Mar 6 elements of design assignment- share studies here

LarrySeiler · #1 03-07-2012, 06:13 PM

Okay folks...thanks for your patience...long day teaching today, working on a painting even at this time...

the idea...take small index cards...or in your sketchbook, just pencil out something about 3"x 5"...

Use a black ink ball point pen, a sharpie...charcoal pencil...whatever. The idea, squint your eyes...see the dominant elment shapes that you see, scribble them down...imitating the space they take up in the painting. Turn it on its side...upside down. Decide if the visual balance is symmetry, or asymmetry... where the eye enters into the picture, how the artist (if you are studying the works of artists you admire and wish to emulate or learn from)...takes the viewer's eye and leads it throughout the picture.

Note the variation used to create intrigued.

The painting above is one of mine shared here as an example...

I'll try and pop in from time to time to see how folks are doing..make a few comments so that folks are keeping on the right track, are showing signs of understanding.

Remember...this must become an exercise that YOU do for YOURSELF...and make a habit for awhile before starting paintings, or even with a good art magazine or book.

I often have my students pick three paintings doing this they DON'T think are working well...and three paintings they like and DO think are working well, and substantiate that on the level of good composition/design...using sketches such as there...

have fun!

Tresgatos · #2 03-07-2012, 07:24 PM

Larry,

I'm happy that you are repeating this series - perhaps if I repeat it enough times it will sink into my long term memory and I will improve. I thank both you and your sponsors for doing this.

To me, a lot of paintings are not that easy to ID as to shape, circle, etc but I found some that were more obvious than others.

Managed to find L-shape, Circle and S-shapes plus asymmetrical:

L shape - Van Gogh

Circle Van Gogh

S-Shape John Singer Sargeant

Asymmetrical - Van Gogh

Also analyzed one of Clive Aspivig's landscape paintings:

S-shape

shape studies -

view 1

Balance and Gradation

LarrySeiler · #3 03-07-2012, 08:30 PM

this is great...you did outstanding..

remember...I shared three main approaches for orchestrating design...the classics do not identify every past master...and sometimes the rule of thirds, assymetry...are enough in and of themselves...and remembering that one element should flow/lead to another..and yet not so many elements there is not relief for the eyes. A neutral resting place.

I did not cover it this time, it will be coming up in a session...but one important concept for paintings...is an area where little is happening or competing with everything else. That amounts to about 1/3rd of the painting space as resting area, 2/3's mass/narrative...or vice versa, 2/3's resting area for the eyes with 1/3rd the elements/narrative...

Good stuff. Its important to keep this up 'til it becomes almost second nature.

The few times my wife drives on a long trip..I'll often sketch scenes along the route in terms of abstract shapes. I should share that sometime...and it gives me ideas, and demonstrates the effort to reduce the complex to simple terms. Seeing the essential represented in design....

good stuff!

Pinklady219 · #4 03-07-2012, 10:53 PM

Whoa, I only have one submission ready. This pic is a composite I will eliminate the barn directly behind the cows and replace with trees, etc. I find this is a circular shape. I'm going to find other shapes as well. thank you Larry!!
Carol

Tresgatos · #5 03-07-2012, 11:33 PM

Thank you Larry - appreciate your feedback

Barbara

idcrisis55 · #6 03-10-2012, 05:42 AM

Hi Larry, as you know I missed the 1st session but wanted to do the homework anyway. Here is my first attempt at understanding the composition of this painting by John Singer Sargent provided by johnsingersargent.org

The mark up of the painting as a grayscale:

I saw this as an "L-shaped" composition created by the strong darks with a circular movement.

Then a sketch of the darks using a Sharpie and a value study, using graphite:

I'm sure I missed a lot in analyzing the composition so any help you can give would be appreciated. It was an eye opener doing these and is something I plan to continue. Thanks!

LarrySeiler · #7 03-10-2012, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pinklady219

Whoa, I only have one submission ready. This pic is a composite I will eliminate the barn directly behind the cows and replace with trees, etc. I find this is a circular shape. I'm going to find other shapes as well. thank you Larry!!
Carol

I will struggle to find time to analyze many (though I used to do it fairly often in the Structured Critique forum) but hopefully doing this a few times for folks will help everyone sorta catch on a bit better...

I believe you were right seeing the "classic O" composition...

In my work to the right...I used threshold on Photoshop and adjust til it shows what I general see or look for when I squint my eyes looking at a painting or photo to flesh out a potential painting.

More than seen the Classic O...it helps to see the elements in relationship to areas that will be resting areas for the eye. So you see in my digital scribbling my shapes imitate more what I'm seeing squinting my eyes. Its important because the relationship of edges, diagonals work to move the eye thru a work...adding more dynamics.

in this next image...I point out that the danger of a photo or set up like this...is that nothing is happening or invading the space of the sky...and the lay of the outbuildings mirrors a rectangle to some degree as does the lower foreground. To me...it becomes important...even imperative that the sky above finds juxtaposition, and yet in a way that pulls the eye in the asymmetrical visual balance I seek.

so...though some trees do not exist, I would use artistic license to include trees above the one roof. One it would make a nice contrast (there we go again...contract equals variation!!!)...against the light value roof of the one outbuilding. But it assures to pull the eye up allowing the deep diagonal drawing the eye downward and to the left to work, without danger of the eye leaving the picture plane.

LarrySeiler · #8 03-10-2012, 10:20 AM

I like your attentiveness to the lines...directive for the eyes, and this one of Sargent's impresses me just how important that arm is extending out..

that open negative space while adding relief supports the weightiness Sargent is creating to the diagonal near falling back of the figure. If not for that arm extending out...visually, the whole of this would fall right off the lower left corner...

pretty cool...

and such powerful forces as Sargent laid out here, create the kind of tensions that gives the sense of energy, movement...the dynamics of this form of dance. All simply by the strong weight of the darker values trailing off to the left and lower corner, the diagonal of the figure...with but that one arm to pull our eyes back up and save the day. Truly a study in brilliant asymmetry!!!

idcrisis55 · #9 03-10-2012, 11:21 AM

Thanks for the help in seeing this one better.

LarrySeiler · #10 03-10-2012, 11:41 AM

My pleasure, Ann

libby2 · #11 03-11-2012, 08:56 PM

Van Gogh’s Sower 1888

Observations about the composition:

- Although it appears to be two paintings spliced together in the middle, due to the colors and paint strokes, it holds together. It’s one of, if not my favorite Van Gogh painting, I’m in love with it. OK, that’s nothing to do with the composition, just had to say it because of the painting’s beauty and complexity.

- Here the setting sun is pressing down upon the figure making them one, at the same time it’s attaching the sky to the earth. On the opposite edge are a group of trees balancing this act. With the large tree in the center acting as fulcrum, the sun on the left as the ‘load’, the trees on the far right become the ‘effort’.

- Compositionally it’s asymmetrical: the figure and the central tree.

- It’s also circular, not obvious, but the edge of the right hand trees lead up into the clouds which then zip over to the sun, round off that and roll down to the ever so faint color change round shape in the landscape to the figure’s right and on over to the right hand trees where it all began.

- The landscape is strongly diagonal, compositionally it has some interesting angular numbers, I counted 9 lines leading southeast to southwest - northwest. Then 3 horizontals. And 7 vertical lines, three which are as pairs. Maybe I’m making too much with the lines, but the more I looked at it the more they stood out…..in fact I see more!

- Flip it upside down and the figure & big tree form a ‘Y’ shape.

- The center tree is holding the top and bottom together. The small bayonet branches on it are grasping the sky. They also help to guide the eye around. As do the small clumps of trees just below.

- Notice how the center tree tends to blend in w/the background closer to the ground, about 1/3 of the way up, neatly fitting into the circular color comp.

- I also noted how the overall tone of the painting is paler in the foreground on the left and becomes darker at the background/horizon line and trees on the far right. But then a streak of brilliance here and there. I’m not sure….maybe that’s the Japanese influence of outlining in black and it just appears to be darker?

- The colors of the sky reflecting in the field in the foreground also hold it together. Note the yellow glow to the right of the figure.

- A little patch of red just under the big tree just under the horizon to bring the eye back down…and then some more winding to the left tucked under some ultramarine and green. These along with the 2 green streaks pointing to the figure give a nice zig-zaginess of color to keep the eye moving.

- Oh man, the brush strokes are like shiny silk under the sowers hand.

- The sun is molten gold. Is it a halo over this poor field worker?

What did I miss?

LarrySeiler · #12 03-11-2012, 09:38 PM

excellent...one of the best analysis, Libby...you're on it now!!! Use it..keep it up as an exercise...then it will become part of your intuitive sense of orchestrating your own work!!!

libby2 · #13 03-12-2012, 02:52 AM

Oh wow, thanks! I was sure I missed something!

idcrisis55 · #14 03-13-2012, 12:11 PM

Again, I've chosen John Singer Sargent, "The Artist-Sketching", from johnsingersargent.org.

To me this is a rather complicated composition as I see it in two ways. First, as a fulcrum, with the figure in a diagonal "W" shape.

Then as a radial which creates a circular movement - I did get carried away with the lines

-

Here is a black and white as I saw it.

I would appreciate any feedback on this that you all are willing to share. Thanks.

LarrySeiler · #15 03-13-2012, 01:17 PM

Hey Ann...pretty good break down...I would only add the importance of that one dead pine limb acting as a directive diagonal point up toward the upper left.

Squinting my eyes. blocking it out with my thumb, it seems there is really no major design device that would otherwise move the eye up toward that sector of the painting.

this painting is quite simple to breakdown with the eyes squinted...and it is the light values that really are the strength/glue of the work. As elements, visually balancing this work out.

The negative space on either sides of the trunk create visual weight to pull the eye to the upper right, but the suggestive vertical trunks of the tree they create serve even more powerfully to direct the eye. Some strong darker diagonals of branches that pull the eye also down, creating some nice dynamics.

Nice juxtaposition between the verticals of the tree trunks, the horizontals of the dead tree and flat surface rock planes.

Nice stuff in this one...

Interestingly...as the eye educates and noted these things become more routine, it will change the way one takes photo references for any indoor work. It will also help for scenes to shout out to you that possess a natural imbued composition just begging to be worked.

Sometimes we have to wonder if there was, well for example in this work of Sargent's...an actual limb that pointed up to the left...one Sargent saw naturally knowing the contribution it would serve? Or, if one lacked, he painted one there regardless for the purpose it would serve.

What we are promoting with this kind of studying, not helps us better compose our own works, but teaches us to look at the work of other artists and past masters more proactively...intently, less passively.

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