One of the first rules of art is “there are no rules”. And it’s true, ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ art is totally subjective, and you should simply do whatever works best for you! So then why even attempt to learn all the “art rules” and guidelines we all hear about in the first place?
I believe there is something really valuable in the mere attempt to rationalize what is inherently an irrational craft. By analyzing things, and trying to make sense of them, no matter how ethereal those ideas may be, we discover patterns. We discover pictorial solutions, and methods of creation that repeatedly tend to reap better results than other solutions. But most importantly, by discovering those patterns we thereby can work to improve on, or diverge from, those typical patterns… and therein lies creative growth.
I mention this because whenever I’m stumped on a composition (which is pretty much EVERY painting I ever do), and things just don’t seem to be working right, I stop and analyze things. I ask myself, “What do I keep doing?”, “What have I NOT done?”, and then force myself to try alternate solutions, even if I think they are bad ideas. But part of being able to try new solutions is to know there are untried solutions out there in the first place!
Which brings us to the real point of this article…
80 years ago, and Artist named Edgar Payne wrote a book called ‘Composition of Outdoor Painting‘. It is still regarded as one of the most important books on composition out there. Unfortunately, because of it’s landscape-centric title, I never discovered what a gem this book is until much later in life. In this book, Payne expounds on a LOT of compositional theory, and surmises that most compositions can be categorized into one of 15 compositional archetypes. Even though these compositions are landscape focused, the principles still apply well to all types art.
Here are his 15 archetypes, and abbreviated comments on them:
Steelyard
A large and small object balanced on a fulcrum
Balanced scales
Two equal weighted objects balanced on scales
O or Circular
S or Compound Curve
Pyramid or Triangle
Cross
Radiating Line
Ell or Rectangular
Suspended Steelyard
Mixture of balanced scales and steelyard
Three Spot
Three spots of different sizes, similar to triangle
Group Mass
Usually massed along one of the 1/3 lines