A quick word or two about 'format':
When teacher gives us a piece of paper to draw on, a piece of canvas board or - if
we are very lucky - an artist's canvas - it is almost always a rectangle. That is: it has
four sides, the top edge is parallel with the bottom edge, the left side edge is parallel
with the right side edge. We don't usually make pictures on round or triangular
pieces of paper, board or canvas, but there is really no good reason why we
shouldn't.
The way we look at a rectangular piece of paper, board or canvas is described as its
format, as in the two examples below:
we are very lucky - an artist's canvas - it is almost always a rectangle. That is: it has
four sides, the top edge is parallel with the bottom edge, the left side edge is parallel
with the right side edge. We don't usually make pictures on round or triangular
pieces of paper, board or canvas, but there is really no good reason why we
shouldn't.
The way we look at a rectangular piece of paper, board or canvas is described as its
format, as in the two examples below:
This blank page is in portrait format.
It is taller than it is wide.
It is taller than it is wide.
This blank page is in landscape
format. It is wider than it is tall.
format. It is wider than it is tall.
You can:
Find a rectangular piece of paper. Turn it around from 'landscape' to 'portrait'
format, and from 'portrait' to 'landscape' format. Try to learn and remember
which is which.
Look at your computer monitor screen. Is it wider than it is tall? It usually is,
and that means it is in landscape format.
Find a rectangular piece of paper. Turn it around from 'landscape' to 'portrait'
format, and from 'portrait' to 'landscape' format. Try to learn and remember
which is which.
Look at your computer monitor screen. Is it wider than it is tall? It usually is,
and that means it is in landscape format.
Composition:
'Composing' a picture means deciding which bits go where, and how to use
the parts or 'elements' of a picture to make it more interesting. Look at the
examples which follow and see what you think.
the parts or 'elements' of a picture to make it more interesting. Look at the
examples which follow and see what you think.
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The parts or elements of these simple pictures are a light blue 'ground' or
'background', a red rectangle and a blue rectangle.
Which picture do you like best of the three? Take a moment to think, then click
on the picture you like best.
'background', a red rectangle and a blue rectangle.
Which picture do you like best of the three? Take a moment to think, then click
on the picture you like best.
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I wonder which of these three pictures you like best? There is no wrong
answer to the question.
Picture 4 (in landscape format) shows four objects in a line. The way the
objects get smaller from left to right makes an angle which is shown with a red
line in the first picture below here.
Most people would find picture 5 more interesting. There are angled lines,
as you can see below. Here, too, objects are 'contiguous' - they touch each
other or overlap each other. Moving the objects closer together has made
large empty spaces in this landscape format picture.
Picture 6 is the same as picture 5, but has been put into portrait format (see
top of page). It keeps all our different shapes and angles but there is now
much less wasted space.
answer to the question.
Picture 4 (in landscape format) shows four objects in a line. The way the
objects get smaller from left to right makes an angle which is shown with a red
line in the first picture below here.
Most people would find picture 5 more interesting. There are angled lines,
as you can see below. Here, too, objects are 'contiguous' - they touch each
other or overlap each other. Moving the objects closer together has made
large empty spaces in this landscape format picture.
Picture 6 is the same as picture 5, but has been put into portrait format (see
top of page). It keeps all our different shapes and angles but there is now
much less wasted space.
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The red lines show the created angles which perhaps help to make these
images more interesting. In fact the brain enjoys following all the lines of the
drawing in every direction and working out what bits are hidden.
images more interesting. In fact the brain enjoys following all the lines of the
drawing in every direction and working out what bits are hidden.
In the pictures above you should be able to see that the almost straight line of
red circles in the first picture is boring compared to the next two pictures. Just
bending the line has made the pictures more interesting. The human eye reads
straight lines - from side to side, up and down - very easily. When the lines
bend into angles the eyes have to move to follow them and the brain has to work
a little harder to make sense of them. The brain (believe it or not) enjoys having
to work in this way.
The red balls could be balloons. They could be the heads of flowers. If you
look at the pictures below you will get an idea of what happens when they are
human faces.
red circles in the first picture is boring compared to the next two pictures. Just
bending the line has made the pictures more interesting. The human eye reads
straight lines - from side to side, up and down - very easily. When the lines
bend into angles the eyes have to move to follow them and the brain has to work
a little harder to make sense of them. The brain (believe it or not) enjoys having
to work in this way.
The red balls could be balloons. They could be the heads of flowers. If you
look at the pictures below you will get an idea of what happens when they are
human faces.
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Picture 13 shows faces in almost a straight line. A lot of team photographs look a
little bit like this, though the people are usually better looking than me.
Picture 14 shows what happens when we bend the line, as we did with the red
balls in pictures 11 and 12. These up and down lines can be seen in the
marvelous group portraits of artists like Franz Hals.
You have now learned some things about composition:
The brain uses the eyes to get information.
The brain likes to make the eyes work.
The brain is not very excited by straight lines.
Zig zag or bendy lines are more interesting.
The brain enjoys seeing objects of various shapes and sizes
together.
The brain likes it when objects overlap and bits of objects are
hidden, because then it has to work at imagining the bits it cannot
see.
Happy composing!
little bit like this, though the people are usually better looking than me.
Picture 14 shows what happens when we bend the line, as we did with the red
balls in pictures 11 and 12. These up and down lines can be seen in the
marvelous group portraits of artists like Franz Hals.
You have now learned some things about composition:
The brain uses the eyes to get information.
The brain likes to make the eyes work.
The brain is not very excited by straight lines.
Zig zag or bendy lines are more interesting.
The brain enjoys seeing objects of various shapes and sizes
together.
The brain likes it when objects overlap and bits of objects are
hidden, because then it has to work at imagining the bits it cannot
see.
Happy composing!
| Composing your picture. Left click to enlarge the image, further enlarge with the expansion button if necessary, then copy to an application, or save the file. Many of these files are too big to print without manipulation. |
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