OUIL404 - Composition Introduction

This session introduced us to the basics of composition.

What is composition?
The selection and arrangement of elements within the picture space so that they communicate the artists idea clearly and effectively

What can good composition achieve?
A well composed picture will give the viewer a satisfied sense of order and beauty

What are the four main elements of composition?
Picture area, Depth, Line and Value

What is the first thing to do when thinking about composition?
Reduce objects to their simplest form and try a variety of compositions before deciding on a final one

What is the difference between sketching and making artwork?
Sketching should be broad and flexible, it is the artists way of thinking on paper!

"When looking at composition, don't think about the artwork, rather consider the arrangement and relationship of visual information"

Task:
5 Compositional sketches, same 3 elements (figure, object, landscape), A7 frame
Choose one that has most potential and enlarge to A5

Figure: Diver
Object: Fish
Landscape: Coral Reef

Composition 1 - I tried to put emphasis on the fish by placing it in front of the diver , with the coral reef at the size. I think this one worked well but would have been better if I had made the diver further away? Saying that, I wanted it to appear as if the diver was peering through the seaweed and watching the fish. 

Composition 2 - Emphasis on the coral reef, this takes up most of the picture frame  and covers the foreground. Diver is only a silhouette and looks further away whilst the fish is hidden amongst the coral. 

Compostion 3 - Emphasis on the coral reef as it is in the foreground. Tried to add depth by making the diver a silhouette and therefore making him look further away. Don't think this is an overly strong composition, things seem to centred. 

Composition 4 - I wanted the emphasis to be on the diver but not have them at the front completely. Made the diver darker so as to stand out more amongst the colours of the coral reef. The fish is kind of hard to spot, possibly needs moving to a less busy area of the image. 

Composition 5 - Emphasis on the diver (I think). Stuck to an A7 frame but blocked out the edges to create the illusion of looking through a divers mask, the coral reef would be the first thing seen and then the fish hidden amongst the corals.

Final A5 Piece - I chose this composition because I thought it worked best. The emphasis is on the coral reef with the diver  in the background and the fish hiding amongst the coral. The bright colour of the fish attracts the viewers eye so it is not completely hidden. The washed out silhouette of the diver shows that it is further away and in the distance. I think this worked really well in terms of composition but the final outcome isn't as well crafted as my roughs. I much prefer how my roughs look which is a bit strange but I think it was hard to replicate one of my initial drawings and then scale it up. This is something I would like to work on in the future as I found this to be a really effective method of considering composition and how I would lay my images out.