3 important rules on building a composition of your picture

What is the composition? Why is it necessary? Composition is a method of placement and arrangement of characters and details in your drawing. It is composition that has a great effect on the viewer. Everything in the picture should express one idea, each item must be in its proper place. It is a compositional arrangement that makes the picture, otherwise it would have been just a collection of things and people. At this point you decide what kind of environment and what surroundings should be around your character, and what relationship he will have with that environment.

Rule 1: Give your drawings more volume.

To make a drawing more attractive, it should have something there in the deep, attracting the eye. The distance between the foreground and background in the picture will help to create a feeling of depth. One of the tools to create depth in the picture is the road. It sort of carries the viewer away. A mystery appears, what is it there, just round the bend? Any road must converge to a single point on the horizon line. In general, the line of the horizon, as well as other horizontal objects, creates a sense of tranquility.
Imposition of one object over another is another way to create depth in the picture. Objects in the distance are depicted smaller and are overlapped with closer objects, then we realize that there is something in the distance and try to see it. However, the closer is an object to the viewer, the more noticeable and more evident it is, and visa versa. Therefore, from the point of view of composition, the front of the picture usually embraces the most important details, things that we want to get noticed or emphasize.

Road as an element of composition

Rule 2: Do not forget about the scenery.

The viewer can regard the scenery as a reference point. For example, think about your associations regarding the chef of a restaurant. Perhaps, it is a cap on his head, a ladle in his hand, a pan of boiling water on the stove. And what’s typical for a teen’s room? Some pictures of popular stars on the walls, a favorite cuddly toy, iPod and headphones, a computer. Think carefully what kind of the living space surrounds your character. But remember, it is not necessary to overload the drawing with details. Draw only the most important and necessary.

Scenery as an element of composition

Rule 3: Use symmetry and asymmetry.

With symmetry all parts of the picture are marked equally.  Nothing is displaced, nothing is emphasized. Symmetric drawings evoke the feeling of calmness and relaxation. Asymmetric drawings evoke the feeling of tension. The greater is asymmetry, the greater is stress. But it is precisely this tension that can make a picture more alive. The subject of your drawing will determine whether it should be symmetrical or not. Asymmetrical pictures are shifted relative to the axis of symmetry. Some part of the picture is overloaded with details or characters. Then the viewer’s attention is drawn to that part of the picture, and it gives rise to some tension, insecurity, precarious position.

Example of the use of asymmetry in Appearance of Christ to people by Alexander Ivanov

To achieve a more accurate result and to maximize effect when building the composition, make a compositional arrangement on the sheet at the stage of the rough draft. Mark the foreground, middle ground and background and what will be shown there. Mark the line of movement of the character or characters. Draw lines of symmetry, think of the scenery.  All of this will help you, even if there are many characters on your drawing.

And a few last words. Some artists try to display the background and scenery in a too realistic way, drawing out all fine details. Often it overloads the composition.Remember that the painted world is just an interpretation of the present, so don’t be afraid to simplify or exaggerate, but try to make your statement simple and effective.