CONTROLLING YOUR COMPOSITION
It is extremely frustrating pouring hours of time and effort into a project only to find it wanting. As artists it is our very nature to break the rules and push the boundaries of perception ever further but it makes a lot of sense to keep the accepted conventions of composition in mind when you start a new project.
PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSITION
Some principles of organisation affecting the composition of a picture, be it a painting or a photograph, include:
• Shape and proportion.
• Positioning, orientation, balance and harmony between the elements.
• The area within the field of view after cropping and framing.
• The natural path or direction followed by the viewer’s eye when they observe the image.
• Negative space.
• Colour.
• Contrast: the value, or degree of lightness and darkness, used within the picture.
• Geometry: for example, use of the golden mean
• Lines.
• Rhythm.
• Patterns.
Always keep in mind that breaking the rules may create tension or unease among the viewers, yet, if used carefully, can add a new dynamic to the picture.
VIEWPOINT
The position of the viewer can strongly influence the aesthetics of an image, even if the subject is entirely imaginary and viewed ‘within the mind’s eye’. Not only does it influence the elements within the picture, but it also influences the viewer’s interpretation of the subject.
For example, if a girl child is photographed from above, perhaps from the eye level of an adult, she is diminished in stature. A photograph taken at the child’s level would treat her as an equal, and one taken from below could result in an impression of dominance. Hence, the photographer is choosing the viewer’s positioning.
A subject is rendered more dramatic when it fills the frame and creates a perception that objects are larger than they actually are.
In photography, altering the position of the camera can change the image so that the subject has fewer or more distractions with which to compete. This may be achieved by getting closer, moving laterally, tilting, panning, or moving the camera vertically.
COMPOSITION
Depending on what the artist is trying to project, there are numerous approaches or ‘compositional techniques’ to achieving a sense of unity within an artwork. A work of art is aesthetically pleasing to the eye if the elements within the work are arranged in a balanced ‘compositional’ way. However, there are artists, such as Salvador Dali, whose primary aim was to disrupt traditional composition and challenge the viewer to rethink balance and design elements.
RULE OF THIRDS (The Golden Mean)
The ‘rule of thirds’ is a guideline followed by some visual artists. The objective is to stop the subject(s) and areas of interest (such as the horizon) from bisecting the image, by placing them near one of the lines that would divide the image into three equal columns and rows, ideally near the intersection of those lines.
The rule of thirds is thought to be a simplification of the golden mean. The golden mean is a ratio that has been used by visual artists for centuries as an aid to composition. When two things are in the proportion of 1:1.618 they are said to be ‘within the golden mean’.
Dividing the parts of an image according to this proportion helps to create a balanced composition more pleasing to the eye. The intersection points on a golden mean grid appear at 3/8 in and 3/8 down/up, rather than at 1/3 in and 1/3 down/up on the grid of thirds.
RULE OF ODDS
The ‘rule of odds’ suggests that an odd number of subjects in an image is more interesting than an even number. In other words, when framing the object of interest with an even number of surrounding objects, it appears more natural and soothing to the eye.
An image of three people in painting for instance, where the person in the centre is the object of interest is more likely to be perceived in a positive frame of mind than an image of a single person with no significant surroundings.
RULE OF SPACE
The ‘rule of space’ applies to most artwork, photography, advertising, illustrations and so on, in which the artist wants to create the illusion of movement.
This can be achieved, for instance, by leaving white space in the direction the eyes of a portrayed person are looking, or, when picturing a runner, adding white space in front of him rather than behind him to indicate movement.
SIMPLIFICATION
Images with clutter can distract from the main elements within the picture and make it difficult to identify the subject. By decreasing extraneous content, the viewer is more likely to focus on the primary objects. Clutter can also be reduced through the use of lighting, as the brighter areas of the image tend to draw the eye, as do lines, squares and colour. In painting, the artist may use less detailed and defined brushwork towards the edges of the picture.
GEOMETRY AND SYMMETRY
Related to the rule of odds is the observation that triangles are an aesthetically pleasing implied shape within an image. In a canonically attractive face, the mouth and eyes fall within the corners of the area of an equilateral triangle. Paul Cézanne successfully used triangles in many of his still life paintings.
Point To Note
The direction followed by the viewer’s eye should lead the viewer’s gaze around all elements in the work before leading out of the picture:
• The subject should not be facing out of the image.
• A moving subject should have space in front.
• Exact bisections of the picture space should be avoided
• Small, high contrast, elements have as much impact as larger, duller elements.
The prominent subject should be off-centre, unless a symmetrical or formal composition is desired, and can be balanced by smaller satellite elements.
The horizon line should not divide the art work in two equal parts but be positioned to emphasise either the sky or ground; showing more sky if painting is of clouds and more ground if a landscape.
FOCAL POINT
The focal point of your painting is what draws the viewer’s eye. There should not be other elements in the work that will compete for attention or distract the viewer. Other elements in the painting should lead the eye towards this point.
KEEP IT SIMPLE
Don’t clutter the composition with too many elements. If you have a landscape, with mountains and a farm house, don’t be tempted to add animals in the field, birds in the sky, a windmill, a dam, flowers in the foreground, a farmer walking his dog and so on.
SPACING ELEMENTS
You seldom find evenly spaced objects in nature, so don’t put them into your paintings unless you are painting manmade objects such as buildings or a street scene. The human eye is trained to recognise pattern, so if you have one in your painting, the viewer will be drawn to it.
Here is another tip: When composing a still life you should try to achieve a seemingly random placement of objects. By varying the space between the elements and the relationships between them, you will produce a more interesting painting.
UNITY
Keep in mind that the viewer must sense that the various elements within the picture belong together and there is an overall feeling of collectiveness or oneness in the final piece.
TONE UP
In the same manner that the time and space between the notes are a part of the total sound of music, light and dark areas are as much a part of the composition as the objects you paint. A tonal sketch will help you to place the strongest tones – light or dark – in a position where they will support and accentuate important elements in the painting.
VARIATIONS
Don’t get into a compositional rut. If you paint landscapes, try placing your horizon in the top third of the canvas instead of always in the bottom of the composition. In still life, vary the position of your tallest or largest object. Place other objects carefully to create a rhythm or line for the viewer’s eye to follow.