouache.

8.       WHAT I COULD CHANGE: I should have been more careful with making the ribbons perfectly vertical. I could add iridescent medium, but I am printing this, so will wait to do it on printed cards.