Getting Started with Composition
Full disclosure, I love the intersection of art and science. Maths is a little bit of magic. And playing on the side of the artist? I get to choose the rules I follow (shh!). As artists, we already have strong instincts about what makes a compelling image - sometimes we just ‘know’ if it feels right, either in our own work, or that of others. So let me talk you through some of that magic that may further guide your intuition and join me as I reflect on what works or doesn’t in my own work.
What Makes Us Look?
Ever noticed how your eye is immediately drawn to certain parts of an image? That's your focal point at work - it's the element that captures attention first. Let me share an example from my beach scene ('Five Minutes'). We were on holiday in Portugal and although early, it was hot. My son was almost three years old and I plopped him on a blanket, back to the sun to eat an apple. He started watching the waves and his dad and I had five minutes of calm (after what felt like hours of chasing him around the beach). I took a few photos. I liked the quietness of the moment. It would be years before I picked up a pencil and I was simply capturing a memory, unconsciously playing with the composition as I took more photos. Sometimes the technical aspects (like that perfect colour contrast of the red hat with the blue sky) and the emotional pull of an image work together without us even planning it.
What do you notice first?
… and where does your eye go?
Guiding the Eye
Once you've established where you want people to look first, how do you keep them engaged? This is where composition comes in. Think of it as creating a path for the viewer's eye to follow - perhaps leading them through the story you want to tell.
The Rule of Thirds
Remember that grid on your phone camera? It's not just there to help you take straight photos (although I do use it a lot for this!). Those lines divide your image into a nine-cell grid, and something magical happens at the intersections. These crossover points create natural places for your focal point(s) - places where our eyes naturally want to pause.
Start by analysing your reference photo through this grid. Most phone cameras can display it while taking photos (and if you've already taken the photo, just open edit mode to see the grid there too). It's a brilliant way to evaluate whether your reference photo might need cropping before you start drawing.
Now, strictly speaking, you might want these nine cells to be equal in size. Let's look at my boy on the beach again. The horizontal lines of that grid are particularly useful in seascape compositions - notice how I placed the horizon line along the upper third? This emphasizes the beach and draws attention to my son's quiet moment.
Does this composition observe the Rule of Thirds?
The crop doesn't follow all the rules perfectly but there is some symmetry and balance to the layout. You could argue that I could shift my son to the left a little so his spine and the left gridline are aligned, shifting the blanket off centre (and his feet may align with the right gridline!). I could also move the horizon lower - both edits would speak to the vastness of the sea and allow us to follow his gaze further. Would it be a stronger piece? Maybe. It depends a little if the story is about the boy or the sea… and as the artist that's up to me! (my honest reflection? I think it’s both, so I’d probably shift him).
The Golden Spiral: Nature's Composition Tool
While the Rule of Thirds gives us a structured grid, nature often works in spirals - think of shells, flower petals, seeds of a sunflower. Artists have long observed this pattern, known as the Golden Spiral. Don't worry about the mathematics behind it (although I find it fascinating!); think of it as a way to distribute visual weight in your composition. Just like a shell that gets wider as it spirals out, your composition can flow from areas of tight detail to more open space, creating natural movement through your artwork.
Let me share one of my favourite portraits - my daughter as a baby, reaching for blades of grass (‘Daddy’s Little Explorer’). When choosing the final crop for my drawing, I instinctively focused on her expression and the reaching movement. In this piece, the composition naturally follows the golden spiral. The face sits at the tightest part of the spiral (which happens to align with a Rule of Thirds intersection - these principles often work together!). From there, the spiral flows outward through the arm and into the textured grass, creating a sense of peaceful movement. Did I plan this? Well, not entirely. I followed my intuition for the balance of the piece when cropping - and found the Golden Spiral later. Magic!
‘Daddy’s Little Explorer’ with Golden Spiral overlain. You can view the original here.
Simple Shapes for Stronger Compositions
Sometimes the most effective compositions come from simple geometric shapes. In my drawing of my two children sharing their hot chocolate, their heads and hands form a triangle, naturally drawing the eye to their shared moment. These underlying shapes create stability and focus, even if viewers don't consciously notice them. Did I plan this? No, not really. I liked the strong lighting and was trying to capture their facial expressions rather than worrying too much about composition. By this time, with the children grown a little, I'd been drawing for a while and was consciously trying to take a strong reference photo that I could edit later. Sometimes you may stumble on a happy accident!
‘Hot Chocolate to Share’ - coloured pencils on Rising Museum Board.
Finding Natural Frames
Nature provides us with ready-made frames - tree branches, for example, can frame your subject. Looking at my kids on the bench (‘Snack Break’), the overhanging foliage and tall grasses create a natural frame around the children and the scene they're observing. They also create depth and keep the eye moving - perhaps searching in the bushes.
When cropping your reference photos, look for these natural framing elements. Sometimes moving your position slightly or adjusting your crop can take advantage of natural frames you might have missed initially. For me? I was just in awe of the cow watching the kids watching the cow. I don’t particularly like the open space in the bottom right corner, or how the eye is drawn away by the bench. I might have added another bush here to darken and close us back in - but that conflicts with my memory of the scene so I have no regrets.
‘Snack Break’ - coloured pencil artwork on Rising Museum Board
Taking Time to Plan
When I first started drawing with coloured pencils, I'd dive straight in - excited to start a new piece. Now, I try to take ten minutes to play with crops and composition first and then sit with it for a while. If I’m spending months on a ‘big project’ I don’t want any regrets.
These days, when I'm considering a new piece, I'll typically edit my reference photo following my intuition and then run through a few mental checks:
Find my focal point - what drew me to take this photo?
Check the Rule of Thirds grid - sometimes small adjustments can make a big difference
Look for natural balance - is there a spiral-like flow from my main subject outward?
Think about my story - does the horizon placement support what I want to say?
Consider where I want to lead the viewer's eye - through frames, shapes, or lines
Remember though - these aren't rigid rules. They're just tools in our artistic toolkit, there to help when needed. Sometimes a photo just speaks to you, breaks all the ‘rules’, and makes a wonderful piece anyway. Trust your instincts, but don't be afraid to experiment with different crops before you commit those first pencil marks to paper.
In my next post, we'll explore how to create depth and dimension in your artwork.