From the course: Drawing Foundations: Fundamentals

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Introducing negative space

Introducing negative space

From the course: Drawing Foundations: Fundamentals

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Introducing negative space

One of the first things that I look for when I'm assessing a scene to draw is the negative spaces in the scene. Negative spaces is just spaces between two objects which form an interesting shape for us to look at. It can really help to balance to actual composition. So, let's have a look in more detail at negative spaces and how important they can be to really transform how you view the world and how you view your drawings. So, instead of tuning in and looking at the actual subject, which we feel is the most important part of the drawing, I look for the spaces around the subject, to make it easier for me to draw it, ensure the drawing works well as a composition as a whole. When you first look at this Vermeer painting, it doesn't look to be full of negative spaces, but the more you look, as with most things, the more you'll start to see them kind of hidden away. If we look at this chair down here on the right, you'll see there essentially is a very flat colors. There's very little…

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