Drawing Composition 6th October

Composition  6th October

Today's Monday drawing class was about composition; an important aspect all artists must think about. It doesn't matter whether it's drawing, painting or photography; composition is a key element of them all.

The class started with the group being split into threes and fours. Each group had to create their own composition to draw, using what was around the room and some things the tutor had gathered.

It was an interesting exercise thinking of the composition on not only one side, but all the way around. It's difficult to achieve interest in every direction, as well as making sure it's balanced with no large gaps or space on any one side.

The group all voiced their ideas and arranged the objects we were all going to draw. This made it interesting because of the different ideas of what to go where, and how it should look. We all had to come to an agreement before starting. Luckily it was settled quickly and we were able to get down to the drawing part of the lesson. This was where the other parts of the decision making took place, but they were decisions I normally make whenever I start any drawing. However, this time composition was at the front of my mind. Having to stop and think of something you do naturally makes it harder to come to a decision. Firstly, I had to decide whether to have the layout in landscape or portrait. This seems like a simple thing, but it has to be considered carefully because each choice will give a different feel to the drawing. It depends on what you're drawing and how big you want to make the objects.

The next thing to consider was the position of the objects; where to place things on the page? How much negative space will there be? What will be the centre point? These are some of the questions you have to ask yourself when focusing on composition. Symmetry is one solution artists sometimes use to a composition problem. It gives artworks a calm feeling because of the visual balance.

There are many different ways to draw and paint, and there are many rules to take into account when composing an artwork. Some are mathematical, such as the golden section. This is about achieving harmonious proportions and relationships using a specific mathematical ratio that is "pleasing to the eye". Most accomplished artists who have studied great artworks, and made their own works, instinctively know how to create the right composition.

I started with drawing the eye line and picking my centre point of the drawing. This was something I found difficult. I took the long bottle as the centre and worked around that, putting what I've learn so far from the other drawing classes into practice. I worked slowly trying to get everything in proportion.

The time went too fast and I had to stop working before I was completely satisfied. The speed of my drawing is something I have to work on. I hope I improve in this area as I continue through the course.


I had a quick break before starting the second of the drawings. This exercise was about focusing on the negative space around the objects to make us more aware of the importance of this space as part of the overall composition. It also ensures we are looking at the object in a different light or point of view. I was much quicker with the second drawing, as well as being a lot freer. Concentrating on negative space, I focused more on the outline than the object itself.

With the class over, I was happy to get two drawings done. However, if I had the chance, I would do them differently. The first drawing was lop sided and unfinished. I would of liked more time working on it.