- Place the main elements of a picture with the rule of thirds
- Distinguish symmetrical, asymmetrical and radial balance
- Create a focal point with rhythm and contrast
Murad took two photos of the Maiden Tower. In the first, the tower is right in the centre of the frame and the horizon cuts the picture into two equal halves. In the second, the tower is moved a little to the right and the sky fills two-thirds of the frame. Same tower, same day — yet the second photo looks livelier and more interesting. The difference is composition.
The arrangement of the parts of a work on the page, canvas or frame so that they form a unified whole and guide the viewer's eye.
The rule of thirds
Divide the page with two horizontal and two vertical lines into nine equal parts. The four points where the lines cross are the “power points”: put the main subject on one of them. Place the horizon on the upper or lower line, not in the middle. In a portrait, put the eyes near the upper line. In such a composition empty space also “works”: leave room in front of a figure that is looking or moving, and the picture can breathe.
Balance
Imagine a composition as a seesaw. Every element has visual weight: large, dark, bright, warm-coloured and detailed elements are “heavy”. When one side is too heavy, the picture “tips over”. There are three main kinds of balance.
| Balance | How it works | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Symmetrical | left and right sides mirror each other; stability, dignity | a palace façade, Leonardo's The Last Supper |
| Asymmetrical | the sides differ but weigh the same: a large object is balanced by several small ones; movement, life | Hokusai's print The Great Wave off Kanagawa (about 1831) |
| Radial | elements spread out from a centre like rays | the central medallion of a carpet, a sunflower, a round ornament |
Rhythm and movement
In visual art, as in music, rhythm is the repetition of elements. Repetition can be regular (identical fence boards), alternating (black and white chessboard squares) or progressive (columns that get smaller and smaller). The repeating motifs in the border of an Azerbaijani carpet are a beautiful example of rhythm. Leading lines — a road, a river, a fence, the direction of an arm — carry the eye into the picture and towards the main subject.
The focal point
- Contrast: the lightest value next to the darkest, the brightest colour on a grey background.
- Isolation: the subject stands apart from the others.
- Placement: on a power point or where leading lines meet.
- Detail: the most detail and the sharpest edges are on the main subject.
Leonardo da Vinci painted the wall painting The Last Supper in Milan in 1495–1498. How can you find balance, rhythm and the focal point in its composition?
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2) Rhythm: the 12 apostles sit in four groups of three; the wall panels and ceiling lines repeat as well.
3) Perspective: it is one-point perspective, and all the converging lines of the ceiling and walls meet at Christ's head.
4) Focal point: Christ's figure is isolated against the bright window behind him, and the lines lead to him — the eye cannot help going there.
- 1Three thumbnails
Draw the same subject (for example, a lighthouse on a seashore) in three small rectangles: subject in the centre, on the left power point, on the right power point.
- 2Move the horizon
In one sketch put the horizon on the upper third, in another on the lower third. In which one does the sky become the main thing, and in which the sea?
- 3Strengthen the focus
In your best sketch make the lighthouse the lightest value and its surroundings the darkest, and add one leading line (the shore, a path) towards it.
Key points
- Composition is arranging elements into a unified whole that guides the eye.
- Rule of thirds: main subject on a power point, horizon on the upper or lower line.
- Balance can be symmetrical, asymmetrical or radial; large, dark, bright elements are visually heavy.
- Rhythm is repetition: regular, alternating or progressive.
- A focal point is created by contrast, isolation, placement and detail.
Check yourself
10 questions. Every correct answer earns XP.