So you may apply this principle more or less exactly to the composition of a picture.
Don’t try to express too many things in one picture, or if you do, let some one be the
main thing, and all the rest be subordinate to it. There is perhaps no law more rigid than
the one which denies success to any attempt to scatter force, effect, and purpose. One
main idea in each picture, and everything subordinated to lend itself to the strengthening
of that.
To a certain extent this will apply to line and mass, though not absolutely. As a rule,
line or mass, one or the other, must be the main element.
Leverage. - I have often thought that much insight into the principles of balance of
masses, and of mass and line, could be gained by thinking of it analogously to
equilibrium in leverage. A small mass, or a simple line or accent, may be made to
balance a very much greater mass. The greater part of a canvas may be one mass, and be
balanced by quite a small spot. But leverage must come in to help. Somewhere in the
picture will be the point of support, the fulcrum. And the large mass will be the least
dense, the small one the most dense, and the equilibrium is establishes. For composition
is but the equilibrium of the picture, and equilibrium the picture must have.
There are many rules as to placing of mass and arrangement of line, but they are all
more or less arbitrary and limiting in influence. Individuality must and will ignore such
rules, just because com- position deals chiefly with the abstract qualities, rules will not
help. A fine feeling or perception of what is right is the only law, and the trained eye is
the only measure. As in values, so in composition you must study relations in nature,
and results in the work of the masters, to train your eye to see; and you must sketch and
block in all sorts of combinations with your own hand, to give you practical experience.
Scale. - One point of great importance should be noticed. That is the effect on the
observer of the size of any main mass or object with reference to the size of the canvas.
This is analogous to what is called scale in architecture.
If the mass or object is justly proportioned to the whole surface of the canvas, and is
treated in accordance with it, it will impose its own scale on all other objects. You can
make a figure impress the observer as being life size, although it may really be only a few
inches long. A house or castle coming into the picture may be made to give its scale to
the surroundings, and make them seem small instead of itself seeming merely an object
in a picture. This will be due to the placing of it on the canvas, largely, and more in this
than in anything else. The manner of painting will a1so lend importantly to it j for an
object to appear big must not be drawn nor painted in a little manner.
The placing of objects of a known size near, to give scale, is a useless expedient in such
a case. At times it may be successful, often of use; but if the scale of the main object is
false, the other object of known size, instead of giving size to the main one, as it is
intended to do, will be itself dwarfed by it.
Placing. - This matter of p1acing is one which you should constantly practise. Make
it a regular study when you are sketching from nature. Try to concentrate in your
sketches so as to help your study of composition. In making a sketch, look for one main
effect, and often have that effect the importance of some object, studying to give it scale
by the placing and the treatment of it, and its relation to the thing; surrounding it in
nature and on the canvas. In this way you will be studying composition in a most
practical way.
wang
(Wang)
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