Composition & Elements of Art and Principles of Design A artists toolbox

Composition The placement of elements and principals within the frame of a photograph Two parts: The subject or point of interest The treatment of the subject Uses Rule of Thirds

Rule of Thirds Rule of thirds: When the image is divided into 3 equal parts vertically and horizontally – This helps the artist arrange the subject and the background in an interesting manner

Which image is the better composition?

Elements of Art The Tools 7 Elements – Line – Shape – Form – Color – Texture – Space – Value

Line Definition: is a visual force that pulls the viewers eye around a picture, helps focus attention on key points of the composition Understanding line of one of the primary elements of photography Line(s) can… – Be an edge or border – Show the connection between two or more things – Suggests moods – Create rhythm – Create pattern – Create structure – The subject itself or it can support the subject – Actual or implied

Shape 2-dimensional enclosed area that is distinct from its background and other shapes (circle, square, triangle, oval, etc.) Types: Geometric & Organic

Form 3-dimensional object that has mass and volume (sphere, cube, pyramid, cylinder)

Color The visible spectrum of light (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet) – 3 properties of color Hue- the name of a color Intensity- the strength or purity of a color Value- the lightness or darkness of a color Color can show… – Mood, Emphasis, Cultural associations

Texture The physical quality of a surface (rough, smooth, metallic, fur, etc.)

Space the area around, above, and within a subject or object. – Positive and negative space – Foreground, middle ground and back ground

Value The range of lightness and darkness in an image

Principles of Design How you arrange your “tools” or elements in a composition 8 Principles of Design – Pattern – Emphasis – Variety – Unity – Balance – Rhythm/ Movement – Proportion – Contrast

Pattern the purposeful repetition of an element(s) – Like line, shape, color, or texture

Emphasis The focus or main idea, where you want the viewer to look first Emphasis can be created by – Framing – Placement of subject (governed by rule of thirds) – Selective focus to simplify the background (shallow depth of field) – Drawing the viewer's attention to a certain spot using leading lines. – Contrast (ie: one green apple is emphasized in a pile of all red apples)

Variety using a number of differences or variations to create visual interest

Unity The qualities that make a piece of art feel harmonious, all part feeling like a whole Unity can be created by: – Simplicity (only having a limited type of lines, shapes, colors, etc. instead of lots of variety) – Repetition (repeating similar elements) – Proximity (placing similar elements together)

Balance How the subject matter is placed in an image Equal distribution of visual weight (symmetrical, asymmetrical, radial)

Rhythm/ Movement Rhythm is the repetition or alternation of elements, often with defined intervals between them Rhythm can create a sense of MOVEMENT in your photograph, as your eye will tend to follow the repeated elements throughout your composition

Proportion

Contrast Contrast refers to placing two opposite elements together Most commonly seen with VALUES (very light areas next to very dark areas, like in the image of the lion below). – But contrast can refer to any opposing elements- such as a contrast in different textures, colors, shapes, etc.

Assignment #1: Elements and Principles Handbook Construction: 1.Gather 10 pieces of standard Computer paper 2.Fold each piece in half hamburger style 3.Fit each page inside one another 4.Fold all pages over – Staple the folded edge

Assignment #1: Elements and Principles Handbook Content: Title page “Elements and Principles Handbook” + your name Magazine Find: For each subject, label you page with the subject and find an image from a magazine that shows an example of that subject – Subjects Find an example of the “Rule of Thirds” as described on Slide #3 of this ppt Have a page of the List of Elements as shown on Slide #5 For each Element, label the page with the element, find an image, and write the definition Have a page of the List of Principles as shown on Slide # 14 – For each Principle, label the page with the element, find an image, and write the definition **you have plenty of pages… you do not have to use front and back sides of each page

Example: Line Definition: is a visual force that pulls the viewers eye around a picture, helps focus attention on key points of the composition