composition # 3

July 5, 2013


(Would anyone be willing to e-mail me a photo of a painting of yours  that I could post and we could critique it in a very constructive way using comments)  My email is cbjmail@cox.net. 

Using Ian Roberts book, Mastering Composition, as my guideline  I am going through the armatures he describes and thinking about the other principles of composition in the book. 

Here is the painting I did yesterday.  Now I 'm not sure if this fits the circle armature or another one, but I think the idea is to have something that creates a path into your painting.  The reason I say circle is because the driveway takes you to the light value in the back of the painting which I did consciously want to happen. 

Another factor is that I have a strong response to this subject because I lived in that house in Buffalo, NY.  It is where I learned to ride a bike, roller skate and went to  part of elementary school.  We visited there last Thanksgiving and I only took one photo.  It's on a busy street near Hertle Avenue downtown.  Back then do you remember how your friends would come over and just yell for you to come out and play?   Anyway, Ian Roberts suggested finding subjects that you have a response to and  looking for strong shapes and values. 


"O" Armature: 

 

 

Radiating Lines:  (this might be  a too literal interpretation of that armature, but the lines do point into the subject) and I just noticed the use of gradation works because it is dark to light on the purple stripes.  Plus there is a diagonal in the background

 

 

 

 

This has been a good exercise for me because I have been going through old paintings and checking out the compositions. 

Thank you again to Ian Roberts for writing such a valuable book.