Composition (visual arts)

The Art of Painting by Jan Vermeer

In the visual arts, composition is the placement or arrangement of visual elements or

'ingredients' in a work of art, as distinct from the subject.

It can also be thought of as the organization of the elements of art according to the principles of
art.

The composition of a picture is different from its subject (what is depicted), whether a moment
from a story, a person or a place. Many subjects, for example Saint George and the Dragon, are
often portrayed in art, but using a great range of compositions even though the two figures are
typically the only ones shown.

The term composition means 'putting together' and can apply to any work of art, from music to
writing to photography, that is arranged 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
and desktop publishing, composition is commonly referred to as page layout.
Types of compositions

Descriptive:

Descriptive compositions present a detailed picture of events,

Informative:

Informative compositions require collecting of information and arranging] details in the order of
priority.

Narrative:

Narrative compositions tell a story which builds up to a climax.

Expository:

Expository compositions are those in which the writer tries to explain things]

Persuasive:

Persuasive compositions are those in which the writer has to take a stand on any one issue and
support his/her stand with examples & thus write a| conclusion that extends the main idea.

Report:

Report is a description of an event which has occurred in the past, answers to the questions what,
when, why, where and how?

Elements of design
The various visual elements, known as elements of design, formal elements, or elements of art,
constitute 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
  Color — hues with their various values and intensities
 Texture — surface qualities which translate into tactile illusions
 Value — Shading used to emphasize form
 Form — 3-D length, width, or depth
 Space — the space taken up by (positive) or in between (negative) objects

Line and shape

Lines are optical phenomena that allow the artist to direct the eye of the viewer. The optical
illusion of lines do exist in nature and visual arts elements can be arranged to create this illusion.
The viewer unconsciously reads near continuous arrangement of different elements and subjects
at varying distances. Such elements can be of dramatic use in the composition of the image.
These could be literal lines such as telephone and power cables or rigging on boats. Lines can
derive also from the borders of areas of differing color or contrast, or sequences of discrete
elements. Movement is also a source of lines, where the blurred movement renders as a line

Subject lines contribute to both mood and linear perspective, giving the viewer 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 artist may exaggerate
or create lines perhaps as part of their message to the viewer. Many lines without a clear subject
point suggest chaos in the image and may conflict with the mood the artist is trying to evoke
Straight left lines create different moods and add affection to visual arts. A line's angle and its
relationship to the size of the frame influence the mood of the image. 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.
Strongly angled, almost diagonal lines produce tension in the image. The viewpoint of visual art
is very important because every different perspective views different angled lines. This change of
perspective elicits a different response to the image. 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. Straight lines are also strongly influenced by tone, color, and
repetition in relation to the rest of the image.
Compared to straight lines, curves provide a greater dynamic influence in a picture. They are
also generally more aesthetically pleasing, as the viewer associates them with softness. In
photography, curved lines can give graduated shadows when paired with soft-directional
lighting, which usually results in a very harmonious line structure within the image.

Color

There are three properties of color. Hue, brightness or chroma, and value. Hue is simply the
name of a color, (red, yellow, and blue, etc.) Brightness and chroma refer to the intensity and
strength of the color. A high chroma color is more pure and less greyed than a low chroma color.
The lightness and darkness to a color is the value. Color also has the ability to work within our
emotions. Given that, we can use color to create mood. It can also be used as tone, pattern, light,
movement, symbol, form, harmony, and contrast.

Texture
Texture refers to how an object feels or how it looks like it may feel if it were touched. There are
two ways we experience texture, physically and optically. Different techniques can be used to
create physical texture, which allows qualities of visual art to be seen and felt. This can include
surfaces such as metal, sand, and wood. Optical texture is when the illusion of physical texture is
created. Photography, paintings, and drawings use visual texture to create a more realistic
appearance. [4]

Value

Lightness and darkness are known as value in visual art. Value deals with how light reflects off
objects and how we see it. The more light that is reflected, the higher the value. White is the
highest or lightest value while black is the lowest or darkest value. Colors also have value, for
example, yellow has a high value while blue and red have a low value. If you take a black and
white picture of a colorful scene, all you are left with are the values. This important element of
design, especially in painting and drawing, allows the artist to create the illusion of light through
value contrast. [5]

Form

The term form can mean different things in visual art. Form suggests a three-dimensional object
in space. It is also described as the physical nature of the artwork, such as sculptures. It can also
be looked at as art form, which can be expressed through fine art. A form encloses volume, has
length, width, and height, unlike a shape, which is only two-dimensional. Forms that are
mathematical, a sphere, pyramid, cube, cylinder, and cone, are known as geometric forms.
Organic forms are typically irregular and asymmetrical. This form can be found in nature, such
as flowers, rocks, trees, etc., but can also be seen in architecture. [6]

Forms in drawing and painting convey the illusion of three-dimensional form through lighting,
shadows, value, and tone. The more contrast in value, the more pronounced the three-
dimensional form is. Forms with little value appear flatter than those with greater variation and
contrast.

Space

Space is the area around, above, and within an object. Photographers can capture space,
architects build space, and painters create space. This element is found in each of the visual arts.
It can be positive or negative, open or closed, shallow or deep, and two-dimensional or three-
dimensional. In drawing or painting, space is not actually there, but the illusion of it is. Positive
space is the subject of the piece. The empty spaces around, above, and within, is negative space.
[7] [8]

Principles of organization
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.
 Arrangement: for example, use of the golden mean or the rule of thirds
 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

Viewpoint (leading with the eye)

The position of the viewer can strongly influence the aesthetics of an image, even if the subject is
entirely imaginary and viewed "within the mind's eye". Not only does it influence the elements
within the picture, but it also influences the viewer's interpretation of the subject.

For example, if a boy is photographed from above, perhaps from the eye level of an adult, he is
diminished in stature. A photograph taken at the child's level would treat him as an equal, and
one taken from below could result in an impression of dominance. Therefore, the photographer is
choosing the viewer's positioning.

A subject can be rendered more dramatic when it fills the frame. There exists a tendency to
perceive things as larger than they actually are, and filling the frame fulfills this psychological
mechanism. This can be used to eliminate distractions from the background.
In photography, altering the position of the camera can change the image so that the subject has
fewer or more distractions with which to compete. This may be achieved by getting closer,
moving laterally, tilting, panning, or moving the camera vertically.

Compositional techniques
There are numerous approaches or "compositional techniques" to achieve a sense of unity within
an artwork, depending on the goals of the artist. For example, a work of art is said to be
aesthetically pleasing to the eye if the elements within the work are arranged in a balanced
compositional way.[9] However, there are artists such as Salvador Dalí who aim to disrupt
traditional composition and challenge the viewer to rethink balance and design elements within
art works.

Conventional composition can be achieved with a number of techniques:

Rule of thirds

Main article: Rule of thirds

The rule of thirds is a composition guide that states that arranging the important features of an
image on or near the horizontal and vertical lines that would divide the image into thirds
horizontally and vertically is visually pleasing. The objective is to stop the subject(s) and areas of
interest (such as the horizon) from bisecting the image, by placing them near one of the lines that
would divide the image into three equal columns and rows, ideally near the intersection of those
lines.

Rule of thirds: Note how the horizon falls close to the bottom grid line, and how the dark areas
are in the left third, the overexposed in the right third.
The rule of thirds is thought to be a simplification of the golden ratio. The golden ratio is thought
to have been used by artists throughout history as a composition guide, but there is little evidence
to support this claim.

Rule of odds

The "rule of odds" suggests that an odd number of subjects in an image is more interesting than
an even number. Thus if you have more than one subject in your picture, the suggestion is to
choose an arrangement with at least three subjects. An even number of subjects produces
symmetries in the image, which can appear less natural for a naturalistic, informal composition.

An image of a person surrounded/framed by two other persons, for instance, where the person in
the center is the object of interest in that image/artwork, is more likely to be perceived as friendly
and comforting by the viewer, than an image of a single person with no significant surroundings.

Rule of space

Main article: Lead room

The rule of space applies to artwork (photography, advertising, illustration) picturing object(s) to
which the artist wants to apply the illusion of movement, or which is supposed to create a
contextual bubble in the viewer's mind.

This can be achieved, for instance, by leaving white space in the direction the eyes of a portrayed
person are looking, or, when picturing a runner, adding white space in front of him rather than
behind him to indicate movement.

Simplification

Images with clutter can distract from the main elements within the picture and make it difficult to
identify the subject. By decreasing the extraneous content, the viewer is more likely to focus on
the primary objects. Clutter can also be reduced through the use of lighting, as the brighter areas
of the image tend to draw the eye, as do lines, squares and colour. In painting, the artist may use
less detailed and defined brushwork towards the edges of the picture.Removing the elements to
the focus of the object, taking only the needed components.

Shallow depth of field

In photography, and also (via software simulation of real lens limitations) in 3D graphics, one
approach to achieving simplification is to use a wide aperture when shooting to limit the depth of
field. When used properly in the right setting, this technique can place everything that is not the
subject of the photograph out of focus.
The blurred background focuses the eye on the flowers.

At a smaller aperture, the background competes for the viewer’s attention.

A similar approach, given the right equipment, is to take advantage of the Scheimpflug principle
to change the plane of focus.

Geometry and symmetry

A simple composition with cloud and rooftop that creates asymmetry.

Related to the rule of odds is the observation that triangles are an aesthetically pleasing implied
shape within an image. In a canonically attractive face, the mouth and eyes fall within the
corners of the area of an equilateral triangle. Paul Cézanne successfully used triangles in his
compositions of still lifes. A triangular format creates a sense of stability and strength.

Creating movement

It is generally thought to be more pleasing to the viewer if the image encourages the eye to move
around the image, rather than immediately fixating on a single place or no place in particular.
Artists will often strive to avoid creating compositions that feel "static" or "flat" by incorporating
movement into the image. In image A the 2 mountains are equally sized and positioned beside
each other creating a very static and uninteresting image. In image B the mountains are
differently sized and one is placed closer to the horizon, guiding the eye to move from one
mountain to the other creating a more interesting and pleasing image. This also feels more
natural because in nature objects are rarely the same size and evenly spaced.

Image A

Image B

Other techniques

 There should be a center of interest or focus in the work, to prevent it becoming a pattern
in itself
 The direction followed by the viewer's eye should lead the viewer's gaze around all
elements in the work before leading out of the picture
 The subject should not be facing out of the image
 Exact bisections of the picture space should be avoided
 Small, high contrast, elements have as much impact as larger, duller elements
 The prominent subject should be off-centre, unless a symmetrical or formal composition
is desired, and can be balanced by smaller satellite elements
 The horizon line should not divide the art work in two equal parts but be positioned to
emphasize either the sky or ground; showing more sky if painting is of clouds, sun
rise/set, and more ground if a landscape
 Use of detailed areas and 'rest' areas can help to aid the eye in where to look. Creating a
contrast between detail and lack of detail is important

These principles can be means of a good composition yet they cannot be applied separately but
should act together to form a good composition.

 Also in an artwork, it is suggested that no spaces between the objects should be the same
to create a more interesting image.

Example
These paintings all show the same subject, the Raising of Lazarus, and essentially the same
figures, but have very different compositions:

 Duccio, 1310–11

Geertgen tot Sint Jans, 1480s

Guercino, c. 1619

Rembrandt, c. 1630
Balance

Balance

Balance in art refers to the sense of distribution of perceived visual weights that offset one
another. We feel more comfortable--and therefore find it more pleasing--when the parts of an
artwork seem to balance each other. Imbalance gives us an unsettled feeling, and that is
something that for most artists is not the desired effect. Some artists, however, deliberately
disturb our sense of balance.

Portrait sculpture of a Zen priest, Muromachi period (1392–1573),

 14th–15th century Japan
Lacquered wood   H. 40 1/2 in. (103 cm)

Metropolitan Museum of Art        Purchase, John D. Rockefeller 3rd Gift, 1963 (63.65)

image Source: Portrait sculpture of a Zen priest [Japan] (63.65) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

 
This portrait of a Zen master is solid and balanced, with a strong presence and sense of
permanence.Zen practice places a strong emphasis on one's teacher. This sculpture accentuates
the value of the Zen priest in the strength of its balance. 
 

Shiva Vinadhara - Dakshinamurti    Southern India,Chola period

11th century C.E.
Musee Guimet, Paris

In contrast, this sculpture almost appears off balance, as if it might tip over at any moment
because of the twist of the body and backward leaning stance. This gives it a heightened sense of
movement and suggests a dancing motion. Indian art reflects the value of prana, or the breath of
life, which can be seen in the animated quality of its sculptures.

 
  

Isamu Noguchi  Red Cube, 1968

image source  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Red_Cube.jpg

The bright red of this sculpture presents a strong contrast to the browns and grays of the
surrounding buildings. It is also distinctive because of its seeming lack of balance in the presence
of strong, solid, buildlings that convey permanence. The tension of the tilt of the cube is
disconcerting, especially in such a large object; it appears as if it will fall at any time. Noguchi
stresses the relationship between architecture and sculpture and that the spaces around buildings
should be dramatic.

 
 

Symetrical and Asymetrical Balance

There are two types of balance: symmetrical and asymmetrical. In symmetrical balance, if an
imaginary line is drawn through the center of the work, both sides are exactly the same, and
balanced in that way. In asymmetrical balance, the two sides are not identical, but differ from
one another. However, the elements are arranged so that there is a sense of balance.

In the illustration below, both examples use the exact same objects. The one on the left, however,
is symmetrical, identical on each side. The one on the right uses the same shapes in the same
colors, and balances them asymmetrically. Both sides are different, yet arranged in such a way
that they feel balanced.

Examples of symmetrical balance

Symmetrical balance is used to convey a sense of formality, order, rationality, and permanence.
Consider for each of the examples below, why would the artist want to use symmetrical balance?

Neoclassical architecture
 United States Capitol Washington D.C.  begun 1792, completed 1830

Architects Dr. William Thornton, George Hadfield, James Hoban, Benjamin Latrobe, Charles Bullfinch

Altarpiece
Jan Van Eyck   The Ghent Altarpiece (closed).  Completed 1432.  Tempera and oil on wood, approx. 11' 6" by 7' 7".
Jan Van Eyck   The Ghent Altarpiece (open).  Completed 1432.  Tempera and oil on wood, approx. 11' 6" by 7' 7".

Contemporary sculpture
Rebecca Horn, High Moon (1991) in New York  Marian Goodman Gallery  mixed media

image source  limitless cinema in broken English,  blog published by celinejulie

 from the post PLEASE IMPORT VALIE EXPORT, July 20, 2007

http://celinejulie.wordpress.com/2007/07/20/please-import-valie-export/

Asymmetrical Balance

Asymmetrical balance often has more variety, visual interest, and liveliness.

Asymmetrical balance can be achieved by using some of the following principles:

Visually--

 a large form is heaveir than a smaller form

 dark values are heavier than light values
 a textured form is heavier than a smooth form
 a complex form is heavier than a simple form
 two or more smaller forms balance one large form
 a smaller darker form balances a larger lighter form
 objects toward the edge or corner of the composition appear heavier
 intense colors are heavier than muted colors

Examples of asymmetrical balance in art

Japanese woodblock print

 Hiroshige  View of Mount Fuji from Harajuku, part of the Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō series

ukiyo ("floating world") print, referring to an evanescent world, impermanence, and fleeting beauty

image source wikipedia commons

Japanese art is known for elegant asymmetry that is perfectly balanced. Here, the mountain on
the right is balanced on the left by empty space, the close proximity of the travelers, and their
movement away from the mountain.

Mary Cassatt

Mary Cassatt was an Impressionist painter and printmaker. She was strongly influenced by
Japanese art and was a master at creating asymmetrically balanced compositions. Notice how she
balances strong forms with space and placement of elements in the composition.
 Mary Cassatt Boating Party 

oil on canvas  46.06 inch wide x 35.43 inch high

National Gallery Of Art, Washington, DC

image source   http://www.marycassatt.org/Boating-Party.html

 Mary Cassatt Summertime 

from Mary Cassatt: the Complete Works

http://www.marycassatt.org/Summertime.html

 
 David Hockney: contemporary painter

David Hockney A Bigger Splash, 1967

Acrylic on canvas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hockney,_A_Bigger_Splash.jpg

The building is placed off center, to the left, but is balanced by the dramatic angle of the diving
board, and its projection into the viewer's space.

Contrast
What is contrast?

Contrast in art is a distinct difference between elements of a form or composition; either

visually or in subject matter.

In the example below, two types of contast are shown. The image on the left represents visual
contrast, which is achieved through the use of intense complementary colors. Complementary
colors--across from each other on the color wheel--are opposites in terms of hue, and the more
intense they are, the more contrast they create.

The image on the right shows contrast in subject matter. Night and day are also opposites, and
the use of both within the same composition creates a strong contrast.
 

Examples of contrast in artwork: visual contrast

 
 Richard Anuszkiewicz: Plus Reversed  1960

source  http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Op_art

An example of op art, this painting has such a strong contrast in colors that it plays with visual
perception and makes it seem as if the shapes are moving. There is also a contrast in shapes, in
that positive shapes becomes negative shapes, and vice versa.

.
 Charles Sheeler Golden Gate, 1955
Oil on canvas  H. 25 1/8 in. (63.8 cm), W. 34 7/8 in. (88.5 cm)
Metropolitan Museum of Art, George A. Hearn Fund, 1955 (55.99)

Source: Charles Sheeler: Golden Gate (55.99) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Vissual contrast and contrast in subjeArt History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

This is a dramatic and beautiful portrayal of a dramatic and beautiful bridge, the Golden Gate
Bridge in San Fransisco, California. The bridge has a distinct orange hue, and against the blue
sky, creates a strong visual contrast. Sheeler has optimized this contrast by simplifying and
almost abstracting the form of the bridge into shapes, and enhancing the intensity of the color of
the bridge and the sky. The angle of view reveals its size and magnificence.

 
 Andy Warhol Electric Chair 1971

screenprint on paper 35.5 x 48 inches

all signed in ink on reverse BL "Andy Warhol '71"; all inscribed in offset ink BR "© Copyright Factory Additions/Edition Bischofberger Zürich 138/250"
Edition:138/250  Printer:Silkprint Kettner, Zurich, Switzerland  Publisher:Factory Additions, Edition Bischofberger, Zürich

from the Walker sArt Center solo exhibition: Andy Warhol Drawings, 1942-1987, 1999

Walker Art Center, Minneapolis

image source walkerart.org

From the label text for Andy Warhol, Electric Chair (1971), from the exhibition Art in Our Time: 1950 to the Present, Walker Art
Center, Minneapolis, September 5, 1999 to September 2, 2001:  "In 1962, Andy Warhol started a series of silkscreened paintings of death
and disasters that included photographs of suicides, plane and car crashes, and tragedy-stricken celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and
Jacqueline Kennedy. All the images were taken from the print media. He depicted an electric chair in several groups of silk-screens
throughout the 1960s, the first in 1963--the same year that New York's Sing Sing State Penetentiary performed its last two executions by
electric chair (capital punishment was banned in the United States from 1963-1997). For his 1968 retrospective at the Moderna Museet in
Stockholm, Warhol produced yet another series, of which these works are a part. In these prints, however, he made some variations: he
cropped the image to bring the electric chair to the foreground, and screened it in a variety of colors other than black, occasionally
printing off-register double images. By the artist's account, the replication of the image was intended to "empty" it of meaning."

This print contains a distinct visual contrast in

the colors that are used. It also presents a contrast in subject
matter, in the sense that the colors used do not fit our interpretation of expectation of an electric
chair. The result is that it causes us to look at and consider the electric chair in a new way.
 

Examples of contrast in artwork: contrast in subject matter

Emmanuel Rudnitsky (Man Ray)  Gift 1921

Cast iron, tacks6 x 3 1/2 x 5 in. (15.24 x 8.89 x 12.7 cm)

Publisher Emmanuel Galleria II Fauno, Turin
(replicated in a 1970 edition of 11)

Minneapolis Institute of Arts  The William Hood Dunwoody Fund

Image Copyright:© Man Ray Trust / Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY / ADAGP, Paris
The title of this artwork, "The GIft", belies its content and presents a contrast between our idea of
what a gift is and what this object represents. An iron, normally used to press clothing, is lined
with tacks that would prevent normal use of the object. Man Ray offers us a visual pun and a
Surrealist viewpoint of life.

Mona Hatoum  Nature morte aux grenades ( the death of nature by grenades) 2006-2007
Crystal, mild steel and rubber

95 x 208 x 70 cm   Edition of 5 plus 1 AP

  

Mona Hatoum  Nature morte aux grenades  detail

 imagre source http://www.maxhetzler.com/1036.0.html?
&tx_hetzlergallery_pi1[artwork_uid]=1745&tx_hetzlergallery_pi1[exhibition_uid]=298&tx_hetzlergallery_pi1[modus]=exhibitionviewzoom&tx_hetzlergallery_pi1[tt_modus]=past&cHash=5d
20876d14

 
Mona Hatoum often presents a contrast between subject matter and materials in her work. Like
Warhol's Electric Chair, this work forces us to look at an object (hand grenade) in an entirely
new way, because of the bright colors and unexpected materials. The "grenades" are displayed
on what appears to be an operating table, suggesting an up close and and detailed examination--
of the hand grenade--and presumably its purpose, use, and history in the contemporary world.