Mastering Painting Composition: Key Concepts and Techniques

1. March 26, 2014 BR: What 3 ingredients make up Acrylic paint? Standard: VAHSPAPR.1b Discusses and applies concepts, such as surface quality, activating negative space, visual weight, paths of movement, non-centered focal point, dominance and subordination of design elements. EQ: What is Composition?

2. March 27, 2014 BR: What are the 3 most important things to consider when developing a composition? Standard: <Same> VAHSPAPR.1b EQ: What is the Golden Section?

3. March 28, 2014 BR: What is an underpainting? Standard: <Same> VAHSPAPR.1b EQ: What is the Rule of Thirds?

4. March 31, 2014 BR: What is texture? Standard: <Same> VAHSPAPR.1b EQ: What is the Monumental Triangle?

5. Observational Painting Developing a Composition Painting Composition

6. Composition • Composition is the design/layout of an image. It is how the Elements & Principles of Art are arranged. • It should be manipulated in sketches before starting a painting (thumbnails) • It is the underlying success of a painting because it is the structure or bones upon which technique is built.

7. Composition • Strong Composition is important regardless of subject treatment. • When creating a composition - • Think about focal point • Address fore/mid/background • Manipulate the Elements and Principles of Design

8. Let’s discuss Composition… • Golden Section (uneven cross) • Off-Center Composition • Grabs viewers attention and holds it • Focal point is never in the center of the page • Makes your drawing more sophisticated

9. Golden Section • The Golden Section is a Law of Proportionality. It is a Law that occurs frequently in nature and its use is particularly useful in Art. First developed by Vitruvius, it is most famously known from Leonardo Da Vinci's 1509 drawing 'The Divine Proportion‘. (Bottom Left) • Essentially the law states that two unequal parts of a whole must be in relationship to each other to create a satisfactory image to the eye.

11. Creates a place of emphasis or focus within the composition. The point of emphasis is found by dividing the painting into three parts vertically and then horizontally; where the dividing lines meet (there are four points) are supposedly aesthetically pleasing places to put the focus of the painting. Rule of Thirds

12. Chris Peters

13. Monumental Triangle • Composition is arranged within a triangle shape • Creates stability within the composition (unless triangle is flipped) • Often used with figure drawing Robert Leedy

14. Dave Myers Georgia O’Keeffe

15. Compositional Movement • Linear • Eye moves across the picture plane in a line • Circular • Eye moves around the picture plane in a circle

16. Eye Movement: Linear Vincent Van Gogh

17. Eye Movement: Circular Claude Monet

18. Let’s discuss Composition… • Page Format • Picture plane • Does not have to be the traditional rectangle

19. Let’s discuss Composition… • Vantage Points • The point of view from which the artwork is created • Selecting a viewpoint changes the mood andcomposition of an artwork Level eye view

20. Selecting a viewpoint: Bird’s eye view Worm’s eye view

21. Elements Line Value Shape/Form Texture Color Space Principles Balance Emphasis Movement Rhythm Unity/Variety Contrast Pattern Proportion Elements and Principles of Design Principles organize the elements and are manipulated within a composition

22. http://www.washacadsci.org/Flowers/index3.htm Manipulating Composition and Elements/Principles of Design Wayne Thiebaud David Hockney Janet Fish

23. Composition Sketches • Using the objects that you are going to use for your observational painting create 3 thumbnail sketches that rearrange the composition to illustrate some of the compositional issues we have discussed. • You should use several compositional techniques in each thumbnail. • Under each thumbnail list and label the compositional techniques that you have used in the sketch (i.e. – golden section, movement, & vantage points, etc.)

24. Underpainting

25. Underpainting

26. Underpainting

27. Observational Painting • Composition • Complex, Balanced Composition • Focal point, Fore/Mid/Background addressed • Creative Expression • Selected objects are interesting • Objects are arrange in a creative way • Presentation/Craftsmanship • Paint application is clean and neat (canvas is thoroughly covered, edges are even, brushstrokes look intentional) • Skill • Realistic/Observational Subject Treatment • Paint is blended/handled well • Objectives • Begin with an underpainting • Painted from real objects (if you don’t bring them in you have to use what is available here) Do 3-5 thumbnail sketches first to create the best composition

31. Observational Painting • ___ /10 Composition • Complex, Balanced Composition • Focal point, Fore/Mid/Background addressed • ___ /10 Creative Expression • Selected objects are interesting • Objects are arrange in a creative way • ___ /10 Presentation/Craftsmanship • Paint application is clean and neat (canvas is thoroughly covered, edges are even, brushstrokes look intentional) • ___ /10 Skill • Realistic/Observational Subject Treatment • Paint is blended/handled well • ___ /10 Objectives • Begin with an underpainting • Painted from real objects (if you don’t bring them in you have to use what is available here) • Thumbnail sketches for composition are done well Do 3-5 thumbnail sketches first to create the best composition ___ /50 total