From Negative Space to Realism to Abstraction

Positive/Negative Space Positive space is defined as the area in a composition that is occupied. Negative space is defined as the area in between occupied space (positive space). Can you think of another way of phrasing this?

Step One in creating our composition: Draw only the negative space of the still life. Your drawing must move outside the composition at least on 3 sides. Do not draw with a dark line!!!!!!!!

Step Two: You will draw the still life items placed on your table using a Modified contour line. What are the three types of contour line? Can you define the differences between all three?

Step Three: the tricky part Now that can look really confusing but don’t worry. Can you go back and define the original negative space drawing you created? What’s the deference between the drawing in step one and step two?

You will notice that in the first drawing we only drew around the object. We did not draw the inside (positive space) of the object. With the second step, you drew the entire object, both the outline and the inner details. Let’s take a closer look.

Notice that the contour lines continue inside the outline of the tricycle.

Step Four: Redefining the negative space: To redefine the negative space we as artist must create a variety of value, or a deference/ contrast between light and dark areas. To do this we are going to collage black construction paper in all of the negative space, excluding the area where our contour line drawings overlap. Define collage.

Notice that where the contour line drawing of the still life objects overlap the first drawing, the negative space drawing, that we have not added black construction paper.

Step Five: Creating Form In this step we will be adding value to the modified contour line drawings. The value will create an illusion of form (3-dimensional objects). This will further add contrast between the negative space and the contour line drawings.

Techniques in Creating Value Blending: a smooth application achieved by smudging/smearing one value into the next.

Techniques in Creating Value Cross hatching: a series of crisscrossing diagonal lines which are perpendicular to each other. Cross Contour: a series of crisscrossing lines which are drawn around the form of an object.

You will notice that value is only applied to the contour line drawings in between the negative space drawing.

Of course this means that the contour line drawings are left white where they overlap the negative space.

Final Step: Adding the Pattern Well, we have now created contrast between the negative space and the contour line drawing (positive space). Now we are left with the white areas, both around the drawings and where the drawing overlap the negative space. To create further contrast we are going to insert patterns into these areas.

Final Step: Adding the Pattern