Notan (濃淡) is a Japanese design concept meaning "light-dark harmony." It uses only two values—pure black and pure white—to reveal the fundamental structure of your composition.
By stripping away color and middle values, notan forces you to see your image as pure shapes. If those shapes aren't interesting, no amount of detail or color will save your composition.
What Notan Reveals
Strong Shapes
Details disappear. Only major light and dark masses remain. This shows you if your basic composition is interesting.
Balance
Is there a pleasing distribution of light and dark? Too much black feels heavy, too much white feels empty.
Readability
If your notan reads clearly from across the room, your full painting will too. It's the ultimate squint test.
Negative Space
Notan makes negative space visible and equal to positive space. This is key to professional compositions.
How to Use Notan
- Load your reference photo into the Value Study app.
- Enable notan mode. The app converts everything to pure black and white using a 50% threshold.
- Ask yourself: Are the shapes interesting? Is there a clear focal point? Does the balance of black to white work?
- Adjust if needed. If the notan looks weak, change your lighting, reframe, or simplify before painting.
Compositions that are exactly 50% black and 50% white create visual tension without purpose. Aim for roughly 60/40 or 70/30 distribution for better balance.
Common Notan Patterns
Light Subject, Dark Background
Classic portrait approach. Creates separation and makes the subject pop forward.
Dark Subject, Light Background
Silhouette approach. Creates mystery and emphasizes shape over detail.
Connected Dark Masses
Shadows that link together create flow and lead the eye through the composition.
Checkerboard Balance
Alternating light and dark areas create rhythm and visual interest.
Notan in Master Paintings
Master artists have always understood notan, even if they didn't call it by that name:
- Rembrandt's portraits: Strong pools of shadow with faces emerging into light. The simplified notan creates drama.
- Hokusai's "The Great Wave": The dark wave against light sky creates an iconic silhouette.
- Caravaggio's lighting: Extreme contrast between illuminated figures and black backgrounds makes these paintings theatrical.
Practice tip: Take a photo each day and view it in notan mode. Create a quick black and white sketch matching the notan. After doing this regularly, you'll start seeing the world in terms of light and dark shapes.
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