Composition

   Today's topic is: Composition

Composition is the planning and arranging of the elements and principles of design in art work in order to effectively deliver your message. Composition organizes and guides the viewer's eyes throughout the different elements on the artwork.

The main elements of composition of art are unity, balance, movement, rhythm, focus, contrast, pattern, and proportion. Most of these have been discussed a few posts back, which you can find here. 

Now we will discuss balance in depth. The placement of elements in relation to one another on the page determines whether the page is well-balanced or not. And as we mentioned a few posts earlier, design can be balanced in 3 ways, each type calling a certain degree of attention at different parts of composition: symmetrical balance, asymmetrical balance, and radical balance.

Symmetrical Balance is a formal type of balance where elements on your artwork are balanced  evenly on either side of your work. 

Asymmetrical Balance is an informal type of balance where a heavier element on one side of your art balances a lighter element on the other side of the art (it is usually proportional, for e.x some thing close v.s something far).

Radical balance is when elements radiate from the center points of the artwork. 

Off-Balance is, well, no balance at all. This is used depending on your purpose, as it gives off an uncomfortable feeling. 

A very useful tool to use when working with balance is the Rule Of Thirds. 

The rule of thirds is a 3 x 3 grid that points out the most important parts on your artwork. The intersecting points are the most powerful points. And the center is usually left off without any important elements. 

In my opinion, the rule of thirds is a very helpful tool. It helps to enhance artwork while being simple at the same time. So always make sure to use the rule of thirds in your artwork!

ASM2O Slides: Unit 2