CONCEPTisthefirstbuildingblockofyourimage.Itisthefirstandmostimportantchoiceyoumake.ThesecondyoushouldconsiderisCOMPOSITION.

KayNeilsen,SixSwans

Compositionformsthestructureorfoundationontopofwhichtheimagerests.Justlikeabuilding,agreatimageisbuiltfromthegroundup,onastrongfoundation.

Conversely,greatsubjectmatteranddrawing,willalwaysbeundonebypoorcomposition.

CONCEPTisthefirstbuildingblockofyourimage.Itisthefirstandmostimportantchoiceyoumake.ThesecondyoushouldconsiderisCOMPOSITION.

GaryKelley,JazzIllustration

Youmaybeusedtohearingthewordcomposerwhenreferringtoagreatpieceofmusic.Acomposerchoosesthedifferentmusicalelementsthatheorshewillarrangetofilltheframeworkofaparticularpieceofmusic.Composinganimageisverymuchthesame.The"artisticcomposer"choosesthedifferentelementsthatwillfilltheframeworkofthatparticularpieceofart.WerefertothatframeworkasthePicturePlane.

DirectionalLinesTheArtistsofthe16thcenturyBaroquemovementusedexaggeratedmotionandclear,easilyinterpreteddetail,andstrongdiagonalcompositionwithinastaticframe.Thismakesitfairlyeasytoidentifythedirectionallinesintheircompositions.

GuidoReniStMichaelArchangel

NoteintheseBaroquepaintingshowthesetwodifferentdirectionallines,highlightedinblueandred,areclearlycomposedatoppositeangles,andareusedasatooltoguidethevieweroverandoveragain.

GuidoReni,St.Sebastian.

NoteintheseBaroquepaintingshowthesetwodifferentdirectionallines,highlightedinblueandred,areclearlycomposedatoppositeangles,andareusedasatooltoguidethevieweroverandoveragain.

GuidoReni,St.Sebastian.

InthisimagebyillustratorGoniMontescanyouseesomeofthesamedirectionallinesarebeingusedtoguideusaroundthepictureandproduceafeelingsofdrama?

DirectionalLinesContemporaryUse

Sometimesitsaboutwhatyouleaveout.Magiccansometimeshappensintheemptyspacebetweenmarks…

NegativeSpace

AubreyBeardsley

…Orintheshapesformedbythebreathingroomleftinanimage.

PhoebeMorris,PeterandtheWolf

…Orintherestingthespacefortheeye,spacethatisleftintentionallyempty.Werefertothisareaofopennessonthepictureplaneasnegativespace.

TomerHanuka

UseNegativeSpace:Tocreatearestingplacefortheeye.Inthisimage,theartistAubreyBeardley—amajorfigureofthe19thcenturyArtNouveaumovement—chosetoleavealmosthalfofthecompositionasthewhiteofthebackgroundpaper.Whywouldhedosuchathing?

TomerHanuka

TakealookathowJ.C.Leyendecker,oneofthepreeminentAmericanillustratorsoftheearly20thcentury,usesnegativespaceintheseillustrationsofhisadvertisingcharacterknownasTheArrowCollarMan.

J.C.Leyendecker

UseNegativeSpace:Tocreatecontrastthroughmissinginformation.

Theblackofthegroundandtheblackofthisdappercharacter'stuxedobecomeoneform.Theeyeisdrawnbothbythecontrastinvalues(lightanddark)andthestrikingshapesofthemissinginformation.

ContemporaryIllustratorEdwardKinsellausesmuchthesametrickintheseportraitsofpopcultureiconsDavidBowieandMarilynManson.

EdwardKinsella

EdwardKinsella

UseNegativespace…Tocreatetensionthroughspacebetweenopposingelements:

NormanRockwellusesthenegativespacewithintheillustration,LetNothingYouDismay,tomanipulatetheviewer’semotions.Herethespacebetweencharactersbecomesfilledwithtension.It'slikethevisualversionofthelongpauserightbeforesomethingimportantorshockingissaid.Thecompositionmakestheviewerfeeleveryinchofthatcouch.

Balanceinartreferstothewaysinwhichthedifferentelementsofapiece(suchaslines,shapes,colors,andtextures)arearrangedintermsoftheirweight.

Balance

Hokusai

Balancecanbesymmetrical,withelementsarrangedequallyfromanimaginarylineinthemiddleofapiece.Balancedoesn'tnecessarilyhavetomeansymmetry,though.

Balance

Hokusai

Asymmetricalbalanceisachievedwhenelementsarearrangedunevenlyinapiecebutworktogethertoproduceoverallharmony.

Balance

Hokusai

Symmetricalvs.AsymmetricalBalanceNotewhathappenswhenRockwelltakesthesamebasiccompositionbutshiftsoverthecompositionalweighttocreateanAsymmetricalBalance.Inthistheweightisfocusedontheleftsideofthepage,pullingustowardtheboy.Notonlydoeshesupportthegirlphysically;heactuallyanchorsthewholecomposition.

NormanRockwell

UnityUnityistherelationshipamongtheelementsofavisualimagethathelpsalltheelementsfunctioncohesively.Unitygivesasenseofwholenesstoavisualimage.Therearemanywaystocreateunityinanimage.Itcanbedonethroughplacementandcomposition,shape,symmetry,color,concept,andsoon.InAmericanGothic,howmanydifferentwayscanyoufindthattheartistcreatedunity?

GrantWood,1930

UnityHereContemporaryillustratorGoniMontesusesthesametechniqueswithacompletelydifferentresult.Hecreatesaunifiedwholethough:•Overallwarmcolorpalette•Markmaking&brushstroke•AndOverallMovementandFlow

GoniMontes

Movementisaninstability,orasenseoftimetakingplacewithintheimageitself.Futurismwasanartmovementinearly20thcenturyItaly,obsessedwiththeideaofmovement.Futuristsusedtheprinciplesofdesigntodepictthemesofthecontemporarysocialissuesofthetime.

UmbertoBoccioni,1911

Rhythm&Movement

GiacomoBalla

Movementcanbeachievedbyusinggraphicelementssuchasdirectionallinesthatdirecttheeyeinaspecificdirection,muchasanarrowwould,orthoughcurvedformswhichmoresoftlypulltheviewer’seyes,orthroughaseriesofrepeatingforms.

DavidWeisner

Nowthatwecanrecognizethisdesignprincipleintheabstract,letslookatitinamorerepresentationalstyleofart.

ConsiderhowWeisnerusesallofthesetechniquestoconveyasenseofmotionintheseillustrationsfromhisCaldecottwinning,silentchildren’sbook,Tuesday.

CompositionalMovementcanbereinforcedbyusingrenderingtechniquessuchasinthisillustrationwherefabricdraperyisamotionindicator.Butanillustrationsuccessfullyconveyingmovementmusthavethisprincipleintegratedintoitscompositionalunderpinnings.

RhythmRhythm,design’sfirstcousintoMovement,isaprincipleofartthat'sdifficulttoverbalize.Rhythminart—justlikerhythminmusic—isaunifyingforceundulatingthroughouttheoverallpiece.ConsiderhowrhythmisbeingcreatedabstractlyinthispiecebyBalla.

GiacomoBalla’s“Automobileincorsa”(1913)

NownoticehowthesametechniquesareappliedinthemorerepresentationalimagebyIllustratorGaryKelley.Rhythmsignifiesthatthevariousdesignelementsareallworkinginunisontoleadtheviewer'seyethroughacompositioninaspecificorder.Assumingthatyou'veheardrhythminmusicbefore,trytotranslatethattosomethingyou'dseeinsteadofhear.Rhythmisessentiallyavisualbeat.

PastelIllustratorGaryKelley'sworkisinfusedwiththissenseofavisualbeat.InHarlemHeateventhebuildingsandskyseemtodance.Allofthecurvilinearformsreinforceasenseofmusicwithinthepiece.