Designed for students aged 14–18 (UK Key Stages 4–5 / Years 10–13), but adaptable for other ages.
Learning objectives
Interpret and respond to the idea of using composition as a tool within your drawing practice.
Explore and use classical paintings to take old ideas into your own contemporary work.
Learning outcomes
Several fast thumbnail compositions.
One detailed composition study from a chosen painting.
One extended drawing, using a structured composition, and studying the paintings for elements.
You will need
Pencils
Paper
Artwork to draw from. This can be be online or in person.
Compositional Ideas
Stanley SpencerChrist Carrying the Cross
Introduction
Composition is the core of an artwork. It is like a skeleton the body is built around. Essentially the composition is the basic shapes within a picture and how they sit together.
Studying composition can help take away some of the initial fear of starting an image. It gives us an anchor to build our more imaginative work around.
Exercise 1
Find several paintings that excite you. These can be online, in person, or in a book. Try to draw as many of these pictures as you can quickly only paying attention to the composition. This means draw the basic shapes of the picture without any detail. Look at the example from Stanley Spencer.
Exercise 2
Look at your compositional sketches and pick the picture you find more interesting. On a larger scale you are going to do a more detailed study of this piece. Begin with the composition lightly and then slowly begin to add the details. Think about how you would describe the composition in words.
Exercise 3
Finally, you are going to do another sustained drawing using the composition of the previous piece. This means you can change the details of the piece and add in things specific to you. If you have a favourite football team or singer perhaps you could include them.
.png?width=1294&height=764&name=Screenshot%20(4).png)
-2.png?width=524&height=549&name=Screenshot%20(3)-2.png)
