Tip of the Month - February 2003

A painting is more than the positive shapes of the subject. The artist is responsible for the positive shapes(your subject) and the surrounding negative area to the edge of the pictorial space. Empty negative space can be enhanced with shapes that are not as striking as the positive shapes.

Negative and positive spaces can be done at the same time, permitting an integration of subject and background. In the painting ALOHA, I started with warm colors in the positive and negative areas. Some of the subject was projected forward by using hard edges; some of the subject melted into space by using soft edges.

Areas of light were created by painting negatively around a colored shape.

Dark negative shapes pushed light positive shapes forward. Soft-edged positive shapes melted into negative space, making a pattern of alternating values.

Large areas of negative space were altered with soft-edged shapes or hard-edged shapes of similar value.

Look at the negative space. Does it enhance your subject? or is it uncomfortably empty?

You can view the final painting here