Space the next frontier

Using space in artwork

Learning to use space is one skill that can make a huge difference to an artist’s work.

There are some great artists out there, creating amazing works. But I often feel that some really exciting and promising drawings and paintings could be made even better by the use of space.

Room to breath

When I was taking drawing classes I would see artists taking a sheet of paper, then beginning to fill the page. Often, they would underestimate the area needed and start to unconsciously cram or adjust proportions to fit the whole subject. Even when they successfully fitted the whole image on the page, it would often appear cramped, with no room to breath.

Thoughtfully using space can breath life into your work.

Using space dynamically

The same can be true with paintings. It’s important that when composing a picture we need to take into account not only the items we want to include, but also the space.

The area around the main objects is often called negative space, while the area occupied by them is called positive space.

Choosing how to use and manipulate this space can completely change the dynamics of the composition. Photographers understand all about using space. Careful cropping can turn a simple snapshot into a dramatic image. It used to be said that images were captured in the camera, but pictures are made in the darkroom. It’s still true – even if today’s darkroom is digital.

Exceptions to rules

Sometimes, cramping the picture space may be necessary to achieve your aim. If you want to give the impression of a crowded scene, maybe a football crowd, or a busy interior, cropping in may be the answer. Cutting into figures on the margin can make the viewer feel part of the scene.

The important thing to grasp is that using space should be a conscious decision.

Take a look at the sketches below. Varying the space and cropping gives each a very different character, even though the images are the same.  When the space moves away from the usual balance, the composition sets up tensions and becomes more dynamic

It’s a frameup.

Sometimes, excellent pieces of work are let down by framing. It’s a question of space again. Large paintings can often be successfully displayed without frames. But frames should be in proportion to the picture.

Small paintings, especially watercolours, really benefit from a border or a matt around them. In this way you not only give them that ‘space to breath’, but also control the background.

Drawings also benefit from being displayed on the paper on which they were created. The artist has a second chance to improve the composition by judicious cropping, but then mounting them on a contrasting board with a few centimetres margin, can turn a pencil sketch into a stunning artwork.