The Positives of Negative Space

To continue with our weekly theme of how shapes affect the art we make, today we will look at the importance of negative space in artwork.

For those who might be unfamiliar with the term, "negative space" refers to the area that surrounds the subject in a painting or drawing. It is the area that makes up everything else that supports the positive space (or the subject/object itself).

I chose a painting from the Yorck Project, distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH, which I found in Wikipedia Commons. It is an image that is in the public domain, and it shows a good use of the negative space.

Here is the information on the painting:
Artist: Adolph Friedrich Erdmann von Menzel
Title: Zwei Urwahler im Gesprach (Two discussing Voters)
Year: 1849
Medium: Pastel on Paper
18x24 cm
National Gallery of Berlin

I have outlined the shapes around the two men in the upper part of the painting, to show you the way the shapes make an interesting pattern. I did not outline the shapes made inside the boat or benches or in the foreground (the exterior of the boat/benches), but I invite you to take a closer look there to see that there are interesting shapes to be found in those ares of the painting as well. Basically, the artist has broken up the static background with these shapes, and has used the interplay between the negative and positive space to his advantage.



To contrast this, now that you have a better idea about how you can use the negative space to your advantage, let's take a look at a painting by the artist Albrecht Altdorfer:
Title: Sebastiansaltar des Augustiner- Chorherrenstifts St. Florian bei Linz
Year: 1509-1516
Medium: oils
Location: Augustiner- Chorherrenstifts St. Florian bei Linz

This painting is a much earlier work (by almost 350 years), also part of the Yorck Project. The main subject is seated in a gilded throne or chair, with a secondary subject in the background, partially hidden by a pillar.

Althought the negative space makes some interesting space as it goes around the shapes of the figures, throne, and architectural elements, there are too many small shapes and the negative space become chaotic. It makes the overall picture a bit hard to digest.

For your mini challenge today, consider carefully the shapes made in the negative space when you are laying out a sketch in your art journal today. Make the space have a purpose- to support your subject and make the whole drawing or painting more interesting.

Let me see what you come up with, or leave some comments about your experiences or impressions about this or recent topics!

Art and Letters

Here is a great example of the Art and Letters challenge, submitted by Sandy W. of Charleston, SC. Thank you, Sandy!

Today we will start actually working in our art journals together.

The mini-challenge for today is called Art and Letters, because you will be using both art and text together to create an interesting page.

Today, think about creating a page that features something that you use just about every day, and may take for granted a little. Sketch it or paint a little picture of it in your art journal and write a tribute to it that you incorporate into the page.

The object that you will draw can be any object at all, but let's use the example, "Ode to my Coffee Cup," since a lot of people might want to try this.

You can elaborate on why this lowly cup is rarely thought about, but has such an important job to do- bringing you the caffeine buzz that you need to start your day! Whether it is a coffee mug, a paper cup with the obligatory cardboard sleeve, an insulated carafe or something else, it is usually ignored most of the time, but takes on a new life as you warm your hands around it and sip its lovely contents.

Make a title that you write in larger text and maybe embellish a little with color (colored pencils, pens or paint) or keep it really simple if you like. Just think about incorporating your own handwriting with your little sketch in an interesting way.

If you really hate your handwriting, don't worry, you will have lots of practice if you keep working in this type of art journal. Slow your writing down a little and pay attention to keeping it neater than, say, you might when jotting a note down at work, You might even consider printing instead- just experiment a little, and don't get hung up on it.

You have nothing to lose! It is only a little book with paper pages, and a small time investment to make the sketch. Spend anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour on this- no more. It shouldn't feel like it takes a lot of time, or you might begin to make excuses why you don't have time today, and YOU DO HAVE THE TIME. Fifteen minutes! Just do it!! You'll be glad you did.

Weekly Art Theme #1- Keeping an Illustrated Journal

You can call it an illustrated journal, an art journal, a sketch journal or sketchbook- all of these describe the book that you will be using for your work, but after you work in it for a while, you will find your book transform into something so much more than just a sketchbook. It will become a wonderful compilation of your creative self, using your art, tidbits of things you collect that inspire you, and your own journaling about the process or whatever is on your mind that day.

You will first need to purchase or begin using an unwritten-in, unlined sketchbook to devote to your illustrated journal. You can buy any brand you like, but look for one that opens flat when you work in it, so that you can work across both pages to make larger sketches. I like ones that are bound, rather than the spiral type, because you can draw without running into the spirals. Just check the bound types to make sure that they are easy to open completely flat.

My favorite type of book for this is the Moleskine brand large sketchbook. They can be purchased in most of the larger bookstore chains- (you know- the ones with the cafes and WiFi)....The size of this journal is compact and easy to carry along, and opens completely flat. The other great thing about these is that you cannot tear out the pages!! Yes- you heard me right! You do not want to discard any of your work along the way, because we are not perfect people. We are not art robots! When you make something that you think looks weird- write something funny about it in your journal or collage on it or add paint- transform it! You will become more creative if you don't let your internal editor get the best of you. This is about freeing you up to be creative. You can keep your art journal private or show it to everyone you know. It will be much more authentic if you let your work stay there and grow. So if you don't like how something came out, look at it the next day with fresh eyes and do something different to it, until you like it, or just let it be as a little record of how you were in that moment.

Another fun thing about Moleskine journals is that there is also a whole culture of devotees who are crazy about using that brand of journal, so it is fun to search on the internet and check out how other people are using their Moleskines. But, I digress- use any darn brand you wish- the important part of this is that you actually work in your sketchbook as much as possible. If you work in it daily, it will totally transform how you think about life and art and become part of who you are, but any work in it is valuable- just do it!!

So go get yourself a sketchbook today, if you can, and go ahead and draw or write something in it! Tomorrow, and the rest of the week, I will give you a new little idea each day about the work you can do in your new art journal. I know you will enjoy trying this.