Wanted to look at artists working today and see how they incorporate positive and negative space. I find that I am always inclined to try and fill the whole page and spent some time looking at two masters of the technique.

First up is Malika Favre.

malikafavre.com

(c) Malika Favre

I believe Malika Favre has a masterful grasp on using negative space to the strongest effect to make incredibly powerful graphic work. What could be a better example of positive and negative space than the black and white image of Bob Dylan above.

(c) Malika Favre

Her use of the negative space between these lovers to create a bird is quite simply genius.

(c) Malika Favre

In a similar way to Hume above, Favre uses colour so economically. In the portrait above she has used the background yellow to illustrate the top of his hair yet still we are able to determine the full shape of the head even with detail missing. Genius.

Anthony Zinonos

https://www.anthonyzinonos.com/

(c) Anthony Zinonos

The ultimate simplicity is key to the beautiful collage work of Anthony Zinonos, the above being one of my all time favourites of his. A simple cut out of a surfer laid down on torn blue paper over a white background takes us deep into wave riding without getting our feet wet through his inventive use of positive and negative space.