Course 5: Composition and Fundamentals of Balance
About the Course
Practices in this course encourage students to understand how balance can be used to create different moods, atmospheres, and emotions in their work. Whether they want to convey calmness, tension, or excitement, balance plays a significant role.
A well-balanced composition is visually appealing and has a more significant impact on the viewer too. It draws the viewer's attention and creates a sense of harmony and order, making the artwork more engaging and it is a crucial practice for students to learn how to structure their compositions to ensure that the intended message is clear and resonates with the audience.
In this course students learn to tie different elements together and ensures that the overall piece feels harmonious. This skill is vital when students work with various elements and subjects in their art. All practices aim to reinforces students' technical skills. It involves elements like line, shape, color, and space, which are foundational to visual art. Reflecting those elements, students learn to consider optimal viewing distance, angles, and perspectives to ensure that the composition is balanced when seen from the intended vantage point.
Through the practices students present their work for critique evaluating the balance of their compositions, which allows them to engage more effectively in constructive criticism and refine their work to gain additional perspectives on their work.
Understanding and practising the creation of well-balanced compositions are fundamental to art education. It equips art students with the essential skills to produce aesthetically pleasing and effective artwork, facilitates effective communication of their ideas, and lays the groundwork for their future artistic growth and development. Whether they are pursuing a career in the arts or creating art for personal enjoyment, these skills are invaluable.
Course Outcomes
- Ability to Balance Elements in composition
- Establishing a visual hierarchy
- Having better control over balance between contrast and harmony
- Having better control over balance simplicity and complexity in a composition
- Better understanding of the focal point, scale, and proportion in a composition
- Understanding the direction and movement of elements within a composition
- Better understanding of Rhythm and Variety
- Understanding the Viewer's Perspective
Course 5 Practices
Session 1: Vertical and Horizontal Balance, Practice 1: Formal Balance
Session 2: Vertical and Horizontal Balance, Practice 2: Balance by Transition
Session 2: Vertical and Horizontal Balance, Practice 2: Balance by Transition
Placement of units forming a perspective in the stage creating a balance across the middle through placing the focal point at the middle of composition
Session 2: Vertical and Horizontal Balance, Practice 2: Balance by Transition
Session 2: Vertical and Horizontal Balance, Practice 2: Balance by Transition
Session 2: Vertical and Horizontal Balance, Practice 2: Balance by Transition
Creating a balance by opposition of line and spot Creating a path for the eye through a series of oppositional units
Session 3: Get in to the Painting through units’ arrangement
Session 2: Vertical and Horizontal Balance, Practice 2: Balance by Transition
Session 4: Perspective Recession, Getting helps from angular forms and zigzag lines
Place starting point directing the eye on further into the composition
Session 4: Perspective Recession, Getting helps from angular forms and zigzag lines
Session 4: Perspective Recession, Getting helps from angular forms and zigzag lines
Session 4: Perspective Recession, Getting helps from angular forms and zigzag lines
Leading the eye comes upon the subject of interest and travel out of the composition
Session 5: Circular Observation, Strong unity of form and action
Session 4: Perspective Recession, Getting helps from angular forms and zigzag lines
Session 6: Composition of Ovals, Reconstruction for Circular Observation
Moving through pyramid to concentric line of observation
Moving vision in ever-expanding ellipses through the painting
Session 6: Composition of Ovals, Reconstruction for Circular Observation
Session 4: Perspective Recession, Getting helps from angular forms and zigzag lines
Session 6: Composition of Ovals, Reconstruction for Circular Observation
Sacrifice and elimination of edges and corners
Session 7: Angular Composition, The Triangle A force by concentration through stable construction
Session 7: Angular Composition, The Triangle A force by concentration through stable construction
Session 7: Angular Composition, The Triangle A force by concentration through stable construction
Compose the main form of triangles as well as supporting spaces
Session 8: Angular Composition, the main roll of angles to construct the composition
Session 7: Angular Composition, The Triangle A force by concentration through stable construction
Session 7: Angular Composition, The Triangle A force by concentration through stable construction
Angles produce equality between horizontal and vertical lines, through series of right angles that arrive at the same point as a tangent
Session 9: Structural and Conjunctive Lines in a Composition
Session 7: Angular Composition, The Triangle A force by concentration through stable construction
Session 10: Composition with group of units, The importance of s-shape structures in a composition
Lines convey aesthetic value, visual sense, and emotions Plan a linear design connected with the frame through conjunction of vertical, horizontal, curve, zigzag, circular, and oval lines
Session 10: Composition with group of units, The importance of s-shape structures in a composition
Session 10: Composition with group of units, The importance of s-shape structures in a composition
Session 10: Composition with group of units, The importance of s-shape structures in a composition
Create harmony of arrangement considering focal point through personal perspective Unifying units within four sides of the frame through following light and shade
Session 10: Composition with group of units, The importance of s-shape structures in a composition
Course 6: Collage Assembling and Fundamentals of Balance
About the Course
Collage encourages artists to visually experiment with different combinations of colors, patterns, and shapes. This experimentation can lead to the discovery of new, unexpected relationships and the development of creative solutions to balance within a composition. Students are asked to try multiple arrangements and combinations before settling on the most balanced and visually appealing composition. They can shift, layer, overlap, and modify elements until they achieve the desired visual equilibrium. This practice of trial and error helps students refine their skills and find the right balance.
Collage assembling frequently involves combining elements from different sources, such as photographs, magazine clippings, and hand-drawn elements. Integrating these diverse materials encourages artists to explore how to harmonize disparate styles and patterns within a single composition.
One of the main aspects of the practices in this course is understanding negative space. Effective use of negative space is crucial in collage assembling. Students must consider not only the elements themselves but also the spaces between them. This consideration of negative space contributes to a better understanding of how it impacts balance.
Course 6 materials and equipment
Course Outcomes
- Creating harmony between different elements
- develop a more intuitive sense
- development of creative solutions to balance within a composition
- Better Understanding of Negative Space
- Developing Creativity and Conceptual Thinking
- Developing a Personal Style
Course 6 Practices
Session 1: A lookout, Week 1: Sketching, exploring, and developing the idea
Session 1: A lookout, Week 1: Sketching, exploring, and developing the idea
Session 1: A lookout, Week 1: Sketching, exploring, and developing the idea
Mark making with graphite and charcoals preparing the source material
Material:
- Graphite Set
- Charcoal set
- Different bases
Session 2: A lookout, Week 2: Complete the painting
Session 1: A lookout, Week 1: Sketching, exploring, and developing the idea
Session 1: A lookout, Week 1: Sketching, exploring, and developing the idea
Arranging patterns and textures in the composition based on the first study
Material:
- Cardboard
- White glue
- Painter Tape
Session 3: Street Viewing, Week 1: Sketching, exploring
Session 1: A lookout, Week 1: Sketching, exploring, and developing the idea
Session 4: Street Viewing, Week 2: Complete the painting
Developing the idea. Mark making and preparing the source material
Materials:
- Markers Set
- Windsor Inks set
- Watercolor brush set
- Watercolor paper
- Different papers
- Trey
- Jar
Session 4: Street Viewing, Week 2: Complete the painting
Session 5: A Houseplant, Week 1: Sketching, exploring, and developing the idea
Session 4: Street Viewing, Week 2: Complete the painting
Arranging patterns and textures in the composition based on the first study
Materials:
- Cardboard
- White glue
- Painter Tape
Session 5: A Houseplant, Week 1: Sketching, exploring, and developing the idea
Session 5: A Houseplant, Week 1: Sketching, exploring, and developing the idea
Session 5: A Houseplant, Week 1: Sketching, exploring, and developing the idea
Mark making and preparing the source material
Material:
- Markers Set
- Different papers
Session 6: A Houseplant, Week 2: Complete the painting
Session 5: A Houseplant, Week 1: Sketching, exploring, and developing the idea
Session 5: A Houseplant, Week 1: Sketching, exploring, and developing the idea
Arranging the mixture of different patterns and textures in the composition
Materials:
- Cardboard
- White glue
- Painter Tape
Session 7: A Landscape, Week 1: Sketching, exploring, and developing the idea
Session 8: A Landscape, Week 2: Creating a depth in painting through layering the units
Session 8: A Landscape, Week 2: Creating a depth in painting through layering the units
Mark making preparing the source materials
Materials:
- Windsor Inks set
- Watercolor brush set
- Watercolor paper
- Different papers
- Trey
- Jar
Session 8: A Landscape, Week 2: Creating a depth in painting through layering the units
Session 8: A Landscape, Week 2: Creating a depth in painting through layering the units
Session 8: A Landscape, Week 2: Creating a depth in painting through layering the units
Completing a painting through Arranging the mixture of different patterns and textures in the composition
Materials:
- Cardboard
- White glue
- Painter Tape