Composition: How do we piece our images together

Creating a good image doesn't have to be blind luck or mystical talent. Just as there are rules in science to explain solar system, such as gravity. there are rules to art that assist our visual universe. But before we get to the rules, let's talk about visual storytelling. Write what you think is happening in the picture below.

The story above could be scary, but it could also be hopeful. Someone could be trying to survive a flood, or they could be in the process of being rescued by a lifeguard. This is a matter of perspective. What is missing is context. How discover the context is by asking the journalistic questions...

Almost every news story answers these questions before going into detail so that the audience will have a clue of what is going on and why they should care. As an artist if you don't know the answers to these questions, then why would your audience care about your work?

Below is a picture by the illustrator Howard Pyle. Pirates never really had to walk the plank, but the were marooned, which is the title of this piece. What I would ask the viewer is how did Pyle use his placement of the Pirate to convey the feeling of forever alone?

When beginning your image you should ask these questions to help answer the journalistic questions for your image.  These questions will help you think about what elements should even be in your picture.

OK...now time for the RULE OF THIRDS!!!

Rule of thirds: Note how the horizon falls close to the bottom grid line,

and how the dark areas are in the left third, the overexposed in the right third

Also, the rule of thirds helps us not put the horizon line dead center. A horizon line dead center will be boring and make your audience try to decide what is more important the sky or the city. No one really wants to do that so they just won't appreciate your image as much as they could. 

Great, I get the RULE OF THIRDS helps, but how does it work?

What if I don't use it? Then the picture belows happen. It is static, and used it's spacing poorly. The composition is bad because the focus is dead center so all the space around the seagull is unnecessary. 

However, there is hope! The rule of thirds can help you solve your problem. Use the grid to your advantage to place your seagull, and your image will come to life.

But what about the 3 bears? Well first we need to talk about hierarchies and focus. Hierarchies are what elements you decide are important for your viewers or audience to focus on. 

Chances are your story has more than one element. So we need to prioritize what is important. This will help you decide what to make the largest element in your picture and how to place it.  So we call the different sized elements the 3 bears to easily remember that size can emphasize order of importance. 

There is a trick to figuring out how to decide what is the Papa, Mama, and baby bears. Simply write a sentence. The first thing you write is usually the Papa bear and so on. Why we do this is that it puts the burden of problem solving on your subconscious versus sitting for hours trying to figure out placement. If the image isn't working simply rewrite the sentence.

Can we see the the Rule of Thirds in action? I thought you would never ask. Here is an image by legendary illustrator John Howe.

This is "Howe" he is using the Rule of Thirds and the Three Bears,

Animal Caricature

These are animal caricatures by Blair Bailie. Take particular notice with how he is incorporating human characteristics into his animal illustrations. How are you doing it?

Our final projects are due Monday, October 3rd. Remember gesture is critical to this assignment!

Gestural Thumbnails!

We are working on animal caricatures. Part of the development process is developing thumbnail drawings. Artist, Peter De Seve, has published extensively his process work. His examples give good instruction on how we should proceed on our approach for animal caricatures.

Every picture that looks like this has a start from somewhere. This image was built from thumbnails many concepts. Here is an example that helped De Seve get to his final illustration, but has an idea he didn't ultimately use. 

Thumbnail drawings are about exploration. Allowing yourself to make mistakes and make discoveries. What doesn't work can be as informative as what does work. It is through this process that we artists have those eureka moments like a scientist discovering something new. 

I want at least 10 thumbnails for us to explore with and examine for possible outcomes. However, it may take many more to make something worthwhile. You will know when you are on to something great because you will find yourself emotionally responding to it. 

As you explore a character and how it develops, ask yourself these three questions...

1. How do you relate to this character? 
2. What is this character supposed to be for the audience? 
3. How does this character relate back to what you are trying to say?

Chris Ayers

We are studying animal caricatures. A master of the animal caricature, Chris Ayers is movie concept artist and illustrator. A leukemia survivor, Ayers used his art as a positive motivation to help heal mentally as his body fought against his cancer. The result was creating an animal illustration for every day the year in his sketchbooks, which became books called The Daily Zoo. 

A key to Ayers artististic success besides diligently working everyday, is his use of gesture drawing.

Gesture Drawing is a laying in of the action, form, and pose of a model/figure.

Master Artist Rembrandt says...

Not only are Ayers's animals well drawn with a clear understanding of their anatomy, but are combined human characteristics. It is important to make combinations of anatomy and feeling that viewers can identify with. The star of the caricature is the exaggeration of these human emotions that Ayers wants to convey to his audience. 

Nearly any artist can draw an octopus, but through gestural exaggeration the octopus really develops a personality that is hard to convey without it. Ayers has mastered imparting a life and energy in his work that feeds the personality of his creations and our imaginations. 

Body language is a wonderful example of gesture. You can see a whole story in this illustration by Ayers without reading a single word. Think of how you emotionally express yourself not with words, but through actions. Why is your stance the way it is? What are your eyes doing? How are your hands responding? (Never forget the hands, only amateurs hide the hands...or in this case the claws, hooves, or feet.)

So when designing your animal caricatures are you thinking about the personality you are trying to impart on your character? What makes someone memorable to you? When you tell a joke or a story, a little exaggeration can take a ordinary moment and upgrade it to a memory. The key though is keeping the exaggeration truthful. A distortion doesn't work. George Carlin once said the, "Secret to being funny is to tell the truth."  Give your character a name and recall your personal experiences with that name. Chances are your audience will relate.

Elephant Personality

What is your animal's...

1. Name
2. Occupation
3. Accessory

It is easy to think of our pets as having a personality. We named them for a reason. That personality we attribute to them may be a better reflection of our thoughts and feelings versus the reality of theirs. We do this to relate to our pets better. The things we name become a symbol of our thoughts and emotions. Does my dog really, really love me? Or is she happy I know where the food is?

Artist Peter De Seve, world famous concept artist, is amazing at animal caricatures. He has been a concept artist for movies such as Finding Nemo, Treasure Planet, Ice Age, and many, many more. Peter is an expert at pushing emotion and creating character by combining human emotions and attributes to animals ones. These combinations have created memorable characters such as Finding Nemo's Bruce. We are learning how to create animal caricatures.

Don't Forget to finish your realistic animal study.

Newtonian Physics and Funny Faces

The 3 most important elements when doing a caricature are..

Likeness: If the viewer is going to respond to a caricature, they have to understand who the artwork is about. Context is very important to establish so that the viewers can be in on the joke. A Coke can be like a Pepsi, but a Coke is not a Pug

Exaggeration: We are not distorting. We all have an uncle that tells an amazing fishing story. In fact, we know that maybe that last fish he caught wasn't the size of a oil tanker, and may have resembled more your pet goldfish. However, that great exaggeration makes for a better story.  

Sometimes an exaggeration feels more real than reality. Think about when it rains really bad, do you really want someone to describe how precipitation works, or do you relate more to the old it's pouring cats and dogs? Think about exaggerations that you use to describe your life. What are they? Why do you use them?

Statement: You need to be actually saying something. Artists are not copy machines. If you want to make a perfect reproduction why not just take a picture? You need to have an opinion, this will engage your audience. Think of your work as a persuasive case of how you feel. Your ideas matter! People will care more about your work, if they feel you actually have something worth saying. So take up the challenge of visually speaking by demonstrating why what you think matters. 

These are the basic components of the face you will need to understand and manipulate to create an effective caricature. 

Don't forget to have your realistic Animals drawn!

Sebastian Kruger

Some basics to understanding the eye and why it is so important to understanding the face. First, it can be used to establish a mood or feeling in a piece of art. Second, the eye can be used as a system of measurement. Lastly, the eye can be used as an anchor point. The anchor point in a drawing is often the starting place where an artist will begin 

Sebastian Kruger is the polar opposite of C.F. Payne. If Payne is a gentleman in his approach to caricature Kruger is the embodiment of being nuclear. 

(James Dean, Sebastian Kruger caricature on the left...photo portrait on the right)

Kruger is known for combining fine art styles with his caricatures and cartoons. This combination creates original and breathtaking imagery that while not always pretty is visually interesting. 

Remember: Get an awesome animal photo!