Positive space

Positive space can be definied as the space in a painting occupied by the object depicted (not the spaces in between objects). Positive space is also considered to be the areas of an artwork that is the primary subject or object. Positive space defines the subjects outline. In other words, positive space is the areas of a painting or sculpture which are occupied by forms or images, as contrasted with negative space, which are the &quot;empty&quot; areas where no forms/images are located. For example, in a portrait, the figure would be the positive space, the &quot;background&quot; would be the negative space. In painting since around 1950, the differentiation between positive and negative space has given way to a sense of a continuous surface/space/plane, where all the forms are located on the picture surface, rather than on different planes in space. <br>