UNIT 2 - Composition (Book unit 7) Formats, compositional schemes, visual rhythm and visual balance.

1. Unit 2:
COMPOSITION
(BOOK UNIT 7)

2. What is the composition?
 The composition is the organizational process where we order the visual
elements, dots, lines, and planes to create an artistic expression or
artwork. There are 4 main aspects which take part into composition: the
format, the compositional scheme, the visual rhythm and the visual
balance.

3. • It is the shape, size and direction of the surface where we make an artwork.Formats
• It is a group of imaginary lines which help us to organize the elements of the artwork, dividing
the space, and following different directions.
Compositional Schemes
• Any piece of art has a rhythm. Like in music, in visual art the elements of the composition can
combine lines, dots, planes, textures and colours to make a continuous, alternate, discontinuous
or growth rhythm.
Visual Rhythm
• It is the relation between the visual weights of the artwork, mostly shapes and colours, according
to imaginary axis.
Visual Balance
Fundamentals of Composition

4. Plain Formats
Rectangular
 It can be vertical (balance and
growth) or horizontal (balance and
calm).
Squared
Formats
 The artwork’s surface is a plain one.
 Balanced

5. Circular Oval
Triangular
 Wrapping
movement
 Tends to group
figures
 Stability on the
base, expanse on
the upper part

6. Tridimensional Formats
 They can be oriented and with the same feelings as the plain formats, but adding
volumen because of the three dimensional surface’s condition.

7.  They give a sensation of freedom and movement. It’s
commonly used in digital art, cómics, advertisment and art for
children.
Irregular Formats

8.  It’s a format which was used by many painters and arquitects among the history but it’s also
used nowadays. It’s based on a mathematic rule from the ancient Greece and you can see it
aplied on buildings from that period. This format gives a feeling of harmony and stability.
Golden Ratio – The Golden rectangle

9.  Simple Compositional
Schemes:
Pyramid or triangle, S or
compound curve, cross, O or
circular, radiating lines,
steelyard, balanced scales, L or
rectangular.
 Complex Compositional
Schemes:
By mixing two or more simple
compositional schemes.
Compositional
Schemes

10.  As in Music, in Visual Arts we also have
rhythm.
 It is called Visual Rhythm and we can make it
with dots, lines, planes, colours and textures
(the elements of visual expression).
 Depending on the arrangement in the space,
rhythms can be continuos, discontinuous,
increasing and decreasing (growth) or
alternated.
 Depending on the shape, rhythms can be
rectilinear, browen or jagged, curved or wavy.
 Rhythms express diferent things depending
on which one we are using: controlled
movement, free movement, nervousness,
seriousness, order, bore, monotony,
dynamism…
Visual Rhythm

11.  Symmetrical Balance: both sides of the imaginary
axis have the same visual weight. This composition
give a feeling of order, symmetry but too static.
 Asymmetrical Balance: one of the sides of the
imaginary axis have more visual weight than the
other. This composition give a feeling of
asymmetry, flexibility and vitality.
 Umbalance: there’s only visual weight in one of the
sides of the imaginary axis. This composition give a
feeling of inestability.
 Rule of balance: to get balance in our composition
we need to arrange the biggest visual weight close
to the imaginary axis and the smallest visual weith
far from the imaginary axis.
 Rule of thirds (visual sweet spots): If we divide our
image in a 3x3 grid, we can make a very balanced
composition by placing the elements with bigger
visual weigh in the intersections of the imaginary
lines. Those spots attracts our visión quicker tan the
rest of spaces.
Visual Balance