Understanding Positive and Negative Space in Art

Space in art includes the background, foreground, and middle ground, as well as the areas around, between, and within the forms, shapes, colors, and lines that compose the work. Positive and negative space can assume the roles of foreground and background in a painting, or they can trade identities depending on your perspective.

The easiest way to grasp the nature of positive and negative space is to look at a simple black and white graphic. Positive space refers to the subject that stands out, while negative space is the background. Tessellation, a repeated pattern of geometric shapes, also plays with positive and negative space.

Nōtan, which means “light-dark harmony” in Japanese, is a great art project that helps artists develop an eye for scale, shape, and balance. Determining positive and negative spaces in a complex work of art can be challenging, as the background may be just as important to the artist’s concept as the object occupying positive space.

One art project idea involves drawing shapes on graph paper and filling them in with colored pencils or markers to indicate a specific pattern of positive and negative space. Experimenting with quilt patterns can help in understanding the concept better.

For more ideas and projects related to positive and negative space in art, there are various resources available online, including art lessons and Nōtan projects. These resources can provide additional guidance and inspiration for exploring this concept further.