Going downtown, looking for trouble!
The elements we have been blogging about have all been presented in a positive manner: what to do to succeed with your compositions. Take a break from that, and apply a critical eye to see what may be causing you compositional troubles. Loriann Signori makes us aware of the following post by Robert Genn: Six compositional boo-boos.
Go read Genn's thoughtful list of 6 common pitfalls that trip up artists whose technical abilities are otherwise squared away. They are:
- Weak Foreground (poorly constructed, blah!)
- Homeostatic Conditions (unintended patterns, tree growing out of a head)
- Amorphous Design (no design or composition, lack of intention)
- Lack of Flow (no pathway into and within the picture)
- Too Much Going On (opposite of simplicity)
- Defeated By Size (big, but not organized or composed)
May I add the following observations about common pratfalls?
Negative space with no intention. Too big and/or unwarranted negative space.
Weak areas - places within the picture plane that are poorly executed or forgotten.
Lack of unity. Will the viewer ask how many people painted your picture? Color is a prime way to create this mistake: is one part composed of colors not comprehended by other parts of your picture? Another way is to have directional marks that don't comport with the flow of your picture.
I don't want you to approach your art without confidence. Be aware of the dangers, but go forth with courage!
I am usually guilty of number five: too much going on. I sometimes think I should have been a pattern designer. I do love colors are intertwined with one another--i.e. crowds of people with multi-colored clothing. Compositional simplicity has been on my mind. Helpful post Casey.
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