Divine proportions are named so because of how often they appear throughout nature. Da Vinci's Human Figure in a Circle is a prime example of this, but it can be seen almost anywhere in living beings. It is also related to the Fibonacci sequence and the golden spiral.
The Rule of Thirds is relatively simple, and is something I have previously encountered within studying of Photography. It is more utilised in cinematic shots or landscapes. Items or focal points that lie across the lines that cross over the one-third points either vertically or horizontally create a better balance of composition. There are also additional elements where additional lines are taken across diagonally through the whole image and then to the opposite side, touching the closest third corner to create a lop-sided triangle. Many iconic pieces follow these guidelines, which is why a lot of them are so effective.
The 'L' is like a frame within a frame. Imagine shrinking down an image to fit into four of the six thirds, or more, or less. It balances composition by making sure everything doesn't stretch too far into each other.
The Cross is a rule which encompasses two imaginary lines. The lines cross through the middle and are often in a horizontal/vertical arrangement. One line is the 'leading line' and generally is where most of the focus is placed. the other line is the 'stopper' line and is where elements of the image change, be it colour warmth or whether it is dark-on-light or light-on-dark. However, this technique is hard to utilise properly.
Iconic is quite similar in shape to the Cross, but is more like the Rule of Thirds in application. Iconic is based off of lines which pass through the middle both horizontally, vertically and diagonally to each corner, as well as from each centre-side to the top and bottom side respectively. Placing high-contrast points to change across these lines creates effective composition.
Now I have detailed the fundamental composition elements, I am going to look at some pieces and analyze their composition.
Image 1 - Sky by elleneth
It is clear that the most prominent composition used is the rule of thirds. The large spire lies exactly along the right third, with the plains skirting across the lower third. The 'eye' of the spire is almost on the upper-right focal point. However, there is also some elements of the 'L', here, considering the angular, almost 90 degree incline that the spire takes compared to the plain.
Image 2 - Blind Reaper by Algido
This image has utilised the Rule of Thirds to its maximum potential here, applying subtle consideration of both the focal points created by the thirds (the chest of the right soldier lies exactly on a focal point) and the diagonal lines. There are also elements of the 'Iconic' rule, such as the blood spurts and momentum of the soldiers following the diagonals toward the centre.
Image 3 - Who Let the Dog Out? by jasonwang7
Again, the Rule of Thirds is aptly applied. The dwarf in the foreground, whilst not exactly on the focal line, touches upon it. The dog collar is also similarly placed towards the bottom-right focal point, with a diagonal line that leads from the top left to bottom right leads exactly over the collar and footprint, guiding the eye almost perfectly through the sequence of events.
Image 4 - Industrial cityscape1 by moonworker1
There is a lot of application of both the rule of thirds and the iconic rule here. The road in the foreground leads perfectly across the bottom-left/top-right diagonal line, which guides the eye onto the opposite duagonal line, following the rule of thirds before being directed into the iconic view, being guided across the cityscape by the diagonal curve of the city across the top.
Image 5 - Denialism by Tatchit
Whilst the Rule of Thirds is again applied here - the hands lie directly on a focal point - the most notable thing, to me, is the use of the Cross. The bottom half is dominated by warm, bright colours whilst across the middle - over the stopper - it switches to dark and cold colours. The wing on the left side is also well placed, following the diagonals created with the Rule of Thirds perfectly - not directly on the line but close enough to see it is there.
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