Tutored Life Drawing Blog Week 03: Negative Space (Patreon)

Negative space is a useful visual idea for our drawing, and understanding it helps us flatten out what we see and translate it onto paper. This allows us to tackle otherwise challenging subjects, such as complex shapes, or foreshortened forms.

This week we will be looking at what negative space is, and different ways to use it to improve our drawing.

Main image: Line drawing created through negative observation of negative space..

What is Negative Space?

Negative spaces are the shapes that are 'left out' by a subject, or group of subjects. They are the shapes of everything that isn't the subject we are drawing – they would be what is left after cutting a subject out of reality.

At their simplest, negative spaces are the 'void' shapes trapped by a subject, such as the space under a model's arm. However, negative shape surrounds our subject too, so if we draw the shapes of all the negative spaces, we are left with the shape of the subject as the missing puzzle piece.

Focusing on the negative shapes formed by the arms and legs in this pose helped with placing the limbs correctly.

Because we are dealing purely in shape, we are drawing something 'flat'. This makes negative shape a useful tool in improving observational accuracy. Negative spaces are often unrecognisable, so we don't have any preconceptions about what they are meant to look like that we might attach to the original subject.  

Positive vs. Negative Shape

When we draw, we make shapes by either creating an enclosure with line, or by drawing or painting an area. We can even imply shapes with 'open' containers, created by broken lines, as long as the direction of the lines links up to indicate a shape.

Shapes formed by line enclosures, areas, and open enclosures. The first row is in pencil, the second in pen, and the third in brush pen, with a collage piece being used for the shape. Different media can make lines or shapes more or less effectively.

When enclosures create positive shapes, they are representing the subject directly.  Negative shapes are created when we focus on the shape of the space that surrounds the subject. By drawing all the negative shapes, we indirectly capture the subject, even if we are not directly looking at it. 

This quick drawing has a lot of interaction between positive and negative shape. The heavy crayon marks sculpt out negative shape, and clarify the silhouette, whilst the positive shape is defined by the more gestural lines. 

In practise, we often interweave ideas about positive and negative shapes in our drawing, focusing on a positive shape for one part, than shifting to a negative shape for another area.  Both ideas are linear by nature, showing us the flattened shapes of what we are drawing  so we can translate a three dimensional subject onto a flat piece of paper.

Finding External Negative Shape

External negative shape surrounds our subject. Drawing this can be a challenge, as this is a bit more complex than small, enclosed shapes, and it goes on forever. If we can train ourself to observe it, we can more easily draw the silhouette of the figure. There are couple of common approaches to dealing with this.

The first approach is  to break up the external negative space around the figure into small pieces by creating 'bridges', that connect extremities of the figure to each other. This is useful if you have an isolated figure, or do not wish to incorporate any background elements. 

Straight lines bridge the gaps between extremities to form negative spaces.

When creating these bridges, always use straight lines, and check the angles carefully. This works best when you form bridges that make approximate triangles or rectangles, as these are simple shapes. Usually it is easiest to start with the bridging line, then draw the negative shape it creates as you work on the outline of the body.

A frame is created by measure the height and width of the figure's pose. Negative spaces are formed by the figure's extremities touching the frame.

A similar technique is to create a tight box to contain the figure. This helps break up the spaces in a similar way, but we now compare them to the horizontal and vertical reference lines of a box. This also works well if you are drawing with a viewfinder.

The other approach is to isolate shapes between the figure and its surroundings. As the figure overlaps its settings, it creates abstract shapes.  Drawing these helps us ignore the recognisable shapes of the body, and allows us to focus on the abstract (and easier to draw) shapes of cushions, or fabric sections. Even when the figure is posed with more challenging set props, such as chairs, we can look at the negative spaces created by the figure interacting with these things in space.

This drawing was created in part by drawing the big shapes of the drapery and chair around the figure, helping with the challenging foreshortening. These shapes are highlighted by different colours.

When you draw these shapes created by the environment, try to compare their placement as you work. Think in abstract terms, such as comparing their vertical and horizontal position. A good way of doing this is by comparing the placement of their corners.

Negative Spaces at Work

The importance of negative space to composition is often overlooked. Balanced shapes create harmony, asymmetry brings visual interest, and the interaction between negative and positive spaces can also change how a drawing is perceived. 

This Ancient Greek drinking cup shows how figures can be defined by the shapes around them, as the black is painted on around the figures. We can see the variety in the negative shapes, with a narrow shape between the figures bringing attention to their interaction, whilst the broader shapes to the sides anchor them and balance each other out.

Ancient Greek Kylix (Drinking Cup) from around 460 BCE - Attributed to the Penthesilea Painter (Source: Art Institute Chicago)

This study was drawn from a Michaelangelo sculpture, but it is an interesting example of the role negative shape places in shape and rhythm. The positive shape of the sculpture has created some interesting negative shapes. On the right side of the drawing we see more simple shapes, whilst the left side contrasts this with more acute angles and complex shapes. This is a result of the design of the sculpture, which when viewed from different angles, continues to have a complex vs. simple contrast to its positive shape.

Henri Regnault (after Michelangelo) - 'Two Struggling Figures' (Source: Art Institute Chicago)

Key Points to remember about Negative Space:

• Negative space is the name we give to the shapes around a positive subject.
• Positive shape is the directly observed shape of a subject.
• External negative shape surrounds any individual subject.

Over to You –  Drawing Negative Space

Recommended Materials: Pencils, pens or charcoal, and drawing paper. You may find something good for shading areas in, like a felt pen or charcoal stick, useful.

Exercise 1 - Silhouette Drawing with Negative Shape 

This exercise is a good warm up for shorter poses, to tune you into looking for negative shapes. The aim is to draw a silhouette of the figure by drawing the negative spaces around it. You can do this however you like – you can shade in the negative shape or just draw the outline. When you start, begin with the shapes enclosed by the figure. Then work on the negative shape surrounding the figure, using any of the methods described above.

Negative space drawing of a figure, with line forming a container for the silhouette started with the shapes between the arms.

This silhouette was formed by shading in the area around it. There is no enclosed negative shape – this can often happen – so I visualised bridges to close off the shapes under the arm and between the legs. Pick the easiest thing first, it will help you get a foothold.

Exercise 2 – Drawing a Complex Still Life in Negative Shape

For this exercise, try to pick an object that you would find challenging to draw, with plenty of 'voids', or internal negative shapes. Often, man-made objects work best for this, but leafy plants are a good choice too. Start by drawing the internal negative shapes in the object and work your way through the whole thing. Be mindful of the size of each shape relative to the overall object size. Once you have completed these, begin to work on the outline of the object, either by referencing the internal negative shapes, or using the external negative shape methods above.

This drawing was done by starting with the enclosed negative spaces, then working on the external outline. The overlapping, internal contours of the leaves were added last, using the interacting negative shapes. I could continue adding contour information, such as  veins and leaf patterns.

Exercise 3 – Drawing the Figure Outside In

In this exercise, the goal is to reach the figure by drawing the shapes of the surrounding background first. One process you might want to take is to start by drawing a frame on your page. From there, you can start working towards the figure by drawing the setting, going from the outside of the frame in towards the figure. Draw the negative shapes created by the props surrounding the figure as they overlap each other and the figure itself. Eventually you should be left with a void in the shape of the figure that you can fill in.

After starting with the frame, I drew the shapes of the fabric and cushions around the figure. It can help to start with the foreground; these objects are bigger and easier to scale to the figure.

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>> Watch the Week 03: Negative Space main lesson HERE  (Student & Life Tiers)
>> Watch the Week 03: Negative Space demo videos HERE  (Student & Life Tiers)
>> Draw from the Week 03: Negative Space practice photo-set HERE (Student & Life Tiers)
>> Read the Contour & Negative Space inspiration blog HERE (All Tiers)

Find links to the whole Tutored Life Drawing Course HERE

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