Discover the Potential of Line chapter 8
From the Negative to the Positive.
While you are looking at the positiveshapes of the leaf within the squares, you should also look at
the negativeshapes that are formed around the leaf within the shape of each square. It is often eas-
ier to “find” the positive shapes of the objects that you are drawing while focusing on the negative
shapes.The yellow color around the leaves indicates what some of these negative shapes look like in the setup, as seen through the
grid. This is what the drawing looks like in the initial “mapping-out” of the forms of the palm frond.
Notice that the first shapes are generalizations of the complex frond. After you establish the overall shape, it is much easier to
find the shape and position of the small, spiky forms of the frond.
TIP
Make sure that you draw your initial lines very lightly
so that you can easily erase any mistakes.