Composition and Design

Im working on a watercolor painting at the moment, a montage of military images. The composition is mind-boggling, trying to get a dozen subjects to work together. Sometimes they are too similar, and seem to run together, creating problems of scale - so it looks like a tank is firing upon a soldier, or that the mountain is actually a molehill. Sometimes they are too different, and I have to try and create a smooth transition between a sky and a patch of dirt. The most difficult thing is creating dynamism and movement. This is where the principles of composition come in handy. By carefully arranging the images I can imply lines of movement where there are none, and guide the viewer's eye around the picture. I can create a unified, rather than disorganized composition, and at the same time, give it a sense of dynamism, despite a fairly symmetrical, centered arrangement.