A notan design is a Japanese art concept that uses light and dark elements to create a sense of balance and harmony. The word notan is pronounced “no-tan” and means “light and dark balance”. The yin and yang symbol from Eastern philosophy is a well-known example of the notan design concept. In this project, students cut-out drawn shapes from every edge of the black rectangle paper and then flipped and glued them to create a balanced symmetrical design. Art concepts we explored were positive and negative space, and symmetrical and asymmetrical balance. We also discussed the sense of balance in Kano Sansetsu’s The Old Plum (1646).