Perceiving positive and negative spaces is key to creating engaging designs, while creating a pleasing sense of balance using symmetry and asymmetrical balance.

The objective was to create a Notan design that evokes delight through attractive composition, playful symmetry, unique shape combinations, and clever artistic choices.

Notan means “light and dark” in Japanese, and is a time-tested way of thinking about balance in a composition.

Here is my final submission for this project. Seen here is the New York skyline. You can point out things like the Freedom Tower, the Brooklyn Bridge, as well as the Empire State Building in the most subtle way.

New York City is my favorite city in the whole world! This project was really fun for me to create a skyline that I love. This piece hangs in my own room, framed on my wall.

Here are so informal pictures of the process that took place while creating this Notan piece.