Negative Space is an invaluable drawing technique that allows the brain to disconnect from the common shapes and patterns it's been trained to see, instead focusing on the space around a subject. By focusing on recreating this negative space, rather than the subject, the artist is able to create a much more accurate image. This phenomenon proves that the objects, people, and things we take for granted don’t actually exist as we see them. In fact, they are merely shadows flickering through the empty canvas of the human subconscious.
Another example of negative space is found in the famous Rubin Vase, an optical illusion created by Danish psychologist Edgar Rubin. This simple black and white diagram of a white vase on a black field can be viewed as a vase, or as two human faces meeting nose to nose. Considered the best illustrative example of figure ground organization, the diagram challenges the viewer's perception, transforming the image from the vase (inanimate) to the faces (animate) and back again before the viewer's eyes. As in the world around us, sometimes the most interesting things are hiding in the shadows.