LESSON 13: POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SPACES

STRUCTURE

13.0 OBJECTIVES

13.1 INTRODUCTION

13.2 INTERACTION OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SPACE IN TEXTILE

DESIGN

13.3 ASSIGNMENTS

13.3.1 CLASS ASSIGNMENTS 13.3.2 HOME ASSIGNMENTS

13.4 SUMMING UP

13.5 POSSIBLE ANSWERS TO SELF-CHECK QUESTIONS

13.6 TERMINAL QUESTIONS

13.7 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED FURTHER READING

13.8 GLOSSARY

1

13. POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SPACES

This is the fifth and final unit of the course on “Elements of design”. In the first four units of this course, we had learnt about the “Basic Elements of Design”, “Forms and Motifs”, “Placement of Designs” and “Different Types of Design”.

You would have observed that the subject of design has been covered step-by-step, in a sequential manner. So far we have learnt about lines, shapes, form and motifs. We have also learnt about different methods of placement of designs and also different types of traditional designs. Before we conclude the discussion on design, it is important to cover another aspect, namely the positive and negative space or the background of the design area, which we shall cover in this unit.

13.0 Objectives

After going through this lesson you will be able to:

• Understand what is positive and negative space in a given design.

• Understand the interaction between Positive and Negative Spaces in Textile Design.

13.1 Introduction

In any given design with a given area, there are two important components:

i) The Design itself, and

ii) The plane on which the design is created

The design itself is called the foreground or positive space and the base/plane on which it lies is the background or negative space. This space around the design (Fig. 13.1) forms the background.

Fig.13.1 Design showing Positive (motifs) and Negative (background) space

2

Both, the foreground and the background complement each other and together form a meaningful design surface. We, therefore, need to understand the concept of positive and negative spaces with the help of some examples.

Both, the positive and the negative spaces interact with each other. Both of them form part of the design. Both the foreground and the background can be treated in different ways so as to bring more texture/contrast or more subtlety in a way that there will be areas where the foreground and the background merge with each other etc. They can interact in different ways and we need to understand these.

First we will learn about the above concepts and then create them by developing our own surfaces.

As discussed in the Course No. CTD 104 on Colour and Texture, a composition can be painted in various ways and techniques using different textures and strokes. We can use strokes, hatching, cross hatching, pixellation, bands of colour, dots, lines etc., for this purpose. All these techniques help us in building the foreground and the background in relation to each other.

Self-check Questions

1. Fill in the blanks:

i) The design itself is called the _________or ________ space and the base/plane on which it lies is the __________or __________ space.

ii) Both, the _________ and the __________ complement each other and together form a __________ design surface.

13.2 Interaction of Positive and Negative Spaces in Textile Design

In textile designs, foreground and background interact with each other at different levels and in different ways. Let us look at some examples of work in textile designs and paintings.

i) Appliqué: Let us take the craft of appliqué. In this technique, a piece of fabric

is applied, stitched, or attached on the surface of another piece of fabric which serves as the base for the given design. For example, let us apply a red fabric in shape of a bird on green base fabric (Fig 13.2a, 13.2b). Here, red is going to be the positive or the foreground and the green fabric the negative or the background. Other bird motifs could also be placed on the green background. It will be important to note what shape the space takes between 2 motifs. The negative space then starts to interact with the positive foreground (Fig.13.2).

Fig. 13.2 Appliqué

a b c d

3

ii) Reverse: There is another technique called reverse. It might prove to be more meaningful in our understanding of positive and negative space. Let us take an example of a green leaf on a beige background. Snips will be made on the folded leaf and it is then placed on the base beige fabric. While applying the green leaf, the snips will also be folded back to show the base fabric giving a texture to the leaf (Fig. 13.3).

It is very clear how in this design the background and the foreground both become part of the design. Let us see some more examples.

Take a print design of different overlapping flowers. These flowers are rendered in pixilation technique with dots. The outline and dotting are all in a single colour black. The rest of the design, the background and the flower parts which are not rendered in pixilation remain white in colour. So it is a strong artwork in just black and white. Here also, the white background beautifully interacts with the positive design in black, making the positive and the negative both important to the look of the design (Fig.13. 4 a, b, and c).

This design can also be created by just painting the background in black and all the overlapping areas in a shade of grey (Fig.13. 4d). The design or the positive space here remains blank in white and the painted background helps in lifting the design.

Fig. 13.3 Reverse

Fig. 13.4a Fig. 13.4b

Fig. 13.4c Fig. 13.4d

4

iii) Resist Printing: Another technique we can talk about is Resist Printing. This can be done by blocks or by screen. Traditionally, we have the art of Dabu or mud resist printing which is well known in areas of Rajasthan and Gujarat. This is a form of printing where the design is printed with a special paste of mud and glue such that when the fabric is printed and dyed in a colour the area where the mud paste was applied remains in the base colour and does not pick up any colour applied on it. Once finished these designs present a great surface of interacting positive and negative space.

These are just a few examples. In all aspects of textile designs across techniques, be it weaving, printing, embroideries, patchwork, appliqué etc, interaction between positive and negative can be seen. We need to be sensitive to its presence and this learning will definitely help you in creating exciting design surfaces.

Self-check Questions

2. Fill in the blanks:

i) In all aspects of textile designs, be it ________, _________, ___________, __________, _________ etc, interaction between positive and negative can be seen.

13.3 Assignments

13.3.1 Class Assignments

Fig. 13.5 Resist printing, showing design with positive and negative spaces

Fig. 13.6

5

i) On a quarter imperial sheet, draw a composition with 4 different leaves and colour the design, the positive part in 3 colours in any technique (Fig 13.6).

The same design can also be prepared in a different way if we colour only the background or the negative part. Our 2nd exercise is based on this.

ii) On 1/4 imperial sheet, make the same design as in exercise 1 and paint only the background, the negative part in the same 3 colours (Fig 13.7).

The above exercises should explain the concepts of positive and negative space.

13.3.2 Home Assignments

i) Create an appliqué of a floral motive on fabric to understand the interaction between positive and negative spaces.

13.4 Summing Up

By now, you must have gained insight into positive and negative spaces and developed a good knowledge about them. Let us briefly summarize what we have learned in this lesson.

• We have learnt about positive and negative spaces and their interaction in designs.

• The design itself is called the foreground or the positive and the base or the plane on which it lies is the background or negative.

• Background is, therefore, the space around the design.

• Both the foreground and the background complement each other and together form a meaningful design surface.

• Different rendering and colouring techniques help us in building the foreground and the background in relation to each other.

• In textile design, foreground and background interact with each other at different levels and diverse ways.

• In all aspects of textile designs across techniques, be it weaving, printing embroideries, patchwork, appliqué etc, this interaction between positive and negative space can be seen.

Fig. 13.7

6

13.5 Possible Answers to Self-check Questions

1. Fill in the blanks:

i) The design itself is called the foreground or positive space and the base/plane on which it lies is the background or negative space.

ii) Both, the foreground and the background complement each other and together form a meaningful design surface.

2. Fill in the blanks:

i) In all aspects of textile designs, be it weaving, printing, embroideries, patchwork, appliqué etc, interaction between positive and negative can be seen.

13.6 Terminal Questions

1. Explain the components of design area.

2. How is ‘Resist Printing’ done?

3. Differentiate between Appliqué and Reverse processes.

4. Fill up the blanks:

i) The art of Dabu or mud resist printing is well known in areas of ___________________.

ii) In textile design, _________ and __________ interact with each other at different levels and diverse ways.

13.7 References and Suggested Further Reading

1. Bhavnani, E. 1982. Decorative Designs and Craftsmanship of India. D.B Taraporevala Sons & Co. Pvt. Ltd. Bombay.

13.8 Glossary

1. Construction: Structure or creation

2. Specific: Particular

3. Component: Part

4. Foreground: Forefront

7

5. Complement: Balance

6. Interact: Relate

7. Subtlety: Refinement

8. Merge: Combine

9. Strokes: A mark made by drawing across a surface with a pen, paintbrush.

10. Hatching: Shade with close parallel lines.

11. Pixellation: Divide an image into pixels.

12. Appliqué: Needlework in which fabric shapes are attached to a fabric background.

13. Snips: Cut with scissors using small, quick strokes.

14. Motifs: A single or repeated image forming a design

15. Render: Represent

8