Composition (visual arts)

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The Art of Painting by Jan Vermeer, noted for his subtle compositions

In the visual arts—in particular painting, graphic design, photography, and sculpture—composition is the placement or arrangement of visual elements or ingredients in a work of art, as distinct from the subject of a work. It can also be thought of as the organization of the elements of art according to the principles of art.

The term composition means 'putting together,' and can apply to any work of art, from music to writing to photography, that is arranged or put together using conscious thought. In the visual arts, composition is often used interchangeably with various terms such as design, form, visual ordering, or formal structure, depending on the context. In graphic design for press anddesktop publishing composition is commonly referred to as page layout.

Contents

  [hide] 

• 1 Elements of design
  • 1.1 Line and shape
    • 1.1.1 Straight lines
    • 1.1.2 Curved lines
  • 1.2 Color
• 2 Principles of organization
  • 2.1 Viewpoint (leading the eye)
• 3 Compositional techniques
  • 3.1 Rule of thirds
  • 3.2 Rule of odds
  • 3.3 Rule of space
  • 3.4 Simplification
    • 3.4.1 Limiting focus
  • 3.5 Geometry and symmetry
  • 3.6 Creating movement
  • 3.7 Other techniques
• 4 Example
• 5 See also
• 6 References
• 7 Further reading
• 8 External links

Elements of design[edit]

Main article: Elements of art

The various visual elements, known as elements of design, formal elements, or elements of art, are the vocabulary with which the visual artist composes. These elements in the overall design usually relate to each other and to the whole art work.

The elements of design are:

• Line — the visual path that enables the eye to move within the piece
• Shape — areas defined by edges within the piece, whether geometric or organic
• Colour — hues with their various values and intensities
• Texture — surface qualities which translate into tactile illusions
• Tone — Shading used to emphasize form
• Form — 3-D length, width, or depth
• Space — the space taken up by (positive) or in between (negative) objects
• Depth — perceived distance from the observer, separated in foreground, background, and optionally middle ground

Line and shape[edit]

Literal lines do not exist in nature, but are the optical phenomena created when objects curve away from the viewer. Nonetheless, line-like shapes are for all intents considered line elements by the artist; for example, telephone and power cables or rigging on boats. Any such elements can be of dramatic use in the composition of the image. Additionally, less obvious lines can be created, intentionally or not, which influence the direction of the viewer's gaze. These could be the borders of areas of differing color or contrast, or sequences of discrete elements, or the artist may exaggerate or create lines perhaps as part of his style, for this purpose. Many lines without a clear subject point suggest chaos in the image and may conflict with the mood the artist is trying to evoke.

Movement is also a source of line, and blur can also create a reaction. Subject lines by means of illusion contribute to both mood and linear perspective, giving the illusion of depth. Oblique lines convey a sense of movement and angular lines generally convey a sense of dynamism and possibly tension. Lines can also direct attention towards the main subject of picture, or contribute to organization by dividing it into compartments.

The brain often unconsciously reads near continuous lines between different elements and subjects at varying distances.

Straight lines[edit]

Straight lines are called linear when used in a piece of art work. Straight lines add affection and can make it look more detailed and challenging. Horizontal, vertical, and angled lines often contribute to creating different moods of a picture. The angle and the relationship to the size of the frame both work to determine the influence the line has on the image. They are also strongly influenced by tone, color, and repetition in relation to the rest of the photograph. Horizontal lines, commonly found in landscape photography, can give the impression of calm, tranquility, and space. An image filled with strong vertical lines tends to have the impression of height, and grandeur. Tightly angled convergent lines give a dynamic, lively, and active effect to the image whereas strongly angled, almost diagonal lines generally produce tension in the image. Viewpoint is very important when dealing with lines particularly in photography, because every different perspective elicits a different response to the photograph. By changing the perspective only by some degrees or some centimetres lines in images can change tremendously and a totally different feeling can be transported.

Curved lines[edit]

Curved lines are generally used to create a sense of flow within an image. They are also generally more aesthetically pleasing, as we associate them with soft things. Compared to straight lines, curves provide a greater dynamic influence in a picture.

In photography, curved lines can give gradated shadows when paired with soft-directional lighting, which usually results in a very harmonious line structure within the image.

Color[edit]

Color is characterized by attributes such as hue, brightness, and saturation. Color symbolism assigns additional associations, dependent on culture. For example, white has long suggested purity, but it can also take slightly different meanings such as peace, or innocence. However, in some places (for instance, Japan) it signifies death.

Principles of organization[edit]

Main article: Principles of art

The artist determines what the center of interest (focus in photography) of the art work will be, and composes the elements accordingly. The gaze of the viewer will then tend to linger over these points of interest, elements are arranged with consideration of several factors (known variously as the principles of organization, principles of art, or principles of design) into a harmonious whole which works together to produce the desired statement – a phenomenon commonly referred to as unity. Such factors in composition should not be confused with the elements of art (or elements of design) themselves. For example, shape is an element; the usage of shape is characterized by various principles.

Some principles of organization affecting the composition of a picture are:

• Shape and proportion
• Positioning/Orientation/Balance/Harmony among the elements
• The area within the field of view used for the picture ("cropping")
• The path or direction followed by the viewer's eye when they observe the image.
• Negative space
• Color
• Contrast: the value, or degree of lightness and darkness, used within the picture.
• Geometry: for example, use of the golden mean
• Lines
• Rhythm
• Illumination or lighting
• Repetition (Sometimes building into pattern; rhythm also comes into play, as does geometry)
• Perspective
• Breaking the rules can create tension or unease, yet it can add interest to the picture if used carefully