Perceiving the Shape of Space

L-Mode

Paul Cezanne "Boy with the Red Vest" 1890

Henri Matisse "Self Portrait" 1918

Paul Cezanne "Still Life with Plaster Cupid" 1895

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R-Mode

Edgar Degas "L'Absinthe" 1875

Seeing Shapes in Space:
​Positive vs. Negative 

We’re about to tackle one of the most powerful drawing skills: seeing negative space. If you don’t know what that means yet, don’t worry—it’ll make sense once you do it.

First, remember the five core skills of drawing:
Seeing edges (contour lines)
Seeing spaces (negative spaces)
​Seeing relationships (proportion, perspective) Seeing light and shadow (shading)


What’s “positive” and “negative” space?

Positive space = the actual subject (a person, an object, a tree).
Negative space = the empty areas around and between those subjects.

Example: If you’re drawing a sheep on a hill, the sheep is the positive form. The sky and the ground around it are the negative spaces.

Here’s the trick: drawing negative space makes you a better artist.
​Why? Because you can’t fall back on “symbols” of what you think something looks like. You don’t have memorized shortcuts for the empty space between a chair’s legs, so your brain finally pays attention to what’s actually there.


The Activity: L-Mode vs. R-Mode We’ll test how the two sides of your brain see differently.

Step 1: Set the Stage

In your sketchbook: Turn the page horizontally. Click the image of the Boy with the Red Vest by Cezanne so that it is isolated on the screen of your computer.  (See video directions here)

Place your paper over your computer screen, and trace only the outer edge of the rectangle of the image. Do this left of center on the paper, then do the same thing to the right of the rectangle you just drew.  You should have two rectangles on the page that are side by side.  

Write the painting’s title at the top. Do this for the first 4 paintings:
Boy with the Red Vest – Cézanne
Self-Portrait – Matisse
Cupid with Plaster Cast- Cézanne
L’Absinthe – Degas  (only one rectangle centered on the page for this one)


Step 2: Draw in L-Mode (Positive Forms)
In the left rectangle, spend 10 minutes drawing what you see in Boy with the Red Vest.

Do the same for the next three paintings. 10 minutes per drawing (30 minutes total).

Expect your “left brain” to take over here, simplifying things into symbols—eyes, noses, clothing.


Step 3: Draw in R-Mode (Negative Spaces)

In the right rectangle next to your first Cézanne drawing, ignore the figure and draw only the shapes of the space around it. Spend between 3 and 5 minutes on each, focusing on accuracy of the shapes and their relative position to each other. 

Draw the shapes where colors or tones meet—almost like you’re piecing together a puzzle. Do this same thing for the first three paintings. This should take you approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. 

By the end, you’ll notice: one drawing shows what your brain thinks it sees, and the other shows what you actually saw. Your proportions to the overall space should be much more accurate in the R-Mode drawing. 


Step 4: Flip the Order

For the Degas painting (L’Absinthe), start with the negative space first. Lightly draw all of the shapes that surround the figures in that painting.  Then move to the positive forms after all those negative shapes are complete. Do all of this very lightly as a sketch.


Step 5: The Final Shift
Finish the last painting by rendering its positive and negative forms.

Because you started with the negative spaces, you’ll notice your brain shifting—you’ll actually see both positive and negative space working together. 

In this final drawing, I want you to really shade all the values you see in an effort to make it as realistic as you are capable. This final drawing activity should take no less than 20 minutes. 


What This Means

You’ve now experienced both sides of seeing: L-Mode: labeling, shortcutting, symbol-making. R-Mode: slowing down, noticing, really observing shapes.

​Next time, we’ll take this skill into life drawing, where you’ll apply negative space observation to real objects in the classroom.