The #1 Composition Rule You Cannot Break 

Not everyone is a teacher and not everyone knows how to present and market themselves. Doesn’t mean that all their content is crap )).. try to be patient

I'm always very grateful. If I don't feel I learn I just prefer to watch other people. Horses for courses

Same here. I've gotten to the point where, even if it's subject matter I'm really interested in, if they have a slick video with theme music I have to endure first, I'm gone. I can't take "me me me." I just discovered Ian Roberts and I'll be here a lot.

They do that because of a RU-vid lesson that teaches creators that you have to be loud and command the attention of the audience immediately. I hate it too.

TouTube

I appreciate your letting me know Bob. Best wishes.

@@antrygrevok6440 I agree. Design is what makes Art emotional

Exactly what I thought of

dragon ball.

Yes great idea 🎉

Are they actually breaking it though? Sure, each panel may break it, but the whole strip or book is the “canvas” artwork.. so they do not break it because this rule is to keep a viewer engaged within the artwork piece, comics just have a multi-frame piece. The goal of this rule is to guide the viewer thru the piece and keep them engaged within it… no matter the scope or medium… single frame or multiple frames… I would challenge you to actually analyze HOW the comics “break” the rule in single frame and you will see how they are guiding you from one frame to another and then on the the next page… it isn’t a broken rule… it’s just expanded in scope….

Also panelling in comics.

Yes. Summed up, it is a tool, and one that you need to know when you are using and do so with intention. If it’s used unintentionally, you will have unintentional results.

Hi pals! I get what you guys talking about. I guess he's talking about #1 Composition Rule in Painting

It's still not pulling you out of the art though. It's pulling you away from that one page, but the entire book is the "plane" in this case, so the composition is set up to navigate you through this piece of art in the way the artist intended. I have seen this style of composition in galleries too, where the artist wanted to tell a story through pictures and had a very specific way of setting the paintings up, one leading to the next, leading to the next. Though each painting was of a different subject, at a different location, they sort of "pointed" to each other through the composition. The gallery guests were not given a single arrow or a single word of how to navigate this story, yet almost everyone walked an unmarked path as the artist had planned. That is why this rule is so important. It will affect you, even if you know zero about art. And it will affect you, even if you already know it is there.

I think ur missing the whole point. His sharing is a gift.

You all prolly dont care but does anyone know a method to log back into an instagram account..? I was stupid lost my login password. I would love any tips you can give me!

@Nash Forrest instablaster ;)

@Fox Chaim I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and im trying it out now. I see it takes quite some time so I will reply here later with my results.

@Fox Chaim It did the trick and I actually got access to my account again. I'm so happy! Thanks so much, you saved my account :D

@Nash Forrest glad I could help :)

Well Andrew that makes me happy. Best wishes.

I'm always amazed in recent animated films how good the backgrounds are. And how astonishingly good the effects are now with water and so on. It is a little like looking at a painting and admiring how lifelike it is. Which is one arena to look at. The other is how visually original it is. Which is a different arena.

I also suggest Ethan Becker if you haven't found him already. He's got some solid tips for drawing/composition and a hilarious sense of humor 😁

yeah, it is super useful but when this is purposeful. often it can be dertimental to holding someone's attention. but def very good for things like this picturebook example or comics where you wish for the reader to jump from panel to panel fast, to give the scene portrayed great momentum, anticipation, curiosity or anxiety.

I guess like most rules, they can be broken with success, if done well ans with forethought.

It's like the rule in writing saying that you should describe what something is, not what something isn't, and then Douglas Adams comes along and describes spaceships as "hanging in the air in the same way that bricks don't": On the face of it, it breaks that rule, looking a bit deeper, it doesn't, because it describes the spaceships as appearing irreal, unbelievable, in a visceral way that just would not be possible without employing a negative, sending the reader "out of the reality frame". Which is exactly what was intended, and what you intended with those illustrations. So maybe a better design rule would be "make it do what you want", but then people are completely lost. "Break the rule only once you understand its purpose" seems to be a better didactic approach: Rules are a list of things to pay attention to, nothing more, nothing less.

I think with your book perhaps you arent breaking the true rule here. I think the concept really is that you have to create a piece that leads attention where you want it to be. In 99% of cases, that means you want attention to be on your painting. In your case, you intentionally wanted to lead elsewhere, accomplished that, and the fact that it worked means you were successful.

Honestly, what I saw here is the difference between a composition directed towards dynamism and another directed towards balance. I guess as a painter one might like a balanced one better, but as an ilustrator/graphic designer/storyteller both are equally useful.

You are welcome Maire. I am glad you are enjoying them, and for letting me know. Best, Ian.

correct - yes / absolutely - NO!

Eloquent is indeed the most appropriate word! And finally someone who REALLY demonstrated the BIG difference a SLIGHT detail, like an increased color intensity, can make.

Great Brad, glad you liked the content and the transitions.

What a beautiful perception .

Thank you Bev.

Thanks Christine.

This. Thiiissss. Yes. Thank you for saying this.

Yes. I looked at the men, too. For several reasons the eye (ie my eye) is attracted to that image rather than the strong pathway out of the picture, which to me gives a huge sensation of motion, but it doesn’t take me with it. For this principle to be “the one unbreakable rule” is a bit heavy, I think; certainly it’s an excellent guideline for traditional art, but I think following all the guidelines can easily result in rather dull pictures, and we are so saturated with images these days that an artist who wants to grab the attention almost needs to break a few guidelines.

Hi Julia, thanks for all your feedback. I appreciate it and of course I'm happy you find the videos helpful. All the best, Ian.

Same, I also try squinting until my picture becomes simply blocks of colors.

You are still crazy -_The Voices_

Me too, then I’ll see for the first time some image in the clouds I don’t like, like a big fish!

Ian, I sent you a picture of the painting I’m talking about on Instagram. Would love to hear what you think.