Composi

tion-Leadi
ngt
heeyet
hrought
hepai
nti
ng

Oneoft
hemos
timpor
tantc
omponentt
omak
ingas
trongmat
tepai
nti
ngi
scompos
iti
on.
I
t'
swhatt
iesal
loft
hek
nowl
edget
oget
heri
ntoac
ohes
ivepi
eceofwor
k,bal
anc
ingoutal
loft
he
el
ementswi
theac
hot her
.It
'sbas
ical
l
ywhatac i
nematographerdoesincamer
aandonset,butwe
appl
yitt
oourenvi
ronmentsandmattepai
nti
ngsinPhotoshop.Thes
eideasmustal
lber
eadyto
enhanc
ethestor
ytell
ingandbringoutthebestinourenv
ironmentsasifi
twereacharact
er.
Let
'sgoovers
omes trongcomposi
ti
onalt
ypesthatcanbeus edforyourmat
tepai
nti
ngs.These
canappl
ytoanyas pec tr
ati
osi
ze,butwe'l
lbelooki
ngatthewi des
creenf
ormat
s.

TheGol
denRul
e:

T
akeal
ookatt
heNaut
il
uss
hel
l
,foundnat
ural
l
yonEar
th.

I
t'
stheGol
denRul
einef
fec
t,anot
hers
trongc
ompos
iti
onalt
echni
queus
edbyt
heanc
ientGr
eek
s
andEgyptiansinthei
rart
work.Ithasav er
ymat hemati
calequati
ontodesc
ribeit
,usingthe
Fi
bonac
c ispir
allogar
it
hmicequat
ion.I
tfunnel
sthefocusofawor kofarti
ntoac ent
rall
ocati
on,
al
sowit
hi ntheruleofthi
rds
.ButTheGol denRuleleadsal
lattent
iont
oones tr
ongarea.Muc h
l
i
ketheRuleofThi
rds
,TheGoldenRul
eisus
edt
odi
rec
ttheey
etot
hepl
acey
ouwantt
hem t
o
s
ee.Exampl
esofTheGoldenRule:
Composi
tion-Leadi
ngt
heeyet
hrought
hepai
nti
ng

Oneoft
hemos
timpor
tantc
omponentt
omak
ingas
trongmat
tepai
nti
ngi
scompos
iti
on.
I
t'
swhatt
iesal
loft
hek
nowl
edget
oget
heri
ntoac
ohes
ivepi
eceofwor
k,bal
anc
ingoutal
loft
he
el
ementswi
theac
hot her
.It
'sbas
ical
l
ywhatac i
nematographerdoesincamer
aandonset,butwe
appl
yitt
oourenvi
ronmentsandmattepai
nti
ngsinPhotoshop.Thes
eideasmustal
lber
eadyto
enhanc
ethestor
ytell
ingandbringoutthebestinourenv
ironmentsasifi
twereacharact
er.
Let
'sgoovers
omes trongcomposi
ti
onalt
ypesthatcanbeus edforyourmat
tepai
nti
ngs.These
canappl
ytoanyas pec tr
ati
osi
ze,butwe'l
lbelooki
ngatthewi des
creenf
ormat
s.

TheGol
denRul
e:

T
akeal
ookatt
heNaut
il
uss
hel
l
,foundnat
ural
l
yonEar
th.

TheDayAf
terTomor
row

Jur
assi
cPar
k
Composi
tion-Leadi
ngt
heeyet
hrought
hepai
nti
ng

Oneoft
hemos
timpor
tantc
omponentt
omak
ingas
trongmat
tepai
nti
ngi
scompos
iti
on.
I
t'
swhatt
iesal
loft
hek
nowl
edget
oget
heri
ntoac
ohes
ivepi
eceofwor
k,bal
anc
ingoutal
loft
he
el
ementswi
theac
hot her
.It
'sbas
ical
l
ywhatac i
nematographerdoesincamer
aandonset,butwe
appl
yitt
oourenvi
ronmentsandmattepai
nti
ngsinPhotoshop.Thes
eideasmustal
lber
eadyto
enhanc
ethestor
ytell
ingandbringoutthebestinourenv
ironmentsasifi
twereacharact
er.
Let
'sgoovers
omes trongcomposi
ti
onalt
ypesthatcanbeus edforyourmat
tepai
nti
ngs.These
canappl
ytoanyas pec tr
ati
osi
ze,butwe'l
lbelooki
ngatthewi des
creenf
ormat
s.

TheGol
denRul
e:

T
akeal
ookatt
heNaut
il
uss
hel
l
,foundnat
ural
l
yonEar
th.

TheMat
rix

TheChr
oni
clesofNar
nia:Pr
inceCaspi
an
TheRul
eofThi
rds:

Anot
herc
ompos
iti
ont
ooli
sTheRul
eofThi
rds
.Iti
soneoft
hemos
tbas
icbutef
fec
tiv
ecompos
i-
t
iont
echni
ques
.It
'sk
eepi
ngt
hingsi
nthr
ee'
sort
hir
ds,l
i
kehav
ingaf
oregr
ound,mi
dgr
ound,and
bac
kgroundforex
ample.Orpl
aci
ngs
trongf
oc alelement
sinthecanvasi
nthet
hir
ds,r
athert
han
pl
aci
ngitri
ghtinthemiddl
e.I
t'
smuc
hmor einteresti
ngtof
low f
ortheeyes
.Keepi
ngthehori
zon
l
ineabovethec ent
eroft hec anvasatthetopthi
rdorthelowerthi
rdwillhel
pcomposi
ti
onsas
well
.That'swhyIl i
kewi descreenaspectrat
iosbett
ertoo.Theykeeplotsmorespaceforcompo-
si
ti
onwhenus i
ngtheruleoft hirds
.You'l
lnoti
cetheRuleofThir
dscanbeappl i
edtoobject
son
t
hel ef
tandr i
ghtvert
icalthi
rds,aswellasobjectsonthetopandbott
om t hi
rds
,suchasahoriz
on
l
ine.ExamplesofRuleofThirds :

300

Ki
ngKong
Symmet
rical
:

Thi
scompos
iti
ont
ypei
ski
ndoft
heant
iRul
eofThi
rds
.Itc
anbev
erys
trongi
fus
edc
orr
ect
ly
,
es
pec
ial
l
yfors
ingul
ars
ubj
ect
,ic
oni
car
twor
k.Rel
i
giousar
twor
kisbi
gont
his
,andher
oty
pe
pai
nti
ngs,aswel
lasonepoi
ntper
spec
tiv
eri
ghtinthemiddlet
hathaveal
lsi
desbal
anc
ed,with
thebi
ggestwei
ghti
nthemiddl
e.WesAndersonisabi
gf anofthi
sinhi
smovies
,aswellasSt
an-
l
eyKubr
ick
.Her
ear
esomeex
ampl
es:

2001:ASpaceOdyssey

TheDar
jeel
ingLi
mit
ed
Symmet
rical
:

Thi
scompos
iti
ont
ypei
ski
ndoft
heant
iRul
eofThi
rds
.Itc
anbev
erys
trongi
fus
edc
orr
ect
ly
,
es
pec
ial
l
yfors
ingul
ars
ubj
ect
,ic
oni
car
twor
k.Rel
i
giousar
twor
kisbi
gont
his
,andher
oty
pe
pai
nti
ngs,aswel
lasonepoi
ntper
spec
tiv
eri
ghtinthemiddlet
hathaveal
lsi
desbal
anc
ed,with
thebi
ggestwei
ghti
nthemiddl
e.WesAndersonisabi
gf anofthi
sinhi
smovies
,aswellasSt
an-
l
eyKubr
ick
.Her
ear
esomeex
ampl
es:

Lor
doft
heRi
ngs:TheFel
lowshi
poft
heRi
ng

I
ronMan
Tr
on:Legacy

TangentLi
nes:

Inordertoac hi
evebettersi
lhouet
teandhighstres
spointsi
ny ourcompos it
ion,avoidtheselik
e
theplague!Therear emanyoppor t
uni
ti
esthatthesewil
lpopup,andy oudef i
nit
elywantt osquash
them astheydo.At angentli
neisaborderofanelementorobject(bei tphysic
allyinsi
lhouette,
orthroughli
ght i
ng,oredges)thatl
ineupalmostexact
lyinthesamel i
neofanot her.Itwil
lcaus e
yourobjecttomel dwithanotheri
naf l
at2DplaneinXandYi fyou'
relook i
ngati tli
kea3Dv iew.
InZdept h,i
tc ouldbefix
edt hr
oughcolor
,per
specti
veandli
ght i
nginXY ,itneedst obec orr
ected
byphy
sic
all
ychangi
ngt
hes
hape,ormov
ingoneobj
ectoranot
hers
othatt
heyc
ros
sov
er,ork
eep
afur
therdi
stanc
efrom eachot
her.Suf
fi
ci
entdi
s t
anc
ewillal
lev
iat
et hetens
ionbet
weent
he
obj
ects
.Thishelpswi
ths i
l
houett
easwellf
rom oneobj
ecttoanother.

Anot
herwayt
othi
nkofi
tisi
fyouhav
eal
ands
capei
nthebac
kgr
oundwi
thani
cemount
ain,and
y
oupl
aceabui
l
dingi
nfr
ontofi
t,butt
het
opoft
hebui
l
dingi
sri
ghti
nli
neoft
hes
il
houet
teoft
he
t
opofamount
ain,that
'sabadt
angentli
ne.Soy oucanmovethebui
l
dinghi
ghertogopastt
he
t
opoft
hemountain,orgol
owersoitdoesn'
tseem t
otouc
hthemountai
ntopsi
lhouet
te.

Andnow of
ftoget
tingsomeofyouri
deasoutofy
ourhead,anddowni
ntot
hedi
git
alr
eal
m wi
tha
qui
ckthumbnai
lsketchtut
ori
al
,upnext
!