Claudia Curl, 2008, by Fred Hatt
“Negative space” is what we call the parts of the picture around and between the primary subject. In the image above, all the green and blue spaces are negative spaces. Here, because the subject goes beyond all four edges of the paper, and there’s a hollow in the middle, we have a balanced set of five shapes, no two alike. The bright color keeps them optically connected and emphasizes the pattern they form. The drawing below is a similar pose and composition, but the forward bend of the body gives the negative spaces around it a less balanced, more active feel. The hollow formed by the space between the front of the body and the arms and thighs is a more complex kind of negative space, with more distant parts of the body showing through the arch.
Lilli Grotto, 2009, by Fred Hatt
Negative spaces can be very useful in figuring out a pose on the page. Doubles poses, for instance, are notoriously challenging to draw. The spatial relationships are not just doubled, they’re multiplied. Here’s an analytical sketch of a doubles pose. You’ll notice an overall framing shape, lines showing the angular relationships between various points, and carefully delineated negative spaces, not just between the two bodies, but also between the contours of the bodies and the framing shape. Clearly seeing the negative spaces can help an artist to overcome some of the confusion that comes of trying to see the parts of the body as we think they should be, rather than as they are.
Marianna & Emma, 2009, by Fred Hatt
Certain poses are challenging to draw because of multiple crossings of limbs, or foreshortening, or because they’re seen from up close or at an unusual angle. Looking at the body itself can be quite confusing in these situations, but the negative spaces are simpler and their spatial relationship is clearer, so we can start from the negative spaces and then fill in the body details.
Stanley Folded, 2008, by Fred Hatt
Jiri Twisted, 2009, by Fred Hatt
The negative space can be developed to suggest the three-dimensional environment of the model, as in the drawing below, where there is a close vertical plane on the right and a more distant vertical plane on the left.
Theresa by Corner, 2009, by Fred Hatt
Or the negative space can be elaborated as a sort of complement or mirror of the positive space. In the drawing below, the folds in the fabric become almost biomorphic, reflecting the wrinkles and multiple roundnesses of the twisted feet.
Maria's Feet, 2007, by Fred Hatt
Clearly seeing negative space is about shifting the focus from presence to absence. Finding the figure by looking at the negative space is one of the many artistic applications of the Hermetic principle “As above, so below” or “As within, so without”. All reality exists on the cusp between interior and exterior, between past and future, or between any polarity you care to examine. To draw is to surf on the points of contact.
All drawings in this post are aquarelle crayon on paper, 50 x 70 cm.
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6 Comments
Good explain, Fred & excellent drawings, of course!
I wonder… do you find working on a colored (gray or black) ground makes it easier to see the negative?
As I think about it, watching others work in, perhaps pastels, on a colored ground, I can see where the image is going much sooner than say a watercolorest laying his tones on white.
Not an important point I know, but you got me curious.
When models are asked to demonstrate negative space, the inclination is to pose too consciously with that in mind. The result is artificial L-shaped arms with bent elbows sticking up in mid-air, deliberately formed triangles with legs, etc. I used to do such things myself in my earlier, less-seasoned art modeling days! Maybe for beginning artists who are just learning the concept of negative space those things are appropriate. But experienced artists know that there is ALWAYS negative space no matter how the model is posed. “Maria’s Feet” is a good example of that. She herself is tightly intertwined, but a sea of negative space still exists around her, offsetting her shape.
Great post and discussion, Fred. And I’m honored to have kicked things off with my “curl”.
Jim, I find working on gray paper makes it easier to work in both highlights and shadows, and since you already have a midtone there it makes the drawing come together much more quickly. I don’t think it makes much difference for seeing negative space. For me, looking at the negative space is about how I examine the subject, regardless of the paper or medium.
Yes, Claudia, there is always negative space. It’s hard for people to get the idea of looking at negative space because we naturally look at things, not at “not things”. But when you get the hang of it, it’s a lot easier to see a negative space as an abstract shape, and the trickiest thing about drawing the body is that we don’t see it abstractly so we’re fooled by what we think we know.
Thanks for being a great muse as both model and blogger, Claudia. Any readers that come across this, check out Claudia’s blog “Museworthy“. If you’re interested in figurative art it is definitely worthy of your time. Every figure drawing artist should read it to get a perspective from the other side of the easel!
You are one hell of a figure drawer, man! I love figure drawing and – wow – I think you top the mark. Gave me a twitching urge to dig out my crayons and markers and head back to drawing class. Being an ol’ coot of 70, a life-long artist, I can easily get “senior citizen” approval to attend the local university classes. Yeah, you spur me on.
I still draw, comment, being the usual cynical me, but for the past few years the majority of my work has been on computers, using a fairly simple paint program and drawing with the mouse.
I love drawing people, and not just people, but the spaces interacted between them, the gestures we make, the hand forward, the head tilted back…
I love your lines within the forms. The colors. More power to you.
Ralph
Thanks, Ralph. Yeah, life drawing is a great lifelong practice. It’s like an eye-hand-mind workout and a meditation combined, plus you get permission to stare at faces and bodies, which is a great pleasure. I’m 50 and most of the artists that come to the class I supervise are older than me. Some of the models are, too!
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