For Neha S.P. : Negative space
To an artist, space is like the area of your happiness. How much space can I lose myself in? Can I get more? There’s never such a thing as too much, but the question does come to mind sometimes. Therefore, every space is sacred and needs to be done justice to. That’s the oath we silently make to ourselves when unwrapping a canvas, or in my case, stretching one.
The subject at hand becomes the next priceless piece of existence. May it be a tiny leaf or a portrait, abstract art or folk, the main story is all there is. So we want it big and bold - front and center.
How big is big, and how small is too small? How much negative space eats your subject, and at what point does it become aesthetic?
To me, there’s no right and wrong because it’s your space and yours alone. You shouldn’t feel uncomfortable placing your elements in the best way that expresses your idea.
I believe technique governs a lot of the space conundrum. Some techniques like sketches, bold strokes and calligraphy will naturally make the best relationships with negative space. Madhubani-like styles are more involved, often telling stories, and the beauty lies in the tiny details and intricate line work.
Negative space doesn’t always have to be white either. It’s the gap between the drama, that becomes dramatic in itself. In landscape art, it could be the sky that follows the horizon outward. The background, sometimes blurred, around wildlife. The space between the subject and the frame. The spaces between letters. Anywhere you get a chance to breathe while looking is negative space.
The way I achieve it changes all the time. But there are a few tricks I will fall back on. The best is using a grid. My graphic design teacher, Matthew Wakeman, opened my world to unconventional, self made grids, where you can apply your story even to something very invisible. Use diagonals, use the corners, spirals.. but make that the foundation and build on top of it. It will push your design to places you didn’t know existed.
The computer does make this easy. Make a thumbnail on an app and see how comfortable you can get.
Another way is start somewhere in between “oh my god too tiny” to “this is too much”. It’s easy to add. You can always put more in places that look too empty and learn when you over did it. Pull back from piece to piece.
One way I learn-for-the-next-time too, is pretend “correct” my finished work. I’ll make computer edits of what I could have done differently, just the act of doing that I think helps me make better edits in the next one.
And then there are always my favorite break-the-brain ideas like throw rice, pieces of paper, use a shadow or an object or something that will give you a boundary to work around/in. This puts you SO off your comfort zone that you often forget where you came from.
Study stuff that makes you very uncomfortable. I have a book by David Carson that I will revisit every time I get complacent with my design. It’s something I CANNOT imagine doing and I get extremely suffocated reproducing it. I tried. Nightmare. But it’s beautiful and challenging and SO delicious to look at. Face your fear! Get chased by it.
Think of it as simply as hitting enter when you are typing an essay. Where do you want to put that gap between the turn of events? How long do you want to dwell on the previous thought before you introduce the new one. How long is that hallway between your living room and main door? How long is the breath between your sentences when you’re telling a friend a funny incident? Or a sad one? That’s all negative space. It’s yours to make, respect, enjoy and share.
