For on attentively considering good pictures you will notice how certain of their components are disposed so that they form some kind of a geometrical figure; plainly apparent, yet not obtrusively obvious. Especially deserving of study in this respect are the works of Rembrandt. His paintings and etchings with their effective handling of light and shade are so many object-lessons. Much may be learned, too, from the wonderful canvases of Turner.
Turner had a gift, showing plainly in his work, of creating interesting pictures by building them on certain favorite arrangements of lines. In a work by him, the basic idea or design, though clearly apparent, excites interest, mystifies and holds the attention by the subtle way the composition is diversified and varied.
Some of Turner's paintings betray a fondness for ' an arrangement that, if epitomized into a diagram, would exhibit a series of concentric ellipses, the central and smallest holding the point of interest. This inside ellipse is never in the centre of the area of the picture but a little below and either to the right or the left of the centre. Another diagrammatic representation, again, of a type of composition used by him, shows radiating lines with the point from which they start a little bit away from the centre of the picture space.
Many of Turner's compositions exemplify the important part character and kind of line play in carrying out an idea or in helping to explain the story of the picture. For instance, in a pastoral called "Norham Castle," all peaceful and tranquil, the lines are straight and most of them vertical—a quality of the components all thoroughly adapted to this quiet scene. As a contrast is a turbulent waterscape, entitled "The Shipwreck.
An excellent way of getting an insight into picture-composing is to make miniature sketches in your note-book when studying the canvases of the masters. Arrange the chiaroscuro in simple broad effects of white and black and do not trouble about the details. Make them in ink, say, with a fountain-pen. It will be a good test of simplicity, this miniature pen sketching. Some works, for instance, that are an intricate collection of highly finished costumed figures, do not come out well in this sort of a trial.
You will understand why such works, in spite of all the scrupulous care bestowed upon them, cannot be considered as great works of art because they lack one big thing—simplicity. When sketching from nature—pencil, water-color, or oil—carry in your kit a little view finder of cardboard to help in selecting well-composed bits of landscape.
How big do you want to portray your subject? For instance, a large, 6ft diameter painting that enlarges an object like a penny will have much more importance and meaning than a normal-size painting of a penny. By enlarging objects, you increase importance; reducing size usually diminishes importance. The edges of your canvas or paper are responsible for containing and shaping your final work of art.
Make your own! Painting a landscape? Why not make your canvas wider, for a panoramic view? This can be used to enhance practically every work of art, so make sure to think about it before choosing to use a standard canvas or paper. The way you place shapes on a 2-dimensional surface lend levels of importance, meaning, and balance to a piece.
Centering your subject vertically, horizontally, or both will always give a greater sense of stability to your work, but might end up feeling a little boring or typical as well.
Letting part of your subject get cropped off by the sides, top, or bottom will usually add more visual interest, as will making a single object fill the entire space. Do watch out for objects that barely touch edges, or for objects that just barely brush the borders of your artwork.
This type of placement is awkward and should be avoided. Any subject you choose will have at least an outline as well as other lines to give it depth, texture and detail. Let your lines flow to the center of your work, or to the spots that you want the viewer to look at.
No, but the more you look, the more you will notice this to be true. What is the Rule of Thirds? The rule of thirds is very commonplace in photography. It instantly helps to add tension, balance and interest to your photograph but applies equally to the composition in painting. When creating a landscape composition this is what you do:. Divide your page horizontally into 3. Decide whether to have your horizon on the top third or the bottom third the bottom third is always easier to balance, it helps to make the sky look vast and imposing.
Split the vertical into thirds. Align areas of focus at the intersection between the lines. Marvel at your genius. You can see in the Chardin painting above how there are numerous examples of aligning objects within the rule of thirds, the top of the jug aligns with top horizontal line and sits butted up to the vertical line, even the top of the funny little pot on the far left side sits on the bottom horizontal line, to name a few.
Pro tip: If you have a Mac, iphoto does all the work for you. It can change the size and the rule of third lines are already on the screen for you.
Align, resize, repeat. How your digital camera can help your composition Your digital camera probably has a viewfinder function built in, often called grid. It again overlays the rule of thirds over your image, just align important compositional elements along these lines or their intersections and voila… instant painting. The rule of thirds was first written down by John Thomas Smith in In his book Remarks on Rural Scenery:. If we analyze the quote below by Sir Joshua Reynolds we can see how both these points are touched upon.
He also comments on the importance of contrast when creating a harmony to your work:. Classical paintings had a very scientific and structured approach, with lots of confusing things like root rectangles and golden means. They are often more mathematical and planned out than you would ever imagine…. You might also like: The rule of thirds in landscape painting. This article has helped a tremendous amount. I actually got a pen and paper and made notes! Is there a mailing list to be notified of any new articles on this site?
You can sign up to the RSS feed in the top right of the page and will be adding an autoresponder in the next few weeks. I tend to put on a new post every Thursday of Friday. Thanks again, Will. Kind of your to say so, yes, the hidden rules of composition are fascinating, especially in Old Master paintings there was often a very precise system to the compositional elements of the piece.
Will P. S Thanks for signing up to the drawing course, looking forward to helping you discover more about the principles of drawing. I found my paintings lacking in composition…. Also I tend to want to paint landscapes in portrait format. Any tips on landscapes in this format would be cherished.
Thanks for the help. Best, Monica. Hi Monica, pleased the article helped. If the horizon line starts to creep too much towards the centre of the piece it can sometimes feel a bit odd.
You might find this article of interest. Again much thanks for sharing your wisdom. Best, monica. This article re-unites me again with the power of compositions and breaks it down closer to my understanding.
I will refer my fellow students to this site. The writing is indeed superb. Thanks so much for this great article Will! Hello Will, Thank you for an interesting article. Are there any composition rules that comic book artists could apply to their work that is different to what you have outlined above?
I use Lego minifigs, buildings and clipart. There is no drawing as such, I use pose the figures and take photographs. So probably this question may not apply here! The aim is to see if I can create a comic strip using Lego and produced in a comic book style.
Thank you. Hi Adrian, yes, for creating narrative storyboards etc there are different approaches you can take to create movement in your compoitions. You might find this book of interest. Drawing and composition for visual storytellers. Hi Will, my first time here. I have been putting off going to art classes for some strange reason, though I love to draw and paint. Must be an age thing.
However your site may be the answer for me. How you relay your instructions and thoughts here is keeping me motivated to actually learn the necessary processes of drawing and painting. I am impatient and lack direction and structure but find myself very interested here!!!
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