Art Project - Coffee (or Tea) Mug Still Life
This idea, of painting the negative space, is a technique I use often. This allows me to create more interesting shapes because I’m not very interested in perfection. This coffee cup is a great exercise in painting the negative space. It’s a fairly simple shape AND you get to create your own mug design.
When I created this coffee cup, I didn’t start with the whole picture in my mind. I let the colours and the shapes created within the watercolours decide where this will go. I also just love playing around. That’s how I create most of my artwork.
The Goal:
To paint the negative space first.
The Materials:
Watercolour paint, colour pencils, and neocolor ii wax pastels.
The Plan:
• If you feel like you could use a quick pencil sketch, don’t feel bad. Lightly pencil in your mug shape and go from there.
• This still life could go anywhere. Add fruit, other objects, or another flower around your mug. I did a leafy branch that mimicked the design on my mug because I thought it was clever.
• Find a colour palette that brings you joy. I put my colour palette on the opposite page in my sketchbook. You can even write out how you created those colours, if you mixed colours together.
Share your art with Brina!
How you finish this art project will be completely yours, even if you do exactly what I did, and that’s something to celebrate. Share your art with me on Instagram and I’ll share with my friends!
If you’re interested in more, including a video of Brina painting the negative space, downloads, and more details on my step-by-step process, join Brina’s Creative Side where you will get a video on how to draw the mountain and more detailed instructions. Becoming a member gives you access to all of the previous and upcoming posts which include printables, more photos, detailed instructions, videos, and customizable options for each art project. Perfect for teachers, art instructors, parents, or any one of any age who might want a bit of creative inspiration.