FROM THE DRAWING BOARD

Hi Brett, I have dabbled in art on and off for forty years and having part completed a commercial art course in the 1970s, I appear to have, until recently, missed the concept of drawing the negative spaces. I still primarily draw what I see but recognise the negative space concept as having a place in all drawings. My interest here is where did this concept come from and how long did it take to get accepted by the broader art world? With thanks, Wade, Bidwill.

Hi Wade, I just love negative spaces as they really are purely abstract shapes that can’t lead you astray with preconceived ideas of what you are drawing. They are a great proportional judgement tool as if they are not right the positive shapes (the actual subject) can’t possibly be right either, so they are especially handy when trying to overcome foreshortening illusions in the subject you are drawing (or painting) no matter whether working from life or photographic reference sources. They