Space creates the visual essence and dynamic of a composition. In design, there are two types of space.
Positive space
Positive space can be perceived as two dimensional or three dimensional. It refers to the shapes of objects and usually refers to anything that is considered the main focus of the page.
Negative space
Negative space is the white space or empty space which is the part of the design that is not there, the spake between the visual elements. This can also be the background color of a design. Negative space can be just as integral to the design as the positive space. It is important because it helps frame and contain a composition. It connects or disconnects shapes to suggest relationship between shapes. Negative spaces avoids visual clutter and looks clean which can help balance a composition and help focus the viewers on something specific.
In design what creates positive and negative space is the arrangement and visual appearance of shapes within a composition.
In two dimensional design proximity, overlap, opacity, light and shadow and perspective can be applied to shapes to create visual dynamics the illusion of depth or spaces in a composition.
- Proximity is simply the distance shapes are from one another far apart or close together, proximity suggest relationships between shapes.
- Overlap is the effect where shapes are arranged to appear to be on top of each other. This illusion makes the top element look closer to the observes.
- Opacity is the effect where objects appear transparent, degrees of opacity can make elements heavy or light to suggest dominance and order of closeness in a space. Opacity blurs is the barriers between positive and negative space. Overlapping transparent elements can create dynamics in a composition to create an illusion of 3D and perspective.
- Light and shadow can give an object a three-dimensional look. Shadow can create the illusion that an object is on top of another and suggest how far apart they maybe.
- Perspective is created through the arrangement, creation and manipulation of shapes to look like they appear in real life. This is the effect where shapes appear to get smaller the further away they get. They can also be achieved through the use of relatives sizes of objects, overlapping objects and blurry and sharpening of objects.
In design, there is no way to determine the depth of space, only the order of closeness. In design, we could use positive and negative space to create a focal point, create balance, set a visual tone and define a look and feel.
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