Cecilia Swatton: Figure/Ground Principle with Matching Masks and Stencils

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Figure/Ground Principle with Matching Masks and Stencils

The principle of "figure-ground" contrast can be phrased as a question: “Which part of any silhouetted image is “figure” and which is “(back)ground?” If a silhouette is considered the figure, then the spaces around that figure is considered ground or background.

The print below was made with Longwood Florals Mask (9" x 12"). In this print, spaces between the leaves and flowers can be seen as “negative” (or "ground" as in "background."), whereas the leaves and flowers can be seen as "positive" (or "figure.")

The print below was created with the 9" x 12" Longwood Florals Stencil. Its reddish-purple leaves and flowers can be seen as positive space, while the green-spattered white areas can be seen as negative space.

Since this stencil and this mask are mirror images of one another, it's fun to use them together.
You can click on the image below to better see details. In these details, positive space and negative space intermingle to challenge the eye of the viewer. The first, darker print was made with Longwood Florals Mask. After that paint had dried, I added a layer of lighter color using Longwood Florals Stencil.

This playful combination is a fun option with any stencil-and-mask set.

Another example is combination usage of my 9" x 12" Winter Berries Stencil and my 9" x 12" Winter Berries Mask.

Below is a first step in a series of steps I took with both this stencil and this mask. This print -- step one -- was made with Winter Berries Mask (and a few glass "pebbles.")

Below is step two. Another layer of color has been added. Here in step 2, I continued to use Winter Berries Mask .

The 2 photos below shows step three. The top photo shows the artwork in its entirety. The photo under it shows a close-up detail. In developing step three, I added another layer of paint using Winter Berries Stencil. After that layer dried, I drew in squiggles with a Sharpie pen. My last step was to color in most of the squiggle-outlined areas.