Composition

Closed versus Open Composition

• Introduction: Two-dimensional design focuses on how visual elements are arranged on a two-dimensional picture plane to make artwork look unified and deliberate.
• Closed composition:
  • Subject matter is completely contained within the picture plane; nothing goes off the edge.
  • Characteristics: formal and static.
• Open composition:
  • Subject matter extends beyond the edge of the picture plane.
  • Characteristics: dynamic and engages the viewer to imagine what exists outside the frame.
• Course expectation: Open composition will be used for every project to aid understanding of eye movement and balance.

Elements of Art (focus on the first three; touch texture and pattern; color reserved for ART 131)

• Five elements to study: shape, line, value, texture, and color.
• In this course, emphasis will be placed on the first three elements.
• Texture and pattern will be touched on; color is reserved for a later course/module.
• Approach: analyze and break down artwork by considering these elements on the picture plane.

Positive and Negative Shapes

• Positive shapes: the subject matter itself.
• Negative space: the space around and between the subject matter.
• Importance of negative space:
  • Negative space can pull the viewer’s eye toward the subject.
  • Thoughtful arrangement of subjects creates interesting shapes that guide attention from negative space into the subject.
• Example concept: arranging the subject to create compelling shapes that lead the eye along contours.

Line

• Line can create movement within a composition.
• Types of lines and their effects:
  • Curved lines: create a gentle, graceful movement (as seen in flowing cloth).
  • Vertical lines: convey strength and stability.
  • Horizontal lines: convey calm and tranquility.
  • Diagonal lines: convey dynamics and action.
• Diagonal lines that oppose or intersect can create tension and serve as a focal point.
• Line direction and intersections guide how the viewer’s eye travels through the composition.

Value

• Value = relative lightness or darkness of a surface.
• Uses:
  • Create space (depth) within a two-dimensional plane.
  • Create volume and mass.
  • Guide the eye around the composition to specific areas of interest.

Illusion of Depth on a 2D Surface

• Depth devices to simulate space:
  • Overlapping: seeing one shape in front of another implies depth (e.g., a rectangle in front of a blue square; an oval behind the blue square).
  • Scale change: smaller shapes appear farther away; larger shapes appear closer.
  • Diagonal lines and linear perspective: lines appear to converge toward a vanishing point, pushing the viewer’s eye back toward the horizon.
• Purpose: use these devices to control perceived depth and space on a flat surface.

From Subject to Elements: Simplification

• Break the subject into basic elements for organization:
  • Example: an orange is reduced to a circle.
• Rationale: simplifying helps in arranging subjects on the picture plane with clear organization.

Principles of Design (emphasis, unity, variety, movement, balance, economy, scale, and proportion)

• Emphasis: creating a focal point; establishing a hierarchy of importance.
  • The main focal point is the most important; secondary focal points follow in order of importance.
  • Jacob Lawrence example: main focal point is the most visually salient element (large, foreground, high detail, isolation, high contrast).
• Unity: how well the subject matter belongs together on the plane.
  • Gestalt principles relevant to unity include proximity, similarity, continuation/continuity, and other grouping laws.
  • These laws explain how our eyes naturally group visual information.
  • Vermeer example: uses similarity and recurring shapes (rectangles) to guide the eye around the composition.
  • Repetition and continuation create a path for the eye from focal point to related shapes and negative spaces.
• Movement: guiding the viewer’s eye through the composition.
  • Movement can be created with lines and by arranging shapes to lead the gaze across the artwork.
  • Degas example: focal point is the violinist (large, foreground, detailed, high contrast, isolated).
  • The viewer’s eye is led from the focal point to surrounding details (e.g., dark bands, the dancer’s neck, toes) and back again.
• Balance: distributing visual weight so that the composition feels stable.
  • Types of balance: symmetrical balance, asymmetrical balance, radial balance.
  • Do not confuse “no balance” with “unbalanced” – a piece can be balanced in non-symmetrical ways.
  • Symmetrical balance example: Taj Mahal photograph demonstrates approximate symmetry (centerline split with near-mirrored elements).
  • Asymmetrical balance: larger shapes and focal elements placed toward the center with smaller shapes toward the edges to balance visual weight.
  • Analogy: an adult on one end of a teeter-totter would tip unless weight is redistributed toward the center; similarly, larger elements should be positioned to balance a composition.
  • Contrast and texture influence balance: high contrast can pull attention, while textured or intricate areas may demand more central placement or scale adjustments.
• Economy, scale, and proportion:
  • Use scale and proportion to ensure shapes fit the picture plane harmoniously.
  • Consider how artists use relatively larger and smaller elements to balance the overall composition.
• Example: an asymmetrical balance with Christina’s World by Andrew Wyeth uses movement, gaze direction, and similarity to balance visual weight.

The Grid as a Composition Tool

• The grid: a simple system of vertical and horizontal lines spaced equally.
• Benefits:
  • Helps align features along grid lines, creating stable alignment points (e.g., chin, knee, neck alignment).
  • Background shapes framed by grid lines contribute to unity.
• Variations:
  • Use multiple grid boxes, single grid boxes, or grid lines as compositional devices.
• Role of grid in unity:
  • Objects placed within the grid tend to appear proportional and aligned, reinforcing harmony.

Rule of Thirds

• The rule of thirds: divide the picture plane into three equal parts both horizontally and vertically.
• Guide for placement:
  • Horizon line typically placed on the top third rather than the center to avoid splitting the composition in half.
  • Key subjects or alignment points align with the grid intersections or lines (e.g., figures along intersecting lines, elements along the lines).
• Practical use: helps position focal points, align figures, and structure relationships among elements.

The Golden Rectangle (Historical context)

• The golden rectangle (often cited as the most pleasing rectangle) has historical significance dating back to ancient Greece and the Parthenon.
• It is often explored in art and design as a means of achieving harmony and proportion in a composition.
• The course will explore different scales and proportions, including the golden rectangle, in upcoming weeks.

Flowchart: Process for Composing Art

• Step 1: Think about your subject or form.
• Step 2: Use tools to simplify the subject into basic elements: line, shapes, value, texture, and color.
  • For example, you might reduce an object to basic shapes rather than its full detail (e.g., an orange becomes a circle).
• Step 3: Organize these simplified elements on the picture plane.
  • Consider balance, proportion, dominance, movement, and economy to create harmony.
  • The aim is to create space and unity through these organized elements.
• Step 4: Apply these principles to guide composition throughout the semester.

Course Preview and Application

• The instructor previews these concepts to be referenced in future weeks.
• Students are encouraged to revisit the presentation as needed to reinforce understanding of open composition, elements of art, and design principles.