Visual Art – Creative Composition

Module – 1
Meaning and Technical Theory of Composition-Rule of Thirds
Role Name Affiliation

Principal Investigator Prof. Ragini Roy Head, Dept. of Drawing & Painting;
Dean, Faculty of Arts
Dayalbagh Educational Institute
(Deemed to be University), Dayalbagh,
Agra
Co-Principal Prof. Ashvini Kumar Dept. of Drawing & Painting;
Investigator Sharma Faculty of Arts,
Dayalbagh Educational Institute
(Deemed to be University), Dayalbagh,
Agra
Paper Coordinator Dr. Alka Chadha Asst. Prof., Dept. of Fine Arts :
Drawing & Painting, R.G. PG College,
Meerut, U.P.
Content Writer/Author Ms. Surjit Akre Professional Artist, President
Roerich’s Art Club, affiliated with
Russian Centre of Science and
Culture, New Delhi
Content Reviewer Prof. R.N. Mishra Former Dean, Faculty of Visual Art,
BHU, Varanasi
Language Editor Prof. S.K. Chauhan Head, Dept. of English Studies,
Dayalbagh Educational Institute
(Deemed University), Dayalbagh, Agra
Project Manager Dr. Amit Kumar Johri Dept. of Drawing & Painting;
Faculty of Arts,
Dayalbagh Educational Institute
(Deemed to be University), Dayalbagh,
Agra

Items Description of Module

Subject Name Visual Art
Paper Name Creative Composition
Module Name/Title Meaning and Technical Theory of Composition-Rule of Thirds
Module Id VA/CC/01
Knowledge of Technical Theory of Composition and how to
Pre-Requisites
compose the creative composition by using Rule of thirds.
Objectives Be able to utilize techniques of composition
Keywords Techniques of Composition, Rule of thirds

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 Visual Art – Creative Composition

1. Learning outcome

The newcomers will learn about the techniques of composition and visual elements of art and
how they contribute in making a painting more appealing. The learner will also learn how to
compose the good composition. Many of the great artists applied this theory quite often in their
paintings to make them more effective.

2. Introduction

There are numerous "compositional techniques" to achieve a sense of unity within an artwork,
a work of art is said to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye if the elements within the work are
arranged in a balanced compositional way.

Creative Composition

Composition is the placement or arrangement of visual elements. The elements of design are:

Line the visual path that enables the eye to move within the piece. Different lines express
different emotions and ideas, and is a path made by moving point. Lines are optical phenomena
that allow the artist to direct the eye of the viewer and giving the illusion of depth. Oblique
lines convey a sense of movement and angular lines generally convey a sense of dynamism and
possibly tension. Lines can also direct attention towards the main subject of picture.

Horizontal lines can give the impression of calm, peace and space. An image filled with strong
vertical lines tend to have the impression of height and grandeur.

Tightly angled convergent lines give a dynamic, lively, and active effect to the image. Strongly
angled, almost diagonal lines produce tension in the image. Compared to straight line, curves
provide a greater dynamic influence in a picture. They are also generally more aesthetically
pleasing.

Shape can be free form or geometric. A shape is an enclosed by a line. Areas defined by edges
within the piece, whether geometric or organic.

Colour is characterized by attributes such as hue, brightness, and saturation. Color

symbolism assigns additional associations, dependent on culture. For example, white is
symbolising peace, purity, innocence, and also death in some culture.

Texture is the roughness or smoothness of the surface. It is also called surface quality. Texture
used to describe the feeling or look of the artwork when touched.

Tone shading used to emphasize form.

Form of a work is its shape. A three- dimensional artwork has depth as well as width and
height. Two- dimensional artwork can achieve the illusion of form with the use of perspective
and/or shading or modelling techniques.

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 Visual Art – Creative Composition

Space is an area that an artist provides for a particular purpose. Space includes the background,
foreground and middle ground. There are two kinds of space: Negative space and Positive
space. Negative space is the area in between, around, through or within an object. Positive
spaces are the areas that are occupied by an object and/or form. You can’t have shape or form
without having space.

Depth perceived distance from the observer, separated in foreground, background, and
optionally middle ground

The viewpoint of visual art is very important because every different perspective view
different angled lines. This change of perspective elicits a different response to the image. By
changing the perspective only by some degrees or some centimetres lines in images can change
tremendously and a totally different feeling can be transported. I think the focal point of the
picture should be a centre of interest or focus on the work.

Compositional techniques:

Simplification In painting, the artist may use less detailed and defined brushwork towards the
edges of the picture. Removing the unnecessary details and take only the needed components.

Creating movement It is generally thought to be more pleasing to the viewer if the image
encourages the eye to move around the image.

Rule of odds One of the simplest way to make a composition more dynamic is to have the odd
number in the composition, say three, five, or seven than an even number say two, four, or six.
It is called the rule of odds. The "rule of odds" suggests that an odd number of subjects in an
image is more interesting than an even number.

Rule of space The rule of space applies to artwork in which the artist wants to apply the illusion
of movement.

Rhythm The rhythm of the all over picture, the simplified arrangement of shapes and make
sure to keep a harmonious flow in the picture.

Unity and Balance unity is when all the elements in your artwork look as though they belong
together work harmoniously together.

Other techniques

Symmetrical formal balance it gives a solid uniform feeling. ‘Elements’ on both sides of page
are equal.

Asymmetrical informal balance is when two sides are different but are in ‘visual’ balance. It
shows activity and movement.

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 Visual Art – Creative Composition

Radial Balance when design radiates out from central point. It gives a restful, peaceful feeling,
also demonstrates symmetrical balance.

Note how the horizon falls close to the bottom grid line, and how the dark tree is in the left
third, the figure in the right third.

No one is an artist unless he carries his picture in his head before painting it and is sure of
his method and composition. –Claude Monet

3. Main Content

Good Morning! Myself is Surjit Akre, I am the first Indian artist who has have achieved the
Post Graduate Degree from the Academy of Art, Repin Institute of Painting, Sculpture and
Architecture, Saint Petersburg, Russia. I am also the Founder President of Roerich’s Art Club
affiliated to Russian Centre of Science and Culture, New Delhi. I have an experience of 4o
years as professional artist. In this module we are going to demonstrate how the Rule of thirds
is used in any design or painting. This module has demonstration of how to develop the
composition step by step on the canvas. You will also learn about the technique of composition
and their use in composition. We will also discuss about the visual elements of art.

In this lesson I will show you how to compose the painting by using the rule of thirds, so that
you can compose a successful, composition.

Before you get started deciding what you are trying to represent in your painting and plan the
composition of your painting around it. It is some kind of mental map or composition before
you began to paint. The rule of thirds can help you decide how to plan the layout of your
painting and where to place your focal point.

Then it is better to make some small layouts and sketches of your composition which will help
you to get to know your way around the painting as it was and find your composition. You can
do these sketches black and white or in colors. When you make sketches always keep in mind
about the composition rule which you are going to use. As you know in the rule of thirds the
main focus should be on the one third which is very close to Golden ratio. Golden ratio is the
mathematical formula which is used by ancient Greek. They think this is very common in
nature. It is also used in Architecture.

Let us start our composition. For any kind of painting, we need a base, a surface on which to
paint. Here for the base, we will use the canvas. Firstly, you have to do a final drawing on the
canvas. For this you can use small flat brush and do rough sketch of the composition on canvas.
Then you draw the contour with small brush, or you can use sketch pen also.

So, I will start drawing with brush. I am doing this very freely because I have a lot of experience
and practice. But for the beginners it is very difficult to maintain the proportion, rhythm. So,
you have to do a lot of sketches of the figure before you start to do the composition on the
canvas. When you compose the layout always keep in mind about the placement or
arrangement of visual elements. You should know what technique you are going to use. There
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 Visual Art – Creative Composition

are so many techniques. There are numerous "compositional techniques" to achieve a sense of
unity within an artwork. A work of art is said to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye if the
elements within the work are arranged in a balanced compositional way. Conventional
composition can be achieved with a number of techniques. In this composition we are using
rule of thirds Rule of thirds Divide a canvas in thirds both horizontally and vertically and place
the focus of the painting either one third across or one third up or down the picture or where
the lines intersect. The rule of thirds is a composition guide that states that arranging the
important features of an image on or near the horizontal and vertical lines that would divide
the image into thirds horizontally and vertically is visually pleasing.

The rule of thirds is thought to be a simplification of the golden ratio.

First things first: take your paper or canvas and using a soft pencil or piece of vine charcoal,
draw a square then divide it into thirds vertically and horizontally so it looks like this:

When designing your composition, putting your focal point in that centre box (marked with an
X below) will make it feel static. To create a more dynamic composition, position objects and
focal points along the intersections of those lines (circled in red below).

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 Visual Art – Creative Composition

Take a look at the painting below in which I used the Rule of thirds.

After completing the drawing, next step is to fill the colors. I take the Prussian blue, mix little
bit black and white, and apply in the figure. Apply the brush strokes from left to right. When
you fill the colors always keep in mind the direction of light. As here the light is coming from
left side so the dark contrast contour will be at the left side. The right side will be very smooth.
Keep the strokes according to the form. Before you start colouring on the canvas you should
have some idea of color combination in your mind or now you can use your color sketches. I
have composed the one figure on the Rule of Thirds. I am using Crosshatching Painting

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Technique. In crosshatching brushstrokes are crisscrossed over each other to create a web of
color. The spacing between the lines can be varied, depending on the effect you want. You can
use crosshatching to model form, build up areas of light and shade, or create lively color
mixtures. Crosshatching can be done in any number of colors, brushed on in any direction. I
am using only one thinned color. So when you apply you get some line of folds.

In this composition I am using only one figure so there is lot of space. If I will leave this space,
just with flat color it will be not interesting. To give more dynamic feelings I will use some
texture in the background.

I am using cool colors in this composition. For cool colors scheme you have to use green,
purple, blue, violet. Colors have also the meaning. For example, I am using the cool colors
here because I want to depict the cool atmosphere. A lady is sitting in a calm and quiet. She is
dreaming. May be she is waiting for her beloved. In the background I show the nature which
is also depicting her feelings.

After that I take dark brown and fill the face, arm and foots. Here also you have to keep in mind
the light and shade.

Light shade will be on nose and upper head. I will keep white for the eyes. On the upper side
of eye, I will use thin color by mixing some water.

Now apply on the head add hairs you can use very free strokes.

To make the contrast near the figure I am using orange which is complementary to blue. Apply
this color right side.

Now take dark brown and fill the tree branches. Use the different lines towards the focal point.

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Always keep in mind the visual elements of art. Put the horizontal line. Use a Liner Brush to
Paint Organic Lines

Many subjects require a thin organic line that would not look natural if made with masking
tape or ruler, for example to create flower stems, grass blades, or tree branches, a free-hand
line using a liner brush is the way to go.

Use fluid paint, hold your brush loosely towards the end of the handle, and draw lines with a
fluid movement. The line gets thinner as you drag your paintbrush.

It helps gently to rotate the brush between your fingers: it keeps the line varies (important
especially for tree branches) and uses the paint on all sides of the bristles. Keep a very light
touch.

Next is to fill the background. At the background I start with dark green. I have thinned this
colour in the palate and mix nicely. I will give some texture by using the different strokes of
the brush. So, I have a lot of experience and practice to work on canvas now I can do any
texture freely. But for the beginning you have to study a lot of about the different texture. You
can use different tools for the texture, like blade, cloths, paper etc. Extend this colour all over
the middle part of the foreground. To give some light tone I just mixed some water and thinned
the colour. I am using here Scumbling Painting Technique

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 Visual Art – Creative Composition

Scumbling is the rough and uneven application of a layer of thin paint over a canvas, producing
a lively and unpredictable texture and color variety. Rather than a smooth, even gradation,
scumbling produces a more casual blend.

Colors that are too warm, too cool, or too bright can be modified with a scumble of a suitable
color.

Scumbles are usually applied with a circular motion of the brush, but the effect can also be
achieved with streaks, dabs, or smudges.

Acrylics dry fast, but if you work quickly, you can scumble two colors into one another while
they are still wet.

While the paint is still wet, you can create gradations of color by “knitting” together the various
tones of color, using carefully controlled brushwork.

Now I mix dark green with Prussion blue.

To fill the front part of the foreground I make the tone by mixing the cadmium green.

Apply this in the bottom of the foreground. Apply dark and light shade. Keep light shade around
the figure. One has to have good understanding of where to apply what color. To give the depth
in the forms now I apply dark shade in the contour and give highlights to another side to give
the 3d effect of the form. We have to give the effect of reflection which is dim than highlight.
I have finally given the dark shade in the background to give the perspective and movement in
the picture and put the light shade on the foreground.

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Give some details in the face. All the white space of the right-side cover with light green colour.
Keep the white silhouette in the left side. Right side you have to put light shade to give the
dimension. The darkest shade of the background will be the contour of the figure at the left
side near the face. Look at this painting the light comes from the left the receding plane between
nose and eye socket is in deep shadow. Now fill in the bottom of the lip. The hollow
immediately under the lower lip has been ‘carved out’ and the form of the chin developed. Pour
dark shade in the nostril. It may happen that the edge of the nose is strongly silhouetted against
the dark shaded part of the far eye socket and is not clearly visible again until the contour turns
under into shadow. At the right side the contour will be softer than left side. You have to put
the lighter shade of the green near the orange.

Now mix the apple green with white and apply this tone from the horizontal line up to top.
Apply bold strokes from right to left.

After covering the whole canvas now come and see from the distance. You will feel where to
give highlights and light and shade. Then I do dark shadows in the forms to give the depth I
use the high lights either on the face of the main figure or the contrast background near the
focal point. To make the figure come out you can use contrast also. For example: if the
background is green, you can use white, somewhere near the focal point so that it will look
beautiful contrast and will give the attention to the viewer. I put some white dots in the
background and near the face.

In composition one has to know where to give more details. It is better to give details on your
focal point and slowly to another place. If you will give all the details as it is in whole canvas
it will disturb the viewers to focus on the painting and they will not understand what you want
to say in this picture.
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At the last you have to know when you have to finish the painting because too much overwork
also can spoil the painting.

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