What is positive and negative space in drawing?

Posted on by veronica

To design beautiful compositions in painting and drawing, you need to understand the difference between negative and positive space in art. Every realist artist combines negative space into his drawing and painting to create visual balance and unity.

Definition

Positive space in art is the subject or object itself in art, such as a cat, cup, spoon, etc. Negative space is the empty space or background space that surrounds that object or subject.

what is negative space in art?
Look at this picture. What do you see a black vase or two white profiles? If it’s the black vase, you’re looking at the positive space. If it’s the profiles, you’re seeing the negative space. Usually the positive space is the object(s) you draw, and the negative space is the background that surrounds it.

what is negative space in art?
Here is an example of a positive space in art. This is my colored pencil drawing of a flower. The flower itself is the positive space, and the white background around it is the negative space. The negative space in art isn’t always empty or in one color. It can have out of focus objects, colors and details that support the focal point – your main subject in the drawing.
Left: The vase itself is the positive space.
Right: The space around the vase shows the negative space.
My cat Neutron passed away a few years ago but I still melt over her cuteness. I marked the negative space in the picture. When I draw, I look at the distances that are created by the negative space to create accurate drawing.

How to use negative space in your art

The negative space can be an effective tool to define your center of interest in art. Every subject in your painting and drawing has edges. These edges are affected by tones and colors placed right next to or around it. Hence, the negative space can bring visual balance and unity to your composition with a specific tone, shape or shadow. 

One of the most common mistakes beginners make, they forget to include their background space into the equation, and ask me what to do with it much later when they are almost done shading the object itself. In my mind I compose the image before I begin drawing. I consider everything: composition, values, textures, and colors not only of the subject, but also of the negative space itself.

To use both negative and positive space in drawing effectively, consider picking your main focal point or a center of interest in art first. This focal point must be big enough, taking the majority of your space. Add the background elements around this focal point to lead the eye to it.

Woman Reading a Letter, Johannes Vermeer, c. 1663
Woman Reading a Letter, Johannes Vermeer, c. 1663 oil on canvas, h 46.5cm × w 39cm × d 6.5cm | In this painting the woman in blue is the subject and the focal point of the painting. The surrounding objects – the chairs, table and map create visual balance in the painting. Notice that the chair on the right is rotated towards the figure and a large map behind the woman sets contrast and mystery in art.
Prado museum | In this beautiful painting we can see how the artist creates a dynamic composition using both negative and positive space effectively. He places his focal point-the woman at a diagonal, creating movement. Painted in sharp focus, she occupies the most space in the picture. The background (negative space) has subdued colors and details. The edges are soft.


Negative space in art: examples

rose colored pencil by veronica winters
Pink rose, 9×12 inches, lightfast colored pencils on board | For example, in this picture pink rose stands out being the center of interest or a focal point set against the purplish background (the negative space). If the background were the same pink hue and sharpness, the flower would be lost visually.

self-portrait by Raphael at Pitti palace
Raphael, Self-portrait, Pitti Palace, Italy | In this painting we can see the most common use of negative and positive space in art. The portrait itself is the positive space and this empty background is the negative space.

how to draw glass
This is one of my still life drawings where I play with negative and positive space. The starfish is the focal point. The beads and marbles lead the eye to the subject of interest (positive space). The fabric becomes the negative space with its folds moving around the starfish to create visual interest.

surreal art and paintings of women
Invisible: frosted past, oil on panel with some aluminum leaf, 11×14. In this oil painting I use negative space to fill in the forms around and in the figure.

presence_veronica winters_16x20_oil on panel, contemporary romantic paintings of women
Presence,16×20, oil on panel with some leafing, unframed, available. I play with the negative space in this oil painting as well. The dress that is normally a positive space becomes part of the negative one. https://veronicasart.com/product/presence-painting/

Tips for using negative space effectively

Here I’m going to give you three additional tips on how negative space can enhance your art. I often use all of these strategies designing my colored pencil drawings and paintings.

  • You can create contrast in art using the negative space with purpose.
  • You can measure and check distances between objects visually while sketching or drawing the shapes to create accurate art.
  • You can improve your drawing accuracy or realism in your art by looking at the negative space.
  • You can come up with a unique drawing design using the negative space as an illusion.

1. Create contrast using negative space in your art

As a beginner in art, it’s easy to start designing your images around the concept of contrast that occurs between the negative and positive space. If your still life is dark, set up the light background behind it. If the object/focal point is light, it would appear much brighter set against dark, negative space.

oil painting techniques still life with starfish and peacock feather
In this small oil painting of a starfish I make my focal point – white starfish – the brightest object. I place the peacock feather at a diagonal to create visual balance and the background (negative space) is dark brown-grey to create contrast and balance.

2. Measure and check distances

You can measure and check distances between objects visually while sketching or drawing the shapes. This is a very useful skill drawing all subjects, especially people. I often check distances between the eyes or between a hand and a waist, etc.

When students draw the object, they tend to focus on the curvy line itself. As a result, the shape might be too long or lopsided, or foreshortened the wrong way. Instead of focusing on the object’s curve itself, look at the space between those curves. Realist artists visually measure distances between the lines, shapes or objects by checking the negative spaces between them to make the most accurate drawings.

Additionally, using tools like VeePN for TV can help you access a variety of art tutorials and resources online, which can further enhance your drawing skills. Streaming art lessons on a big screen can provide a clearer and more immersive learning experience. This way, you can improve your technique by observing and practicing alongside professional artists.”

I made this illustration to show you the idea behind visual measuring of distances using negative space in art. Focus on these black lines (negative spaces) to see the accurate distances between the shapes. These distances help you measure, copy and draw accurate outlines of the subject (cat).

The black lines show the idea of visual measuring of distances between the shapes using negative space.

3. You can improve your drawing accuracy or realism in your art by copying abstract negative shapes.

By focusing on negative space you can become more skillful drawing realistic shapes. Negative shapes look abstract in our mind. Copy those abstract shapes with as much precision as possible to improve the overall accuracy of your drawing.

what is positive and negative space-veronica winters art blog
In the image on the right I defined the negative space that consists of abstract shapes made by the positive space. It’s useful to learn to see these abstract shapes and copy them to create a more accurate drawing of a cat in this case.

4. You can come up with a unique drawing design using the negative space as an illusion.

This is AI–rendered image that illustrates the idea of using the negative space as part of your drawing.
Here is another render illustrating the illusion you can create using the negative space as an active part of your painting.
Pens are important tools for us to keep learning and take notes. Our custom personalized pens are unique and add lot’s of fun while learning the skills.

video courses by veronica winters

If you’d like to learn more about colored pencil drawing, check out free previews of my video courses here: https://veronica-winters-art-school.teachable.com/

Art supplies I often use in my drawing: