Welcome to

Shades of White

1

introduction

introduction

Welcome my friends to the Shades of White Classroom! I’m so very delighted you have joined me here for this one-week Mixed Media class!

The concept for this class has been rolling around in my head for a little while. I have lately been drawn  to artwork with limited palettes and found myself inspired by their simple grace and peaceful appearance. I also began to notice (remember) that when color is stripped away, composition becomes more important and vital to the success of the piece.

Many of you may know that I’m a bit of a composition freak. I absolutely loved analyzing works of Art during my days at Art School! I found it satisfying and revealing to understand the “WHY” behind what made a piece visually coherent. Of course, Art will forever be subjective but the basic principals of design can be seen in almost all well renown works.

I believe it is important to know why we choose certain design choices over others….why did I put my horizon line there or add that contrasting square of black? Of course, it’s important to know the What’s too! What does this piece need to balance it? What must be taken away to create unity? These are questions that we need to know how to answer. We need to be able to step back and scrutinize, deconstruct and evaluate our compositions.

Ready for a little Composition 101! I’ve created audio files so you can listen to me analyze these works. Enjoy!

That being said I want you all to know that I if you desire a composition critique please post your sketch into the FB group and tag me or email me directly. I will happily give you constructive criticism to assist you in building a stronger design.

Let's continue to composition 101...