Composition in art. Rules and techniques

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Composition in painting is a mutual arrangement of the elements of the artwork, which should evoke a sense of unity, integrity and harmony in the viewer. This is the structural basis of a picture, drawing, illustration, the connection of elements on the canvas with each other. The composition is based on the principles of perception and is closely related to the content of the picture, the character of the disclosure of the artistic image, the author’s idea and the purpose of the artwork.

The laws, principles and rules of composition are formed on the basis of the laws of human perception of reality and world artistic experience.

In visual arts, composition is responsible for the competent distribution of elements (figures, objects, volumes, colors, light and shadow, details and directions, etc.). This is a kind of skeleton of the artwork, with the help of which it acquires integrity, completeness, interconnection of all elements and their subordination to the main idea of the picture.

So the main elements of the composition are: drawing, color, shape and others.

The artist’s work on the composition includes several successive stages. This is the search for the theme of the artwork, the definition of the idea of the picture, the selection of the plot, the selection of the format, the size of the canvas and the execution technique. After that, you should create the structure of the lines of the future work, find the most expressive and characteristic poses of the characters, decide on the stylization of the picture. Next, refine the balance of color and tonal spots in the picture, the rhythm of the elements. Finally, you can strengthen the semantic and compositional center, the nature and number of details, etc.

The simplest composition schemes demonstrate classical paintings. In them, all elements of the composition are placed in geometric shapes: triangle, oval, circle, square, rectangle.

The composition can be closed or open. In the first option, all elements tend to the middle, to the center and are surrounded on all sides by a small empty space. In an open composition, all elements tend to break out of the picture, they can partially go beyond the edges of the image or touch them.

In any painting, the artist strives to build a composition in such a way that the depicted objects are in the most expressive form. Everything superfluous in the picture is discarded, only what is really necessary and is the main object of the work remains on the canvas. There are certain rules for achieving such an effect and building a composition.

Composition in art. Rules and techniques

Composition rules

  1. Integrity. The picture should be perceived as a whole, and not a set of individual elements.
  2. The presence of a compositional (semantic) center that attracts attention and highlights the main elements.
  3. The contrast of colors, values, and meanings is necessary for a good picture.
  4. Statics. The lower the elements are placed to the edge of the canvas, the more static it is . The symmetry of the elements also adds static.
  5. Dynamics. Asymmetric arrangement of elements makes the picture more dynamic.
  6. The golden ratio. The ancient Greeks believed that in order for a work of fine art to be perfect, the elements of its composition should be arranged according to the principle of the golden ratio. The rule of the golden ratio in painting is revealed as follows: a rectangular canvas is divided into parts by two vertical and two horizontal lines in the ratio 1:1.618. The most important elements of the drawing should be located at the points of intersection of these lines, then we will perceive such a drawing as correct and beautiful.

In order to create harmonious pictures, it is also necessary to know compositional techniques, among which the following are distinguished:

  • For a good picture, not only the right proportions are important, but also the correct filling of the canvas without too large empty areas or, on the contrary, overloading with strokes or details.
  • When choosing the size and shape of the canvas for the picture, it is worth considering how harmoniously the drawing will «fit» into the format of the canvas.
  • Do not draw a shadow from an object that is not in the picture.
  • In front of a person’s face in a portrait, more space is usually left than behind the back of the person’s head.
  • Do not need to «cut» objects in such a way that the object cannot be recognized from the existing piece.
  • If there are a lot of small objects in the picture, you need to place them in such a way that it seems that they continue beyond the canvas.
  • If you are drawing a group of objects, first sketch all the objects as one large mass, then the individual objects in it, and then the details.

Types of composition, its techniques can be considered on the example of some works of art. So, if you look at the famous painting by Jan van Eyck «The Arnolfini Portrait», you can see that its elements evenly fill the space, do not overlap each other, being placed lower or higher on the canvas. This type of composition originates in the Renaissance. Works of this type consist of two plans: a well-developed foreground with some action and a background with an architectural or natural landscape.

Jan van Eyck. The Arnolfini Portrait
Jan van Eyck. The Arnolfini Portrait

Also you can build the space of the composition with the help of color. An example of this technique is Mykhailo Vrubel’s painting «Lilac». Here, the artist solved the task of the composition (the image of a person in the foreground and a blooming lilac in the background) only with the help of color.

Mykhailo Vrubel's «Lilac»
Mykhailo Vrubel’s «Lilac»

Understanding the rules and techniques of composition will allow you not only to correctly line up the elements of the picture, but also to take perfect photographs, because the compositional «tricks» of these types of art are practically the same.

The «Lihtaryk» art studio invites you to oil painting master classes, pastel, watercolor painting and graphics, where, among other things, you will learn about artistic composition and will be able to directly apply this knowledge in practice. And the most important thing is to have a wonderful rest and reveal your creative potential by finding an interesting place where to go in Kyiv.

We offer offline and online master classes. Also you can order gift certificates for our creative master classes.

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