




































CHAPTER  5: 
EXPLORING NEGATIVE-POSITIVE DRAWING: 

AN EXPERIMENT 

 
Contributed by  

Chibuzor Asogwa and Chidiebere Onwuekwe 

 

Introduction 

Drawing as a form of art does not cease in the use of lines 

to make a picture on a two-dimensional surface, but also includes 

the use of colours, tone and other elements, added with lines to 

make representation on a flat surface. In fact, throughout the 

history of visual representation, humans explored various 

unconventional materials in creating drawings on various surfaces.  

Palaeolithic drawings between 10,000 to 25,000 B.C. were 

discovered on cave walls and roofs in Nothern Africa and Southern 

European Countries such as in Lascaux,  Dordogne and Chauvet 

Cave in Ardeche Valley both in France. “The famous wall 

paintings at Lascaux, in Dordogne include a wide range of animal 

species and a few human stick figures painted with earth-coloured 

pigments – brown, black, yellow and red. They are ground from 

ocher, hematite and manganese and applied to the natural white 

limestone surfaces of the walls. The Lascaux artists created their 

Figures by drawing an outline and filling it with pigment (Adams, 

2000 p. 25). Those images were assumed to be their day-to-day 

experiences.  

Many civilizations utilised drawing in bringing various art 

projects into reality. Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Dark Age Artists, 

Rennaissance, Pop and modern artists employed drawing with 

miscellaneous materials in expressing their styles. Over the years, 

so many materials have been put to use in drawing. From a 



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preliminary study carried out via interviews and observation, the 

student artists of the Department of Fine and Applied Arts of 

Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria, have exhausted the 

use of common materials such as pencils, oil and chalk pastels, 

crayons, ink and brush, in creating drawings. Thus there is a need 

to explore unconventional materials in making drawings. Among 

such drawing effects is inverted drawing. Inverted drawing 

involves making a visual representation on a black surface with 

white material, creating a sharp contrast to the dark background in 

lines. Example of such type of drawing is Scrapeboard and 

Silverpoint techniques.  Such techniques are less prevalent in some 

departments and art schools in Nigeria because of a lack of 

materials. Correction pen is a prospective material for drawing 

because of its ability to make continuous markings. In making 

corrections to writing errors, correction pens are a handy and 

simple instrument. These pens have an ink, marker, or mistake-

covering fluid that dries quickly, enabling a seamless repair of 

errors on paper. 

This research hereby explores experimental drawing, with 

materials such as black cardboard papers and correction pen and 

ink to create various genres of drawings such as portrait, landscape, 

still life, scenes and the human figure. Again, the research will 

deploy the Photoshop application as a tool to invert the outcome of 

the research into positive replicas, thereby attaining varieties in 

materials. 

 

Purpose of the Study 

The study aims to achieve the following: 

 To experiment with unconventional materials as media for 

delineations on paper 

 

 To explore Photoshop filter effects to achieve a contrasting 

look on the finished drawings 

 



Exploring Negative-Positive Drawing: An Experiment 

81 

 

 To experiment with further effects in Photoshop, to achieve 

unique visual textures on the scanned drawings 

 

 To prove through explorations that artists can employ 

materials other than pencil, pen, charcoal, and others, as 

media for drawing. 

 

Literature Review: Trends in Drawing in the Twenty-first 

Century 

Digital Drawing is an example of an emerging trend in the 

art of drawing, following the advent and advancement of the 

personal computer (PC). Digital drawing refers to the use of digital 

tools and software to create artwork. Unlike traditional drawing, 

which typically involves using physical materials such as pencils, 

charcoal, or ink, digital drawing relies on digital devices such as 

tablets, styluses, and computer programs. With the increasing 

availability of digital tools and software, many artists have started 

exploring the potential of digital drawing. According to Bozalek, 

et al. (2018), digital drawing tools enable artists to create complex 

and intricate designs with ease, and also provide new opportunities 

for collaboration and sharing. Digital drawing has become 

increasingly popular in recent years, particularly among artists who 

work in illustration, animation, and graphic design. 

Urban sketching is another recent trend in artistic 

delineations. It is a form of drawing and painting that involves 

creating sketches and artworks of urban environments such as 

streets, buildings, and people. It typically involves drawing on 

location, rather than in a studio and often involves capturing the 

scene quickly and with a loose, expressive style. According to 

Larkins (2021), urban sketching allows artists to capture the unique 

character and atmosphere of urban environments and also provides 

opportunities for social interaction and community building. Urban 

sketching has gained popularity in recent years, particularly with 

the growth of social media platforms such as Instagram and 



Chibuzo Asogwa, Chidiebere Onwuekwe 

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Facebook, where artists can share their work and connect with 

other artists from around the world.  

Experimental Drawing is not exclusive to the recent 

happenings in drawing. Many contemporary artists are pushing the 

boundaries of traditional drawing techniques by experimenting 

with unconventional materials and methods. According to 

Atkinson and Campbell (2018), experimental drawing can involve 

anything from using found objects as drawing tools to creating 

works that incorporate performance or installation elements. This 

is the main concern of this work as it tries to explore ground-

breaking possibilities in the art of drawing. 

Last, but not least is collaborative drawing. It involves 

multiple artists working together on a single artwork, which has 

become increasingly popular in recent years. According to Jones 

and Strickland (2019), collaborative drawing can lead to the 

creation of complex and dynamic artworks that reflect the 

perspectives and experiences of multiple artists. 

Theoretical Framework 

The theory adopted for this study was “Materiality theory”. 

Materiality theory is a theoretical framework in art history and 

criticism that emphasizes the importance of materials and material 

processes in the creation and interpretation of art. This theory posits 

that the physical properties of materials and the ways in which they 

are manipulated by artists have a profound impact on the meaning 

and significance of the artworks they create. 

One influential proponent of materiality theory is the art 

historian and critic, James Elkins. In his book, "The Object Stares 

Back: On the Nature of Seeing," Elkins argues that the material 

properties of artworks are an essential aspect of their meaning and 

value and that our experience of art is deeply connected to the 

sensory and tactile qualities of the materials used. 

Another influential figure in materiality theory is the 

philosopher and cultural critic, Bruno Latour. In his book, "We 



Exploring Negative-Positive Drawing: An Experiment 

83 

 

Have Never Been Modern," Latour argues that the modernist view 

of the world as divided between human subjects and inanimate 

objects is deeply flawed and that the material world is in fact an 

active participant in the creation and interpretation of culture. 

In recent years, materiality theory has gained increasing 

attention in art historical and critical discourse. For example, in the 

article "Materiality and the Practice of Contemporary Sculpture" 

(2016), art historian Jenni Sorkin explores the ways in which 

contemporary sculptors are using unconventional materials and 

fabrication techniques to challenge traditional ideas about 

sculpture and its relationship to the physical world. 

 

Materials 

The materials required for the drawing experiment are as follows:  

 Photographs of human model 

 Photographs of objects and scenes 

 pencil 

 Correction pen 

 Eraser 

 160 GSM black cardboard paper 

 A flatbed scanner, 

 DI Printer 

 

Methods 

Step A: Negative Drawing 

Making reference to photographs of human models, 

landscapes, and still life compositions, sketches are made with the 

lead pencil on black paper. The details of the sketches are later 

traced out using a correction pen. It is important to shake the pen 

appropriately before reuse, to ensure an easy flow of fluid from the 

nib of the pen. Line drawing is the most applicable to this 

technique.  It is pertinent to avoid shading because it is almost 



Chibuzo Asogwa, Chidiebere Onwuekwe 

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impossible to achieve using this technique, except for a few thin 

strokes or cross-hatching techniques.  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 
Plate 1: Sample Picture, posed by Nancy Ugwumba, 2013. Photo 

Credit: Ade Ogunbiyi 

 
After tracing the drawing the artist erased the pencil marks. In case 

there is a need for correction in the drawings, it is usually done with 

a black permanent marker or black ink with a brush, as the case 

may be. This abruptly covers unwanted lines or strokes in the 

drawing, creating a quick illusion of erasure in a given space. The 

appropriate shading techniques for negative drawing are cross-

hatching and strokes. They will make the drawings retain their 

linear characteristics and picturesque effects. 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Exploring Negative-Positive Drawing: An Experiment 

85 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
Plate 2: Drawing rendered with correction pen on black paper 

© Chidi Onwuekwe, 2013 
 

 

Step B: Positive Duplicate 

The drawing is scanned onto Adobe Photoshop Layout when it is 

completed. “Photoshop is a programme powered by Adobe 

Incorporated, an American Software Producing Company” 

(Onwuekwe 2012 p. 224). Otaka (2008) describes Photoshop and 

its possibilities thus: 

 

It is a professional image editing application. Adobe 

Photoshop delivers a comprehensive environment for 

professional image editing. With its integrated web 

application, Adobe Photoshop delivers a 

comprehensive environment for professional designers 



Chibuzo Asogwa, Chidiebere Onwuekwe 

86 

 

and graphics producers to create sophisticated images 

for print, web, wireless devices and other media (p.22). 

 

There are so many artistic effects that can be applied to drawings 

scanned onto Photoshop layout. After saving a copy of the scanned 

drawing, the artist converted the drawing to grayscale and selected 

‘levels’ and ‘curve’ properties to adjust the contrast between the 

dark and light tones of the image. Using the ‘invert’ property, the 

artist converts the white portions of the image to black and vice 

versa. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 
 

 

 
 

Plate 3: Drawing scanned onto Photoshop layout and edited with ‘Auto 

Level’ effect, thus defining sharp contrast between tints and shades. © 

Chidi Onwuekwe, 2013 

 

 



Exploring Negative-Positive Drawing: An Experiment 

87 

 

The invert property allows colours to turn into their complementary 

counterpart as seen on the colour wheel. Once the “Ctrl + I” button 

is pressed, highlight areas of pictures turn shade, the darkest areas 

of a picture turn white, including the eyeballs, various tones of red 

turn to various tones of green, dark blue turns to orangs while lemon 

and yellow turn into various degrees of violet. Usually, the human 

skin which is brown in colour turns to various tones of tinted and 

shaded blue.  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Plate 4: Drawing with colours reversed with “ctrl + I” as the keyboard 

shortcut to ‘invert’ effect on Adobe Photoshop. © Chidi Onwuekwe, 

2013 

 

Once the ‘invert’ key is activated on Photoshop, the negative 

drawing appears like a regular pen and ink drawing on white paper. 

The artist prints the drawings and places them beside the negative. 

Both of them seem like negative films and processed prints in 

photography. 



Chibuzo Asogwa, Chidiebere Onwuekwe 

88 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Plate 5: Negative and positive of the same drawing showing contrast.  

© Chidi Onwuekwe, 2013 

 

Findings 

Despite the realization in the research, some problems were 

stumbled upon. First, the use of a correction pen in drawing was 

rigid and constrained, unlike pencil and ink. Next, the flow of ink 

from the nib of the pen was usually difficult to control. 

Consequently, the achievement of thin lines on distant objects, 

human eyes and other factors that require detail in drawing, was 

obstinate. Shading was limited to cross-hatching and strokes only, 

hence the achievement of the smudgy mid-tone shading effect in 

the inverted drawing is impossible. Moreover, the achievement of 

realism was awkward because the job was done negatively. In this 

aspect, abstraction or semi-naturalistic expression would pose a 

great success. While working, the artist would be unsure of the 



Exploring Negative-Positive Drawing: An Experiment 

89 

 

semblance of his drawing to the original picture because drawing 

with white on black surfaces creates a false visual illusion. For 

instance, while sketching the eye, the lens and iris are white while 

the ball of the eye is enclosed in a  black space. These factors 

restrained the artist’s freedom of expression with lines and other 

elements of art. 

 

Conclusion 
A sample portrait was made using white correction pen on 160 

grammage black textured cardboard paper. The finished drawing 

was scanned onto a Photoshop layout and inverted to create a 

positive duplicate of the drawings. When the positive was printed, 

it resulted to duplicate of the original negative drawing, which 

entails one art piece with two visual effects. These drawings can 

serve various purposes. They can be exhibited in art shows, used 

for reference, or published as illustrations accompanying texts in 

children’s book, and so on.  to the use as rough descriptions of a 

prospective art piece.  

 

Questions 

Explain the step-by step approaches of attaining the two results of 

this study 

 

Using still life drawing as a niche, deploy the following processes 

explained in this work, with a view to achieving the same result 

 

 

REFERENCES 

Adams, L. S. (2000) A History of Western Art. Chicago: McGraw-

Hill Higher Education. 

Atkinson, D., & Campbell, D. (2018). Experimental drawing: 

Drawing performance, installation, and site-specificity. 

Journal of Drawing Research and Creativity Studies, 3(1), 

1-14. 



Chibuzo Asogwa, Chidiebere Onwuekwe 

90 

 

Bozalek, V., et al. (2018). Drawing in the digital age: Exploring 

the impact of digital technologies on drawing practices in 

higher education. Arts and Humanities in Higher 

Education, 17(4), 371-385. 

Elkins, J. (1996). The Object Stares Back: On the Nature of 

Seeing. Harvest Books. 

Jones, J., & Strickland, R. (2019). Collaborative drawing as a 

social practice. Drawing: Research, Theory, Practice, 4(2), 

219-235. 

Larkins, E. (2021). Urban sketching: Empathy, creativity and 

community. Journal of Urban Design, 26(3), 314-327. 

Latour, B. (1993). We Have Never Been Modern. Harvard 

University Press. 

Onwuekwe, C. O (2012). A Digital Draw and Paint Approach to 

Illustration with Adobe Photoshop.  Awka Journal of 

Research in Music and the Arts (AJRMA). (8) 220-231 

Otaka, J. (2008). Graphic Design Software Application in 

Nigerian Print Media. First Degree Project. Department of 

Fine and Applied Art, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.  

Sorkin, J. (2016). Materiality and the Practice of Contemporary 

Sculpture. Art Journal, 75(3), 38-54. 

doi:10.1080/00043249.2016.1214670 

 

 
 


