1. Composition Considerations

2. Composition A composition is the arrangement of elements on the page
A good composition is interesting and pleasing to the eye, a bad composition is either too busy or too boring.

3. Focal Point – Draws the eye
Create a focal point using scale or texture

4. Focal point placement
Try putting the focal point in one of these places instead- not in the center like a bull’s eye.
You can (and should) have things in the center of your paper, just make sure it’s not the focal point.

5. Contrasting Shapes
Geometric shape: can be drawn with a ruler or mathematically (circle, square, triangle)
Organic shape: found in nature, unique
Use BOTH in a composition

6. Odd number groupings
Groups of odd numbers are more pleasing to look at.
Grouping things in pairs looks artificial.
Having things overlap creates a group.

7. Avoid equal spacing- overlap objects
Having things spaced equally makes them look like cans on the shelves at the grocery store.
They’re easy to see, but boring to look at.
Objects should interact with each other, so overlap!

8. Fill the space properly
Objects should touch and go off the page Avoid too much negative space

9. Avoid parallel lines
We read pictures left to right, just like a page in a book.
If your lines are parallel, it’s like a road that takes us right off the page in a hurry.
If the lines curve, your eyes spend more time traveling around the picture.
We want people to want to spend time looking at your artwork!!

10. Movement using lines makes the picture interesting

11. Balance
Balance in an artwork is achieved by having objects with approximately equal “visual weight” on each side of the page.
Balance can be “formal” or symmetrical – Where each side is close to the same.

12. Balance can be “informal”, or asymmetrical, where each side is different, but carries approximately the same “visual weight”
Bright colors, greater size, and more complex textures can give things greater visual weight.

13. Out of balance? When a picture is out of balance it feels incomplete.
Humans need balance, so we know something is missing.
Pictures that are out of balance “feel heavy” on one side.

14. Repetition and Unity
Repeating an element in a picture makes it appear as though the elements belong together.
This is called “Unity”.

15. Variety
By making sure the repeated element is not always exactly the same, or by having more than one type of object, we can keep the composition from being “boring”. (Too repetitive)