Kristin Becker's DTC Classes at WSU

The revered FedEx logo. Quite possibly one of the most inconspicuous and famous uses of figure/ground, (positive/negative space). The multiple layers of interpretation are key to the designs success. I must admit, it took me many years of staring right at it to finally see the arrow created by the negative space between then “E” and “x.” Ultimately, it creates an easter egg of design that pushes the logo to the top of the collective branding mind.

Figure/ground, or positive and negative space, is the creation of more shapes and characters by the absence of another shape or character. It happens when one or more elements are placed closely together and in the space they leave uncovered, a new shape appears. The mind can toggle between the two, creating a multiverse of design, and a optical illusion. Use of negative and positive space, shows mastery of the craft, and a high level of attention to detail.

The purpose of such compositions varies wildly. While some are meant for pure entertainment, like many optical illusion designs, others, like FedEx, create powerful practical brands that are instantly recognizable. Good use of figure/ground can make designs like logos, much more memorable. When the viewer first looks at the design they say, “Oh, that’s a nice logo. I like the colors,” or something else silly like that. Then the see the expertly placed illusion of the negative space; “Wait! What!? The ‘E’ and the… No way! That is so… Clever!”

In other words, the ambiguity of the design gives the viewer a little challenge visually, and thus they have a unique interactive experience to remember. In the world of marketing and branding, this type of design can mean the difference between being a multibillion dollar company, and just another podunk job that eight people follow on Facebook.

Photo of a textured surface, from Unsplash.com #pattern

Patterns, with there either vibrant, allure or gaudy, repulsiveness, are ornamental designs comprised of infinitely repeating combinations of shapes. In Graphic Design: The New Basics, the authors discuss how patterns are derived from the formation of isolated elements linear elements and the process of combining them. Furthermore, most patterns can be broken down into groups of dots, stripes and grids. The dots and stripes can often actually make up the grid, as they mesh together to form the illusion of lines slicing across the design in any direction. In this pattern, (left), the negative space between triangles actually created the lines that connect the pattern to itself. The pattern is really the result of two different triangular shapes meeting, then repeated over and over again. Simpler than what one might think at first glance.

Photo of peeling ads and posters presenting a highly textured wall from, Unsplash.com #texture

Texture is what gives us the ability to visually and tactically distinguish objects and their purposes. In design, texture serves a similar purpose, but can be categorized in two ways. There is the physical side of texture, which is somewhat self-explanatory. This is the actual, “feel-able” texture; the type that would appear on a piece that was printed or designed by hand. The other dimension of texture is the virtual. The type of texture that is merely implied, do to what our brain perceives when viewing a photo or design. Take this photograph, (right), you most likely believe it is comprised of rough, torn paper, even though you cannot actually feel that. This is your brain calculating from prior physical experience, and applying it to the virtual texture in front of you.

In this graphic, (left), there are elements of pattern and texture, as well as evidence of points, lines and planes intersecting to create a singular design. The circles could act as dots or large points, and most certainly create a repetitive element. We associate them as one unit, due to the Gestalt Principle of proximity, which aids in the designs pattern qualities. More importantly, our minds see a broken varied surface, and we are very nearly convinced that if we were permitted to touch it, it would feel jagged and uneven. The individual triangles of varying shades, help this, but also contribute as the star planes of the design. As a final symphony note, the lines throughout tie the composition together from edge to edge with fervent angles and sharp intersections.

Is it a boating scene or is it an alligator? Found at ABDULZEEDO.

The primary image I selected to use is Tang Yau Hoong’s work from a blog from 2013 about negative space illustrations.  The background color is orange, but then there are competing images of a couple of people boating on a body of water (ocean/lake with hills in the background) or an alligator.  The couple in the boat is created by the negative orange space instead of being filled in black, like the rest of the reptile’s head.  In my opinion negative space is one of the more dynamic ways to create art because of how it creates the implication of objects and forms instead of relying on specific lines to create a focal point in images.

There is a relationship between “figure” and ground” and both aspects exist, and is necessary, within all types of art forms, from painting with a brush and paint, to creating a picture in Photoshop, or even stacking text and letters together.  The relationship between figure and ground gives specific shapes to what our eyes see, and how they see them (foreground/background, eye-catching/non-existent.)  While backgrounds can be unimportant, they often set the tone for the main object(s) of interest in an image, and can be dynamic in, and of itself.  The interaction of figure and ground often creates contrast between a form and it’s counterpart.

To create images, there are different ways to use figure and ground: a stable figure on ground that is easily legible from the background which is what photographs utilize when you focus on a person against the backdrop of say the ocean/beach.  A second way is through a reversible figure/ground relationship where two opposing elements of an image attract equal amounts of attention.  Negative space for instance is a way to really make it look like there are competing images within one form and it is multi-modal from digital art to tattoos.  A third way to create an image is through the ambiguous figure/ground relationship where in an image a viewer has to search for a focal point in the picture or there might not just be one thing for the eye to settle on.  There is another way artists create interesting figure/grounds through interwoven space, where a figure or specific form may not be centered but move and flow through the whole space the picture is made, where it is “active” and may not be the obvious focal point of an image.

This is a photo that uses white as the background (ground) and black as the up-front visual (figure). Photo was found at OpticalIllusionsPortal – a free to use image site.

The photo I chose uses figure and ground with the main structure of the visual. When I think of the concept of figure and ground, I typically think of a dual-meaning or double-edged sword regarding what is perceived within an image or pattern. For example, like the famous image everybody has seen some variation of, the vase and the two faces. This style of image is the most perfect example of the use of figure and ground. You can look at the image in only two ways. You can see the vase, or you can see the two faces that create the shape of the vase itself.

What is depicted in this photo are the words “Dead” and “Alive” mixed together using white background and black foreground. This pattern, or use of what we normally see as blank space, is especially interesting because it uses the gaps inside the letters to depict a double-meaning into the visual space. I also found it quite interesting that they author chose to use the color black for “Dead” and white for “Alive”. I am not 100% positive if this was a specific design choice, but if it was a design choice, then I immediately took note of it and found it to be most profound. Aside from using the words, the colors also tied together the idea of “life” and “death”.

My image doesn’t necessarily have a particular use, function, or application that I could specify. It is quite basic in the sense of content and what can or cannot be perceived. However, it an be viewed as an example much like that of the two faces and the vase. It is a one dimensional image that has two perceptions that be seen in only two ways.

The concept of figure-ground is the relationship between the positive and negative space in art. Our perception of images is determined by the edges of the subjects within them and is thus a very important aspect of graphic design. The concept of figure-ground can be grasped with the idea of layers: the bottom layer (negative space) would be the ground layer, with the figure layer on top (positive space). Negative space can be shaped by the positive space, as shown in this piece called “Optical Illusion”, with its edges defined by the positive space.

This piece called “Optical Illusion” was taken by photographer Sha Sha Chu. Features effective use of negative space to create recognizable shapes.

In this piece, the various alternating columns aren’t very interesting to look at. This pattern becomes much more interesting when you take a closer look at the image. When looking at the negative space, the silhouettes of people talking with their heads close together can be discerned. The way that the various curves and changing thickness of the columns lend themselves to the shaping of the people in the negative space makes this a good example of figure-ground in a three-dimensional format.

I believe that the primary purpose of this piece is more ornamental rather than practical, except to serve as an example that art can take form in unexpected ways. The use of effective negative space introduces a new depth to this otherwise simple pattern of columns that might otherwise make it unmemorable. Now that I’ve seen the silhouettes of the people, an interesting phenomenon that I’ve noticed is that my eyes glide right over the columns! It’s become difficult to see the columns as positive space, and for my eyes, the figure-ground relationship in this image has flipped. It might perhaps be an interesting idea to have different types of people look at this kind of art, and see how differently wired brains interpret this image differently. For example, perhaps someone who is a very literal thinker may never see the silhouettes without outside assistance, while a free-thinking artist may have trouble seeing the columns instead of the shadow people.

Graphic created by Steph Scheerer for Halsey, for her tour, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, last year. 2017.

In “Graphic Design: The New Basics” by Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Cole Phillips, it talks about figure and ground being imperative to visual perception in design. Figure/ground (positive/negative space) creates balance that separates one visual component from another, using this balance also creates contrast that may feel more natural to the view of what they may be accustomed to seeing.

In the graphic that was created by Steph for Halsey’s tour, the first things you see is the contrast between the blue and yellow and the direction of it. The layers begin with the yellow which would help make the poster stand out on the wall but then starts from the top and moves its way to the bottom. The flowers up top and the vines lead you down to the image of Halsey as well as the bolded text of her name, then you move to “World Tour: Installment One” then follow the line of the bullet to lead you to the bottom to the direction of the bullet, which then leads you the the list of special guests and where you can purchase tickets. Lastly, you would look at the grouping of the tour dates that are listed because the viewer would possibly want to see where the tour stops would be at. With the big contrast in color and placement of the different pieces of the poster with the use of white, black, blue, yellow; bolded fonts; they all work well with one another standing out on the background creating a balance within the poster, making it known what the poster is for exactly.

This is an example of the ambiguous relationship between figure and ground called Sky and Water II made by M.C Escher.

The pattern that I have represented on the left side of the page is a great example of figure-ground ambiguity. If you pay attention depending on what color you choose as the foreground and the background the primary shape changes from a bird if you choose black to a fish if you choose white for the foreground. Foreground or figure is what your eye sees as the main topic and most important element in a design causing you to focus the most on that element. The background or ground is what your eye sees as the base of the design, automatically making it less important than the figure or foreground.  As your eye adjust what you see as the foreground the background becomes unimportant to you and it is hard to see the other shape in the pattern. The ambiguity makes the pattern more interesting because it gives it another dimension. Depending on what you see first or maybe even your interests, the pattern will stand out more as birds or fish making the viewing experience different for each person. At a quick glance, one person could not even see the other shape depending on what they saw as the foreground vs background making the pattern have a totally different impact on them. Also, I think how in the middle of the poster where they switch from detailing the bird shape to the fish shape makes the pattern more functional overall because it tasks your mind to see the relationship between figure and ground even if you are not aware of it at first. The transition forces the viewer to try and figure out how and why the detailed shape changes as you go down the pattern. This pattern is definitely an ornamental piece. It doesn’t serve any specific purpose, but it is a very eye-catching design due to the ambiguity between figure and ground causing the viewer to stop and think about the pattern more than they usually would.

This is the USA logo for USA Network and can be seen on any one of their associated cable channels. The logo is simple, yet iconic to help identify the company.

Figure and ground are some of the most important concepts of graphic design and has been a tool for artists (like MC Escher) to develop intricate patterns. Think of figure and ground in terms of layers: the ground layer would be the most bottom and the figure layer would be everything on top. Any space taken up by the figure is considered positive space and everything else besides that is considered negative space. Negative space can actually have it’s own shape (depending on the shape of the figure) to create ambiguous patterns and to make the piece complex. Look at this logo for example: the blue is the established ground while the white is the figure. But because of that little deardrop on the left side of the a, there is also a little blue “s” made up of the negative space.

In this example, the negative space is being used in a practical way. This means that the negative space is being used to fulfill a job; the “s” helps spell out the work, “usa.” Without the negative space the logo wouldn’t work.

The simplicity of the letters make the logo easy to identify at any size, which is perfect for logos because you want them to be seen everywhere and anywhere. The logo takes up less space than it has to because the use of negative space makes the “s” nonexistent.

Another purpose for negative space (not shown in the logo) would be ornamental. This means using the empty shapes to add extra patterns and even texture to the figure. In ornamental, the negative space compliments the figure without being its own separate identity.