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

Design is everywhere…it’s everything you touch! It’s why you bought your favorite pair of shoes and it's the reason technology continues to improve.

Its driving whole business cultures and making sure environments are easier to navigate.

From a concept or idea (left) to real thing (above)… “Design could be viewed as an activity that translates an idea into a blueprint for something useful, whether it's a car, a building, a graphic, a service or a process.” Design Council

So DESIGN is everywhere, in everything. But GOOD design is not.

…at some point you are going to make mistakes… Mistakes are the portals of discovery. James Joyce

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

Subject Matter Subject Matter- the visual or narrative focus of a work of art. In this next image, what do you think is the subject matter?

Rule of Thirds Rule of thirds: When the image is divided into 3 equal parts vertically and horizontally This helps you arrange the subject and the background in an interesting way Points of Interest: points where the vertical and horizontal lines intersect in a work of art. These points help guide artist to place elements and principles in an interesting way

Which image is the better composition?

Exercise #1 Take 1 piece of paper Choose an image that contains a clear subject Paste image to paper Label Rule of Thirds Subject matter

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

Line Definition: a series of adjacent points; a point in motion; connection between points is a visual force that pulls the viewers eye around a picture, helps focus attention on key points of the composition 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 How parts of a composition relate to each other in terms of size and scale The relative size of parts of a whole

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: Gather 10 pieces of standard Computer paper Fold each piece in half hamburger style Fit each page inside one another Fold all pages over Staple the folded edge

Assignment #1: Elements and Principles Handbook Requirements Title page “Elements and Principles Handbook” + your name Page 2: Content page List contents of book include: Composition page Elements List Principles List Pages 3 + Magazine Find: For each content, label your page with the subject and find an image from a magazine that shows an example of that subject Subjects Composition & “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, assign a new page- 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, assign a new page-label the page with the principle, 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