What is positive and negative space? Positive space refers to areas where the subject is positioned. Negative space is the area surrounding the subject. Or in other words, positive space is the main focus area whilst negative space is the background.

All shapes can be described as either positive or negative: Positive shapes are the shapes of actual objects. Negative shapes are the areas between these objects.

Positive shapes occupy positive space. The area around positive shapes, the background, is negative space. A solid piece of sculpture occupies space, and makes the space around it come to life. The negative shape inside this sculpture repeats the overall structure of the sculptor’s positive shapes.

Mathematically speaking,we see our surroundings in 3 dimension,because in 3 dimension we consider all the three axes ,i.e,x-axis,y-axis,z-axis. Where as in 2 dimension we do not consider the z-axis, the z-axis mainly stands for the height or the thickness of the object.

In page layout, illustration and sculpture, white space is often referred to as negative space. It is the portion of a page left unmarked: margins, gutters, and space between columns, lines of type, graphics, figures, or objects drawn or depicted. For publication designers, white space is very important.

Today, used in design, this term has nothing to do with white color: it’s all about empty space rather than color. The term “negative space” comes from photography: on a photo shot, they define positive space (objects attracting attention) and negative space (background).

Positive space refers to the subject or areas of interest in an artwork, such as a person’s face or figure in a portrait, the objects in a still life painting, or the trees in a landscape painting. Negative space is the background or the area that surrounds the subject of the work.

In drawing and painting, negative spaces are actual shapes that share edges with the positive shape — the object or objects you are drawing or painting — thereby creating the outline of your subject. Every positive shape is surrounded by negative space.

And remember, negative space does not have to be white. It can be a color, a pattern or even a background.

Negative Space Examples In Art History. Possibly the most famous example of negative space is Rubin’s vase; a simple black and white drawing that, depending on the viewer’s point of view, either shows two faces in profile or an ornamental vase.

Effect of Negative Space The psychology behind negative space in photography is usually to create quiet images. The size difference between the main subject and the surrounding area can make the main subject feel isolated. This can add feelings of loneliness, solitude, relaxation, contemplation, or even importance.

For example, a metal sculpture may have a hole in the middle, which we would call the negative space. Henry Moore used such spaces in his freeform sculptures such as Recumbent Figure in 1938, and 1952’s Helmet Head and Shoulders. In two-dimensional art, negative space can have a great impact.