Art
Behind every fine artist, a
critic will stand.
There are several techniques,
rules, terms, and concepts needed for exploring visual art. All of which allow
for the creation and development of a simple idea to be brought to life and
be taken as far as possible. It is not enough to know how to draw. An artist
should be able to think and push ideas into various possibilities.
The best place to begin designing
an idea is in the composition. Basically, the word composition means how the
lines, shapes, and colors are arranged on a page.
A good composition includes
the following -
• Draw objects the way
you see them. (The best artists admit that they cannot remember what something
looks like. For example, instead of drawing a tree from memory, use reference.
Either find a photograph of one or go outside to see the real thing.)
• Avoid drawing in all
four corners of the page (which includes a sun in the top right corner).
• Fill up the empty space.
• Overlap shapes.
• Remember gravity (people
don't naturally float in the air).
• The famous rule of thirds:
divide paper into a gigantic tic-tac-toe board and place the main focus at
an intersection NOT in the center of the page. (Look at the Rockwell painting
above. Where is the focus? Yes, the area around her right hand. It is not
in the center of the page is it? Interesting huh? Rockwell design it this
way so all of us would look to see what she is painting. This makes all of
us critics.)
• Use all kinds of lines;
thick, thin, curves, etc. This helps create dimension.
• As objects get closer,
they grow larger. (Close one of your eyes and hold your hand as far away from
your face as possible. Now, slowly move it closer to your face. What happens?
It gets larger. Now, with one eye closed, stretch your arm so that your hand
is far away and small again... place your other hand close to your face and
look at the difference in size! One is small and the other is big, however,
when you bring them both together, your hands are the same size. Cool huh?)
The first thing critics always
look for is a solid composition because it makes or breaks the idea. However,
always remember that the hardest critic to please is usually the one doing
the work.