Negative Space Drawing

Artist Statement

To create my piece, titled Pure Imagination, I first started by drawing thumbnails of the shapes created by the negative space surrounding a still life made up of stools. Once I had created a composition that I was pleased with, I drew it again on larger paper. Once finished with that, I decided that the spaces that would have been inhabited by positive space were, in fact, elevator shafts for the Great Glass Elevator, and so I set off drawing my interpretation of Willy Wonka’s wonderland. I relied on my imagination to come up with the machines and objects that I filled the space with, hence the title Pure Imagination. For this piece I only used graphite, but a variety of different leads, ranging from HB to 6B.

In my composition I used value to create emphasis on some objects, such as the hunny digger and the crane. I knew that I needed to create interesting shapes and patterns to keep the viewer interested because I chose not to use color. In an attempt to create unity I used a similar pattern of pipes connecting most objects, and used strong lines to create the appearance of movement behind the falling hand.

This project was really fun to work because I decided to draw a factory. I have always thought that complex machinery was really cool, even though I was kind of scared by it, and loved to draw it. Machines were my favorite objects to imagine and then attempt to create, but for the last two years I’ve been more focused on drawings derived from nature. This project presented a chance for me to return to the excitement I experienced as a second grader, jumping up and down because I was so happy about the machine I had thought of. In addition I also included some other things from children's literature I have always liked, such as the pot labeled ‘Hunny’, a reference to Winnie the Pooh, and the flutterby room, something mentioned in a whimsical tale by the actor Julie Andrews. Towards the end of this drawing I did have to take a break, because I was worried I was rushing, and not paying as close attention to detail as I did when I started. Overall, I am very happy with the end result, it reminded me how much I love to draw.