Review of Negative Shape - The Defining Attribute

Alexander C Schmoock · Post by **Alexander C Schmoock** » 08 May 2023, 09:25

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Negative Shape - The Defining Attribute" by Christine Archer.]

5 out of 5 stars

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Negative Shapes: The Defining Attribute by Christine Archer is a book that explains the rudiments of drawing, painting, and art in general. The author discusses art’s sentimental value and importance to the world. The book is written in a way that encourages art appreciation with little snippets of the author’s life and experience as an artistic person infused in it. Christine narrates various experiences and worldviews from her perspective throughout the book and shows a lot of enthusiasm while at it. This book is more like a guide for anyone who is willing to take chances with expressing themselves through art in whatever medium they choose. It emphasizes a lot on the theory of negative shapes and spaces, a theory the author took a lot of time to master.

The book has intrinsic value to it. I gained a lot of information and knowledge while reading it, and it didn’t at any point seem boring. Its pacing and the organisation of chapters made it a smooth read. It also broadens a reader’s mind to the many possibilities and ways of approaching life by viewing it from different perspectives. I really appreciated how there was no ambiguity present in this book. The author clearly understood the ideas she wrote about, and it wasn’t surprising that she could explain them as well as she did.

The book started off a bit confusing; it felt scattered and all over the place at the beginning owing to the fact that there was hardly any context to the author’s writing. Some of the concepts would have been plain difficult to grasp if she wasn’t so good at explaining them. Pushing through the first couple of chapters with much patience, I became more interested in what she was writing about as the book went on. I would definitely call it a slow burner because of this. At the end of the book, I was a little bummed by how short it was because I had become fully invested in the author’s views and ideas.

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. I loved the author’s method or approach while writing about the things she is passionate about; you could feel the passion in her words. There were some grammatical errors in the book, but not so much to make it difficult to enjoy. It was professionally edited. I would have removed a star because of its confusing first few pages, but I enjoyed the story as I got deep into it, so it's needless to deduct any star.

I recommend this book to people who are interested in art, abstract ideas, and generally open-minded people who would love to see artworks in a different light.

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Negative Shape - The Defining Attribute
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Yasmine Zaki Muhieddine · Post by **Yasmine Zaki Muhieddine** » 10 May 2023, 02:18

The book seems interesting and informative. I was intrigued by the title but somehow I was expecting it to be about the human body; probably because that's all we hear about nowadays on all types of media. I am glad someone is bringing art to the discussion. I think the major giveaway on this book is to understand the importance of art to the World. The review mentions that you had to push through the first few chapters because they were confusing, etc. I hope the author will review and adjust these chapters to make them less confusing and more exciting.

Post by **Rebecca De Figueiredo** » 28 Mar 2025, 09:19

What a succinct and intelligent review, thank you. On reading the title of this book, I totally understand, and feel comfortable with, the title. The negative parts of a painting are always the most interesting and probably the hardest to keep ‘negative’.

Leen282 · Post by **Leen282** » 28 Mar 2025, 09:34

I have never heard about negative shapes. I am not an artist but I do enjoy art. It is always interesting to broaden one's perspective and see things from a different angle.

Nimurungi Blessing · Post by **Nimurungi Blessing** » 28 Mar 2025, 09:38

This seems to be thought-provoking book that explores the idea of negative space—not just in art, but in life. Archer explains how the moments between events—waiting, reflecting, or planning—are just as important as the events themselves.

Post by **Mr Benj** » 28 Mar 2025, 09:45

"Negative Shape - The Defining Attribute" by Christine Archer., a book that features art and drawing. It will be interesting to find out how the author was able to share her experience in this area. This is an interesting book to read.

Sam David 4 · Post by **Sam David 4** » 28 Mar 2025, 09:46

the cover of the book reflexe the inside of the story ,it seem very interesting to read ,my pleased will be actually with this type of books because the book discuss important points that will travel you between there pages with good rich insight,As reader my opinion look so good for me and I will give a good a review, that will be soon

Post by **Sushan Ekanayake** » 28 Mar 2025, 09:53

"Negative Shapes: The Defining Attribute" by Christine Archer is a must-read for art lovers! It explores the power of negative space, creativity, and personal expression, and it is perfect for anyone looking to see art (and life) from a fresh perspective. Congratulations on being BOTD!

Samantha Litton · Post by **Samantha Litton** » 28 Mar 2025, 09:57

I have not had a chance to read this yet. However. I am very excited to read this. I have heard good things, the reviews are great. I am ready to see for myself.

Post by **Ashley M Murphy** » 28 Mar 2025, 10:03

This is a great review. I have known of the concept of negative space in art, but never read books related to the subject. This appears to be an interesting concept with discussions by someone who fully understands the concepts. The fact that you acknowledge the first few pages/chapters are a but difficult to get through, but that it gets better, is extremely helpful because I'm sure more than a few people would miss out on otherwise decent material without that bit of information.

Post by **Alida Spies** » 28 Mar 2025, 10:04

It inspires readers when an author is passionate and enthusiastic about their writing. It's always interesting to learn about other's experiences and worldviews. Expressing oneself through art is not a new concept, but the theory of negative shapes and spaces sounds interesting. Thank you for your informative review.

Joe Alex 2 · Post by **Joe Alex 2** » 28 Mar 2025, 10:10

I love how the author’s passion for art shines through in her writing. Even though the beginning seems a bit scattered, the way she explains complex ideas makes it worth pushing through. It’s refreshing to see a book that not only teaches but also shifts perspectives on art and life.

Post by **Seetha E** » 28 Mar 2025, 10:24

This book seems to share intricate details about how art can be perceived; particularly negative 'shape' over negative 'space.' I admit I am clueless about these intricacies. This is certainly an interesting read. Thanks for the crisp and informative review!

Amy Luman · Post by **Amy Luman** » 28 Mar 2025, 10:46

I appreciate the fact that the author was able to write this book. Even though I am not interested in the subject , I’m sure that there are those who are. Congratulations on BOTD!

Post by **Amos Osinya** » 28 Mar 2025, 11:25

"Negative Shape" must be a great book. I will be excited to delve into it to take insights about Art. I will be glad to learn from the author's experiences and use them to develop more interest in exploring art. Can't wait to get started.