The Quest for Beauty: This is the first in a series of articles on simple steps and design concepts you can use to strengthen your compositions.
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This is the perfect time for artists to renew their passion for creating art. The current economic conditions have forced a period of slow growth - but this is actually a gift to those of us who have been working in the fine arts arena for a shorter period of time than many of the artists we are now competing against. With less pressure we can devote the necessary time to better understand our craft and find greater satisfaction in the work we produce.
There are tools the artist uses to compose a composition; we know them by words such as armature, rule of thirds, golden proportion, grids, and forms of composition. Understanding the rational behind all of them will help you strengthen your own compositions, while freeing you from the constraints of following the "rules."
You will discover that these concepts are not all that different from one another, but some are more effective at accomplishing certain goals than others. They all address ways the artist constructs his composition, how he divides the space within the rectangle, where the major forms are placed, and the direction and placement of the dominant, visual directional lines. These relationships lead to pleasing proportions, a feeling of harmony and a cohesive whole.
During the Renaissance, artists often sized their canvases to conform to the golden ratio: 1 to 1.618, rounded to three decimals. If we were to apply this ratio to most manufactured canvases today we discover this: an 8 x 10 canvas should actually be 8 x 12.9 if it conformed to the golden ratio, and one sized at 16 x 20 should actually be 16 x 25.8.
What this means is that we can’t depend upon the shape of our rectangle to automatically produce a proportionally pleasing space. We must design that space for symmetry and harmony.
The easiest division of space is the Rule of Thirds. This is often the student’s first exploration into the idea of the grid. It is easy to use, but it can lead to predictable placement of your points of interest and a static rather than dynamic visual feel to your composition.
A more sophisticated idea is to turn the Rule of Thirds into a Fibonacci ratio. We are familiar with the Fibonacci sequence found in nature: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 and on. Each number is the sum of the previous two.
Applying this to composition, many artists divide their space using a ratio made up of two adjoining Fibonacci numbers, such as 3/5 or 5/8.
Let’s use the 3/5 ratio on a canvas that has a width of 20 inches. First divide 20 inches by 8, the sum of the two Fibonacci numbers in your ratio. The result is 2.5. 3 x 2.5 is 7.5 and 5 x 2.5 is 12.5, so the dynamic vertical dividing line would be placed at 7.5 inches in from one outside edge, leaving the remaining 12.5 inches to the opposite outside edge. If your canvas has a height of 16 inches, you would again divide 16 by 8. The result is 2. 2x3 is 6, and 2 x 5 is 10, so the horizontal line would be placed at this division point.
Image from my sketchbook, and yes, my lines are not straight when they should be.
When you study paintings that you find visually dynamic in their design, take a moment to measure and draw out the major lines that divide the space. Identify the ratios the artist might be using. Here is the link to an excellent article on this subject at Goldennumber.net, under Art and Applications of Phi.
If you would like to play around with this on-line Golden Ratio Calculator, plug in 20 inches: it will divide the space into 12 and 8, so it is very close to using your own ratios with the Fibonacci numbers.
This is just one idea, though, on how to introduce visual harmony into your compositions. I find this subject fascinating, and I have been researching it for some time, after deciding there had to more to grids than using them to up-size a drawing - which was the extent of my exposure to the idea in the educational setting. But I've said it before - the purpose of education is to teach you how to teach yourself, and to give you the tools to become a self-directed learner.
The next few posts on this subject will go into ideas around dynamic symmetry, as spelled out by Jay Hambidge, and the idea of forms of composition as explained by Edgar Payne.
As always, if you found this article helpful please forward it to people you know who may be interested. And please leave your comments if you would like to contribute to the conversation.
Thank you, Joyce. I'm glad you are finding the blog helpful.
Vicki, I will be posting soon about My Art Tutor.
Posted by: sue smith | October 01, 2011 at 12:10 PM
Sue ... thanks for your terrific blog ...it's a great find that I will follow closely.
Posted by: Joyce Wycoff | October 01, 2011 at 11:58 AM
Hi, Sue! I, too, am entranced by the golden ratios, golden spiral, as they apply to composition. I was even guilty of exploring this BEFORE I learned to paint...I'm going to share this post on MyArtTutor's Tips 'n Tricks FB page https://www.facebook.com/groups/MyArtTutorTipsnTricks/
Posted by: vicki ross | September 26, 2011 at 11:45 AM