Visual Art – Creative Composition

Module – 2
Focal Points in Composition
Role Name Affiliation

Principal Investigator Prof. Ragini RoyHead, Dept. of Drawing & Painting;

Dean, Faculty of Arts
Dayalbagh Educational Institute
(Deemed to be University), Dayalbagh,
Agra
Co-Principal Prof. Ashvini Kumar Dept. of Drawing & Painting;
Investigator Sharma Faculty of Arts,
Dayalbagh Educational Institute
(Deemed to be University), Dayalbagh,
Agra
Paper Coordinator Dr. Alka Chadha Asst. Prof., Dept. of Fine Arts :
Drawing & Painting, R.G. PG College,
Meerut, U.P.
Content Writer/Author Ms. Surjit Akre Professional Artist, President
Roerich’s Art Club, affiliated with
Russian Centre of Science and
Culture, New Delhi
Content Reviewer Prof. R.N. Mishra Former Dean, Faculty of Visual Art,
BHU, Varanasi
Language Editor Prof. S.K. Chauhan Head, Dept. of English Studies,
Dayalbagh Educational Institute
(Deemed University), Dayalbagh, Agra
Project Manager Dr. Amit Kumar Johri Dept. of Drawing & Painting;
Faculty of Arts,
Dayalbagh Educational Institute
(Deemed to be University), Dayalbagh,
Agra

Items Description of Module

Subject Name Visual Art
Paper Name Creative Composition
Module Name/Title Focal Points in Composition
Module Id VA/CC/02
Knowledge of how the use of Focal points create interest in
Pre-Requisites
composition.
Objectives How in painting directing the Viewer's Eyes to your Focal Point.
Keywords Focal point, Centre of interest

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1. Learning outcome

The newcomers will learn about the understanding of how your audience will view your
artwork will help you to communicate more effectively through your artwork. Learn about how
to create strong focal points / center of interest in your art Compositions. In return, your
drawings will become more beautiful and interesting.

2. Introduction

Focal points refer to the areas of the artwork that demand the viewer's attention. Intelligent
placement of focal points can positively affect the overall composition of the artwork. Contrast

One way to create a focal point in art is through the use of contrast. Contrast refers to difference.
Any type of difference in imagery will result in that element becoming a focal point. Difference
or contrast can come in many different forms. Color, value, texture, shape, and form can all
create contrast. By combining elements, you can increase the contrast that is created, thus
strengthening the focal point.

Isolation

Another way to create a focal point in artwork is through isolation. Whenever one object or
element is separated from a group it becomes isolated and in turn, becomes a focal point.

Placement

Objects that are placed in the center of the picture plane or near center, will naturally become
a focal point. By placing an object or element just off center, you can create a focal point
through placement without affecting the aesthetics of the work.

Convergence

A fourth way to create a focal point in artwork is to use implied lines to direct a viewer's eye
to an object or element. This technique is known as convergence.

The Unusual

Another way to create a focal point in artwork is to introduce an object or element that is
unusual to the scene. This object will stand out and demand attention thus creating a focal point.

3. Main Content

Hello everyone. Let me introduce myself to you as Professional artist of 40 years standing.
Myself is Surjit Akre, I am the first Indian artist who has have achieved the Post Graduate
Degree from the Academy of Art, Repin Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, Saint
Petersburg, Russia. I am also the Founder President of Roerich’s Art Club affiliated to Russian
Centre of Science and Culture. New Delhi. In this module I am going to demonstrate how to
use Focal point refer to the areas of the artwork that demand the viewer's attention. We are
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going to make the portrait of a woman and see the technique for painting particular face-shapes
using focal point.

Let us start our own composition. Faces are the basic part of the human anatomy and can
display a wide variety of emotions. In a portrait or artwork of people, faces would be the main
focal point, so each stroke has a significant effect on what mood is portrayed.

First of all, make a light outline of a face. Heads are never circular, they are oval shaped, like
an egg. So, sketch an oval outline that tapers down at the bottom.

Draw the neck. Necks are thicker than you imagine. Draw two lines coming down from roughly
where the bottom horizontal line meets the edges of the face. Always keep in mind the direction
of the neck will be opposite of the face. Like here the face is in the right side and the neck is in
the left side. At the same time, you have to compose the shoulders and bust line. Add the hairs.

Add dividing lines. The easiest way to start is to use dividing lines to map out the proportions
of the face. Firstly, draw a line down the centre of the oval. Then cut the oval in half again, this
time horizontally. I am doing this freely as I have the lot of experience and practice but I keeps
in mind the proportion.

Draw the eyebrows along the top.

Draw two big circular balls to make out the eyes across the central horizontal line. These will
form the eye sockets. The top of this circle is where the eyebrow is and at the bottom is where
the cheekbone sits.

You then need to work on the shape of the eyes. Eyes are almond shaped, so bear this in mind
as you sketch them (eyes come in every size and shape, so feel it out). As a rule of thumb, the
distance between the two eyes is the width of another eye.

Inside the iris, the color inside the center of the eye, draw the pupil, which is the darkest bit of
the eye. Fill most of it in black and leave a little white.

Add the nose. Divide the lower half again with another horizontal line. The point at which this
crosses the vertical line is where you should begin to draw the base of the nose. Sketch out the
base of the nose and a nostril either side. The base of the nose has been shaped to create the
basis of the nostrils. Great care should be taken to ensure that the nose, having projected
outwards from the plane of the face. Returns to the eyes.

Add the mouth. Divide the bottom quarter in half again. The bottom of the lips will rest on the
dividing line you have just drawn. Draw a line for where the lips meet and then draw the top
lip.

Add the ears. The base of the ear should be drawn in line with the bottom of the nose and the
top of the ear in line with the eyebrows. Remember, ears should be flat against the side of the
head. The ear is in two sections, the upper part being mainly a volute of cartilage, the lower
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(the lobe) mainly fatty tissues. Essentially it is a flat, oval plate, lying close to the side of the
cheek. It appears to join on to and continue the line of the jawbone and therefore it usually has
a strongly diagonal axis Its position in regard to the other features of the head is important.
When the head is erect the ear, roughly speaking, is opposite the eyebrow (top) and nostril
(bottom).

Again draw the hair and line of the neck where starts clothes.

After completing drawing we will fill the colours. I am starting to fill black hair. When you are
filling the black colour you have to keep in mind the light. I am leaving the white space to give
the dimension.

Now make the outline of the eyes. Next, draw the top of the eyelid over the top of the almond.
The base of the eyelid comes down over the top of the iris and covers the top of it slightly.

Shading under the eyes. Now, add a little shading underneath the eye and where the eye meets
the nose to define the socket.

The eyeballs (like spheres or balls) have been drawn into the sockets. And over the surface of
the right eyeball the curved line of the upper lid has been drawn. Now the left eye socket is
more fully drawn out and the line of the eyebrow is now sharper. When drawing the eye in its
setting it is essential to bear in mind, all the time, the idea of a ball set in a hollow.

Now start to fill the colour in the face. I have made the tone by mixing the Indian red and
yellow ochre. Start with neck. Keep in mind the direction of the light. As here the light is
coming from left so the contrast will be at the left side. The right side corner will be smooth.

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Now fill the face starting with cheek. Now fill in the bottom of the lip. The hollow immediately
under the lower lip has been ‘carved out’ and the form of the chin developed. The lower lip is
much more delicate and some parts of it, mainly towards the outside, may often have practically
no visible contour. In the relationship between the upper and lower lips can be seen. Normally
and ideally the upper lip overhangs the lower but this does not always happen and in portraiture
the exact relationship would have to be sought. In normal lighting conditions, that is with a top
light, the upper lip is in shadow and therefore clearly defined. Too often the edge of the nostril
is allowed to serve as the boundary of the under plane. This is quite wrong and strictly speaking
absurd. In the three-quarter view another frequently occurring phenomenon is the
disappearance of the edge of the nose. Where the light pours across the nose, as in the sketch,
it will often happen that the color and tone of the nose may be almost exactly the same as that
of the far cheek. It may happen that the edge of the nose is strongly silhouetted against the
dark shaded part of the far eye socket and is not clearly visible again until the contour turns
under into shadow. When this does happen it is very often accompanied by strongly defined
shadow down the near side of the nose so that what is lost on one side is restored on the other.

Add the details. Add a bit of shading under the nose and accentuate the chin. Put expression
lines around the mouth, and shading in the corners. Then outline the ridge of the nose.

Look at this painting the light comes from the left the receding plane between nose and eye
socket is in deep shadow. I have left the white space on the forehead to focus the viewers. In a
headshot, or a portrait of someone’s face, you most likely want to make the eyes your point of
focus. Otherwise, something will seem wrong to viewers when they look at the image. They’ll
wonder why it’s difficult to connect with the eyes. Of course, you can choose to keep the eyes
blurred as an artistic decision, but you need some good reason for doing so. If you find that the
smirk a person has says more about her than the look in her eyes does, then maybe you can
place your focal point on the mouth area rather than the eyes. Or, you could compose your
image so the eyes are cropped out of the frame completely, drawing even more attention to the
mouth area. When composing an image and selecting a point of focus, you’re choosing the
point at which you want viewers to notice the most. With people, this usually means the eyes.
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We make eye contact with each other naturally to make a connection, and so artists attempt to
draw viewers to the subject’s eyes to make a similar connection. Add some texture in the
clothes. I am using free hand strokes.

When you fill the background keep the light and dark shades. At the left we have to fill the
dark shade to give the contrast

and in the right side you have to give light shade as this side should be very smooth. Give the
dark shade at the edges so that the focus will be on the face.

After applying the colour in whole come and see from the distance. You will realize where
you have to give more light and shade.

Add the hair. Make sure that you draw the hair from the parting outwards.

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Creating good artistic composition takes knowledge of how your artwork will be viewed.
Understanding how your audience will view your artwork will help you to communicate more
effectively through your artwork.

Creating focal points in your artwork is one way to be in control of how your artwork is
viewed. There are several devices that artists can use to ensure that subjects are seen in an
artwork. These subjects become the focal point(s) in the imagery.

Accomplished artists know a few secrets to bring attention toward what they consider the most
important part of their chosen subject.

First thing is never place the focal mass right in the dead center.

To compose your focal point the first thing is to use lines to convey emotions and guide the
eyes. Horizontal lines suggest calm and peaceful feelings. Vertical lines communicate strength
and fortitude. Angular or diagonal lines express motion and energy; these are the ones most
likely to draw you into the picture.

Use an obvious circular or diagonal element to create an entrance to the focus of the painting.

The eyes should move from the main subject to subordinate objects before they exit the painting
or drawing. Make sure that there are no more than two exits.

Place the strongest value (tonal) contrast near the main subject—the mass (or masses) you
want to emphasize. To do this, you can either touch with light the things you wish to emphasize
or place dark accents next to them.

Add sharp edges to the elements of the composition that you wish to emphasize and soften the
edges of those you wish to deemphasize. Our eyes tend to be drawn to the harsh notes in a
pictorial make up.

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Now again you have to come over the hair and give some final touches.

At last you have to see from the distance and add all the necessary details.

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