Fashion Desigining
Class 11
Lecture 1:
Exploit elements and principles of design to make a still life composition.
Still Life composition
Definition:
A still life composition in art is a drawing or painting of objects that don’t move.
These objects are usually everyday items, like fruits, flowers, bottles, or books, arranged in a
way that looks interesting. The artist focuses on the shapes, colors, textures, and light in the
scene to create a pleasing or meaningful image. It’s called "still life" because the objects are
"still" and not alive, like plants, animals, or people.
To make a good still life composition, you can use the elements and principles of design.
Here's how to think about them simply:
Elements of Design:
1. Line: The lines in your composition can guide the viewer’s eyes. Think about how
objects or shadows create lines.
2. Shape: Look at the basic shapes of the objects (like circles, squares, or triangles) and
how they fit together.
3. Color: Use colors that look good together or stand out. Bright colors can grab attention,
while softer colors can create a calm mood.
4. Texture: Show how things feel—smooth, rough, soft. Even though people can’t touch
the artwork, you can make textures look real.
5. Form: Make objects look 3D by using light and shadows.
6. Space: Leave some empty areas (negative space) around objects so the composition
doesn’t feel crowded.
7. Value: Use light and dark to create contrast and make certain objects stand out.
Principles of Design:
1. Balance: Arrange objects so the composition feels balanced, not too heavy on one side.
You can use symmetry (both sides are the same) or asymmetry (different objects but
balanced visually).
2. Contrast: Show differences between light and dark, big and small, or smooth and rough
to create interest.
3. Emphasis: Choose one object or part of your composition to be the focus, so it stands out
the most.
4. Movement: Arrange objects in a way that guides the viewer’s eyes across the
composition, almost like telling a story.
5. Rhythm: Repeating shapes or colors can create a rhythm or flow in the composition.
6. Unity: Make sure everything works together and looks like it belongs. Even with
different objects, they should feel connected.
By using these ideas, you can create a still life composition that is visually interesting and
balanced!
Putting It All Together
1. Choose your objects: Pick items with different shapes, sizes, colors, and textures.
2. Arrange them: Place the objects in a way that uses lines, balance, and space to create a
visually appealing setup.
3. Think about lighting: Use light to create shadows and highlights, which will help
emphasize form and contrast.
4. Check the composition: Make sure the arrangement follows the principles of design,
like balance, emphasis, and unity.
By using these elements and principles, you can create a well-structured and visually interesting
still life composition.
Different types of shading techniques e.g. smudging, hatching, cross hatching,
pointillism.
Smudging:
Smudging is a technique of shading. Shading is first made on paper, then a finger
or soft material like a piece of cloth is used to smear the shading to make it smooth
and well blended.
Hatching:
Drawing of fine lines close together to give an effect of shading.
You can use hatching for showing the texture or the material of the product.
Cross Hatching:
A shade with intersecting sets of parallel lines. A method of line drawing that
describes light and shadow.
Pointillism:
Pointillism is a drawing or painting technique that uses tiny dots of colors to create
an image.
Colour Palettes help you find new colours by mixing two or more
colours together.
