Think Like a Composer
Think of yourself as a visual composer! You need to use the visual elements in the same manner as a composer or poet uses the audio and grammatical elements of their respective arts. To move from being an amateur to a professional, it’s important to understand what that means and approach each piece of art with that mindset. I recommend that all artists looking to improve invest time and money in a formal design course, to really understand the visual elements. I’m planning a series of discussions that will cover some key points. There’s a lot to learn, but first, try to think like a musical composer or novelist!
Creating points of interest in an artwork:
In his 5th symphony, if Beethoven had just written “Da Da Da Dah, Da Da Da Dah,” it might have caught your attention for a moment, but it wouldn’t have been a work of art. Instead, he expanded on that theme, creating harmony, exploring variations, adding rhythms, surprising the viewer, and incorporating interesting, personal touches. In other words, he took simple sounds and elevated them to the level of art. You need to do the same with your visual artwork.
In this discussion, I want to explore one way to achieve that:
CREATE POINTS OF INTEREST. When someone looks at your art, you want them to dive deep, not just glance and say, “That looks like a flower,” or “I’m disturbed by that painting and walk away.” You want to invite them to explore why this is art, not just you trying to create a picture of something. One effective way to encourage viewers to look further is to create points of interest that draw and guide their eyes around the composition. Don’t let them take everything in at once.
MAKE YOUR VIEWER WORK A LITTLE BIT. First, don’t consider all points in your artwork as having equal visual value. While all areas have a purpose, you need to design some areas around the composition to draw viewers’ eyes and guide them through your artwork. This is a great way to encourage them to explore the entire piece and appreciate the artistic choices you’ve made throughout. Artists have many ways to create points of interest, and you should start using them!
Use your strongest contrasts of value (light and dark) in the interest area. Have the most intense colors of your color scheme in the areas that you want to attract a viewer’s eyes.
Utilize a greater number of the visual elements (shape, line, color, textures, values) in those areas to contrast with more restful areas in the composition.
Create bold brushwork or dramatic washes of paint.
Add more details.
There are other interest-creating techniques available, so do some exploring! All talented artists, whether they paint in a realist, abstract, or nonobjective manner, use some of the above processes. MOVE YOUR ART TO THE NEXT LEVEL AND START TO THINK LIKE A COMPOSER!
