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Please note: Some video tutorials are exclusive to students currently enrolled in courses at Emily Carr. If you are already logged in but you cannot access this content, if may be because you do not have the required membership level. Please contact Tony if you are interested in a course.
These notes usually accompany an illustrated lecture. These 4 vids under category “Teaching – EMILY CARR CURRENT CDA Fall 2015” may also interest you:
Day 7 CDA Ecuad Composition Drawing-Painting (1 Of 4) {Oct 31 2015}
Day 7 CDA Ecuad Composition Drawing-Painting (2 Of 4) {Oct 31 2015}
Day 7 CDA Ecuad Composition Drawing-Painting (3 Of 4) {Oct 31 2015}
Day 7 CDA Ecuad Composition Drawing-Painting (4 Of 4) {Oct 31 2015}
Composition in painting or drawing can be compared to Composition in music. Firstly – The skill in the medium is somewhat independent from skill of composition: A person can be excellent at playing an instrument (drawing or painting) and not very good at writing imaginative music pieces (Composition) and vice versa. There are many excellent designers who do not draw particularly well, just as there are many excellent songwriters who play piano poorly. But, a person can sometimes be good at both (Mozart, Rembrandt). Secondly – Beyond skill and knowledge, there is an intuitive aspect…your own individual interpretation and personality speaking through your decisions and actions. BUT there is an intellectual aspect…your intentions and considered choices guided by your knowledge of principles and elements of design and of historical precedent. It’s pleasant to have precocious talent at this, but, have faith, almost every obstacle falls to bloody-minded persistence.
Design Principles
The usual factors of rhythm, balance, dominance, the nature of 2d and 3d space, positive-negative, etc. all apply as parts of Composition.
Cropping/Editing
Numbers of Shapes-Use a few strong shapes or group larger numbers of shapes into fewer .
Create Hierarchy – make a few strong shapes out of many – Create Dominance. Less is more.
Check the edges- check the negative shapes
Check the figure-ground relationships for interest – can a transition/figure-ground reversal or a ‘yin-yang add interest?
Placement
The location of shapes and focal points is obviously a major consideration in Composition in pictures and for graphic design. These are some important related concepts. Some apply more to 2d space, some more to 3d space and some to both:
Focal Points
These are things our eyes are hard-wired to look at – Faces, figures, hands, details, meaning, signs symbols, contrast, saturation, strong gesture, etc.
EyePath
Create a simple, clear choreography for the eye of the viewer.
Single focal point, double, triple, spirals, big gesture, etc.
The ‘Bagel’ concept
Avoid the edges, the centre, the corners. Try to locate focal points an unequal distance from each edge.
The ‘Grid’ concept
Grids are ancient aids to composition in all fields
Grids of one, two, three, etc
Rule of Thirds
Golden Mean
Space/Form Organizational Concepts: Fore-Mid-Background
Space within a space,
Room -portal -vista
Events along a path
Big Gesture
BEWARE OF RULES AND FORMULAS – It is all very well to know them, and there is some truth in them, but there is no substitute for developed intuitive sense honed through careful study. Also, a formula will usually tend toward balance, unity, stability, etc. Many contemporary artists may want the opposite – dissonance, imbalance. For these artists, formulas are recognized but avoided or played with. Rules are deliberately set up and then broken. Things are placed dead centre, lines run into corners, etc.. “Disturber elements” are introduced, such as a rotation, a diagonal, or a curve set against an otherwise stable grid arrangement.
Dear Tony:
First, a very Happy New Year! (Jan 2016)
In addition to seasonal good wishes, however, I’m writing in particular to send sincerest thanks for your very kind words and sympathetic assessment following my participation in your Fall semester perspective drawing class – really, I was quite blown away! In my entire school career (which at this point is getting pretty long in the tooth) I’ve truly never achieved any such distinction. Of course, no matter how late in the day, it’s hugely welcome, more than I can say.
But you know Tony, gratified as I am to have been rated so well, I have to say that my success is in fact as much your own.
When I registered for the class, I knew nothing about the rules of perspective, at least from any technical point of view. I feared that it would be at best dry as can be, and at worst complicated and technical beyond hope of understanding. As it turned out, your own carefully prepared structure, and absolutely excellent instruction style put such misgivings to rest. Everything was presented so lucidly and straightforwardly, that even a novice like myself could readily grasp the essences, and it made working on the assignments a pleasure.
Better yet, I so much appreciated your emphasis that perspective techniques, while not in themselves productive of art, nonetheless leave ample room for the creative realm and personal interpretation. The upshot is that you’ve provided us with a fantastic range of tools which, far from being narrow and restrictive, are in fact liberating and supportive of any number of creative approaches. I was thrilled to have my preconceptions straightened out, and my eye strengthened – all the time now, I spot the use of perspective in graphics and visual presentations, it’s so satisfying!
In short, I thank you most warmly for your teaching skill, careful preparation, outstanding online support, and engaging friendly style – and not least, endless tips and guidance from the deep ocean of your professional experience.
Sincerely Tony, I do feel that your class has been one of the most enlightening and valuable, certainly in the Certificate program. In fact (and I hope you won’t hold this against me) in my class appraisal I suggested to the administrators that your class should be required for every first year fine art, and creative drawing class. True, I forgot to ask them to increase your pay at the same time, but I’m confident the enhanced quality of Em Carr graduates will be compensation in itself! Largely….
Again, super best wishes for 2016, and sincerest thanks for your class and your kindness.
Please by all means post on the website, however works for you! And I’ll be happy to enjoy your videos, truly it’s the best tutorial website I’ve ever seen, and deserves to be recognised!
Sincere best, G.F.
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Please note: Some video tutorials are exclusive to students currently enrolled in courses at Emily Carr. If you are already logged in but you cannot access this content, if may be because you do not have the required membership level. Please contact Tony if you are interested in a course.
Login to view this content or Join us and Register.
Please note: Some video tutorials are exclusive to students currently enrolled in courses at Emily Carr. If you are already logged in but you cannot access this content, if may be because you do not have the required membership level. Please contact Tony if you are interested in a course.
Login to view this content or Join us and Register.
Please note: Some video tutorials are exclusive to students currently enrolled in courses at Emily Carr. If you are already logged in but you cannot access this content, if may be because you do not have the required membership level. Please contact Tony if you are interested in a course.
Login to view this content or Join us and Register.
Please note: Some video tutorials are exclusive to students currently enrolled in courses at Emily Carr. If you are already logged in but you cannot access this content, if may be because you do not have the required membership level. Please contact Tony if you are interested in a course.