When a subject calls us to use it for an art work, we can choose whether to say everything completely or to give clues allowing the viewer to fill in the rest of the story. One way to do this is with open composition.
An open composition shows only a part of the subject whereas a closed composition shows the entire subject. In this photo of Buster, my friend Cindy's dog, we can see that Buster is wet, but is that snow or water behind him? Is he swimming or is he up to something else? Is he a stray or does he belong to somebody? Where is he? What does his body and tail look like?
In the next open composition, his collar is our clue that he has an owner. The reflections tell us he's in water and the drool from his mouth tells us he's been drinking water. We can see that he's standing, not swimming. But is he in a lake or creek or pond? We're still left to our imaginations to fill in Buster's location and even his confirmation.
In the next not-quite-so open composition, the plants at the bottom tell us that Buster is standing at the edge of the water. We can imagine his body shape and what kind of tail he has, but except for where he is, that's about all the information left for us to fill in. The mystery becomes less engaging.
Now the composition if closed. Even though we still don't know whether Buster is at the edge of a creek or pond or lake, we have enough clues about the dog and we know that he's standing at the edge of a body of water from which he's just had a drink.
Tip: Composing for good design is important, but using that design to intrigue the viewer about the subject is another way to add strength to your art work. Consider making your painting a stimulating experience for the viewer by providing just enough information to allow your viewer's imagination to create the rest of the story.
Happy painting,
Dianne
P. S. Some of you have mentioned that you could benefit from seeing some of the Tips produced in video. I like the idea too, so I have partnered with a video production company, SauteeLive, to make downloadable video tutorials available for a small fee. We will be launching a new tutorial every week beginning in January. After Christmas, I will make an announcement with all the details. Stay tuned.
P.P.S. Join us on the Facebook forum where there are now twenty-two challenges. You can do any challenge at any time. They are there for your enrichment and enjoyment. If you post your results, be sure and do so in the comments portion of the challenge to which you responded so as to keep the responses with their corresponding challenge. I will continue to add challenges from time to time.
