Post 146: Composition 7. Use of Subject Focus Filling the Frame

Composition: Focus of the Subject and Filling the Frame

This is Part 7 of my series on Composition

Another composition trick or tip is to bring your subject into the foreground with the full focus on really zeroing or zooming in on the subject so the he/she/it fills the frame in a purposeful way. It could mean that some cropping happens to take out unnecessary background "noise", perhaps too much extra sky above or the street/water below, and/or buildings on the sides. 

Bring your subject closer by filling the frame tighter to focus on that subject. Here is a photo I took of the Belmont Bay Marina, Occoquan, VA in 2020 to try to give you an example although the "subject" is debatable...

I cut out my shadow and a lot of the big blue sky, really tightened up the photo.

Maybe looking at the images of the gazebo at Belmont Bay is a better example.

 

The original picture

 

 

The original picture zoomed in but still a lot of sky, tree, foreground.

 

The original picture zoomed in more - now the focus is really on the gazebo and a good part of the 'nonsense' is cropped out. Get the picture? (pun intended)

 

Try zooming in on your design to fill the frame, or canvas with your next composition.

By the way, this is the painting I did of the Belmont Bay Marina at Occoquan, Virginia that day, although it was more about the Marina than a focus in on something. You can see the gazebo to the right in the distance.

 

"Belmont Bay Marina, Occoquan, Virginia" by Donna Liguria, Acrylic 16x20

______

This is part of a series of blog posts on the guidelines, or rules of composition. Look for all of them in the Search this Blog feature at the top right by searching for the word "composition". I hope you enjoy the posts!

---

Local Art: Visit us at Clearbrook Center of the Arts at Tackett's Mill in Lake Ridge, VA on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 – it’s free to see the artwork! Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

---

Author: Donna Liguria
An artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com & her Blog at https://donnascavepainting.blogspot.com/.

Post 142: Composition 6. The Use of Repeated Elements, Patterns

Composition: The Use of Repeated Elements, Patterns

Part 6 of my series on Composition

We humans just love looking at and for patterns and repetitions wherever we can find them. Compositions can be made quite powerful using color, shapes, lighting, and other options with repeated elements. When composing your art, you may only need to shift to the left or right, up or down to change the perspective of the pattern but in photography especially, look for variations in your angle to capture the patterns and repetitions.

There is a symmetry in repetition that is very powerful when captured correctly. Repetitions can occur naturally or be man-made. It is said that man-made repetitions are easier to spot than the ones made by nature. Sometimes you need to zoom in to see the patterns, but often, they are there.

The human eye sees these patterns and repetitions and tries to process them. To group them, to count them - it's what we do. We like order.

 

Photo by Chris Curry on Unsplash

Types of Repetitive Patterns:

• Color Repetition
• Shapes
• Opposing Patterns
• Abstract Patterns 
• Organic Patterns
  

A few notes on repetition and pattern:

• Element repetition creates a pattern.
  
• Repetition patterns cannot exist without at least three repetitions - more is better, odd numbers are best.
  
• Try zooming in on the repetition and fill the frame (or canvas)
• Or try to break the pattern, with either some extra space, or an unexpected pop of color 
• Architectural images lend themselves easily to patterns.

Here is a good article on Patterns and Repetition in Composition for more info on this subject. On this subject. On this subject.

 

______

This is part of a series of blog posts on the guidelines, or rules of composition. Look for all of them in the Search this Blog feature at the top right by searching for the word "composition". I hope you enjoy the posts!

---

Local Art: Visit us at Clearbrook Center of the Arts at Tackett's Mill in Lake Ridge, VA on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 – it’s free to see the artwork! Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

---

Author: Donna Liguria
An artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com & her Blog at https://donnascavepainting.blogspot.com/.

 

Post 139: Composition 5. Subject Symmetry and Visual Balance

Composition: Subject Symmetry and Visual Balance

Part 5 of my Composition Series

Visual Balance in art is described as, "when an Artist distributes the forms, color, line, and other elements of art to spread out in the space. Balance is one of the Principles of Art and Design and an essential one. People who do not understand balance in arts will feel that something is not right in the artwork." - From Madhansart.com

If your subject(s) are balanced across the canvas it could be that a visually heavy single item on one side is balanced by several smaller items on the other side. For instance, a single large tree to one side of the canvas has a grouping of smaller trees across from it. This helps to visually balance the design, not only with the number, but the 'weight' is distributed, via the colors, numbers, sizes, etc. Sort of like a balance on a scale of a single object may weigh the same as many objects on the other side.

 

 

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash 

The balance in the image should be from left to the right, from top to the bottom and from foreground to background. Water reflections are very cool and interesting ways to show symmetry.

 

 

Photo by Matt Gross on Unsplash

______

This is part of a series of blog posts on the guidelines, or rules of composition. Look for all of them in the Search this Blog feature at the top right by searching for the word "composition". I hope you enjoy the posts!

---

Local Art: Visit us at Clearbrook Center of the Arts at Tackett's Mill in Lake Ridge, VA on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 – it’s free to see the artwork! Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

---

Author: Donna Liguria
An artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com & her Blog at https://donnascavepainting.blogspot.com/.

 

Post 136: Composition 4. Add Energy with Diagonal Lines

Composition: Add Energy with Diagonal Lines

Part 4 of my series on Composition. Part 3 was on "Leading Lines"

It is said that the use of vertical lines add strength and that horizontal lines can create stability in an image. Then we toss in diagonal lines and we may get dynamic tension, uncertainty - and possibly an interesting engaging energy when we get 'leaning lines'.

When using diagonal lines, be rather obvious about it, and take the intersection off the frame or have it come from or into a corner. If you are too subtle with diagonals it may look more like a mistake than an intentional decision.

Get those "triangles" in there too!

 

Photo by Joshua Tsu on Unsplash 

Suggested reading: The Use of Diagonal Lines in Photography Composition

______

This is part of a series of blog posts on the guidelines, or rules of composition. Look for all of them in the Search this Blog feature at the top right by searching for the word "composition". I hope you enjoy the posts!

---

Local Art: Visit us at Clearbrook Center of the Arts at Tackett's Mill in Lake Ridge, VA on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 – it’s free to see the artwork! Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

---

Author: Donna Liguria
An artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com & her Blog at https://donnascavepainting.blogspot.com/.

Post 133: Composition 3. Leading Lines Create Depth

Composition: Leading Lines Create Depth

Part 3 of my series on Composition

Sort of like a flow chart, the lines directing your eyes through the page point where the creator wants you to follow to SEE the whole picture. A composition with leading lines can direct what you want to "point out" in your painting or your photo, your design.

What is a Leading Line?

Positioning objects just so in your design help to point out a feature. Much like you use your arm to point at something, someone can follow your arm to your hand, to your finger and the direction you are pointing to look at the object. In the design, the leading line can be a straight line, a curved line, an S-curve, or an 'implied' line. 

 

In the photo below, the lines on the sides of the river lead toward the city, the reflection lines in the water and the curve of the line above and in the water all frame and have you focus on the city in the background.

 

 

Photo by Hao Zhang on Unsplash  

A leading line can create a sense of depth for the viewer.

 

Photo by Oliver Plattner on Unsplash

Repetitive objects, which we know are the same size, gives you a sense of depth and the sidewalk lines, the column rows, the row of lamps all lead you to the final end point.

 

Photo by Chris Curry on Unsplash 

 Other elements that can be leading lines are a row of benches in a park, or a bridge leading to another spot across the water. The reflection in the water and the clouds stretching above the horizon can be leading lines as well.

 

Other examples are sidewalks, roads, paths, street lights - all leading to a subject.

Think about those ways to direct the focus in your next composition.

______

This is part of a series of blog posts on the guidelines, or rules of composition. Look for all of them in the Search this Blog feature at the top right by searching for the word "composition". I hope you enjoy the posts!

---

Local Art: Visit us at Clearbrook Center of the Arts at Tackett's Mill in Lake Ridge, VA on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 – it’s free to see the artwork! Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

---

Author: Donna Liguria
An artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com & her Blog at https://donnascavepainting.blogspot.com/.

 

Post 128: Composition 2. Rule of Odds

Composition: The Rule of Odds

Part 2 of my series on Composition

Many of the "rules" of photography and cinematography are also used in art - drawing and painting. Let's take a look at the Rule of Odds and no, I am not talking about ice cream cones with eyes, that is quite normal in the art world. My previous blog post on Composition was on the Rule of Thirds, now let's look at the Odds.

Odd Numbers and Even Numbers

As many artists refuse to or rarely follow any 'rules', the composition of things are more like guidelines so that your photographs, your art is visually more interesting to look at. So how you place the elements on your canvas can take it up to another level by at least taking the guidelines into consideration.

 

Basically, the Rule of Odds is that whenever possible, your composition will be better with an odd number of objects than an even number of objects.

One, although the "Loneliest Number", is a nicer focus in a very busy scene.

Three flower vases are better than two.

Five lemons are more interesting than four.

Seven golfballs might be confusing on the green, but on a canvas, better for the eye to view.

Even in decorating, odd numbers of things or collections of similar things are easier to view than even numbers. Our brains try to unconsciously group things with even numbers into pairs. Odd numbered objects has the tendency to hold the eye a little longer, viewing the individual elements on the canvas. 

Give it a try. Go to your favorite still life painting - I bet it is composed of an odd number of objects. Unless the artist is a rule breaker of course...

 

Photo by Roberta Sorge on Unsplash 

Again, give it a try in your next composition. Go ahead, be "odd".

______

This is part of a series of blog posts on the guidelines, or rules of composition. Look for all of them in the Search this Blog feature at the top right by searching for the word "composition". I hope you enjoy the posts!

---

Local Art: Visit us at Clearbrook Center of the Arts at Tackett's Mill in Lake Ridge, VA on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 – it’s free to see the artwork! Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

---

Author: Donna Liguria
An artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com & her Blog at https://donnascavepainting.blogspot.com/.

Post 124: Composition 1. Rule of Thirds

Composition: Rule of Thirds

Part 1 of my series on Composition

If you are shooting at a target with a bow and arrow, hitting the target dead center is the goal. If you are shooting via a camera, or painting that target, dead center is not where you want to target.

What is the "Rule of Thirds"?

Draw a tic-tac-toe grid. Hey, you're an artist, you can go back to the basics and no, we are not solving quadratic equations in algebra - maybe. (I'm not talking about putting an X² in the center) When designing your artwork, by placing a tic-tac-toe grid over the artwork, you can find your best "rule of thirds".

There are a lot of rules of composition that you may or may not follow. I tend to think most artists WANT to break as many rules as possible, but maybe that's me... Anyway, this is one of the main rules used by cinematographers, photographers and artists (artamographer?) world-over.

Divide an image into thirds using the tic-tac-toe grid which as you can see, divides the image into nine sections and four intersection points. Place your horizon at either the top horizontal line or the bottom horizontal line while positioning the subject(s) image at the intersection points. Your target is off-center which is considered much more pleasing to the eye. There is a better visual use of the negative space / subject and background.

The eye tends to view an image (of any type) from the upper left, then move down going to the bottom left. Then the eye sweeps to the upper right then drops to the bottom right, all very quickly. 

What do you want the viewer of your art to notice first?

Many artists design their painting on their computers first then move the design onto their canvas. Working via computer would make easier work of moving the elements around 'on the grid' pre-painting. Do you consider this rule in your compositions?

______

This is the first part of a series of blog posts on the guidelines, or rules of composition. I plan on posting them every Monday going forward until I run out of rules. Look for all of them in the Search this Blog feature at the top right by searching for the word "composition". I hope you enjoy the posts!

---

Local Art: Visit us at Clearbrook Center of the Arts at Tackett's Mill in Lake Ridge, VA on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 – it’s free to see the artwork! Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

---

Author: Donna Liguria
An artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com & her Blog at https://donnascavepainting.blogspot.com/.