Articles

Negative Space—Thought-Provoking Illustrations by Noma Bar

by . March 13th, 2015

One of the core tenets of minimalism is the use of negative space.

But what is negative space really?

Negative space is the space around the elements of an image. Probably the best example to illustrate this is the famous Rubin’s vase. It’s an image of a vase, but the negative space that surrounds it form profile silhouettes of two people.

In graphic design, negative space is prevalent in logos, both classic and contemporary. FedEx for example has an arrow that is formed by the letters “e” and “x”.

But my favorite logo that uses this concept effectively will have to be Spartan Golf Club’s logo.

The use of negative space is crucial, not only in drawing the viewer’s attention on the subject, but also in communicating an idea that complements the core ones. Something Israeli artist Noma Bar is quite good at. And that’s an understatement.

Noma Bar is a designer from Israel who studied graphic design and typography from Jerusalem Academy of Art & Design. Describing his craft as visual communication, combining the skills of artist, illustrator and designer, Noma states he’s after the “maximum communication with minimum elements”.

In his book, Negative Space, Noma Bar illustrated thought-provoking designs with the clever use of negative space.

Check out the rest of his illustrations:

 19 - KkmIBy8 16 - LbysSCA 07 - zfE7VLJ 05 - c8OZ292 04 - djSTVZn 20 - BiTKLHi 18 - 8HQ7BOe 17 - FeNsdz5 15 - WC6L6q3 14 - Njr9tma 13 - RhxWXzf 12 - o7xMoBs 11 - jCZANfu 10 - HiCUO5p 09 - f1EEy2Q 08 - DZALxtc 06 - oXg1clH 03 - y9H7El6 02 - wRvDeAh 01 - HG1eHji

  Visit Noma Bar’s site and other artists under Dutch Uncle. What is your favorite negative space illustration? Comment below!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kevin is a reader first, a writer second, and a gamer somewhere in between. When not rooting for Tyrion Lannister for the Iron Throne, he's probably writing some morbid short story. He enjoys some surreal art, clever advertising campaigns, and a warm cup of coffee while reading Murakami.