Mastering the Canvas: Key Principles of Composition in Visual Arts
Teaching composition is challenging!!! As an artist, I can instinctively tell when a composition works and I automatically know what looks good and what doesn’t. But how do you teach this innate ‘feeling’ or understanding to students? Excellent question! As a teacher, I’m constantly exploring ways to convey the concept of composition. Through experience, I’ve learned that the best place to start is with a solid grasp of the Elements of Art and Principles of Design. They are the foundation of all art, and especially for creating successful compositions.
The Elements of Art are the ingredients needed for a Principles of Design Recipe
Here’s an analogy I like to use with my students… If you are cooking from a recipe, you follow a list of directions that explain how to use the ingredients. In Art, The Elements of Art are the essential ingredients and the Principles of Design are the directions that tell you how to use the ingredients! Think of the Elements of Art as the eggs, butter, flour, and sugar that come together to create the delicious recipe—the Principles of Design. So, you need your Elements of Art (line, shape, color, value, etc.) to create a composition using the Principles of Design (pattern, movement, contrast, etc.). This is why it’s crucial for students to grasp both—the Elements provide the tools, and the Principles guide their use to craft successful artworks.
| Elements of Art | Principles of Design |
|---|---|
| Line | Pattern |
| Shape | Movement |
| Value | Rhythm |
| Space | Unity |
| Color | Contrast |
| Texture | Emphasis |
| Form | Variety |
| Balance | |
| Proportion | |
| Scale |
If you are in search of resources to teach the Elements and Principles of Design, we have a variety to choose from in our TPT store. We use all of these resources in our classrooms and with great success:
Element and principle of Design Flashcards: You can use these for so many activities, like sparking conversation with critique and using them to influence art design and ideas. We have 3 options available: English (American) Version, Spanish Version, Euro/English Version.
Elements of Art and Principles of Design Google Slideshow: This 91 slide presentation covers all the Elements and Principles of Design and includes definitions and tons of visual examples for each.
Elements and Principles of Design Matrix worksheet with link (not-editable) to the Elements and Principles of Design Slideshow: This comprehensive resource presents a myriad of exciting design scenarios, offering students the perfect platform to tackle intricate design compositions.
Aside from the understanding of the Elements and Principles of Design there are other rules and suggestions to think about when creating a successful composition. Here are some things to consider:
7 Ways to make a Composition Successful
- Consider the Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds are the guidelines for creating a composition. It is where elements sit on a canvas, whether it be a drawing, painting or photograph. Dividing your canvas into a grid and placing key elements (the subject) along these lines or at the intersections creates balance and interest in a composition.
- Use Leading Lines
Incorporating lines to guide the viewer’s eyes through your composition can effectively draw attention to focal points or main subjects. This technique can be easily achieved through the use of perspective or various elements, directing the viewer’s gaze to the intended point of emphasis.
- Use Repetition
Repeating shapes, colors, or patterns can create unity and harmony within your composition. Evaluate if all elements feel cohesive and balanced. Consider the distribution of visual weight and whether it leads the viewer’s eyes smoothly through the piece. This thought process is key to crafting a successful and engaging artwork.
- Establish a Focal Point
Identify your composition’s main point of interest and ensure it stands out. This can be achieved through size, color, or placement, drawing the viewer’s eye and adding focus to your artwork’s key elements.
- Consider Negative Space
Don’t be afraid of empty spaces! They can help balance your composition and highlight the main elements.
- Incorporate Contrast
One of my favorite pieces of advice for students is to: “Add more contrast!” Incorporating contrasting colors, textures, and shapes can make elements pop and add depth to your composition. It’s all about creating dynamic tension and visual interest.
- Play with Symmetry and Asymmetry
Symmetrical compositions can be calm and orderly, while asymmetrical ones can be dynamic and interesting. Embrace both to add variety and depth to your art, balancing stability with a touch of visual excitement
4 Thing to Avoid in a Composition
- Elements sitting on an edge
Having all the elements in a composition on an edge of a table or in a straight line is just boring. There should be depth! This is not a wallpaper pattern! There should be space!
- Floating objects
It looks funny when items are floating in a composition, like they are glued to another object or they can levitate by themselves. Rule of thumb is that things in the foreground overlap things in the background. Also objects in the foreground should have their base lower on the horizon, closer to the viewer.
- Drowning on the paper
One of my pet pieces is a work of art drowning on a piece of paper. There is just way too much negative space! Zoom in and crop! Draw large! Fill the space!
- Tangents
Just don’t. It’s awkward, it’s weird, it does not work! Tangents are when two elements in a composition nearly touch or intersect at a point. Either move the objects completely out of the frame, or away from the edge of the paper.
Composition Do’s and Don’ts in Still Lifes
- Do Zoom in!
- Crop out extra elements and simplify the composition.
- It is ok to have elements going off the edge of the page, just avoid tangents.
Remember…
A strong Composition will make or break the overall success of the ART!
For lessons that focus on Still Lifes, check out these complete UNITS, ready for the classroom!
Still Life Drawing Unit– 3 projects, 3 different mediums in one Unit! Great for High School.
Photorealistic Still Life– High School lesson using Colored Pencils realistically
Mosaic Still Lifes– Great lesson for Elementary to High School level.
Learn more by checking out our blog on Setting up For Observation Drawing
Read more about our Beginning Art Curriculum > CLICK HERE
Lesson Ideas & Suggestions to Teach Composition:
Below are a couple lessons we teach in our classroom to emphasize the importance and understanding of composition.
- Interactive Class Discussion: For this lesson I draw 6 rectangles on my white board. In each box, I draw a super simplified composition of apples and oranges. 4 of the compositions are BAD and 2 are GOOD. I purposefully emphasize common missteps of composition within the 4 bad ones, such as: a floating apple, drawing too small in the space, creating tangents, and showing the objects in a line, instead of overlapping. The good examples fill the space and the objects overlap each other. I try to show one of the good examples going out of the picture frame (zoomed in) while the other is wholly within.
I then have a discussion with students on what composition is. Then, I share with the class that I have drawn out on the white board 2 strong examples of composition and 4 bad examples. I ask students to raise their hand, pick a box, and tell us if they think the composition is good or bad and why. Students like this discussion, because it feels like a game! Sometimes I even offer candy for participating or guess correctly! Through discussion I correct any wrong guesses or explanations and affirm the correct ones. I go into further detail of why the composition is good or bad.
When finished with the interactive discussion, I have students draw 6 boxes in their sketchbook, and copy the 6 compositions they see on the white board into their boxes. Students are encouraged to also emphasize the bad examples and underneath each box write an explanation in their own words of why the composition is good or bad. These visual notes reinforce their understanding of the discussion we just had and help them remember the rules in the future.
- Presentation, Visual Notes & Assignment: For a more formal lesson, I like to present information on the Elements and Principles of Design. I give students a worksheet that they glue into their sketchbooks of all the important Elements and Principles of Design and they take visual and written notes on each one. The presentation also includes all of the information stated above in this blog. They see visual examples of the 7 ways to make a composition successful, 4 things to avoid, and so much more! By the end of the presentation, students have a clear understanding of what composition is and is not, and have visual notes on both the E&P’s and Composition.
To practice their understanding of Composition, I give them an assignment. I ask that they use a visual key that has a variety of shapes and lines to demonstrate their understanding of the 10 principles of design, while creating a strong composition (see visual example of this assignment below). Depending on the class, I sometimes give this to them as a digital assignment (Google Slide assignment) or I print a worksheet and they work traditionally with pencil.
If you are hard pressed for time (I know we are all busy as teachers and parents and community members), we have this lesson completely prepared and ready to be taught in the classroom. Just print and present! By the end of this unit, students will know what composition is, the rules of composition, and how to use the elements and principles of design to create a strong and successful composition.
The Lesson can be found here→ Composition Rules and Practice
What’s Included:
- Detailed “Sequence of Events” agenda
- Google Slides Presentation: Composition of Elements & Principles (26 slides, editable)
- Presentation Notes, 2 pages on Elements and Principles as well as Composition (PDF)
- Assignment Option 1: Composition Practice Google Slideshow (12 slides, editable)
- Assignment Option 2: Composition Practice Worksheet, 2 pages (PDF)
- Video Demo for Assignment Option 1 (See Preview)
- Tons of visuals and examples!
Thank you so much for reading! We would LOVE to hear from you! Leave us a comment on how you teach composition in the classroom… Your idea may help a fellow Art Teacher!