Art in Animation Part 4 - Space

Space is one of the elements of art and is usually described as the “area” in which an artwork is organized. It is the area that is either around, inside, or between an work of art. Space can be filled on a page or on a canvas. It can be filled in a room or outdoors. In this way, it can be the physical space around or between a sculpture, which we walk around, or the space inside an architectural structure, which we move in and out of.

Space is important in art because it affects the viewer’s perspective or how the work of art is viewed by others. The artist’s use of space and the way it is transformed play a role in conveying a creative message.

Artists can use a variety of techniques to convey different types of space such as a sense of depth, unique perspectives, and to define positive and negative space.

Positive and Negative Space

Positive and negative space can almost be considered as the used and unused space in an artwork. In other words, the positive space is the used, or active, area, which depicts the subject matter, and the negative space is unused or not as active, or “passive”, in its use of the subject matter. Notice the following photo that includes six different shapes. Each shape is viewed in positive and negative space.

Let’s assume that everything in color was painted on a black background by an artist. If we make this assumption, then each shape is viewed as the subject matter or the work of art. So then, for the square, the purple square is the positive space while the black around it is the negative space since it is the background. The purple square then, is in the positive space, the used, active space, while the black background around it is the negative space, the unused, “passive” space. However, if the artist painted the green circle on the black background, then the green circle is the subject matter or what the viewer’s eye focuses on. So then, the green circle is the positive space, the used, active space, while the black background around it is the negative space, the unused, “passive” space. The same is true for each shape.

Etching is a printing process that can give good examples of artwork that shows positive and negative space. This image titled “American Short Haired Tabby” By Stephen Vicary found on Pinterest, gives the impression of a cat etched in the positive space. The marks that were made by the artist are only visible to show the image of the cat. Therefore, the marks, or the “etchings” by the artist, are in the positive space, and the blank space around the cat is negative space.

Foreground, Middle ground, Background

The foreground, middle ground, and background refer to areas in space. The foreground refers to the nearest area. The background refers to the area of space in the distance. The middle ground occupies the space in between.

In the foreground in this cartoon scene, we see Mickey Mouse and his dog Pluto. The viewer’s eye is directed to what Mickey is holding up for Pluto to see – a miniature bone. There is a chair, an art frame and a wall in the background.

In this photo from a scene in The Flintstones, we see what appears to be a cookout. Wilma Flintstone is in the foreground with a tray of drinks. In the middle ground, we can see Betty Rubble with a large salad, Barney Rubble is doing the barbecuing, and Fred Flintstone is turning the spit. In the background, we can see someone’s house and a rock fence with a tree on the other side of it.

In this photo of a scene from the movie Toy Story (1995), we can see Buzz Lightyear and Woody standing on the bed in Andy’s room in the foreground, and the headboard of the bed and the wall with sky wallpaper in the background. The pillows on the bed and the walkie talkie directly behind Buzz are in the middle ground. This means they are in between the two characters in the foreground and the headboard of the bed in the background.

In this scene from the movie Inside Out (2015), Joy talks to Sadness and asks her to make sure that all of the sadness that might occur on Riley’s first day of school remains in the circle that she draws on the floor around her. We can see the chalk drawing of the circle Joy has drawn on the floor around Sadness. These two characters communicate in the foreground while there are books on shelves in their “office” in the background.

In this photo of a scene from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), we can see Mike Morales along with Gwen Stacy and Spider Men from other dimensions. The characters are in the foreground and the wall with a clock on it above a window is in the background.

Deep Space and Shallow Space

Deep and shallow space refers to the degree of depth a picture plane has. For example, deep space, which can also be referred to as three-dimensional space, consists of subject matter in all three areas - foreground, middle ground, and background. Shallow space would only refer to what we as the viewer can see in the foreground which is closest to us. When we are able to view a work of art in deep space, we are able to see the subject matter that is farthest away as well as closer to us.

In this photo of a scene from The Lion King (1994), we see Mufasa as he tells Simba about what will one day be his kingdom. As an example of deep space and shallow space, it shows the two characters in the foreground, the land in the middle ground and the horizon from where the Sun is shining in the background. The characters are in the shallow space in the picture, which is closest to us as viewers. We can also see those objects that are farther away in the middle and backgrounds, or in deep space.

How Artists Create Different Types of Space

Size

Artists create different types of space by focusing on differences in the sizes of the objects in a work of art. Objects depicted with smaller dimensions in a composition will seem to be at a greater distance from the observer than others.

In this photo from the movie Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021), LeBron James as an animated character arrives in Tune World, which is an abandoned wasteland. We can see LeBron in the foreground, and the large rocks and mountains in the background. Even though he is drawn larger than the rocks behind him, it only appears this way so that the viewer realizes how far away from him they actually are. The large rocks and mountains would tower over him in the same way that the one beside him does on the right in the photo if he was closer to them. The difference in the size of these objects shows the distance and how far away the rocks and mountains are in the background.

Position

Artists create different types of space by focusing on differences in the positions of the objects in a work of art. Position, often also termed placement, can go together with size. When the subject matter is placed in the lower portion or forefront of a visual composition, it will appear larger in size than the subject matter placed in the upper portion, or middle ground to the background, which will appear smaller in size, creating the illusion of depth.

In this photo of Huey and Riley Freeman from The Boondocks cartoon, the characters, who are brothers aged 10 and 8-years-old respectively, are drawn to appear to be about the same size. However, Huey’s large Afro usually makes his head look bigger than his brother Riley’s. This seems to be strategically done by the artist and the creator Aaron McGruder as Huey is known to be a rational, intelligent, left-wing radical who regularly reflects upon current events and the plight of African Americans in America. This way of thinking is abnormally mature for a child of his age. The symbolic size of his head is consistent with his character and personality as the more intellectual one of the two.

In this photo from The Boondocks, Huey is positioned in the foreground and slightly larger in size than his brother Riley. In the general storyline of the cartoon, both characters can be viewed as threats in a civilized society. However, because of his intellectual understanding and his political views, Huey’s size and position in the foreground of this photo shows that he can be perceived as the bigger threat to the normal, American way of life than his brother Riley who admires gangster rap artists.

Color and Value

Artists create different types of space by focusing on differences in the colors and value of the objects in a work of art. Color and value can create depth through different techniques like highlights and shading. This can also include giving subject matter less visible detail in terms of color in the background and more detail in the foreground, which will distinguish depth.

This photo is a very good example of how an artist can use color and value to add detail and distinguish depth. In this photo of a scene from the movie Ice Age (2002), Sid the ground sloth is partially submerged underwater while a large mountain of ice looms behind him. The difference in the color of the ice to the right and eft of hm and behind him show the difference in size between him (in the foreground) and the mountain of ice behind him. Also, the large rocks of ice in the middle ground are darker in color but are drawn smaller in size compared to the large mountain of ice that appears to be farthest away. There is also a difference in the value of the sky that we can see above the mountain of ice that is farthest away. It is lighter blue than the ice and the block of ice in the middle ground. The shadows and the changes in color in the foreground around Sid include reflections of the ice and the rocks in what appears to be water.

Vanishing point

Artists create different types of space by focusing on vanishing points with the objects in a work of art. The vanishing point in art is the spot on the horizon line to which receding parallel lines diminish in a linear perspective drawing. It creates an illusion of depth and guides the viewer's eye towards that point of focus. The vanishing point also represents the furthest point from the viewer and is crucial to creating perspective in paintings.

This wall art painting titled “Wine Vineyard” might seem to be an example of the use of intense color. However, it is also an example of how the artist uses a vanishing point on the horizon in the painting to direct the viewer’s eye to a certain point in a field.

In this photo from a scene in Courage The Cowardly Dog cartoon, the negative space also includes a house in the background. The house is at a vanishing point in the background that is farthest away.

In this photo from Tim Burton’s A Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), main character Jack Skellington is seen standing atop Spiral Hill in the Graveyard of Halloween. Spiral Hill is at the end of a vanishing point in the photo which is used to show the distance from the viewer to that location.

In the following video, you can see how Spiral Hill resembles a small rising outcrop of land which curls inwards into a spiral at the pinnacle. According to the film’s official description, “when individuals approach seeking access to the Hinterlands, [the Hill] unfolds to serve as a bridge to that area, facilitating traversing of the Pumpkin Field.”

Your Assignment

The first part of your assignment for this week is to watch at least one episode of any of the cartoon television series mentioned in this post that you have not watched. For example, watch at least one episode of Courage the Cowardly Dog, The Boondocks, or The Flintstones. You can find at least one episode of each series on YouTube.

The second part of your assignment is to watch at least one of the feature films mentioned in this post that you have not watched. Check your local television listings first to find out if any of them will be aired on television. You may also be able to find them on a streaming platform such as Disney+, Paramount+, Hulu, Amazon Prime, or Netflix. You should at least become familiar with the settings, plot, and characters of any of them that you do not know about.

The third part of your assignment for this week is to notice the following png and scene photos from the Smurfs cartoon series. In questions 1-3, the png photos of the characters will be placed on the scene images of the Smurf villages to help you understand the difference between artwork that is placed in the background, foreground, or middle ground in a scene. Answer all four questions that follow the images of the Smurf villages to help you learn about and understand space as an element of art.

Question #1

Question #1 – Are the large trees and the Smurf mushroom houses viewed in the background, foreground or middle ground in this scene?

Question #2