In this article we will try to tell you as much as possible about the basics of composition in photography, floristry, design, architecture and other areas of creativity, as well as what composition is and how to learn to feel and understand it.
What is composition?
First of all, it is necessary to understand what role composition plays in visual and monumental art. This is a certain arrangement of objects, which allows you to express the idea of the creator with the greatest completeness, while giving it a holistic unity. The basics of composition must be known to any person who more or less professionally begins to work in any field of art. But despite this, compositional solutions can be the most diverse and interesting.
The laws of composition
There are several basic laws of artistic composition that are somehow used in all areas of creativity. Firstly, this is the law of integrity, applying which, the artist can create a perception of his work as a whole. The main characteristic of this law is that the composition becomes indivisible, so the image in the picture cannot be perceived as the sum of several more or less independent parts.
The following law of contrasts suggests that they are both a combination and struggle of opposites, realizing the movement and development of the plot. There are several types - tonal, color contrast of forms, states and lines, and more. They are one of the main expressive means in the work.
The law of subordination in the composition determines the influence of the idea of the author of the work on all the objects depicted. With the help of this law, the artist can express his opinion, give an assessment of what is happening - that is, fill the work with spiritual meaning, without which it was an ordinary craftwork.
And finally, the so-called law of influence belongs to the foundations of composition in art. It has the following meaning: if the object on the canvas is located far from the frame (that is, from the borders of the image), then it is perceived to be in the depths of space. On the contrary, if it is close to the frame, it looks like lying in the plane of the borders or close to it.
So, we touched on the foundations in the visual arts. In the remaining parts of the article, we will move on to specific compositional rules in various fields of art.
Basics of composition in photography
In order for the frame to turn out to be successful and attracting the attention of the viewer, it is necessary to observe several general rules by which you can highlight important elements and emphasize their features.
First, special attention should be paid to contrast: light objects should be shot against a dark background, and vice versa, since the main subject should be instantly separated from the general space (although there are some exceptions to this rule). If you are photographing a person, it is not recommended to do it against a motley background - otherwise the subject will be out of focus attention. It is also undesirable to shoot people and animals on a brown or yellow background, otherwise the photo will look unnatural.
The shooting elements that make up the overall plot should not be randomly scattered throughout the space. The basics of composition and artistic shooting suggest that it will be much better if they form some relatively simple geometric shapes - a triangle, square, rhombus. It looks much more advantageous. In principle, it is necessary that between the objects in the photograph there is a certain semantic connection, so that they are united by color, shape or, for example, the line of sight. In addition, it is good to arrange them in accordance with the golden ratio rule, which is also the basis in drawing, composition and architecture. If you place the subject at points approximately one third of the frame’s borders.
If mostly vertical objects are present on the frame, it is better to photograph them vertically. Accordingly, if you are shooting a landscape, then horizontal shooting is the best choice.
Good point shooting
Depending on the genre of photography, you need to choose the most suitable shooting point. So, to make a successful portrait, it is best to find a point at the level of the human eye. If this is a waist portrait, then it is more profitable to find it at the level of the belt. In order to avoid distorted proportions, it is better to keep the lens at the level of the object being shot, because, for example, photographing a person from above, you risk visually reducing its growth. This is especially true for animals and children - it is preferable to take their pictures, dropping to the level of their growth. But if you need to make the photo more impressive and majestic, then you can shoot objects from a lower point. Particularly good shots with the use of this technique result in those that contain lively dynamic scenes, such as dancing or racing.
To make it easier for the viewer to focus on the frame, try to make sure that the horizon does not divide the image into two equal parts.
Human brain features
When building a harmonious composition, it is worth considering that we are used to reading information from right to left. For this reason, the semantic center of the frame is better placed on the right side of the photo. And to make the composition look balanced, if in one part of the photo there is a bright color spot, then in the other part it is worth placing a similar or something else that will attract the viewer's attention, for example, action and movement.
By the way, with regard to movement: if it is in your photo, it is better to place a moving object so that there is always free space in front of it so that it has where to move.
When photographing people, one important point should be taken into account, which is often missed by inexperienced amateurs, and this is one of the foundations of the composition - it is extremely undesirable to "cut off" the limbs of people. It is better to photograph either the entire figure, or crop it at the level of the hips. Hands are much more correctly trimmed to the shoulder, but in no case to the hand.
Do not allow the formation of large empty spaces in the frame - plains or water. It is necessary to place in these voids any objects that are suitable for the topic.
These are the most basic rules that should be followed to make the picture successful and as professional as possible. You can learn more about composition from various books on this subject, for example, from the "Fundamentals of Composition and Art Photography" by Mark Geiler.
Floral arrangement
As for the basics of composition in floristry, there are also several rules that must be adhered to. To maintain elegant proportions, they use the same classical rule of the "golden section", which in this case applies to the bouquet and the vase in which it is located. If we conditionally divide the total height into eight parts, then only three of them should be in a vase, and the rest should be in the flowers themselves. With a horizontal arrangement of the floristic composition, the same rule applies.
In any bouquet there should be a focal point to which the attention of the viewer is attracted, for example, one large bright flower or, conversely, a group of small flowers located closer to the edge of the vase. But you should not make it too large so as not to spoil the whole composition. Also in it is important the rhythm that can be achieved through the alternation of colors and shapes, changing the size of the flowers.
Without a doubt, it is important that the composition looks balanced and balanced. This effect can be achieved through visual techniques - for example, dark flowers look heavier than light ones, and round ones look more massive than tubular ones. There must be a steady balance between the top and bottom of the composition so that it does not “fall apart”, even if it is asymmetric. To do this, place large flowers at the bottom of the bouquet. By the way, asymmetric bouquets are often built according to the rule of three triangles having one common side, this is one of the foundations of a decorative composition.
You should also pay attention to the color scheme, referring to the invariable color circle, which contains all the warm and cold shades of the rainbow spectrum and showing their most successful combination. Warm colors visually enliven the composition, while cold colors make it more calm and balanced.
Composition in architecture
Speaking about the basics of architectural composition, one should distinguish three of its types - frontal, deep-spatial and volume-spatial.
The frontal composition refers mainly to the planar facades of buildings, the main coordinates in it are horizontal and vertical. The third coordinate appears in the volume, allowing you to perceive the building in perspective, and in the deep composition, the continuation of the building into the depth of space is taken into account.
The appearance of the building - the exterior - always depends on the purpose and functions of the building, that is, on its internal appearance (interior). There are several basic compositional types of interior:
- hall when all rooms are combined into one;
- centric, when smaller ones are located around a larger space;
- enfilade, where the premises are located one after another;
- corridor, where the premises are located on both sides of the corridor connecting them;
- sectional when the rooms are isolated from each other;
- mixed, combining all of the above varieties.
Also an important role in the architecture of the city is played by the so-called ensembles, which are a combination of several buildings and other elements. The composition of the ensembles is divided into several types: free space, unlimited by anything, spatial perspective located around (for example, square, space limited by buildings or green spaces), as well as a panorama where the silhouette of buildings plays the main role.
Architectural laws of composition
If we talk about the specific laws of composition used in architecture, then first of all, it is the harmonious proportions of the building, to achieve which the law of the "golden section", invented by Leonardo da Vinci, is often used. All buildings are naturally attached to a person, and therefore must be proportionate to him. The rhythm, in which the elements of the building fit in, can give it a different mood - from dynamic to darkly solemn. Receptions of contrast are also used as the basis of composition in constructive arts, here it is achieved with a certain combination of colors, shapes and volumes. Much depends on symmetry or asymmetry, depending on the goals of the architect. And, of course, in an ideal composition there should be no extra elements, due to which the composition reaches harmony.
Design: composition
In this area, approximately the same rules are used as in all others. The geometric center, which is usually located at the intersection of two diagonal lines from corner to corner, is also highlighted. The compositional center may not coincide with it - sometimes it is deliberately displaced to create dynamic effects. But, as a rule, the compositional center of the image coincides with the semantic. Various methods are used to distinguish it from space - highlighting with color or light, size and shape.
The basics of composition in art require the following knowledge: dynamic compositions, in contrast to static ones, are sometimes more advantageous in design, since they cause a much larger number of associations in the viewer.
Symmetry usually does not cause difficulties for anyone, which cannot be said about asymmetry: such compositions should be carefully balanced, since for most, equilibrium is the key to a psychologically adequate image perception. This balance can be achieved by the ratio of the sizes, shapes and colors of objects.
Graphic design also uses rhythm and meter. In this case, by a rhythmic series is meant repetition, which is based on a change in elements, and by a metric series, repetition of groups of identical elements. But in any case, both of these techniques have been known to man since ancient times and help to streamline the surrounding space.
In order to achieve the illusion of space, one of the foundations of composition in design is the color as well as the aerial perspective. The essence of the latter is that the severity of various contrasts is most pronounced on objects located visually close to the viewer. The farther the subject in space, the weaker these contrasts. Accordingly, the colors weaken as objects move in the image space, become colder. Thus, these patterns make it possible to create the illusion of width and distance. This is especially worth considering in a picturesque composition, where color plays almost the most important role.
A few words in conclusion
The article reflects only the most basic rules that should be considered when building a composition - in reality, there are much more. In the finale it is worth recalling: despite the fact that the foundations of the composition are actually its laws, it is not necessary to execute them thoroughly. However, before breaking them, you should study these laws well and learn how to use them. As you can see, the basics of composition in photo art, painting, architecture, design coincide and intertwine.