Otis College of Art and Design presents "Composition Fundamentals in 2D"
with me, Roni Feldman.
As an artist or designer, it is your job to attract and direct your audience's attention
so you can communicate effectively. Even the subtlest changes in composition can affect
the way we see and understand an image. In this video, I will use cut paper and collage
to show a variety of methods to direct attention. There are many ways to direct our attention:
with patterns, with points, or triangular and arrow-like forms. Using geometric shapes
such as circles, squares, triangles, "x"s, or other polygons, faces and eyes attract
our attention extremely well, but we are only using abstract forms for this demonstration
so you can understand the fundamentals. Our eyes will typically go to the largest, most
prominent object first, and then move to the smaller objects. You can also create balance
or move the eye's back and forth between two or more points by giving the objects equal
weight. Because we read from left to right in Western culture, the right side of our
compositions tend to feel heavier. You may sometimes need to balance this effect by adding
a little more weight to the left side of your composition. This may differ in other cultures.
The shapes don't always have to be the same. Here I have balanced a geometric form with
a grouping of smaller forms. The shapes and sizes are different, but their weight draws
our eye almost equally. Similarly, because everything on our Earth responds to gravity,
we are used to feeling more emphasis on the bottom of a composition. To balance this,
you may sometimes want to put a little extra weight at the top of your composition. Value
contrast is another way to attract attention. Dark objects surrounded by white or vice-versa
draw the eye very well. Bright saturated colors and certain color harmonies also draw the
eye well, but here I will only be using value. Notice how the high contrast values attract
the eye much more than low contrast ones. Different textures and edges can also draw
attention. Here I have cut, crumbled, torn, and twisted paper. Be aware that irregular
edges may draw attention differently than smooth edges. Experiment to see which is more
effective for your composition. While you may be aware that size can affect your focal
point, an object's position can as well.
You can draw even more attention to an object
by placing it in the middle. Sometimes having it touch the edge of the page can make it
seem larger or more prominent.
Touching the edges creates tension. Now we will look at
some completed collages that use a variety of these techniques. The first type of composition
we shall consider is asymmetrical with a focal point. It is based on the Golden Section,
which is a geometric principle that directs the eye to the lower right hand corner on
a rectilinear format, but doesn't keep it there. Our eye pauses and continues to track
around the page. This example has placed a spiral shape at the focal point to draw our
attention there. If it was any larger or had more value contrast, it might own our attention.
As it is, the other shapes keep our gaze moving. Notice how this example does not have a shape
placed at the focal point, but nonetheless, it is able to draw our attention there using
points to direct the eye. This collage uses a variety of scales to move the eye around.
There are many other types of compositions we commonly employ for our designs. Each composition
can apply different semiotics. While an asymmetrical composition with a focal point may imply difference,
importance or dominance, a central doughnut hole or target composition could give a sense
of singularity, wholeness, or unity. A composition with bi-lateral symmetry can symbolize balance,
harmony, lack of dominance, or two groups that are equal but separate.
A regular or ordered composition can imply rigidity, or loss of individualism. There are many other
organizing principles such as horizontal, vertical, diagonal, radial, irregular, random,
and more. Consciously selecting the right composition and methods of tracking for what
your job requires.