2. Albrect Durer
“Draftsman Drawing a Reclining Nude”
1525
The draftsman in this image is using a view
finder to draw the foreshortening of this model!
3. Exploring the Visual Potential of Your Subject
Because any subject you choose to draw will yield a variety
of shapes when considered from different points of view, it
is always smart to explore the potential of your subject from
a variety of angles and positions. A common mistake of the
beginning drawing student is to take the same seat in the
classroom everyday. The drawing process is mostly about
looking, therefore time should be invested in looking to find
the most visually interesting view of the subject.
5. When deciding how to layout your drawing
after you have chosen a viewpoint, consider
these simple composition rules to make your
drawing more engaging:
1. Consider your composition in thirds.
2. Be certain that you use each corner of your
page differently.
3. The use of diagonals helps move the eye
around the page.
6. The Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds says that most compositions can be
made more interesting by visually dividing the page into
thirds vertically and/or horizontally and placing our most
important elements within those thirds. If this rule is
used properly, you will never end up with a composition
with the subject smack in the middle, a problem that
stops the eye from considering the entire image.
7. Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh
Paintings and works of art have applied the rule of thirds for a long
time. Pay attention next time you are looking at art and see if you
notice this technique. In this famous work by van Gogh the sky
occupies two-thirds of the composition while the ground only uses
one third of the image.
8. Cottage by Vincent van Gogh
In this composition the sky only occupies the top
third of the layout.
9. Olympia by Edouard Manet
The figures in this painting occur on the right and left
thirds while most of the white in the composition
occurs on the lower third and left third.
10. Bridge at Giverny by Claude Monet
In this painting,
the top third uses
different colors
and textures than
the lower third.
Can you see the
direction of the
brushstrokes and
how they differ in
the bottom two-
thirds?
11. The sky of this painting
ends exactly at the top
third of the composition,
leaving the action for the
other two-thirds.
Notice how something
different happens in
each third of this piece.
12. Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh
Being certain to treat each corner in the composition
differently also makes an image more interesting.
Notice the different directions of the brushstrokes in the
corners of this painting.
13. Cottage by Vincent van Gogh
Each corner of this piece uses different colors and
general shapes to create interest.
14. Olympia by Edouard Manet
Here the corners use distinctly different shapes.
16. The Blood of Fish by Gustav Klimt
The corners of this composition use dark, light, and texture for
variety.
17. Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh
The use of diagonals in a composition helps to lead the eye
across the page. This is another method used by many
artists.
24. When we return to the still life drawings, notice that the most interesting,
most successful compositions use some of these basic compositional
rules.
25. These two drawings have very successful compositions.
Both use two thirds of the page for most of the drawing, use
diagonals that sweep across the image, and each corner is
distinctly different.
26. This composition is heavy
on one side of the page.
Most of the lines are
vertical or horizontal with
no sweeping diagonals.
There is no attention to
variation in the corners.
It also makes a common
mistake, which is allowing
the subject to “sit” on the
bottom edge of the page.
27. This drawing has most of the action in the center of the page.
There are a few small diagonals to be found, but they do not
lead across the page. The diagonals lead you back to the
central horizontal form. This stops the eye from exploring the
composition. The corners are also left wide open, providing no
visual interest.
28. Which of these viewpoints provides the best
composition?
29. FOR CLASS ON TUESDAY:
Bring an assortment of at least four objects you have
collected from nature. They can be anything from
dead insects to live plants, branches, leaves, rocks,
feathers. Anything from nature will do. We will be
using them to draw textures so be sure they are
interesting!
Please be certain you also bring your ink, bamboo
brush, pen, and ruler.
