Composition
The Good, the Bad, and the Just Ok
Lecture
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What do we mean by ‘composition’?
In this case, we’re not talking about musical composition,
or writing music. We’re talking about the way a piece of art
is set up, or how the elements of an artwork are arranged.
Composition is...
The placement or arrangement of the
visual elements, such as figures,
trees, and so on in a work of art,
as distinct from the subject or the
style with which it is depicted. It
can also be thought of as the
organization of the elements of art
according to the principles of art.
Hopefully you’ve heard or seen
these principles before:
What do those elements/principles mean again?
There are both ‘elements of art and design’ and ‘principles of art
and design’. They are different things! Think of it like this…
Elements of Art and Design: The Tools to make art. Line,
Shape, Form, Color, Texture, Space, and Value.
Principles of Art and Design: How we Use those Tools to
make art. Pattern, Contrast, Emphasis, Balance,
Proportion/Scale, Unity/Harmony, Rhythm, and Movement.
The Principles of Art
and Design
Let’s focus on the Principles for
this project. Looking at what the
principles are, can you already
tell why they have more to do
with composition than the
Elements of art?
They’re all about how a piece is
structured or arranged.
‘Good’ Composition: Three Rules to Follow
There are three general rules of composition you can follow.
A good composition has...
1. A focal point.
2. Structure.
3. Balance.
“Isn’t Balance one of the Principles”? Yes! And having a focal point is
Emphasis, and structure is accomplished by using other Principles as
well. See where we are going?
1. A Focal Point
Usually, there’s something in a piece
of art that really draws your eye the
most, right? That would be a focal
point.
A focal point isn’t always the
biggest object in an image, or the
one that’s in the center. It’s the
part of an image we are drawn to look
at first (or the most). It’s the part Bet you can guess what the
of image that commands your focal point of this image is.
attention.
1. A Focal Point (Continued)
There are lots of ways to help place a focal point in a
piece of artwork. Some examples are:
Contrast Convergence Placement
2. Structure
Having a point of focus tells the viewers where to look, but
they need to know where to look next. That’s where Structure
comes in. There are different types of structure you can try
when building compositions. Here are a few types of
structure in art you may have heard of before:
● The Rule of Thirds
● The Golden Ratio
● Symmetrical Design
2. Structure (Continued): Rule of Thirds
The Rule of thirds is a theory of art that is based on a
math formula that deals with proportional relationships.
Essentially, if you were to
cut your image into three
equal parts horizontally
and vertically, your focal
point should land on one of
the intersections for the
best way to draw a viewer’s
eye in the piece without
putting your focus right in
the center.
2. Structure (Continued): The Golden Ratio
Similar to the Rule of Thirds, the
Golden Ratio is also math related. It
looks almost like a spiral shape when
drawn out. When applied to a piece of
art, the center of the spiral should be
the focal point of the piece, while our
eyes then follow the rest of the spiral
throughout the piece. In other words,
it’s the way your eyes will move around
an image. The Golden Ratio structure is
successful in leading our eyes since it
covers the entire image!
2. Structure (Continued): Symmetry
How a picture is framed can dramatically change the composition.
For example, symmetrical compositions like these can both draw
and lead a viewer’s eye. This has a lot to do with Balance, one
of the principles of art and design.
The focal point
may be in the
center, but the
symmetry of both
leads our eyes to
and away from it.
3. Balance
Speaking of balance, let’s think about how it affects composition.
Now that you’ve found your focal point, what about the rest of the
composition? Do some parts seem to draw your eye as much as the
focal point? Does the piece feel ‘heavy’, or have more ‘visual
weight’ on one side compared to the other?
Balance is what makes a composition look like all parts of it were
thought out.
3. Balance (Continued)
For example, which composition do you think is more ‘balanced’?
This piece feels ‘heavy’ on one side, By adding more ‘visual weight’ on the
doesn’t it? Like there’s too much left, this piece now looks more
happening on the right, so it looks balanced. Our eyes move across the
uneven on the left. entire piece.
A viewer’s eye loves triangles
Another Composition Tip and odd numbers!
How could color theory connect to this?
Think about the last project where we
talked about how color can change and
alter how we view a piece of art.
What place do you think color serves
in composition?
Think about the principles of art...
How can you use color to create
contrast? Emphasis? Balance? Unity? What’s the focal point of
this piece? What’s
emphasized? How did color
help achieve those things?
