1. The document discusses principles of visual composition including how horizontal and vertical lines convey calmness and activity, diagonals imply motion, and the upper half of the picture plane suggests freedom while the lower half feels grounded. 2. It also notes that the center draws the most attention, edges create tension, light backgrounds feel safe while dark backgrounds can feel dangerous, pointed shapes threaten while curved shapes feel secure, and contrasts enable things to be seen. 3. Exercises are included to practice arranging shapes to create movement, repetition and confusion, and order and disorder.

1. Principles
Based on: Picture This: How Pictures Work by Molly Bang
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2. 01 - Horizontal = Stability and Calm

3. 02 - Vertical = more active, reaching up

5. 3 – Diagonal = implies motion or tension, thus dynamic

9. Exercise:
Use 15 black shapes to create
a dynamic sense of motion.
10 minutes

10. 4 – Upper half of picture plane = freedom, happiness, triumph, “spiritual”
“top of the charts”, “top gun”, “top dog”, “things are looking up”, “high as a kite”

11. 4 -- Lower half of picture plane = grounded, yet, threatened, heavier, sadder, and constrained
“down on the dumps”, “feeling down”, “low life”, “low-down dirty dog”

12. 5 – Center of picture plane = Point of greatest attention

15. Closer to edges and corners = Greater Tension
“He’s cornered”, “She’s in a tight corner”, “Edgy”, “On edge”, “Being pushed over the edge”.

17. 6–
Light Backgrounds vs. Dark Backgrounds
=
Safe vs. Dangerous - - - - - - - - - (context depending)
Washed out vs. Glowing

18. 7 – Pointed Shapes = Threatening
Knives, arrows, spears, missiles, rockets, rocky mountains, saw blades, fangs, etc.

19. 7 – Curved Shapes = secure
Rolling hills, rolling seas, boulders, rivers, curves of the body, etc.

20. 8 – Larger shapes = Stronger Shapes

22. Exercise: Cut out the displayed shapes
and arrange into two groups.
10 min.

23. Exercise: Cut out the displayed shapes
and arrange into two groups.
10 min.

24. 9 – Association of similar colors is stronger than association of similar shapes.

25. 10 – Contrasts enable us to see.

26. Exercise:
Using black shapes on white paper,
create a picture which evokes repetition
and confusion/regularity and
irregularity/ order and disorder.
40 minutes

27. Notes on Space

29. Space creates isolation and vulnerability.

30. Figure/Ground -- Positive/Negative Space

31. Overlapping

32. Furthest ---------- BACKGROUND ----------- top of picture
MIDDLE-GROUND
Closest ------------- FOREGROUND ----------- bottom of picture

33. Greater sense of space = Progressively smaller/thinner/lighter shapes

34. Misc. Notes:
Gestalt = Sum is greater than its parts
-Figure/ Ground
-Similarity
-Grouping
-Closure
-Continuity

35. ?s