A Tree Drawing – The Y Tree

Explore positive negative space while creating a tree drawing. To begin, let’s define positive and negative space in art. The figure or the object in the art is called the positive space. The space surrounding the figure is the ground or the negative space.

In this painting of mine, The Olive Tree, the tree trunk, branches and leaves are the positive space. All the colors around the tree are the negative space. The spiral and other bold lines move into the category of positive space.

Materials needed
drawing paper
graphite pencils
kneaded eraser
colored pencils or pastels (optional)

Getting Started

Take some time to look at trees and photos of trees. Notice how, as the tree grows up, the trunk branches out into smaller branches, each time creating a “Y” shape. These “Y’s” create a series of positive, negative space for the creation of an interesting tree drawing. In this photo you can also see the positive – negative spaces in the shadows the tree casts on the ground.

In this photo of Cottonwood trees you can see how one of the branches curves back around and crosses other branches creating some interesting negative spaces.

Let’s Create
1. Working from your imagination lightly draw the tree trunk and it’s branches, with each separation creating a “Y” shape. Be sure to bring the branches all the way to the top and to both sides of your paper.

2. Once your are satisfied with your composition, take a moment to look at your drawing and consider the positive and negative spaces you have created.

Decide if you want your viewers to focus on the tree as the positive space, as in this student drawing done in graphite pencil. This young artist decided to show only the tree trunk and branches. There’s no ground here, emphasizing even more the play between positive and negative space.

Or you might want to use color and shading to draw the eye into viewing some of the negative space as if it were positive space as in this student drawing completed with colored pencils. Notice how the student used the tree branches and the color red to turn the negative space in the middle into a heart-shaped positive space.

3. Now that you’ve made that decision, finish your drawing by adding a variety of value tones (lightness to darkness) and color if you like. Be aware of the interplay of your positive negative space as you complete your tree drawing.

Here are some other examples of student work for this project.