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Part 1: Composition
Selection and combination are learned from nature herself,
who constantly presents us with compositions of her own,
far more beautiful than the happiest arranged by human skill.
-John Constable2
Concepts
Preserve your initial idea, the first impression of the subject,
which inspired you to paint it. Strive for visual unity.
One idea, one kind of line and shape, one value, one hue and one
texture should dominate the picture.
Effective spotting can elevate the trivial subject to the
monumental. Placing the subject high in the painting can make it
more important. Putting it to one side and balancing it with a large
area of space can add distinction to the design.
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Marion
By Richard Whitney |
The design should have carrying power. It should have a
pleasing arrangement of light and dark masses that attracts the
viewer's eye from a considerable distance.
Strive for simplicity of design. Alfred Stevens said, "Masterpieces
are generally simple."3 A few well-shaped masses
should dominate the picture even if the subject is complex. If the
composition looks wrong, subtract something from it. Elimination
will nearly always improve design.4 George Inness advised,
"Never put anything on your canvas that isn't of use, never
use a detail unless it means something."5
Divide the painting into unequal areas of light and dark
masses so that they are pleasing to the eye in their proportion
to each other. Avoid having equal intervals of measurement as it
creates monotony. Try not to put objects in a row but if you have
no choice, then subtly vary their shapes, spacing, colors, lighting,
etc., to create rhythm. Try not to place anything of interest
dead center as it cuts the picture in half. Rather, place the subject
near the middle or more to one side. If you need to place the subject
dead center (a painting of a saint), then make each half of the
painting somewhat different from each other so as to create variety.
Avoid having the outside edge of any object come to the exact corner
of the frame. The width of the frame should not repeat any important
unit of measurement in the painting.
Simplify the detail within the masses and give the silhouettes interesting
and expressive shapes. An artist is a distinguished shape-maker.6
Check the picture for balance. If it is adequately composed,
the masses on the left half will balance those on the right half.
If it is beautifully composed the top and bottom halves will balance
as well. A painting should be able to hang from its center.
Lines convey emotions. Horizontal lines suggest a calm and
quiet feeling. Vertical lines convey strength and grandeur. Diagonal
lines express energy and motion and dominate dramatic compositions.
Look for a rhythmic flow of lines, either real or imaginary,
to unite remote parts of the picture.
Create an entrance to the picture for the eye to travel to
the subject. Use a prominent curve or diagonal line to lead the
eye to the subject. Or use a gradation (such as a shadow to light
beyond) which gives great depth. The eye should travel in a circuit
from the subject to secondary subjects before leaving the painting.
Avoid placing an obstacle in the picture that prevents the eye from
going beyond it. Don't provide more than one exit for the eye or
make the corners of the painting too interesting.
Cutting objects with the frame adds to the feeling of reality
(the world continuing beyond the edge of the painting.) It helps
prevent a painting from looking too centered or composed.
Touch with light the things you wish to emphasize or put dark accents
next to them. Some artists place the strongest contrast in values
near the subject. Others put the source of light within the painting
because the eye always seeks the light.
When two masses are very close either join them or clearly separate
them. Otherwise, they will create a halo effect.
George Inness pointed out, "Don't forget to put in the harsh
note, the accidental. It makes the contrast that gives great
interest and beauty to the whole."7
A picture obviously composed is badly composed. In a good composition
it is as though the parts had been carefully placed in rhythmic
relation and then the picture jarred a little so that everything
is slightly shifted out of place, thus introducing a play of life
between the parts. This concealment is an essential element
of a beautiful composition.8
Helpful Hints
Make preliminary drawings or color studies of the subject from different
angles. Don't begin the painting until you have found a good design.
Use a viewfinder to determine the borders of the picture
and the most effective placement of the subject within them.
Mark the center of the study before laying it in so that
you won't put the edge of any object in the middle.
View the picture through a reducing glass or from a distance
to check the carrying power of the design.
Allow for the frame overlap (usually a quarter inch or so
each side) when planning the borders of the composition.
Study the effectiveness of your design by looking in a mirror.
Also turn the painting upside down.
To avoid unnecessary changes, first paint corrections on
a sheet of glass or plastic placed over the picture.
Richard Whitney
Stoddard, New Hampshire 2006
Footnotes
1. C. R. Leslie, Memoirs of the Life of John Constable (1845).
2. Leslie, op. cit.
3. Alfred Stevens, Impressions on Painting (New York: George
J. Coombes, 1886), p. 25.
4. Robert Brackman as quoted by Ernest W. Watson in Color and Method
in Painting (New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, Inc., 1942),
p. 102.
5. George Inness, Jr., Life, Art, and Letters of George Inness
(New York: The Century Co., 1917), p. 46.
6. Quotation of Eugene Speicher, Watson, op. cit., p. 23.
7. Inness, op. cit., p. 131.
8. Harold Speed, The Practice and Science of Drawing (Philadelphia:
J. B. Lippincott Co.), p. 218.
The complete book, Painting the Visual Impression, by
Richard Whitney, is available from The Studios at Crescent Pond,
100 Chalet Road, Stoddard, NH 03464. $22 postage paid. Make check
payable to Richard Whitney. Internet: www.crescentpond.com.
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