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Adding Negative and Positive
Spaces
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In a two-tone, black-and-white image, a subject is normally depicted in
black and the space around it is left blank (white), thereby forming a
silhouette of the subject. However, reversing the tones so that the
space around the subject is printed black and the subject itself is left
blank causes the negative space to be apparent as it forms shapes around
the subject.
Elements of a image that distract from the intended subject, or in the case of photography, objects in the same focal plane, are not considered negative space. Negative space can be used to depict a subject in a chosen medium by showing everything around the subject but not the subject itself. Usage of negative space will produce a silhouette of the subject.
The use of equal negative space, as a balance to positive space, in a
composition is considered by many as good design. This basic and often
overlooked principle of design gives the eye a "place to rest," increasing
the appeal of a composition through subtle means. The term is also used by
musicians to indicate silence within a piece.
My Comments
Does negative space have a shape? Does positive space have a shape? Yes to both questions. You can't have one without the other. It may seem a bit confusing to understand how positive and negative shapes work, and often, when you see images used in positive and negative shape articles, only black and white images are offered in the examples. I'm going to show you something else instead at the end of this article.
In most
every painting, positive and negative shapes are used. One will be the
opposite of the
other; it will be it's negative.
Trees, with
the leaves and tree limbs, will be a positive shape. The sky behind the
leaves and between the limbs, will be a negative shape. A horse's body and
legs will be a positive shape. The space behind the horse and between the
animal's legs will be a negative shape.
In the example on the left, the star, where is the negative shape, and where are the positive shapes? In the outer ring of the star, the points would be the positive shapes, with the white inbetween being the negative. What about the black star in the center? The black star in the center is the positive shape with the red color surrounding it being the negative.
Now,...go to work on the tree image on the right! What is positive and negative? The tree trunk has a positive shape, the background being negative. The shadows are can also be broken up into positive and negative shapes as well :)
Madeleine Jacobs. ( from Wikapedia)
February 2/17 /2007
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Rubin's vase is an optical illusion in which the negative space around the vase forms the silhouettes of two faces in profile.
m.(moth)Spaces Between Moth is another example of the optical illusion where the faces and arms reveal a moth in the white.
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