Composition: Week Two

Composition

Definition

A composition is the arrangement of visual elements in a picture. It can be things like the angle of the point of view in a figurative picture or it can be more abstract elements like the placement of light and dark areas or the placement and angle of lines which can keep your attention focused on the page (or canvas) or lead your eye straight off in some direction if badly done.

Composition is the hardest part of creating a painting. A boring composition can break an exciting piece of art while an exciting composition can carry even the most boring works of art. When I work abstractly, I struggle with coming up with creative compositions every time I put my brush to the canvas. What I do instead of creating brand new compositions is that I look for compositions in existing imagery or pictures I have taken myself and deconstruct it to achieve the composition I want. I do this usually by squinting at the image and looking for just the light and dark values. Separating the positive and negative space from an image is also key. Design rules apply, of course, and I must be conscious of not placing things smack dab in the center of the canvas. It's also important to create depth and space in my abstract pieces.


Sometimes, the music I listen to when I paint can determine the outcome of the composition, as well as the brush strokes, color choices, speed at which I paint, etc... I will often paint to the beat and syncopation.


Here is an example of a song that could affect the composition of my work:

Here are some of the types of images I look for when deconstructing compositions:

Cave Landscapes (Rock, Crystal & Ice)

I find caves to be dynamic and full of great lines. The jagged stalactites and stalagmites create anxiety and uneasy feelings. This is a major component in a lot of my abstract paintings.

Micro Photography

I draw from the compositions in these photographs regularly.
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/micro/gallery.html
Zoomed-in photography of items like sugars, minerals, proteins, etc.. as seen under a microscope have truly amazing compositions (and colors). Here are a few found around the web...