Negative Space

Negative Space

When most people draw, they approach it as an “object-oriented” exercise. Thats because we are generally 

drawing an object, which occupies a certain space within a room. There it sits - boom - simple. Well, it’s not

really that simple. There are other forces at work here. If you look beyond the space beyond the thing you are 

drawing it creates interesting negative shapes, planes, and edges where the lines of the space intersect.

Looking Beyond the Object

Beyond the object, walls create shapes, table legs create shapes, lamps create shapes, easels create shapes 

and shadows from these items create shapes. They also create holes in space (think of it as the air between

the objects or through the objects). These have a definitive form, and when they intersect the thing we are 

drawing, they give us landmarks for our overall picture plane, which helps to unite it and make for a more 

cohesive drawing (one that doesn’t happen by chance - one that you control).

What is important is seeing the negative space as a object itself. 

The parts that are more interesting are the "sky holes" or 

the shapes within the object.

Overlapping Objects make for more interesting

compositions.

Here is a bad example. Why? Because the artist

was more concerned about the contour and line inside

the object.