Week 1: Introduction to Composition

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Composition
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To many, art is alchemy and being an artist is but a gift, you either have it or
you don't. The dynamics of visual communication is passed off to the public
as the result of deep intuitive feelings that miraculously spring from the artist.
And the appreciation art is subjective but explainable by critics and artists
mission statements. As you progress as artists you learn more the manner of
visual expression, and this manners of expression is not merely subjective.
The confusion arises because it appears to some that a pleasing
arrangement and contrast of visual components can be achieved or touched
upon through intuition or a inner sense of arrangement. And if this can be
achieved without education or understanding of a visual language then it
must not exist in definable terms.

Composition, when understood is about presentation of the artist’s

selection, manipulation and orchestration of visual elements. These
visual elements do not each have per-determined value, nor are there
predetermined rules of application that establish a correct grammar. Our
endeavor in this class is to understand the characteristics of each of these
visual components understand and practise putting visual relationships
together our comparative process of Major and Minor Keys, and become
familiar with the primaries of design that can bias our decisions. This
may sound abstract, and that is because it is.

Your first introduction to composition, drawing and painting images may

have come with a host of standardized rules. These rules vary
depending on who you study with and come with both good and bad
results. These rules are often helpful to beginning artists to be able to
draw images that have a familiar likeness to what the artist is drawing
and or common techniques used by the instructor. There are other
standardized rules you my have practiced that are contrived in order to
balance, or harmonize, or make more pleasing compositions.

More common efforts to simplify the process through settings rules for
techniques or attempting a visual grammar only serve to create a
situation with predictable outcomes that inhibit artists from exploring the
possibilities free from personal bias. Because we tend to lean into this
approach too much or too long we often hear that at some point the
artist has to “break the rules”.
These rules may serve the beginner but as you mature as an artist it is
important to understand the value between rules that:

Focus on observational skills______________________Good

Focus on drawing skills__________________________Possibly helpful
Promote techniques and styles_____________________Caution!
Promise balance, harmony, beau____________________Avoid

Realizing that you might need to re-evaluate these types of rules is your
first step into becoming visually aware. In this advanced Composition
class we will focus on the visual elements and dynamics of our visual
language.

As we have all experienced, we tend to work in both verbal and non-

verbal processes simultaneously and are encouraged to trust our instincts
while we are in process. It’s through observation, practise and
knowledge that we sharpen our visual assessment skills. If we are to
acquire the skills to teach ourselves, visual assessment is critical.

At the Disney animation studio in 1938 Dave Hand lectured on the

importance of developing visual assessment skills. He cautioned that if
we look at art and only ask if we like it or not then move on, we fail to
assess the things within the image that are working and fail to grow.

"Because you can draw does not mean you

are visually literate."

What makes this class different than other

drawing, painting, or composition classes?
We will begin with the foundations of visual communication. This is an
intermediate to advanced class on visual communication that will go directly
into the abstract core of image making, without copying formula's,
techniques, rendering, or rules.

This is not a draw like me, step-by-step, perspective or rendering class.

We will focus on the nature of our visual language with the goal of achieving
greater visual assessment skills and become more visually literate. For many
of you this class will be an introduction to the visual components and their
characteristics. I will offer examples of visual clarity expressed through history
and we will explore the potentially infinite range of visual expression.

Communicating and the ability to express yourself in visual terms begins with
creating visual context. Your visual context is the basic theme of relationships
from which all your visual elements are compared. The visual context that
you can establish can vary greatly depending on both what you want to say
and the style or means through which you want to say it.

It is common practise for introductory composition courses to employ rules.

The importance of this practise is to create a scenario for beginners to create
images with predictable outcomes so the beginning artist will gain confidence
in their ability to create images that feel complete and relevant. Once this is
accomplished, often artists will begin to search to find their visual voice. We
have heard that saying that 'An artist has to learn the rules before they break
them'. This class will dive deeper into the nature of the elements that make
up our visual language and allow you to express yourself with clarity. This is
your turning point to leave rules behind and begin your search for your
personal visual voice.

We will focus on four fundamental things in this

class.
1. Visual components and the nature of our visual language

2. Visual assessment skills

3. Image Clarity

4. Image Message

1. Visual Components

As interesting as these ideas are they do produce predictable results with limiting
conditions that narrow your depth of visual expression. Below are lists and chapter
headings from respected art books. Look how similar they are. In the chapters of
these books the authors explained these topics with a range if clarity. Many had
similar names yet descriptions were different which only confuses artists. In this
class I have tried to distill the information from these books and clarify for you
simple discrete descriptions for the purpose of clarity.

A Primer to Visual Literacy

By Donis A. Dondis (1973)

Visual elements

Dot
Line
Shape
Direction
Tone
Color
Texture
Dimension
Scale
Movement

The Art of Color and Design

By Maitland Graves (1941)

Visual Elements

Line
Value
Shape
Proportion
Color
Direction
Texture

The Visual Story

By Bruce Block (1988)

Visual Components

Line
Tone
Shape
Color
Space
Rhythm
Movement

Composition
By Arthur Dow (1922)

The Three Elements

Line
Notan
Color
Principals of Composition

Opposition
Transition
Subordination
Repetition
Symmetry

Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters

by Robert Beverly Hale (1989)

Contents

Line
Light and Planes
Mass

Composing Pictures
By Donald Graham (1970)

Contents

Subject
Graphic elements
Point-Area-Line
Light and Dark
Value The Graphic Accent
The Matrix
Measuring Depth
Graphic Movement
Directing the Eye
Space
Space in Nature-Graphic Space
Scale

Composition for painting and film

These are the components we will be studying in this
class.
 Visual components

Line
Tone
Shape
Color
Space
Rhythm
Movement
1. Line - actual line, implied lines, closure, eye lines,
tracking line
2. Tone - most dominant affect on determining mood,
tonal grouping
3. Shape-emotional implications, directional forces
4. Color - emotional, spatial, narrative applications
5. Space - flat, limited, deep, ambiguous, cubist
6. Rhythm - contours, gradients, near alignments,
closure, directional forces
7. Movement (in film) Direction and Dot (for painting and
film)

Methods of Measure
Major Key-Proportion
Minor Key-Range of contrast

Many artists have a vague understanding of a visual Key. Often it is viewed as

related to only values or color, and a Minor Key is not even talked about, or a
consideration. We will discuss the difference between Major and Minor Keys and
their purposes. The simplest way to approach the concept of Major and Minor
Keys is rethinking an old saying. "Variation on a Theme" is a phrase commonly
used but rarely explained well. Think of Theme like the Major Key, the overall, or
greater proportion, and the Variation as the Minor Key or the range of contrast
within the image.

Primaries of Design
Line
Mass- Notan
Form-Chiaroscuro
· Line: (marks or texture that define the surface,
whose characteristics appear to express neither mass
or form)
· Mass: Notan - Light vs Dark
· Form: Chiaroscuro – Light vs Shadow
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Our Primaries of design are not visual components but have to do with the manner
in which we bias our mark making while creating images.
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“I don’t paint things. I only paint the difference between
things”
Henri Matisse

The Nature of our Visual Language

Our visual language is different from our verbal language as well as music.
What the do have in common is each of these languages have their own
finite number of elements and syntax that may yield an infinite number of
expressions. Written language also has a grammar that imposes another
layer of structure that enforces how these elements (letters and words) are to
be constructed properly. This level of imposed structure does not exist in art
or music.
Let’s go back to our first experiences in school, before we learned how to
read, even before we learned letters and the alphabet, or add and subtract
we were taught to recognize patterns and values.

Recognizing patterns is essential in recognizing both letters and

numbers. One of the first things we are taught is to look for, and recognize
patterns. Simple shapes first, then letters, and numbers. Then we learned
letters and their sounds. Next we learned simple combinations, which made
different sounds, then, words that described or represented things, or
actions. Sometimes the same letter makes a different sound, or the same
letters in a different order creates other words with very different
meanings. Our alphabet has twenty-six letters configured in different groups
to make different words, words connected to create sentences, and
sentences which communicate our ideas, thoughts and feelings.
Computer code is based on patterns and series of 1’s and 0’s that convey
words, color, music, movies and more. Everything we store and see on our
computers can be broken down into patterns of 1’s and 0’s.
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Value is what we learn through determining the ordering of numbers. We

learn numbers from zero to nine and their relative values through being
greater or lesser than one another. Once we know the relative values from
zero to nine we begin using patterns again to understand value relationships
in tens, hundreds, and thousands, etc. Multiplication and division follow
addition and subtraction. Mathematical equations are used to quantify, and
qualify all types of relationships, both physical and imagined.

Patterns and Values are not only our fundamental to reading and math but
they are also the foundation for expressing oneself in our visual language of
art, photography, and film. The language of visual art is comprised of seven
basic visual components, interpreted through, and biased by three primaries
of design (a dynamic triad), along with a multidimensional measuring system
to establish quantify values of relationships. Between these finite number of
elements we can create infinite patterns and variants and a method of
determining complex and infinite relative value relationships.
This condition is similarly known as "The Goldilocks effect". Through these
components the artist, photographer, image, or film maker their voice, and
potential for personal expression in one universal language of visual art.
 2. Visual Assessment
The path to comprehending the depth of compositional possibilities is through
visual literacy and a clear understanding or our visual components. Observing the
prevailing relationships allows us to match or copy what we see. But when we can
see with an understanding of the properties of our visual language we become able
to express our feelings, and thoughts more clearly. It's simple to say to students
"observe and compare", but if we are not aware of the nature of our visual
language we cannot get specific as to what we are, or should truly be comparing.
It's limiting to rely on the common general rules that we hear over and over about
composition, drawing and painting. These limitations manifest by refocusing us
away from our visual components and put too much importance on the managing
of techniques. This is why it is so hard for many artists to find their personal visual
voice and expression. When we are too fixed on following others rules and
techniques we are not understanding of the real nature of our visual language.
This is where the artist will begin their understanding of visual literacy. It is hard to assess and understand

the discrete relationships that make up our visual language if you are unclear on what to look for.

We begin by visually gathering information. Don’t just begin drawing. Before

you start ask what is going on within this set of visual relationships, and be as
specific as you can. You may begin with identifying the subject or literal
elements present, or your feeling of the main impression, but don’t stop
there. Identify by name the dominant feature, contrasts, or interaction
between groupings of components. Is the tonal composition overall light,
medium, or dark, and what is the contrast level or levels in which areas?
What is it that interests you about this composition? Maybe it’s the shapes,
rhythm, the color, or an area of the image with the most contrast or detail in
relation to the rest of the composition.

See, define and make clear the range of contrasts present within the same
visual component. Observe trends of activity in the component groups within
the image and choose those that you feel are most vital to your image
message or the story and make that the first focus of dominant relationships
present in your image.
 Let's begin our visual journey with the most basic and
fundamental relationship, figure and ground.

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There is a good chance that you arrived at the same or very similar answers
to the visual conditions illustrated above. Here is why these circles express
what the do.
Moving: The closeness of the circle to the one side creates a visual tension.
our eyes move slower around the circle in the more open areas, but in the
narrow space between the circle and side our eyes move faster. This
quickening creates a pulling sensation to the right.
Close: Figures closer to the bottom of the frame appear to be closer than
those higher in the frame. This can go way back to possibly before ancient
scrolls long before perspective.
Big: Large, filling the frame.
Far: Higher the frame and smaller make the circle appear much farther away
than the next one.
Small: It's size is obvious but being close to the bottom of the frame says
this circle is also close and that would reinforce the effect.
Raising: Partially cropped anywhere along the top of the frame would give
this effect. having moderate scale allows it to have more volume and adds to
the spatial closeness.
Falling: Cropped along the bottom somewhere will reinforce this feeling.
Heavy: Larger scale adds to the feeling of volume and resting on the bottom
of the frame makes it feel like it is sitting literally on the ground.
Light: Positioning this moderate sized circle above center can add to the
feeling of lightness. This can also have the feeling of farther away than it's
neighbor (heavy).

The artist is the author of the image he creates. When the

artist is visually literate he is in control of his image. His
expression is clear. He has the ability to communicates
deeply through his choices and understanding of the visual
components and relationships between them he employs
within our visual language of art.

“Take something, do something with it, and then do

something else with it”
Jasper Johns
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Here are a few images from Maitland Graves book 'The Art of Color and
Design". They are presented as a test of an artists design sensibilities.

Can you pick the most pleasing composition from each pair?
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Various "Visual Design Concepts" throughout history

In the area immediately below we will look at ideas of cannons of proportions

and relationships created between art and math. And as interesting as they
are I present them you you with tongue in cheek along with other popular
ideas concerning composing images. There are advocates as well as just as
many people who debunk the validity of their existence. We want to believe
that there are fixed relationships that determine beauty and I feel that is why
we want to accept these mathematical relationships as visual solutions as
rules to adhere to in all situations.

Cannons of proportion
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Rule of thirds
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the rule of thirds in visual arts. For the rule of
thirds in scuba diving, see rule of thirds (diving). For a similarly
named rule applying to writing, math, and medicine, see Rule of
three.

This photograph of a sunset taken in the Thousand Islands region

demonstrates the principles of the rule of thirds

The rule of thirds is a compositional rule of thumb in visual

arts such as painting, photography and design.[1] The rule states
that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by
two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical
lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed
along these lines or their intersections.[2] Proponents of the
technique claim that aligning a subject with these points creates
more tension, energy and interest in the composition than simply
centering the subject would.[citation needed]

This photograph demonstrates the application of the rule of thirds.

The horizon sits at the horizontal line dividing the lower third of the
photo from the upper two-thirds. The tree sits at the intersection of
two lines, sometimes called a power point. Points of interest in the
photo don't have to actually touch one of these lines to take
advantage of the rule of thirds. For example, the brightest part of the
sky near the horizon where the sun recently set does not fall directly
on one of the lines, but does fall near the intersection of two of the
lines, close enough to take advantage of the rule.

Leveling and Sharpening and creating visual tension

As you can see and read below, when the dot or significant element or focal point
is just off one of these thirds we sense a greater visual tension which contradicts
the note above. Composing along a strict thirds actually creates a calmness that
some feel is most pleasing but it can also appear monotonous. In film and many
areas and modes of visual communication a repetition of such a division will
become boring.
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From: thegoldenumber.net

Is the Nautilus shell spiral a

golden spiral?
February 8, 2014 by Gary Meisner 27 Comments
Nautilus shell spirals may have phi
proportions, but not as you may have
heard.
The Nautilus shell if often associated with the golden ratio. There is a
fair amount of confusion, misinformation and controversy though over
whether the graceful spiral curve of the nautilus shell is based on this
golden proportion. Some say yes, but offer no proof at all. Some show
examples of spirals, but incorrectly assume that every equiangular spiral
in nature is a golden spiral. One university math professor says no, but
only compared the nautilus spiral to the spiral created from a golden
rectangle. Another university professor says no, but only measured
height and width of the entire shell. Let’s look at this objectively and
solve this mystery and debate.

The Golden Spiral constructed from a

Golden Rectangle is NOT a Nautilus
Spiral.
A traditional Golden Spiral is formed by the nesting of Golden
Rectangles with a Golden Rectangle. This resulting Golden Spiral is
often associated with the Nautilus spiral, but incorrectly because the two
spirals are clearly very different.
A Golden Spiral created from a Golden Rectangle expands in dimension
by the Golden Ratio with every quarter, or 90 degree, turn of the spiral.
This can be constructed by starting with a golden rectangle with a height
to width ratio of 1.618. The rectangle is then divided to create a square
and a smaller golden rectangle. This process is repeated to arrive at a
center point, as shown below:
The golden spiral then is constructed by creating an arc that touches the
points at which each of these golden rectangles are divided into a square
and a smaller golden rectangle.

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 Fractal Relationships in design
All of these images describe variations on a theme or elements that are
mathematically repeatable and scalable. When the viewer senses underlying
relationships within an image they tend to feel that their is a more stable
understanding by the artist to lay down a clear foundation.

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Design Matrix

The matrix is the underlying compositional design, literally

the skeleton of your painting. It is the basic abstract light
and dark pattern that divides your canvas and defines your
composition. These dominant light and dark shapes can
represent light vs shadow, or light vs dark of local values, or
the shapes they create when they group by affinity. The
resulting design is your Matrix. It not only defines your
design through dominant light vs dark patterns, but to a large
degree how they merge serves as the road map for how the
viewer's eyes will move around our canvas. I can't stress this
enough. Because the success of your painting depends on a
decisive matrix isn't it worth working out before you start
slapping paint down in a mad race to copy all the little bits
that might explain a likeness?

A vague or indecisive matrix will result in a mushy and

unclear composition. It doesn’t matter if your painting is
high key, low key, realistic, or abstract, subtle or strong in
contrast the clarity, therefore the accessibility for the viewer
to enter your composition is based on a clear and readable
matrix.

Whether your interest is rendering form, capturing the affect

of light, or you have an affinity to working in a graphically
flat manner it is important to design various and deliberately
different compositions that express various emotions, spatial
depths and subtexts. The reason for this is to help you to
clearly see the effect and importance of the underlying
design patterns through 2D shapes or different lighting
conditions.
Here is the basic concept of Notan, Chiaroscuro, and an image that
combines both bias.
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 Everything we see is a a combination of the effect of light with the local values. The
diagram below displays them separately and then together with different bias.

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Artists of all different ages and styles have designed their
matrix by combining and interlocking the light/dark, and
light/shadow patterns in order to design more expressive
images. Again clarity is key when designing and combining
these modes.
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Above are a couple images that are designed (tonally) by Notan and Chiaroscuro.
Sometimes people attach the term graphic to a Notan design but graphic can be
too vague and general a term, referring to edges or type or spatial condition. Again
a design matrix that is divided by Notan is one in which the greatest tonal contrast
is between local values, and a design matrix that is divided by Chiaroscuro is one
in which the division of light and black is the division of what is in light verses that
in shadow.

The Mezzonis image on the left is Notan dominant with the exception of the artists face
on the far right that is modeled with more of the effect of light. In contrast the painting
on the right is all about the division of light verses shadow or Chiaroscuro.

This drawing above is line and form dominant. The form is clearly in one zone
within the image and the artist does not change the line weight at all in the other
areas purposely. This is a type of contrast between modes.
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This painting by Charles Hawthorne is Notan dominant. The rise in
popularity of this design bias was the result of the influx of Japanese prints
that influenced the impressionists artists. Hawthorne studied these
processes in Europe and taught them in the United States in the early 20th
century.
Creating a composition is defining context

When we focus on aspects of composition we have to consider the basic structure

of our visual language. This in itself is difficult to cull a clear understanding
because many considerations and issues of relationships or constructs are presented
in print from a few basic problematic standpoints. One is that our visual
language is non-linear in nature and books tend to be written in chapters that place
things in linear progression. Another misleading thing is that sometimes
compositional (rules) or systems are implied to create a predictable outcome,
which justifies a particular style. (This is important to developing a style guide for
a particular look, or style, but not for addressing visual language in general.) Any
Rule imposed on composition implies that our visual language has an accepted
grammar this is not true.
The real nature of our visual language is comparative relationships who’s
aggregate creates a context. From context springs communication.

From this point of view that I suggest that communicating and expressing your
ideas, statements, or feelings depends on firstly establishing a visual context. Any
rules or bias of relationships that come to bare within your compositions should
come from the foundation set forth in your context, and not those standardized or
independently contrived for normalizing imagery or in the name of beauty.

We often are told that as young artists we should study classics and predetermined
rules that made their work successful. But then we should challenge or break rules
to define our individual expression. More often than not this point of view leads to
imagery is vague and unclear in its' visual communication. The reason for this is
that we may recognize that any contrived rule may not apply or help our
expression so we choose to abandon it. But the real problem is not the rule, it is
that we fail to establish a clear context and relationships can feel unrelated and
scattered and fail to communicate your idea clearly. The solution is to determine
first what you wish to communicate, and then create the series of relationships that
establish the context. All nuances from monotonous, to harmonious, to discordant
will have more meaning because they will all hold meaning to the aggregate
composition because in this process the rules that you impose on your image will
emerge from the context you establish.

You are an artist, a visual communicator, the director, designer and you are solely
responsible for your work, and if your intention is to express interesting and
innovative ideas or stories in our visual language clearly, you are a context creator,
not a reckless rule breaker.

These patterns below establish figure/ground relationships in different ways, some through Notan, the light-dark pattern
created between local values, and patterns created through Chiaroscuro or the light-shadow pattern.

Checkerboard
This is an example of a monotonous pattern. it is Notan dominant because its'
division of figure/ground is based on light and dark interlocking pattern of squares.

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Below is another Notan dominant pattern because it does not reflect any
influence of light and shadow. This pattern has some variety so it is not as
monotonous as the checkerboard above but the regularity flattens the image

The black and white pattern below is also Notan dominant and has both
large and thin areas of white and black, also the variety of shapes and scale
of curves bring more interest and harmony to this design.
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This is a Silhouette, the interest her is derived through the variety of shapes
and their relationships.
It too is Notan dominant because there is no indication of light and shadow.
Although we might think a silhouette is created by back lighting volumes
behind a screen the graphic result here is dark figure over white ground. If
the silhouetted shapes were altered by the affect of light such as if planes that
were turned toward the light source became white, that would expose some
affect of light and we would say the character is back-lit. Not here, this figure
is completely silhouetted.

The pattern in the image below is created by the effect of light striking the
girls form. This is an example of Chiaroscuro. You can see the division in
the image on the left but I reduced the mid values to show only the black and
white pattern of light-shadow.
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As simple as it is the black and white image below reflects the design created
through Chiaroscuro.

The image of the cat below is a combination of both Notan and

Chiaroscuro, Stronger is the contrast between light and shadow, the dark
local color of the cat merges into the shadow shapes in many areas and
create an interesting design Matrix.
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The boy in the window is clearly Chiaroscuro dominant because the greater
contrast is created by light-shadow shapes.
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The light-shadow, or Chiaroscuro shapes create the interesting design pattern

or Matrix in this image. The complexity is obvious through the amount of
small light and shadow shapes in this image as opposed to the simpler boy in
the window design Matrix above.
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Valentine Serov painted this image below with a combination of Notan and
Chiaroscuro. Most of the image is Notan dominant where the form in the
sitters face is accentuated bringing focus to that area of the image.

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 Rembrandt's' painting below is of corse Chiaroscuro dominant. See how the
shadow side goes so black.

Here is another Serov painting that is Notan dominant, the ambient lighting
creates a Notan dominant situation.
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You can see the different patterns define different areas. These areas can
be solid, or broken, grouped and clustered, or chaotic. Harmonizing
your Matrix is a matter of creating relationships through proportion and
contrast giving areas of interest as well as areas of rest or tension and
relief. Balance here is the key. Not meaning 50% of black to 50% white
but enough relief to balance the tension created. So Harmony resides
somewhere between Monotony and Chaos.
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Student Work
assignment: Find black and white images who's matrix are determined
through the higher contrast between local values (Notan), eliminate all
middle values and draw the basic matrix pattern.) Jeewoon Park

1. Notan
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assignment: Find drawings where the matrix is determined through the
greater contrast between light and shadow (Chiaroscuro).

2. Chiaroscuro
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assignment: Find and draw images that were designed through the
patterning of both Notan, and Chiaroscuro.

3. Combination

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Rachel Yung
Notan

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Chiaroscuro

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Both

The designed patterns of black and white areas in these

images maintain the clarity of the shapes or objects they
describe. If the clarity of the image is lost in the matrix your
image message has less of a chance to communicate
clearly to your viewer.

The Inside Story

To tell the inside story is to visually deliver the inner world of
the characters thoughts, emotions, and point of view about
the world around them and how they feel about it or see themselves in it
at any given moment. Showing this internal world in
some sort of external visual way is at
the heart of composing shots and scenes in film. Sometimes the character is
in complete harmony with their internal world but more often there is
some conflict or contrast between what’s happening on the outside with what
is felt on the inside. Our job is to creatively address in visuals the expression
of the characters internal world, that unseen world that lives in the mind of
the characters. Sometimes the acting at its best will convey this unseen worl
d of inner thoughts.
As story artists, and designers we look for ways to create a visual context
and continuity that will become the baseline of
the story or “the normal world”. From here we build contrast
and conflict through our choices of components measured through
our major and minor keys. Major key being proportion of any component or a
spect of the image in a greater or lesser fashion. The Minor key is the range
of contrast within the component or aspect in question.

Creating a composition is defining context

When we focus on aspects of composition we have to consider the

basic structure of our visual language. This
in itself is difficult to cull a clear understanding because
many considerations and issues of relationships
or constructs are presented in print from a few basic problematic standpoints.
One is that our visual language is non-linear in nature and books tend to
be written in chapters that place things in linear progression.
Another misleading thing is that sometimes compositional (rules)
or systems are implied to create a predictable outcome,
which justifies a particular style. (This is important to developing a style guide for
a particular look, or style, but not for addressing visual language in general.)
Any rule imposed on composing images implies that our visual language has
an accepted grammar this is not true.
The real nature of our visual language is comparative
relationships w h o ’s aggregate creates a context.
From context springs communication.

From this point of view that I suggest that communicating and expressing your
ideas, statements, or feelings depends on firstly establishing a visual context.
Any rules or bias of relationships that come to bare within your
compositions should come from the foundation set forth in your context, and
not those standardized or independently contrived for normalizing imagery or in
the name of beauty.

We often are told that as young artists we should study classics and predetermined
rules that made their work successful. But then we should challenge or break rules
to define our individual expression. More often than not this point
of view leads to imagery is vague and unclear in its' visual communication.
The reason for this is that we may recognize that any contrived rule may
not apply or help our expression so we choose to abandon it.
But the real problem is not the rule, it is that we fail to establish a clear context
and relationships can feel unrelated and scattered and fail
to communicate your idea clearly. The solution is to determine first what
you wish to communicate, and then create the series of relationships that establish
the context. All nuances from monotonous, to harmonious, to discordant will have
more meaning because they will all hold meaning to the aggregate composition
because in this process the rules that you impose on your image will emerge from
the context you establish.

You are an artist, a visual communicator, the director, designer and you
are solely responsible for your work, and if your intention is to express interesting
and innovative ideas or stories in our visual language clearly, you are a
context creator, not a reckless rule breaker.

Here are some complementary relationships with specific contexts. When you
are comparing your visual components as you work make an effort to be more specific in
your visual assessments the more specific you can be the better, it
will keep you focused on your context.

Instability Balance
Asymmetry Symmetry
Irregularity Regularity
Complexity Simplicity
Fragmentation Unity
Intricacy Economy
Exaggeration Understatement
Spontaneity Predictability
Activeness Stasis
Boldness Subtlety
Accent Neutrality
Transparency Opacity
Variation Consistency
Distortion Accuracy
Depth Flatness
Juxtaposition Singularity
Randomness Sequential
Sharpness Diffusion

Here are some examples of establishing visual context from Shadow of

a Doubt.

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Casablanca
Consider this image from Casablanca as Elsa and Rick discuss their situation.
On the outside they are composed but their emotions are
complicated.
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Elsa is trying to tell him why she disappeared from his life suddenly and her co
mplicated emotional dilemma.

I n
these shots Rick is cynical and sarcastic carefully guarding his conflicted feeli
ngs as Claude Rains is delivering a straightforward internal assessment
of Ricks’ private loyalties to
the underdog throughout his past. This was set up in the first shots of Rick in
the movie. As others were shot against simple backdrops or
in crowds of people, in
contrast Rick was shot in front of shadow walls and palm fronds.

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In this shot Claude Rains steps forward, into
the complicated background of shadows and blinds behind Rick as he says h
is life in Casablanca is simple and he alone is
the master of his domain. This shot ends with a voice overlap to
the next shot of a Nazi soldier urging him to come
to meet the arriving German officer and Rains responds obediently. His dialo
g u e i s i n d i r e c t c o n fl i c t w i t h h i s s i t u a t i o n
and his body movement and background arrangement explains the internal c
omplexity of his situation.

Wizard of OZ

I n
this scene from Wizard of OZ Dorothy is singing ‘Somewhere over the Rainbo
w ’ w h i c h s t a n d s t o d a y a s t h e m o s t m e m o r a b l e t u n e f ro m
the movie known for its’ lavish use technicolor and fanciful design. Here is
a beautiful contrast, and
the perfect counterpoint between her real world and her imaginary world withi
n. In this case Dorothy is singing what she is dreaming of (her inner world) so
the environment was designed to illustrate the baron and bleak world, almost
surrealist with its’ flattened desolation. With her colored fantastic journey yet
to come it is critical that the real world be as foreboding as it does.

To Catch a Thief directed by Alfred Hitchcock

In this opening Hitchcock uses his visuals both directly
and metaphorically to deliver very direct exposition. In France there are
a series of cat burglaries.
The police suspect the notorious ex cat burglar John Robbie and
they send some men to bring him in for questioning. At this point we
don't know that he is being framed but Hitchcock, in
a very creative manner delivers a large amount of information by connecting a
black cat, a newspaper article and Cary Grant.
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Do you sense visual tension in any of the
images below? How would you ease the tension in
the image?
When assessing images and visual tension we have to look at the
artists intent or the image message. Sometimes the
artist wants to imply tension and in these cases he or she may choose to
create it rather than reduce it. Where the visually illiterate artists may look
at tangents or tension and want to automatically fall back on general rules
to reduce tension. And again without an understanding of visual language we
may look at artists like Alfred Hitchcock who
often creates tension in his images and we accept it under the clause that
"a master can break the rules". The right to break such rules is not
the domain of masters. It is just a reflection that generalized rules limit the
range of expression. And an artist who is visually literate is
in command of such visual tools. When assessing images, the answer lays in
t h e i m a g e m e s s a g e a n d t h e c h o i c e o f t h e a r t i s t t o c re a t e
the tension that expresses that image message best.

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Describe the story in the compositions below.
See how the artists deliver subtext within their
images

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The passing of Robin Hood NC Wyeth
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Breaking Home Ties Norman Rockwell
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Portrait of Mr and Mrs Isaac Newton Phelps Stokes (Edith)

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The Birthday Party," 1887, by John Singer Sargent. Oil on canvas.
French artists Albert Besnard and his wife, sculptor Charlotte Dubray, celebrate th
e birthday of their child, Robert. The Oriental decorations of
their room are accentuated by the highlights from the candles.
http://www.artsconnected.org/resource/96503/the-birthday-party-by-john-
singer-sargent

"You can look at a painting for a week and never think of

it again. You can look at a painting for a second and think of
it all your life"
Joan Miro