What if the secret to drawing anything perfectly is to draw nothing at all?
Stick around because it’s something called negative space drawing.
It will instantly level up your art skills, even if you’re a total beginner.
Today, we’re flipping the script on how you see the world.
What is Negative Space Drawing?
Normally, when we draw, we focus on the object itself. This is called the the positive space. But, your brain has a lot of preconceived, cartoonish ideas of what something should look like.
This throws off proportions.
Today, we are going to draw the empty space around the hand, called negative space.
By drawing abstract background shapes, we trick our brains into seeing true angles and proportions.
Grab a pencil and a sketchbook, and let’s dive into our reference.
Negative Space Drawing – Step by Step
Take a look at the reference photo. The hand making the OK sign. Let’s start on a left-hand side.
I want you to completely ignore the wrist and the thumb. Instead, look at the blank paper or background next to this section.
Look at the sweeping curve that dips into the sharp V shape.
That’s not a hand. It’s just an abstract shape, similar to the approach I talk about in my guide on drawing shapes instead of outlines.
Building the Drawing Further
Lightly outline the boundary where the background meets left side of the hand.
Once you’ve drawn that strange puzzle piece shape, lay your pencil on its side to cover a larger area, and shade in the entire background with a flat, even tone.
Can you notice what just happened?
By shading the empty space, a perfectly portioned piece of a hand just magically appeared out of the blank paper.
It’s a great way to improve your accuracy and proportions in anything you’re drawing.
Next, we need to find what artists call trapped negative space.
In our reference, that’s the little window created by the thumb and the index finger touching.
Again, forget that these are fingers. Just look at the shape of the dark hole itself. It looks like a wonky little diamond. Or maybe a jagged teardrop.
Focus on the angles of that shape and lightly sketch onto your paper.
Shade that little island in. Look at how incredibly powerful this is. You haven’t drawn a single line to represent a finger, yet the OK gesture is already showing.
Finally, let’s tackle the right side of the hand.
Look at the space between the three extended fingers and the right edge of the paper.
Notice how the background slices into the hand, creating jagged little triangles of empty space between the knuckles.
Follow these lines down the side of the pinky finger and straight down the wrist.
If you’ll rather watch instead of read for this tutorial, take a look at my video on this tutorial!
Take your time to observe the dips and the curves.
Then, take your pencil and shade all that right-hand side background in. Don’t be afraid to go dark with your pencil to make the white of the paper really stand out.
And drop me a comment below telling me how you got on. Did it mess with your head at first?
How Did Your Drawings Turn Out?
Did your drawing turn out better than you expected? Let me know in the comments.
I recommend you doing this negative space drawing with a soft pencil. For example, a B, a 2B, a 4B. Anything with B after the number. Hey presto, there you have it – the finished drawing!
Take a step back and look what you’ve created. You didn’t actually draw a today.
You drew a collection of random abstract puzzle piece shapes.
But when they lock together, the unshaded paper leaves behind a perfectly proportioned realistic hand.
This exercise is the ultimate gym workout for an artist’s eyes.
It teaches you to draw what you actually see, not what you think you see. Now I have a challenge for you. Grab a pencil and try this drawing exercise right now. Keep practicing. Keep looking at the empty spaces.
That’s the power of negative space drawing.
By focusing on the spaces around your subject instead of the subject itself, you train your eye to see more accurately and improve your proportions naturally.
Keep practising this exercise to strengthen your observation skills and create more accurate drawings.
- Ignore what you think you’re drawing and focus on the abstract shapes.
- Shade the negative spaces to reveal the subject.
- Look for trapped negative spaces inside the object too.
- Use a soft B pencil for strong contrast and easier shading.
I recommend you read this next on the perfect portable watercolour sketchbook.
Want to improve your shading even further? Read my guide on value studies and learn how to simplify light and shadow for more realistic drawings.
If you enjoyed this exercise, check out my complete beginner drawing exercises packed with practical drills to improve your accuracy.
Ready to make your drawings feel more three-dimensional? Learn perspective with these simple exercises.
Many thanks for listening and visiting my blog today. You can follow what I’m up to on my Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram pages, I’ll really appreciate it if you do, and don’t be afraid to say hi to me! Many thanks again, and have a great day!
10th June 2026
