visual composition
How elements arrange
Visual composition is the arrangement of elements within a visual work—a photograph, painting, film frame, or graphic design—to create a unified and effective whole.
It encompasses decisions about placement, balance, contrast, negative space, and the relationships between subjects.
Good composition guides the viewer's eye and communicates intent; poor composition feels cluttered or aimless.
The photographer adjusted her framing to improve the visual composition.
- framingStructural or contextual shaping
- contrastNotable difference between things
- balanceSteadiness or amount owed
- spaceUnoccupied area or interval
- empty spaceArea devoid of contents
shape · mise-en-scène · line · golden ratio · dead center · hierarchy · grid systems · leading lines · negative space · form · focal point · picture plane · graphic design · texture · layering · depth · aesthetic appeal · proportion
- art writingart reviews, art critiques, art criticism, art analysis, critical essays
- set designset construction, set design, set dressing, set decoration, set pieces
- box artbox art, shadow boxes