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plainfield central – mr. lawler art + design 1

project 1: design a landscape

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plainfield central – mr. lawler art + design 2

CREATE YOUR OWN LANDSCAPE

Foreground, Midground & Background

Composition is the technical foundation of a painting. It is the organization of the principles and elements to create the strongest harmony and unity. A poor composition can ruin a good painting, whereas a strong composition can enhance even the most mediocre painting.

In a landscape painting, you will use foreground, midground and background to create a sense of depth and distance. The diagram to the left illustrates the use of foreground, midground and background, along with the layout of sky and terrain. Below there are three examples of a landscape layout. Determine which of the three best demonstrates the use of foreground, midground & background. Be sure to refer to the diagrams to the left.

Creating Balance & Using the Rule of Thirds

When creating a composition these are the things you should be looking for: 1) balance of elements & principles – this means that you have established the purposeful use of line, shape, form, space, value, texture, color, contrast, emphasis, movement, pattern, and rhythm, 2) establishing a strong center of interest (what is your focal point?), 3) utilizing perspective and space division (planar surfaces and vanishing points), 4) use of line to create direction from foreground and midground to the background, 5) creating a unique vantage point and 6) visual strength created through an overall strong design quality (drawings and paintings are designs!).

The diagrams to the left demonstrate tools to establish a focal point and an overall composition. A symmetrically balanced image shows an immediate focal point but lacks the visual interest and eye-movement created by an asymmetrically balanced image. Use the Rule of Thirds to avoid splitting your painting top to bottom, or side to side in half. It is more interesting to have a low or high horizon for instance, with one third at the top, two thirds at the bottom (or visa-versa) than splitting a painting right down the middle. Remember the Golden Mean: "For a space divided into equal parts to be agreeable and aesthetic, between the smallest and largest parts there must be the same relationship as between this larger part and the whole space."

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plainfield central – mr. lawler art + design

CREATE YOUR OWN LANDSCAPE Studying the Masters

Monet, Renoir and the other Impressionists were known to study the maters. This was not a unique practice unto them, but what was unique was that they studied the masters and then took those principles to the outdoors. Below and to the right, recreate the landscape sketches, then apply these ideas to your own compositions.

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plainfield central – mr. lawler art + design

CREATE YOUR OWN LANDSCAPE

Tree Forms

When completing a landscape, perhaps one of the most important natural forms to study is the tree. To the right, you will find 23 different tree forms. Recreate some of these in the space provided below. Choose at least two tree forms from each row (for a total of 8 tree forms).

Cone Trees

Below is a diagram of a conifer tree drawn from the basic form of a cone. Recreate this diagram in the space provided below.

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plainfield central – mr. lawler art + design

CREATE YOUR OWN LANDSCAPE

Think of your landscape as being concept art for a “world”. This could be a realistic or fantastic world – but should show mood, character and the overall feel.

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plainfield central – mr. lawler art + design

CREATE YOUR OWN LANDSCAPE