25 Days to Better Drawings: Positive and Negative Space

Lesson Description

Lesson 20 of the 25 Days to Better Drawings course explores one of the most powerful yet often overlooked concepts in drawing: understanding and using positive and negative space. While many beginner artists focus exclusively on the subject itself—the positive space—the lesson reveals that the area surrounding the subject, known as negative space, is equally important in creating accurate, balanced, and visually compelling drawings. By learning how to observe and work with both, students strengthen their ability to see relationships, refine composition, and draw with greater precision.

Matt begins the lesson by explaining how positive space refers to the actual subject matter of the drawing—objects, figures, or any identifiable forms. Negative space, on the other hand, is the space around and between those forms. Many artists instinctively focus on positive space, but learning to see negative space transforms the way you approach drawing, helping you notice contours, proportions, and angles with improved clarity.

Understanding the Role of Negative Space

The lesson emphasizes that negative space is not just “empty” space—it's an essential visual component that helps define the boundaries and shapes of the positive forms. Matt explains that artists often struggle with accuracy because they don’t pay enough attention to the surrounding space. When you shift your mindset and begin to draw the shapes created by the background, your brain starts to interpret the subject abstractly, reducing assumptions and enabling more accurate observation.

Matt discusses how negative space can help correct distortions in contour drawings, refine symmetry, and strengthen compositional choices. He provides examples that show how noticing the shapes between petals, leaves, or structural elements can make a drawing look more natural and accurate. By learning to see everything in the picture plane—positive and negative—as pieces of a puzzle, you become better equipped to place shapes correctly and develop stronger compositions.

Exploring the Concept Through Simple Exercises

Before moving into the main project, Matt leads students through a few quick warm-up exercises designed to strengthen the habit of seeing negative shapes. These may include identifying abstract shapes formed between familiar objects or outlining the spaces around simple silhouettes. These exercises encourage students to mentally shift focus away from the object and toward the area around it—an approach that can feel unusual at first but quickly becomes a valuable tool.

Through these introductory activities, students begin to experience firsthand how drawing negative space can improve their accuracy. By observing the spaces between forms instead of the forms themselves, the mind becomes less burdened by expectations or preconceived ideas about how objects “should” look, allowing for a more honest representation of what is truly there.

Drawing the Silhouette of a Flower

After exploring the conceptual foundation of positive and negative space, the lesson transitions into a guided project. Using graphite pencils on white drawing paper, students follow Matt step-by-step as he draws the silhouette of a flower. A silhouette provides an ideal subject for studying positive and negative space because it simplifies the form, reducing it to essential, recognizable shapes.

Matt begins by discussing how to view the flower not as a collection of petals and stems but as an arrangement of interlocking shapes. He demonstrates how to identify both the positive shapes created by the flower itself and the negative shapes created by the background around and between the petals. Students are encouraged to pause and carefully analyze these shapes before placing marks on the paper.

As the drawing progresses, Matt guides students in lightly blocking in the major shapes of the flower’s outer edges, using negative space as a measuring tool. Instead of relying solely on the contour of the petals, you compare the angles and distances of the negative shapes between them. This method helps eliminate distortion and ensures that the silhouette remains balanced and accurate.

Once the overall silhouette is established, Matt refines the drawing by sharpening edges and adjusting proportions where needed. Although the exercise focuses primarily on shape and contour rather than shading or texture, the attention to positive and negative space enhances the structural accuracy of the drawing and heightens awareness of spatial relationships.

Developing Stronger Observational Skills

The lesson concludes with a reflection on how the study of positive and negative space improves overall drawing ability. As Matt explains, learning to incorporate both spaces into your process strengthens your observational skills and leads to cleaner, more confident drawings. The flower silhouette exercise reinforces that drawing is not m

Lesson Materials

Graphite drawing pencil and white drawing paper.

Lesson Resources

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