Placement of objects and importance of abstract shapes of light, space, & shadow in still life.

1. COMPOSITION AND SHADING

2. Traditional composition more or less centered on page. Strong vertical offsetting horizontal
table
(Willem Claeszoon Heda)

3. Construction of more traditional composition using faint guidelines

4. Objects and shadows grouped to form rectangle within a rectangle. Emphasis on shape
(Giorgio Morandi)

5. Full composition: objects touching
or going off 3 of the 4 sides of the
picture plane
(unknown artist)

6. “Unfinished” composition. Completely shaded bedpost only; other objects - pillows,
bedframe covers - are only indicated with contour line
(Andrew Wyeth)

7. Close-up of few objects; emphasis on
variety of shape; notice blocking out of
shapes of light and dark and shading
(Paul Cezanne )

8. Do a few compositional thumbnail drawings (~2” X 3”) to help you decide which
placement of objects is most pleasing to you

9. LAY OUT – place objects on page sized appropriately to the paper, draw quickly with
gesture, then clean it up to make sure proportion is the way you want it and you know
where edges are.

10. SHADING: Remember that you need to use the full range of value from darkest dark to
lightest light and all tones in between.

11. Remember “rule of thumb” shading: Objects appear darker where they recede and lighter
where they come forward

12. Values in a picture are RELATIVE – What’s the darkest dark in YOUR viewpoint?
Use that as a guide to creating your range of toens allt he way to the white of
your paper.

13. Background tones can shift from light to dark depending on what it is next to
– use backgrounds to set off light and dark areas in objects and create edges
without having to “outline” objects

14. Use background
shading to add
texture, set off lights,
and fill the page

15. Allow darks to become the focus

16. Allow light to become the subject

17. Allow shadows to
become objects

18. Allow empty space to become the
subject

19. Use selective shading and make
the most of contour line
(Kehinde Wiley)