Use negative space as a constraint, not leftover background.

Outer silhouette

Learners first inspect the shape created by the whole word and its flourish. An extension may be elegant by itself but unbalance the overall silhouette.

Trapped spaces

Near-collisions can create small pockets of empty space that draw too much attention. Cases ask learners to remove, move or enlarge the nearby stroke.

Repeated gaps

Several internal spaces are compared for rhythm. The goal is not mathematical equality but a coherent pattern of open and closed areas.

Margins

A composition is placed inside a fixed format. Learners adjust the flourish while keeping adequate distance from the edge of the paper or layout.