1

TableofContents

MyPersonalThankYou

Prologue

WhatisArtisticStyle?

WhyCompose?

WithoutDesign,ThereMayBeRepresentation,

ButThereCanBeNoArtKenyonCox

TheArtofSeeingandVisualLiteracy

TeachingVisualLiteracyinAmerica(K12)

HowWellCanYouReadaDrawing,Painting,orPhotograph?

ClassicalArtTrainingforthePhotographer

Designandthe20thCenturyModernArtMovement

WhatIsanAtelier?

TheImportanceofLookingBack

WhyIReferenceJulietteAristides

IntroductiontoTheArtofComposition

WhatIsClassicalSkillBasedDesign?

TheGapBetweenPhotographyandArt

TheDifferenceBetweenaFineArtPrintandaWorkofArt

FeelingandGeniusinModernArt

WhyRulesAreNecessaryForLearningArtandDesign

BreakingtheRulesinComposition

14CommonMythsAboutCompositioninArt

ThePainter'sSecretGeometry

DynamicSymmetryandtheRootRectangles(theGoldenSectionSystemofDesign)

ModernArtist'sFearofDynamicSymmetry

LearningHowtoUseDynamicSymmetry

2
LearningHowtoAnalyzeDrawings,Paintings,andPhotographs

DeterminingGridStructure

DeterminingProportion

WhyDesignGridsAreImportantforLearningComposition

HowtoCreatetheDynamicSymmetryRootRectangles

ACloserLookattheRuleofThirds

WhytheRuleofThirdsIsPopularWithArtistsandPhotographers

TheRuleofThirdsandthe21stCenturyArtist

TheMechanicsofaRuleofThirdsGrid

LimitationsoftheRuleofThirds

TheMechanicsofaDynamicSymmetryGrid

TheBaroque,Sinister,andReciprocalDiagonalLines

TheRuleofThirdsGridvs.TheDynamicSymmetryGrid(visualcomparison)

AdvantagesofUsingaDynamicSymmetryGrid

The"Eyes"ofaGrid

CanDesignExistWithoutDiagonalLines?

IntuitioninComposition(MasterArtists)

IntuitiveKnowledgeinComposition(MasterPhotographers)

Bringingthe1.5RectangleIntotheGoldenSectionSystemofDesign

TheRoot2DynamicSymmetryRectanglevs.The1.5Rectangle

TheGoldenSectionandthePhiRatio(1.618)

HowtoCreateaPhiRectangle(1.618)

HowtoCreateaRootPhiRectangle

ThePhiRectangle(1.618)vs.The1.5Rectangle

ASimpleComposition

MyApproach

HowtoMakeaDynamicSymmetryGridOverlayforAnyDigitalCamera

3
AComplexComposition

HowArtistsCreateDivisionsinaDrawingorPaintingUsingCalipers

OverlappingDynamicSymmetryRootRectangles

DynamicSymmetryinAdvertising

AdditionalInformationonCompositionandBalanceinArt

TheUseofStraightLinesinComposition

TheVerticalLineinComposition

TheHorizontalLineinComposition

RabatmentinComposition

RabatmentinPhotography

SecondaryRabatment

TheImportanceofaThumbnailImageinComposition

FigureGroundRelationshipinComposition

Horizontalvs.VerticalinComposition

SimultaneousContrastinComposition

SeparatingElementsinaComposition

EchoinginComposition

JuxtapositioninComposition

EdgeDistractionsinComposition

GamutinComposition

90DegreeAnglesinComposition

TheArabesqueinComposition

CoincidencesinComposition

RadiatingLinesinComposition

AspectiveViewinComposition

PerspectiveinComposition

GazingDirectioninComposition

4
PointingDevicesinComposition

BreathingRoominComposition

AerialPerspectiveinComposition

EllipsesinComposition

EnclosuresinComposition

NotionalSpaceinComposition

CircularComposition

OverlappinginComposition

HierarchyinComposition

GreatestAreaofContrastinComposition

CompositionWithOneSubject

CompositionWithTwoSubjects

CompositionWithThreeSubjects

CompositionWithFiguresinaGroup

BalanceinArtandComposition

ClassicalBalanceinComposition

SteelyardPrincipleinComposition

BalancebyIsolationinComposition

VerticalandHorizontalBalanceinComposition

EntranceIntoaComposition

ExitingoutofaComposition

ValueinComposition

ValuePatterninComposition

FinalThoughts

SupplementalInformation

HowtoCreateaDynamicSymmetryGridforAnySizeRectangle

AdditionalRecommendedBooks

5
 TheArtofComposition:ADynamicSymmetryUsersGuidefortheModernArtist


MyPersonalThankYou

Thank you for downloading "The ArtofComposition:ADynamicSymmetryUsersGuideforthe
Modern Artist." I hope you find the information useful and your passionforlearningmoreabout
art and design never ends. For me, studyinggeometryhasbeenanobsessionthatstartedover
eight years ago. This user's guide is a result of that "obsession" and has become, over time,a
personaldiarythatIupdatewhenIdiscovernewmaterialthatIwanttosharewithmyreaders.

Let me start by saying thatthisisnotyourtypicalbookwrittenonthetopicofcompositioninart.

While many contemporary artists and photographers will limit themselves to the everyday
principles of design (the Rule of Thirds, the Rule of Odds, Leading Lines, the Rule of Space,
etc.), if properly applied, Dynamic Symmetry willpropelyourarttounchartedterritoriesthatyou
neverdreamedpossible.

Most artists,myselfincluded,fearfailureintheirart.Thisfearisnormal.However,whenourfear
prevents us from learningordevelopingnewskills,itbecomescounterproductiveanddamaging
to our personal growth. Learning how to see," also known as visual literacy, is a progressive
process and isn't always easy. All of the techniques that I mention here require practice and
some failure is inevitable along the way. Nonetheless, it's important to remember that we must
welcomeourfailedattempts,learnfromthem,andmoveon.

With that said, studying composition in art requires time, patience, and a desire to learn. Even
though Dynamic Symmetry isn't hard, it does take effort. And despite my best intentions to
provide as much informationtohelpthereadermastertheartofcomposition,it'snotpossibleto
include everything on the topic in one book. In thepast,MyronBarnstonehasmentionedthatit
takes himtwoyearstoadequatelyteachastudentthegoldensectionsystemofdesignandhow
toapplyittotheirart.

Because classical skillbased design can seem overwhelming at first, I have tried to give as
many examples as possible to help the beginner with the process of analyzing compositions.
The act of learning how to deconstruct and reconstruct art is a critical step in the learning
process, and you should try to decode as many masterworksastimewillallow.However,ifyou
have any questions about design or any of the other composition techniques I mention in this
guide,pleasefindmyemailconsultationservicesh ere.

Now,letsgetstarted!

Todownloadthisfulldocument,gotod
ynamicsymmetryart.com