Negative Space

Negative space is the space surrounding the main focus or subject of an art piece. It is known as the background or irrelevant space, that forms the outline and silhouette of the subject. Negative space truly helps viewers decipher boundaries, and find a balance in the art piece.

In order to find negative space in my drawing, I had to look for the part of the drawing that had more emphasis on it. Since the drawing was of a house and front yard, it was easy to see that this bolded and darkened space was intended as the subject. The background was also lighter, and did not contain as many details as the house. The light space in the background formed a silhouette of the house and yard as well, therefore, this was definitely categorized as the negative space.

It helps artists to see in negative space because otherwise, it is much harder to determine the main focus, or to find the boundaries of the positive space. Negative space also brings nice balance and contrast to an image, which are important elements of art for artists to understand and be able to present in their own works.

Seeing in negative space does enhance drawings, because without it, the drawing would be too abstract, with no set subject. There would be no way to tell the difference between the relevant and irrelevant parts of the drawing. Also, because negative space brings elements of art with it, this helps enhance drawings more.

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