Teaching the Element of Space with a Stunning Negative Space Watercolor Project

If you’re looking for an art lesson that combines strong visual results, meaningful skill-building, and clear connections to core art concepts, this negative space watercolor project is a classroom favorite. It’s engaging, adaptable for multiple skill levels, and produces artwork students are genuinely proud to display.

In this lesson, students don’t just learn about space—they experience it through hands-on exploration of layering, value, and composition using wet-on-wet watercolor techniques.

Quick Answer: What Is the Element of Space in Art?

The Element of Space in art refers to the area around, between, within, and behind objects in a composition. It includes positive space (the subject) and negative space (the area around the subject). Artists use space to create depth, perspective, and balance, making artwork feel flat or three-dimensional depending on how it’s used.

In this watercolor lesson, students focus on painting around shapes rather than filling them in, which helps them:

See the relationship between positive and negative space
Understand how value creates depth
Build confidence with planning and composition
Develop patience through layered processes

Because the project progresses step by step, students clearly see how thoughtful decisions build a complex final result.

What Students Create

Students begin by choosing natural forms such as leaves, branches, shells, or sea life. These organic shapes work especially well because they naturally vary in size and create interesting overlaps.

The process unfolds in stages:

1. Wet-on-Wet Background Wash
Students start with a soft watercolor wash using an analogous color scheme. This introduces color harmony while allowing students to practice water control and blending.

2. Building Negative Space Layers
Next comes the most important step—painting around shapes to create silhouettes. Each new layer uses a slightly darker value, helping students understand how value shifts create depth and visual hierarchy.

3. Final Contrast Layer
The project finishes with a strong ink or black watercolor layer. This final step creates dramatic contrast, sharpens the composition, and gives the piece a polished, professional look.

By the end, students have created a richly layered artwork that clearly demonstrates space, repetition, and craftsmanship.

Skills Students Develop

This lesson naturally integrates multiple important art skills, including:

Understanding positive vs. negative space
Using monochromatic or analogous color schemes
Practicing wet-on-wet watercolor techniques
Layering to create depth and dimension
Planning compositions with repetition and balance

Because the project combines technique with conceptual learning, it works equally well for introductory or intermediate art classes.

Why Teachers Love This Lesson

Art teachers consistently describe this project as:

✔ Template Ideas
✔ Easy-to-Follow Instructions
✔ Low prep
✔ Highly engaging
✔ Easy to scaffold
✔ Effective for mixed skill levels
✔ Producing display-worthy results

The structured steps help struggling students succeed, while the open-ended design choices allow advanced students to push their creativity further.

Perfect for Middle & High School Art

This lesson is ideal for grades 7–12 and fits seamlessly into units on:

Elements of Art
Watercolor techniques
Design principles
Nature-inspired art
Value and composition

Get the full lesson here!

It also works well as a portfolio-building project because the finished pieces are visually striking and demonstrate strong technical and conceptual skills.