All Things Fine Art

Students of art must learn to shift their perception from the organic reality of subject matter to the non-subjective elements of design in order for their works to become interesting and vital. This is an issue that all beginners face and why their paintings often look flat and generally uninteresting. They lack the visual and emotional energy appeal that entices the human eye and brain.

In my previous articles on notan I referred to drama and dynamic composition.  These desirable elements of art are created differently. While one focuses on value the other embodies movement or the flow of a painting created by the unequal treatment of space. Each however, lends itself to creating the energy that captures the eye and guides it through a work of art.

“Antiques”, 11x14”, oil on canvas, plein air, $550.

WHAT IS DYNAMIC COMPOSITION

The concept of yin and yang in composition as used in notan (two values of light and dark) creates drama through the balance of opposing light and dark contrasts. Drama has appeal to the human eye as it imparts mystery and discovery in our works. We might think of this more as light vs. shadow and we can then see how this balance adds “staging” to an otherwise drab, every day, run-of-the-mill subject. The thirty foot rule of grabbing attention requires dramatic value contrasts and an excellent composition. Together, there is nothing that shouts a louder “Hey! Look at ME” from across the room.

Once a painting has a viewer’s attention it has to have something in it to visually entertain at close range. That something is most emphatically, a dynamic composition which is based on the idea of movement and energy.  A painting that has been so designed will have interest and hold the eye of the beholder. There is nothing static or boring about a subject that has been so composed.

Irregularity is visual jewelry for the eye.

The elements used to create the effects of movement and energy (tension) in art include the treatment of line, shape, size relationships and edges as well as gradation of value and color, Each of these elements play a highly important role in creating visual movement.

In, “Antiques” above, note the use of notan which has created drama through the contrasts of light and dark and warm and cool. Conversely, the drama of notan has been used in concert with the yin and yang of diagonal, horizontal and vertical lines (of various widths and lengths and colors) throughout the painting. The use of these directional lines plus irregular shape/size relationships all interact to force the eye to travel up, down, across and from front to back in the picture plane…this is dynamism at work.

When planning a painting look for ways to create tension. A simple rule of thumb that helps to establish this is to remember that all lines, shapes and edges must be different, one from another. Think in terms of the canvas being a space. You must ask yourself, how can this space be divided into interesting shapes? Whether we use thick and thin lines, geometric shapes, irregular edges or gradated value/color shapes, dynamism is created through variation. In other words, the more variation, the more interest is created.  Irregularity is visual jewelry for the eye.

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To read related articles about the use of notan see the February, 2013 blog posts listed in the archived list (bottom left-hand panel on this blog page).