Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURe 1.4 Learn composition by studying the masters.
Don't forget that your artistic license allows you to bend composition rules
for dramatic effect. Being aware that you are purposefully bending composition
rules is better than being oblivious. Conscious awareness of why something
works aesthetically will help you to learn how to see as an artist.
The rule of thirds, a compositional technique dating back to the eighteenth cen-
tury, is used to locate subject matter within a frame divided into three parts both
horizontally and vertically. Photoshop's Crop tool incorporates the rule of thirds in
its crop guide overlay (see Chapter 3, “Digital Imaging Fundamentals”). Aligning
subject matter with the rule of thirds grid can help you create more aesthetically
pleasing compositions as compared with centering the subject (see Figure 1.5).
Some other artful usages for the Crop tool and rule of thirds: cropping to empha-
size the proximity or groupings of images within a frame, and cropping that takes
advantage of white space within an image to place more emphasis on its focal point.
The golden rectangle has been known since the Renaissance as the most
aesthetically pleasing proportion. Anyone can construct a golden rectangle with a
straightedge and compass (see Figure 1.6). Draw a circle, divide it into four quad-
rants, and draw a square outside. Draw a diagonal line from point A to B. Draw an
arc centered at A from B to C. Extend the lines of the square and draw in the last
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