The Art of Negative Space - 25 Amazing Examples

The art of negative space: 25 amazing examples | Illustration | Creativ...
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Jun 6, 2014 16:57 pm

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These brilliant illustrations all employ clever and

creative use of negative space.
Negative space is, quite simply, the space that surrounds an object in a
image. Just as important as that object itself, negative space helps to
define the boundaries of positive space and brings balance to a
composition.
More and more these days, the creative world is seeing an emergence of
artists creating positive spaces and shapes that, in turn, cleverly carve
out shapes in negative space intentionally. And the results can be
stunning. Here, we've found some brilliant examples - enjoy!
Read all our illustration-related articles here
(http://www.creativebloq.com/tag/illustration)
1 of 28
06/11/2014 3:16 PM
01. Alexander Johnson
> A classic tail for a classic tale - Moby Dick book cover design
Leeds based designer Alexandar Johnson (https://www.behance.net

/Alexander_Johnson) created this clever Moby Dick book cover for the
classic tale Moby Dick. Including both the harpoon and the whale's tale,
it's simple, striking and brilliantly unique.
02. Tang Yau Hoong
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2 of 28
06/11/2014 3:16 PM
> Tang Yau Hoong negative space art is always jaw-dropping
Tang Yau Hoong (http://tangyauhoong.com/) is an artist, illustrator,

graphic designer living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. With a passion for
creative thinking, he creates art that is conceptual, surreal and fun in a
simplistic and unique way.
03. Ben Farrow
here
)
3 of 28
06/11/2014 3:16 PM
> A brilliantly simple use of negative space from Ben Farrow
Ben Farrow (http://www.estragonhelmer.com/) is an anthropomorphic

artist and graphic designer whose work focuses primarily on vector art.
This brilliantly simple execution of the Titanic is a clever way of using
negative space with more than a hint of art nouveau.
04. Troy DeShano
here
)
4 of 28
06/11/2014 3:16 PM
> Troy DeShano was inspired by one of Hitchcock's greatest
movies for this piece

Troy DeShano (http://www.strongodors.com/) has created tonnes of
negative space art but it's this creation, based on Hitchcock's 'The
Birds', that caught our eye. We love the intergration of her hair with the
silouhettes of flying birds.
05. Caroline Remy
> This clever use of negative space 'hides' the main animal
"The firm specialises in cattle," explains Belgian designer Caroline

Remy (http://www.caregraphic.be). "But its image among customers is
for smaller animals. The customer wanted to hide the cow, which is why
it must append two cards to replenish the logo."
06. Harvey Esparcia
here
)
5 of 28
06/11/2014 3:16 PM
> This brilliant use of negative space combines the designers
initials
This simple yet striking logo design is the personal logo study from
Filipino designer Harvey Esparcia who uses negative space to combine
his initial letters.
07. Painting the Universe
here
)
6 of 28
06/11/2014 3:16 PM
> Philipp Rietz dives into space for his negative space work
An out-of-this-world example of negative space, the striking white

space matched with the beautiful, eccentric colours make this an
unforgettable execution from designer Philipp Rietz.
08. Flying far, far away
> A clever use of perspective showcases the negative space
This negative space design from illustrator and artist Ale M is a subtle
and wholly beautiful offering that shows a splash of colour can make all
the difference. We love the clever use of perspective.
09. Songbird
here
)
7 of 28
06/11/2014 3:16 PM
> We love this simple yet striking use of negative space
Designer Tang Yau Hoong uses a simple and straight-forward

illustration style to get the most out of the negative space. Using just the
two shades allows the clever negative space trick to jump out.
10. Nature's Choir
here
> A gorgeous and intricate execution of negative space
)
8 of 28
06/11/2014 3:16 PM
This more intricate offering from illustrator and artist radiomode is as

beautiful as they come. Using negative space to portray the beauty of
nature, we especially love the attention to detail on the leaves.
11. Guild Of Food Writers
> Beautiful in its simplicity, the GFW logo uses negative space
splendidly
Creative agency 300million (http://www.300million.com/) delivers
work that is intelligent, looks good and gets results. A great example is
The Guild of Food Writers' logo, the replacement of the pen's nib with a
spoon shape creates a simple, clever and impactful logo.
12. Spartan Golf Club
here
)
9 of 28
06/11/2014 3:16 PM
> Ingenious, but it does make you wonder which came first - the
logo design or the golf club's name?

Richard Fonteneau is a graphic designer based in Lexington, USA. The
Spartan Golf Club is a perfect example of well executed negative space
in a logo design. The arc appears to be the top of a Spartans warriors
helmet, also the making of the golfer's driving swing. And do you notice
anything about the face of this Spartan?
13. FedEx Logo
here
)
10 of 28
06/11/2014 3:16 PM
> The FedEx logo is a classic use of negative space
The white arrow between the E and the X is piercing once seen. This
'hidden arrow' conveys the dynamic attributes that maintains FedEx
leadership. The logo has won ample design awards and is constantly
featured in 'best logos' lists. The logo was originally designed by Lindon
Leader in 1994, he feels the sole purpose of branding is to facilitate the
realisation of a client's strategic marketing objectives. The work his
studio creates "is not decorative or cosmetic".
14. Fiat
here
)
11 of 28
06/11/2014 3:16 PM
> Clever use of negative space to have the maximum impact (not
literally)
We're used to seeing highly creative and quality work come from
worldwide ad agency Leo Burnett (http://www.leoburnett.com.br/). So
it's no surprise that the team in Brazil have come up trumps once again
with this brilliantly clever new campaign for car manufacturer Fiat,
which encourages drivers not to send text messages while drving.
A series of three prints, a large white letter R, N, and F are accompanied
by a graphic of a little girl, dog, and bus respectively, each illustration
creating the defining shape of each letterform. The taglines state: "You
either see the letter or the dog (bus, little girl). Dont text and drive."
This is a fantastic example of how clever use of negative space can make
a big impact. The stark contrast between black and white creates
beautiful silhouettes of the girl, dog and bus hidden within the type. An
innovative idea that really drives home the dangers of texting while
driving.
15. Day vs Night
here
)
12 of 28
06/11/2014 3:16 PM
> Beautiful and surreal illustration's utilisation of negative space
becomes apparent once inverted

Tang Yau Hoong is a self taught illustrator born and based in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia. Experimenting and playing with negative space and
illusion in her artwork, she has developed a series of mesmerising
illustrations. Tang Yau Hoong's work is mostly conceptual, surreal and
minimalist with an interesting colour palette.
Day vs Night is available to buy here (http://shop.tangyauhoong.com
/product/day-vs-night). Each illustration is made using archival
pigment inks and fine-quality paper, and is hand-signed by Tang Yau
Hoong.
here
)
16. Noma Bar
13 of 28
06/11/2014 3:16 PM
> One of many Don Delillo book cover designs by Noma Bar
A graduate of the Bezalel Academy of Art & Design, Noma Bar

We (http://www.dutchuncle.co.uk/illustrators/noma-bar/portfolios
use cookies on this website. By using this site, you agree that we may store and
here
/portfolio) is an award-winning graphic designer, famous for his
)
14 of 28
06/11/2014 3:16 PM
'negative space style'. Using a limited colour palette, Bar carefully crafts
and places positive space to give the negative space another meaning.
Using the bare minimum to communicate his message, Bar's distinctive
work has gained him international recognition and work with leading
companies including Vodafone, Coca Cola and the BBC.
17. Olly Moss
here
)
15 of 28
06/11/2014 3:16 PM
> British designer Olly Moss cleverly uses negative space to depict
the main feature of the film

Designer Olly Moss (http://www.ollymoss.com/) is a master of postive
and negative space trickery - a perfect example being this stunning
poster he created for Mondo (http://www.mondotees.com/) for the
30th anniversary screening of An American Werewolf in London back
in 2011.
Glaringly obvious, the negative space around the shape of the aerial
view of the UK cleverly forms a brilliant illustration of the terrifying
creature featured in the movie.
18. Tang Yau Hoong
here
)
16 of 28
06/11/2014 3:16 PM
> Beware of those hands...
Malaysia-based graphic designer Tang Yau Hoong

(http://www.tangyauhoong.com/) has a brilliant ability to cleverly
incorporate negative space into his works. This Beware of those Hands
piece is one of many where the talented artist uses negative space to
extend the story of the objects featured in the image.
A master of his craft, Hoong loves simplistic design, a style which is
reflected throughout his awe-inspiring portfolio.
19. Simon C. Page
here
)
17 of 28
06/11/2014 3:16 PM
> Graphic designer Simon C. Page uses negative space trickery to
depict Batman VS Penguin

It's Batman VS Penguin in this brilliant print by graphic designer Simon
C. Page. Part of his Criminal Underworld series, Page cleverly depicts
both characters using negative space trickery.
The bald head and long pointy nose are instantly identifiable as Danny
Devito's Penguin, which in turn, carves out the strong, bold silhouette of
Michael Keaton as Batman. Genius.
20. Shigeo Fukada
here
)
18 of 28
06/11/2014 3:16 PM
> Japanese graphic designer employed a strong use of negative
space in his artwork

The artwork of Japanese graphic designer Shigeo Fukada employs a
strong use of negative space as well as bold experiments with
perspective and optical illusions.
Much like many of his pieces, this striking black and white print,
constructed of minimal, considered lines, is slightly disorientating - a
theme that ran through his work up until his death in 2009.
21. Malika Favre
here
)
19 of 28
06/11/2014 3:16 PM
> Kama Sutra
When French artist and illustrator Malika Favre

(http://www.malikafavre.com/) was commissioned to create the cover
for this naughty classic, she went through many iterations - including
this one - to get to the final design.
Known for her distinctive use of graphic shapes and bold colours, Favre
comments on her website: "I try and get to the essence of my subject by
as fewonlines
and colours
as it this
needs
convey
of the
idea."
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And she's certainly done that for this version of the book cover, cleverlyhere
)
20 of 28
06/11/2014 3:16 PM
incorporated negative space into the design to depict various sexual

positions.
22. Glad
> The Safari Into Africa logo incorporates the African continent,
created out of negative space, within the form of an elephant

UK-based graphic design consultancy Glad
(http://www.weareglad.com/) recently developed this branding for
Safari Into Africa, a new safari operator based in Zambia, Southern
Africa.
Promoting the main aspects of the brand, the logo shows the African
continent created out of the negative space within the form of an
elephant.
23. George Bokhua
here
)
21 of 28
06/11/2014 3:16 PM
> Designer George Bokhua takes the art of negative space to new
places
Working in monochrome and making the most of his negative space,
George Bohkua (http://dribbble.com/george-bokhua)'s created these
adorable animal characters. The simplicity of the designs make their
impact that much greater - it's definitely a case of 'less is more'.
Bokhua has also created a series of animal marks, as well as some great
typographic logos, in the same style as these negative space
illustrations.
24. Lowe-SSP3
here
)
22 of 28
06/11/2014 3:16 PM
> Snow White and Sherlock Holmes fill the positive and negative
space in this beautiful print for the Colsubsidio Book Exchange

Come with a story and leave with another -that's the tag line to this
brilliant illustration promoting the Colsubsidio Book Exchange. Created
by Colombia-based advertising agency Loew-SSP3 (http://www.lowessp3.com/), at first glance, the minimalist design features a beautiful
illustration of Snow White, depicted simply through her signature black
hair and blood red ribbon and lips.
It's only on closer inspection that you notice that a Sherlock Holmes
portrait serves as the outline for her face.
25. Edgar Rubin
here
)
23 of 28
06/11/2014 3:16 PM
> Rubin's vase is one of the most famous examples of negative
space as an optical illusion

We couldn't do a feature on negative space without including Edgar
Rubin's infamous vase. One of the world's most famous optical illusions,
the negative space around the vase cleverly forms the silhouette of two
faces.
Rubin conveyed a hidden meaning to the image by giving the
characteristics of a face imprinted in the vase, which has become a case
study for the subject of negative space ever since it was created in the
early 1900s.
Have you seen any inspirational examples of negative space recently?
Let us know in the comments!
Words: Kerrie Hughes (https://plus.google.com
/u/0/110638547493564168766?rel=author) and Aaron Kitney
(http://aaronkitney.com/)
Kerrie
Hughesonisyour
channel
editor
Aaron
Kitney is a here
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freelance graphic
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06/11/2014 3:16 PM
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Tags: Illustration (/tag/illustration), Inspiration (/tag/inspiration),
Computer Arts (/tag/computer-arts), Feature (/tag/feature)
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COMMENTS
)
06/11/2014 3:16 PM
I simply love this article. Awesome.....

(/users
Specially Simon C. Page & Malika Favre articles.
/sunilgraphix)
sunilgraphix
August 07, 2013 at 05:46
Report abuse (/future/report/comment/3125?destination=node%2F3765)
Carrefour logo
(/users/mehdi)
http://www.huntlogo.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08
/carrefour-logo.jpg (http://www.huntlogo.com/wp-content
Mehdi
September 08, 2013 at
11:40
/uploads/2011/08/carrefour-logo.jpg)
Love negative art. I am a particular fan of Noma Bar and Simon C

(/users/willy)
Page ( I have a print of his: http://rareminimum.com/product

/monkeying-around (http://rareminimum.com/product
Willy
January 23, 2014 at 15:17
/monkeying-around)).
24. Loew-SSP3
(/users/marfa)
Guys, please...
IT'S COLOMBIA, NOT COLUMBIA
MarFa
June 06, 2014 at 18:31
https://www.facebook.com/itscolombianotcolumbia
(https://www.facebook.com/itscolombianotcolumbia)
Is LOWE, not Loew

here
)
26 of 28
06/11/2014 3:16 PM
@MarFa Oops! Thanks, we've corrected the errors now.

;)
(/users
(/users/marfa)
/craigstewart)
MarFa
CraigStewart
June
09, 2014 at 22:24
(https://twitter.com
/CraigStewart14)
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The art of negative space: 25 amazing examples | Illustration | Creativ...

Jun 6, 2014 16:57 pm

These brilliant illustrations all employ clever and