By Chris Crosby
Good composition in a painting is vital, and using negative space can be a way of balancing elements, helping to add interest to the whole work, as well as improving the accuracy of drawing. Negative space is the space around and between the subject of the image, whereas the subject of the artwork occupies the positive space.
Negative drawing is also useful for adding outlines and colours where you might otherwise struggle to find a way.
 I use this method in my work with coloured pencil; it is not possible to colour white over darker colours, and saves having to pre-think which areas I need to colour white first.​

Here are some examples of my work to show what I mean
​Looking at the black and white Schnauzer, you can see that I’ve made the shape of the eyebrows and beard by working back into the space with a black pencil.
With the Westie, I have gone into the edges of Alfie’s fur with the rust pencil, to outline him.  

​There are many examples of negative drawing and positive/negative space available on the internet (of course!), some of which I’ll share here:

UK artist Rebecca Mills
Negative space is used in photography and design and there are examples everywhere we can see in everyday life. Negative space is used a great deal in logo design as we see in the FedEx logo and the white arrow that is created in the negative space. Once you sharpen your eye to negative spaces you might find yourself spotting the hidden shapes in them everywhere. You can read more about this on Rebecca’s website.

UK Artist Mike Sibley
What do you see when you look at this picture below? Do you see an ancient black drinking cup? Maybe an ebony candlestick holder? These are the positive images. Or do you see two white faces both looking at each other? Think of these faces as the negative areas or what I call White Space. Imagine yourself seeing these two faces on white paper and filling in the space between them in black so the faces are revealed. This is Negative Drawing - seeing the space and not the line. Teaching yourself to see White Space is one of the best lessons you will ever learn.

​If you want more tips and to practice negative drawing take a look at “An introduction to negative drawing with Mike Sibley” published on the Art Instruction website. You can also find some articles and videos on the topic (pay to download) on Mike Sibley’s website.

​Other links to useful articles about negative drawing/space:
https://emilysnotebook.co.uk/all-posts/negative-space-drawing/
https://theartyteacher.com/what-is-negative-space-in-art/
The renowned graphic design artist, Escher, is known for using negative space in his art – read all about it here.
You can also deploy negative space to great effect in paintings, as explained in this post on Draw Paint Academy.

I hope you find this post informative - thank you for reading.

Lawrence Art Society's exhibition returns to Devizes Town Hall
29 September to 1 October 2022

At the end of this month the major, three-day, annual exhibition held by our friends at the Lawrence Art Society takes place. Last year 250 artworks were exhibited with a total 'display' value of £50,000 which demonstrates how significant an undertaking it is to stage such an event. This year's exhibition will feature an extensive range of paintings in various styles, media and subject matter. 

Please do your best to support this exhibition by visiting it and/or telling your family and friends about it!

Entry to the exhibition in Devizes is free; it's open from 9.30am-5.30pm each day, from Thursday 29 September to Saturday 1 October. Details are on the poster below, or more information is available on the Society's website. 

Calling all artists ... the 14th Annual Pound Arts Open is back!
​
Corsham-based Pound Arts has announced the submission dates for entries to its forthcoming exhibition as 9am on Friday 16 September until midday on Friday 4 November, 2022. 

This is the largest exhibition of the year at Pound Arts and exhibitors have the chance to win one of three fantastic cash prizes (including £250 from Corsham Town Council and £200 from Right Angle Picture Framing, as well as the opportunity to win a solo exhibition at Pound Arts! Brief details are below with more information about criteria and how to enter available on the Pound Arts website here. 

Dates of the exhibition itself are yet to be announced.

Good luck to everyone who submits an entry, especially members of Lacock Art Group! Please let the Committee know how you get on.   

​Attention oil painters: limited opportunity to obtain free PDF of Ted Spurgeon's book "The Living Craft"
If you are an oil painter who enjoys making your own mediums this book is a 'must have'. The current edition of Ted's book (edition 14), which is all about the creative process associated with oil painting,  has now completely sold out so he is offering the PDF for free. He has spent many years exploring historic oil painting materials and methods and his book documents his exploration of ways of refining oil and creating mediums that are based on Old Master techniques.

For a limited period - until the end of October - you can download a free PDF of the 500-page book. Given the size it may take some time to download! It comes highly recommended by one of our members who has followed its guidance and already made her own cold wax and will be having a go at making 'putty'! 

Take a look at Ted Spurgeon's website to find out more about the artist and his book which can be downloaded here.