Welcome

About Notan Drawing

Notan is a Japanese word meaning dark-light. The principle of Notan is the interaction between positive (light) and negative (dark) shape.

The idea of this interaction in Notan is embodied in the ancient Eastern symbol of the Yin and the Yang, which consists of mirror images, one white and one black, revolving around a point of equilibrium. Here the positive and negative areas together make a whole created through a unity of opposites that have equal and inseparable reality. In the Yin and the Yang symbol, as in Notan, opposites complement, they do not conflict. Neither seeks to negate or dominate the other, only to relate in harmony. It is the interaction of the light and the dark, therefore that is the most essential component of Notan drawing. The Notan concept is to develop positive white designs into negative black shapes and then reverse the design process. Ideally, the finished artistic work should be 50% light and 50% dark creating equilibrium and balance.

We put thirty spokes together and call it a wheel; 

But it is on the space where there is nothing that

the utility of the wheel depends. 

We turn clay to make a vessel; 

But it is on the space where there is nothing that

the utility of the vessel depends. 

We pierce doors and windows to make a house; 

and it is on these spaces where there is nothing that

the utility of the house depends. 

Therefore, just as we take advantage of what is, we should

recognize the utility of what is not. 

-Lao Tse 600 B.C.

To understand Notan, therefore, requires a special effort on our part; it demands a totally new orientation to seeing. The effort is well worth the while if it enables us to see Notan -the basis of all good design -as it exists all around us.

About This Blog

The following art compositions are created in Mr. Peter Tiner's art program at Laguna Beach High School. For the past 25 years, Mr. Tiner has worked diligently to teach his students various creative techniques and artistic processes. From drawing to photography to painting, Mr. Tiner constantly encourages his students to explore different artistic media and challenges their creative thinking. His Advanced Placement Art Studio program has one of the highest passing rates in the nation. All of Mr. Tiner's students have continued their passion for art beyond Laguna Beach High School. In the past decades, his students have attended many of the nation's top art colleges, including RISD, The College of Art, Parsons, Otis, Brown University, UCLA, USC and many other colleges and universities.



Notan Drawing is an aesthetic reflection of Mr. Tiner's art program at Laguna Beach High School. The art students developed these drawings and photographs with a design emphasis on the interaction between positive white and negative black shapes. The idea is to create the illusion of light on paper through the use of dark shadows. Light has energy and we can visually control it through the use of tone and value. "Paper is to light, as pencil is to shadow, you can spend the rest of your life pursuing this concept in drawing", Mr. Tiner's sayings. The class studied various design aesthetics from Japanese woodblock Notan studies of the eighteenth century.

(Example of Japanese woodblock design)

Additionally, the students studied 8th - 9th century Cambodian Khmer design.

(Example of Khmer Design)

Contrast organically drawn natural forms in pencil and pen & ink, on geometric shape, the students incorporated lessons of design techniques including static, dynamic shapes, and A-symmetry placement of shapes.

According to Mr. Tiner, "Visual Art is meant to be a journey created in the eyes touching the heart and mind. Creating Notan is to develop balance between all aspects of the visual experience. We are all looking for harmony, balance, and equilibrium. Visual art can create this experience, if you know how to develop it in your art expression through guided instruction." The following artwork was inspired by looking and drawing the natural world around us. Thank you to all the art students listed for sharing their artwork with the Internet public. Enjoy .

From Art 1 to Advanced Placement Art Studio, Notan Drawing is regularly updated with recent compositions from Mr. Tiner's classroom. Please revisit for updates. 

Mariana Mesa Acevedo

Natasha Cook

Hana Link

Clara Ross

Carly Savage

Kendall Cornell

Katharine Barton

Sadie Drucker

Zach Burkey

Melissa Lenker

Thea-Marie Sauca

Lucas Lacy

Celestina DeLeon

Jackson Yamasaki

Katelyn Walsh

Tiffany Lupu

Bryn Valaika

ADVANCED NOTAN DRAWING

Peter Tiner

Sarah Sampson

Colin Peterson

Katrina Carras

Holly Hammond

Cole Winokur

Karley Koenig

Samantha Crane

Taylor Sanderson

Jolie Spellacy

Ella Gemmel

Alex Sasaki

Cassidy Robinson

Rachel Goldmen Dorando

Genny Davis