Composition: How to Design an Artwork
COMPOSITION is the planning and distribution of objects, focal points, color, space, weight, light, and dark within a work of art.
A strong composition offers emotional impact by enhancing visual interest!
Ask yourself– "What feeling will my audience experience?"
Accuracy, a sense of "flow," and visual variety each separatey impact how eyes move through artworks. This list of composition styles is not final, but it shows the most common and most used. The goal of composition is to help your audience understand the work.
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX! Try creating your own composition for a fun activity! Overlap two or more composition types for a complex work, or see how you can overlap them while retaining minimalistic features.
Dynamic Symmetry – Using diagonal and intersecting lines for an organic, natural sense of balance.
Leading Lines – Using strong lines (roads, rivers, walls) to guide the viewer’s eye toward the focal point.
L-Shaped Composition – Using elements arranged in an “L” shape to frame the subject.
Radial Composition – Arranging elements outward from a central point (like sunbursts or spirals).
Framing – Using natural or structural elements (windows, trees, doorways) to enclose the subject and draw attention.
Negative Space Composition – Using empty space to emphasize the subject and create contrast.
Overlapping Composition – Placing objects in front of each other to create a sense of depth and layering.
Z-Shape Composition – Leading the eye in a natural reading pattern (left to right, top to bottom) using a Z-shaped flow.
Quarters and Fifths - Using vertical or horizontal lines, break the image into four or five distinct sections.
e These are the building blocks of visual art, including line, shape, color, value, texture, form, and space.
p guidelines for organizing those elements, such as balance, contrast, emphasis, movement, pattern, rhythm, unity, and variety.
p Repetition & Rhythm – Using repeated elements to create movement, pattern, and cohesion.
principle Centered Composition (Symmetry) – Placing the subject in the focal point's center for a balanced, formal, or powerful look.
principle Asymmetry (Rule of Odds) – Creating visual interest by having an odd number of elements or an uneven balance.
further reading:
Asymmetry (Rule of Odds) – Creating visual interest by having an odd number of elements or an uneven balance.
L-Shaped Composition – Using elements arranged in an “L” shape to frame the subject.
Radial Composition – Arranging elements outward from a central point (like sunbursts or spirals).
Framing – Using natural or structural elements (windows, trees, doorways) to enclose the subject and draw attention.
Negative Space Composition – Using empty space to emphasize the subject and create contrast.
Overlapping Composition – Placing objects in front of each other to create a sense of depth and layering.
Z-Shape Composition – Leading the eye in a natural reading pattern (left to right, top to bottom) using a Z-shaped flow.
e These are the building blocks of visual art, including line, shape, color, value, texture, form, and space.
further reading:
Golden Ratio (Fibonacci Sequence) – A spiraling mathematical ratio (1.618) found in nature, often used for balanced and harmonious compositions.
Feng Shui Composition – Arranging elements to create balance, energy flow, and harmony in visual space.
Gestalt Principles – Using psychology-based design techniques like proximity, similarity, and closure to guide perception.
PRINCIPLES are guidelines for organizing elements within scenes. This is how to create movement within a still image. Principles balance a scene, create visual interest, and unify artistic works.
Repetition & Rhythm – Placing the same object in the scene multiple times to create movement, pattern, and cohesion.
Centered Composition (Symmetry) – Placing the subject in the focal point's center for a balanced, formal, or powerful look.
Asymmetry (Rule of Odds) – Creating visual interest by having an odd number of elements or an uneven balance.
further reading: Design Through Discovery: The Elements and Principles, Marjorie Elliott Bevlin