Notan in Drawing - and In Real Life

 One thing that I have noticed in my short career as a makeshift artist is the significance of Notan. Notan is basically a Japanese word for the distinctions between blacks and whites in a piece of art. 

When sketching for the first time, I was mesmerized by the way dark and white parts of a piece of art interact with each other. They show you two sides of a story. In modern society, we are often taught to form opinions through a black-or-white lens. However, Notan (at least in m sketch) was used to emancipate such a process. Even in the distinction of black and white, one can find purpose, because ultimately they exist together. 




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