Aids to composition for the artist

Even with an ostensibly simple picture such as a pet portrait, a good composition is crucial for the finished painting to work. As with any aspect of the painting process, the way it is approached is what singles out the great painters. Often, good composition is the result of a natural process: when the painter creates a picture that is pleasing to the eye is is most probably down to the fact that the artist has ended up with a composition that conforms to traditional rules. However, there are a few technical tricks that make good composition easier to achieve.

Using a frame
This is essentially an aid to selecting the composition rather than creating it. It can be a picture frame, window mount or simply a piece of card with an area cut out of it but, whatever you use, the shape should correspond with the final picture proportions. The frame is then used to select from the view in front of you the ideal position for the composition, whilst masking out unwanted areas. You can adapt this technique to help you with photographs by using two wide corners of thick card (each an L shape piece). They can be easily moved in and out over the photograph to select the best area for your picture, allowing you to concentrate on this area alone.

Using a mirror
Using a mirror can help you see any mistakes in your drawing, tonal values or colouring. By looking at your picture in the mirror any minor defects are enhanced, making them easier to spot. Only a well-balanced composition remains that way when reversed. Looking at a painting that has been turned over or on it’s side has a similar effect.

Random Blots
It can be difficult to create a composition from nothing, so some painters will make use of random images to act as a starting point. In the same way that staring into a fire or watching clouds will trick you into seeing object and shapes, random blots can act a focus for your imagination.

The golden section
The golden section is a term that was given in the 19th century to the theory of composition based on a mathematical relationship. This hypothesis has fascinated philosophers and scholars since Plato. Simply put, the golden section depends on the division of a straight line into two unequal parts, so that the ratio of the smaller to the larger is equal to the ratio of the larger to the whole line. This theory approximates to the ratio of 5:8. Compositions that use it generally have a strong vertical that crosses a horizontal at the point described.

Leading the eye
Some of the most seemingly complicated paintings have very simple compositional devices at lead the viewers eye to a given point. Objects or areas of light and shade even brushstroke can be positioned so that they produce ’sight lines’ that will literally point the eye to the focal point of the picture. Another way of leading the eye is to put shapes within shapes, so that you confine the movement of the eye within a certain area. The artistry in using these techniques is to not make it too obvious, so that the eye moves across the painting subconsciously.