Still Life

An exercise in composition

What is a Still Life?

• It is a collection of inanimate objects used by artist’s either as a tool to study the elements and principals of art or as the subject of a piece of fine art.

How to Proceed

• Start with line.– It is the skeleton of your work.

• Stay loose and light.

– Plan your composition at this point.• Don’t be afraid to rearrange things.

• This is the time to think things out.

Tips

• Visually divide you paper into 1/3rds vertically and horizontally.– Try to place things on these lines and try to

place objects of interest on the intersection points.

– Don’t hit the bulls eye!• Stay away from the perfect center of the

composition.

– Use a view finder.

How Do I Make Sense of It All?

• Sighting.– Angles.– Relative proportion.– Negative space.

• While holding you pencil extend your arm.• Close one eye.• Slide your thumb up or down the pencil to

compare relative sizes of objects or to sight angles.

Tips 2

• Avoid detail until you are happy with the general composition.– General to specific.

• You don’t hang up the curtains before the foundation is poured.

• If you are happy with the composition start shading.– General to specific.

• See above.

Shading Tips

• Study the shadows and highlights (both!)– Every shadow and highlight has

• Shape

• Size

• Density

• Edge (hard or soft)