Negative Space

Sometimes the best way to draw an object is to not draw it: draw the empty spaces around it instead. These empty spaces are called negative space, and seeing them is one of the most effective tricks for accurate drawing.

Positive and negative shapes

• Positive shapes are the objects themselves: the chair, the plant, the person.
• Negative shapes are the spaces between and around them: the gap between the chair legs, the space between an arm and the body.

Why it works

When you draw a chair, your brain recalls the symbol "chair" and tells you what a chair should look like. But negative shapes have no name and no symbol. Your brain has no expectations about them, so you draw them exactly as you see them. And if the negative shapes are correct, the object is automatically correct too.

How to use it

1. Define a frame. Draw a rectangle around your subject (in the real world, imagine it). The frame turns the background into closed shapes.
2. Pick an easy negative shape to start: a triangle of space between an elbow and the waist, a rectangle between two table legs.
3. Draw it as a shape, paying attention to its angles and proportions.
4. Build outward: each negative shape shares edges with its neighbors. Fill in the puzzle.
5. Check positive and negative together. Switching your attention between them reveals errors.

Negative space in composition

Negative space is also a design tool. Empty areas give the eye a place to rest and make the subject stand out. A small subject in a big empty space can feel lonely, calm or powerful. We'll come back to this in the composition module.