Visual Communication: Composition The Rule of Thirds Russ  Wills  

!Using the elements of composition!These  articles  have  introduced  communication  through  line,  shape,  size,  shape,  color,  value,  and  texture.  Each  of  these  elements  of  composition  worth  together  to  communicate.  Strategic  placement  of  lines  will  create  shapes.  Contrast  in  value  can  create  texture  or  suggest  lines  and  shapes.  Duplicating  the  same  element  creates  repetition.  Contrasting  the  size  of  shapes  and  lines  exaggerates  the  effectiveness  of  size.  Now  that  the  basic  elements  of  composition  have  been  introduced,  several  other  important  elements  of  visual  communication  will  be  introduced.    

!Rule of Thirds!The  “Rule  of  Thirds”  is  often  referred  to  in  photography,  but  is  effective  in  nearly  any  visual  genre.  The  gist  of  the  rule  of  thirds  is  that  if  you  divide  your  frame  into  thirds  both  horizontally  and  vertically,  the  most  important  elements  of  your  image  should  fall  at  the  intersections  of  the  thirds.    

Sunset  photos  make  a  very  good  example  of  the  rule  of  thirds.  Do  a  quick  search  for  “sunset”  in  Google  images  (images.google.com).  Roughly  half  of  the  images  while  show  the  sun  and  the  horizon  directly  in  the  center.    

Take  the  same  scene  and  move  the  position  of  the  sun  within  the  frame  to  the  intersection  of  one  of  the  thirds  and  the  image  has  a  whole  new  life.    

In  this  case,  the  sun  falls  right  at  the  intersection  of  the  thirds.  

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By  placing  the  sun  at  the  intersection  of  the  thirds,  the  negative  space  in  the  image  opens  up  leaving  the  viewer  with  plenty  of  room  to  take  in  the  entire  scene.  The  viewer  is  not  left  to  wonder  where  to  look.  The  eye  is  drawn  to  the  sun,  the  brightest  part  of  the  image,  but  has  plenty  of  room  to  explore  the  scene.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the  image  is  primarily  about  the  effect  of  the  sun  on  the  sky.  The  foreground  (the  mountains)  are  an  important  part  of  the  photograph,  but  the  photograph  is  primarily  about  the  colors  in  the  sky.  CommiMing  by  using  the  rule  of  thirds  makes  the  important  part  of  the  image  clear  to  the  viewer.    

This  next  example,  this  time  of  a  person,  explores  the  rule  of  thirds.    

Recall  the  elements  of  composition.  The  boy’s  arm  creates  a  distinct  line  in  the  image.  The  gaze  of  the  eyes  also  create  a  virtual  line,  pointing  to  the  exact  same  place  as  the  line  of  the  arm.  The  negative  space  creates  a  recognizable  shape.  The  green  in  the  background  extends  through  the  green  in  the  shirt  collar  to  the  remainder  of  the  background.  The  red  in  the  shirt  contrasts  with  the  green  in  the  negative  space.  Negative  space  become  very  important  to  the  image  largely  because  the  boy’s  is  positioned  to  the  side  of  the  frame  with  the  nearest  eye  at  the  intersection  of  thirds.    

Imagine  the  same  photo  with  the  boy’s  face  centered.  To  the  right  of  the  eyes  would  be  the  back  of  the  head  and  some  blurred  green  from  the  background.  No  useful  information  would  exist  to  the  right  of  the  image.  There  would  be  negative  space,  but  that  space  would  be  largely  wasted  instead  of  contributing  to  the  image.By  keeping  the  boy’s  nearest  eye  at  the  intersection  of  the  

thirds,  the  information  contains  only  the  useful  information,  drawing  the  viewer  into  the  boy’s  world.    

Notice  in  the  description  of  the  image  how  several  elements  of  composition  work  together  to  achieve  a  strong  visual.  The  rule  of  thirds  works  with  the  other  elements,  not  in  isolation  from  them.    

Employing  the  rule  of  thirds  will  make  nearly  all  visual  work  stronger.  Use  this  rule  when  creating  PowerPoint  slideshows,  designing  brochures,  composing  photographs,  laying  out  elements  on  a  website,  and  in  nearly  any  visual  endeavor.  Remember  the  previous  elements  of  composition  and  place  the  most  important  elements  at  the  intersection  of  the  thirds,  and  your  work  will  be  very  likely  to  succeed.