Principles of Design: Positive and Negative
Negative and Positive Shape
Whether an artist is working abstractly or realistically, negative and positive shapes are the simplest way to organize space within a format.
White represents the positive shape and black the negative shape.
In this drawing of a white hand within a black format, white represents the positive shape and black the negative shape. To effectively design a composition, the artist should first consider positive and negative shape relationships.
