Composition

Examples of Composition in the following topics:

• Balance

  • Compositional balance refers to the placement of the artistic elements in relation to each other within a work of art.
  • When balanced, a composition appears more stable and visually pleasing.
  • The three most common types of compositional balance are symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial.
  • Radial balance refers to circular elements in compositions.
  • Categorize the elements of compositional balance in a work of art

• Raphael

  • Raphael was an Italian Renaissance painter and architect, and his work is admired for its clarity of form and ease of composition.
  • His work is admired for its clarity of form and ease of composition and for its visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur.
  • In response to da Vinci's work, Raphael gave his figures more dynamic and complex positions in some of his earlier compositions.
  • Finally, Raphael was one of the finest draftsmen in the history of Western art, and used drawings extensively to plan his compositions.
  • This drawing shows Raphael's efforts in developing the composition for the Madonna and Child.

• Other Means of Representing Space

  • Another important way of discussing or representing space in composition includes movement and the eye of the viewer.
  • However, another important way of discussing or representing space in composition includes movement and the eye of the viewer.
  • The viewer therefore, contributes another aspect to art composition, as the artist has the ability to control the viewer's eye and often composes the space in the composition with the viewer in mind.
  • If correctly applying the principles of art composition, artists can control what the viewers see and how they see it, like a path leading across the page to the item the artist wants the viewer's attention focused on.

• Emphasis

  • Elements of composition are a commonly used group of aspects to create emphasis in a work of art.
  • Elements of composition are a commonly used group of aspects to create emphasis in a work of art.
  • Although artists use these techniques to create emphasis in a composition, there also needs to be a compositional balance in order to create an aesthetically pleasing piece.
  • Conventional composition can be achieved by utilizing a number of techniques:
  • Give examples of techniques used by artists to create emphasis and compositional balance (sense of unity)

• Implied Line

  • Implied lines are suggested lines that give works of art a sense of motion, and keep the viewer engaged in a composition.
  • 'Implied lines' give works of art a sense of motion, and keep the viewer engaged in a composition.
  • The space between the Infanta Margarita, the blonde central figure in the composition, and the ‘meninas', or maids of honor to the left and right of her, are implied lines.
  • By visually connecting the space between the heads of all the figures in the painting, a sense of jagged motion is created that keeps the lower part of the composition in motion, balanced against the darker, more static upper areas of the painting.

• Proportion and Scale

  • Proportion is a measurement of the size and quantity of elements within a composition.
  • Proportion is a measurement of the size and quantity of elements within a composition.
  • This concept-- that there should be beauty and elegance evidenced by a skillful composition of well understood elements-- underlies mathematics, art, and architecture.

• Reinforced Concrete Construction

  • Reinforced concrete is a composite material in which the low tensile strength of concrete is reinforced with a material such as steel.
  • Reinforced concrete is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are counteracted by the inclusion of reinforcement with a higher tensile strength and ductility.
  • Modern reinforced concrete can contain varied reinforcing materials made of steel, polymers, or alternate composite material which may or may not be used with rebar.
  • If a material with high strength in tension, such as steel, is placed within the concrete, the composite material (reinforced concrete) resists not only compression, but also bending and other direct tensile actions.
  • There is growing interest in application of external reinforcement of existing structures with advanced materials such as composite (fiberglass, basalt, carbon) rebar, that can impart exceptional strength.

• Post-Painterly Abstraction

  • Embracing clean linearity and open composition, Post-Painterly Abstraction evolved in reaction to Abstract Expressionism in the 50s and 60s.
  • Post-Painterly Abstraction was often characterized as cleanly linear, using bright colors, lacking in detail, and open in composition.

• Marble Sculpture and Architecture in the Greek Early Classical Period

  • The figures on the east pediment await the start of a chariot race, and the whole composition is still and static.
  • Unlike the static composition of the eastern pediment, the Centauromachy on the western pediment depicts movement that radiates out from its center.
  • The scenes depict varying types of compositions.
  • This sculpture demonstrates how the use of contrapposto creates an S-shaped composition.
  • The dynamic power of this composition shape places elements -- in this case the figure's limbs -- in opposition to each other and emphasizes the tension this creates.

• Meaning in Nonrepresentational Art

  • Nonrepresentational art refers to compositions which do not rely on representation or mimesis to any extent.