Because I was not formally trained as a painter, I used my training as a graphic designer to teach myself to paint. One of my favorite classes was with Jane Sterrit who had us spend hours drawing negative space and pasting colored paper in the negative spaces. This was an important lesson and one that I have used in painting extensively. Once the gesture is drawn (painted) on the canvas I then fill in the negative spaces. This is when I begin to formulate the color palette for the painting. I will work on filling in these negative spaces layer upon layer until I feel the color is correct and can then move on to painting positive spaces and then finally adding details and type. While painting in this manner is unusual it gives my painting a more "Graphic-stylized" look which suits my painting style better.
