If you’ve been paying attention to my sketches and what I’ve written about them over the past several years, it won’t surprise you that I think a lot about composition. It’s the glue that holds all other elements together, as well as contributing an accessible pathway toward new discoveries.
Hiding ©2019 Elizabeth Fram, 11 x 8.5 inches, Ink and colored pencil on paper. If you haven’t been following my sketches, you might not realize that lump in the background is Quinn, snuggled up in her bed at one end of the sofa.
Lately I’ve been playing around with the idea of including two focal points within a composition. My first stab at this approach was serendipitous, not intentional. Initially I just wanted to record a fading candy-striped amaryllis, but it soon became apparent that the flowers didn’t hold enough weight on their own for the drawing to feel complete. The decision to bring Quinn into the background not only added much-needed muscle, but by limiting color to within the amaryllis alone, an interesting tension arose between the foreground and the background.
Behind, Between ©2019 Elizabeth Fram, 11 x 8.5 inches, Ink and colored pencil on paper.
Thinking about that sketch afterward, and the way its various elements came together, made me realize there is something deeper to be mined in a drawing that balances two subjects. And, by including a bit of healthy competition between color (as an entity unto itself) and pattern (or marks), I think the overall effect has the potential to become even more compelling.
Frida Twins ©2019 Elizabeth Fram, 18 x 24 inches, Graphite and colored pencil on paper. One of our regular models occasionally brings her twin sister to sit with her. This day they were both fully decked-out as Frida Kahlo, and drawing them from this angle became my “aha” moment.
It was pure luck that we had two models instead of just one at life drawing a couple of weeks ago. That session, on the heels of the first sketch with Quinn and the ones that followed it, cemented the idea that this is an approach I should investigate further.
Alexis Too ©2019 Elizabeth Fram, 18 x 24 inches, Graphite on paper This week, looking beyond our model, I experimented with including another member of our group. The fact that she was concentrating so deeply made it easier to capture her. The contrast between the more detailed figure and the sketchy one make for a more interesting drawing, I think.
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I really enjoyed discovering Kate Park’s work and website this week. Maybe you will too.
Beautiful – Behind, Between. I like sketches that combine ink and color. The composition, I think, works quite well, focusing on both,or one or the other. In life, it is difficult to focus on just one thing as there are always distractions, which don’t always really distract from the focus.
Thanks for your thoughts Louanne. That is such a great point about focus and distractions in general. How is your drawing coming along?
LOVE Behind, Between!
Thanks Pam! Flowers and a dog…one of life’s better combos, don’t you think?
“the idea that this is an approach I should investigate further.” YES, and please keep investigating. As a photographer, we typically use depth of field as a way to share the focus on two or more subject planes. I love the idea of looking for color to emphasize that even more. And, yes Louanne, one of the things I often realize as a photographer is how truly complex live, moving scenes are compared to a still photograph. SO much goes on that enriches even if we cannot take the time to acknowledge it all while also breathing.
I hadn’t thought about a connection with photography, but of course – what a great point! The distractions you and Louanne reference, while challenging, also open the door to some unusual solutions that a static image might miss.