Subtractive Method

As a painter, I'm always adding layers of paint to my canvases. I haven't done a lot of experimenting with subtractive techniques. So this week I thought our art prompt would be to work using a subtractive technique; anything from carving to erasing. You could carve a lino block for print making or carve soap stone. You could try erasing charcoal. Basically, try any technique where you take away material from your project. I chose to carve acrylic paint layers.

 

I began this project by painting 15 layers of thick paint onto small blocks. Each layer dried over night. Then I grabbed some smaller wood carving gouges and began carving away layers of paint.