Art Lessons - Methods for finding pleasing compositions (Aaron's Art Tips Season 2 E17)

[@kevinhong4337]

Seeing this 9 years later and it was SUPER helpful! Already knew about the spiral, and the rule of 3rds, but never thought it appliedn to my art. I wanted to comment so you knew how much videos like this help beginners starting their art journey, or for people like myself getting back into art :)

[@FrenchFrhyFilms]

The Fibonacci sequence is beautiful. It's amazing how art and math and nature fall together.

[@Burner-B]

I once heard a mathematician state that art and math are two methods of doing the same thing: exploring the beauty of the underlying structures of our universe. (Ian Stewart in Nature's Numbers if I remember correctly) He spent half a chapter explaining it, so I'm probably mangling the argument, but I still love the core idea, especially framed in a scientific view: Since a lot of our aesthetic preferences have some hardwired basis, these are most likely related to patterns that are beneficial to recognize quickly and with positive feedback. I would also add that they're both the result of something that makes us truely us: the ability to see beyond the moment, to explore potentialities and explicitly create mental models that we can manipulate to explore consequences. It is what takes us from "dude, this rock looks like a face!" To "dude, wanna bet I can make this rock look like a face?". Or "plant good for tying stuff" to "lets extract the fibers then twine them to make what I shall henceforth call rope". (That last one requires more ingenuity and material knowledge and insight than anyone has had since then)

[@trevorminton6084]

I think the reason it all works so well together is because math was created to quantify and measure nature. And we find beauty in nature because it's evolutionarily advantageous to have an eye for healthy symmetry. So it only makes sense for math to be very helpful in making beautiful art

[@happyfarmer979]

Your “rambling” sure helped me understand this. Can’t wait to try it!!!

[@REDMARKART]

So many douchey "know it all" comments. He's just showing examples of interesting composition techniques to help give a sense of balance to those that may struggle with composition. He even says these are just some interesting observations but if you're happy with your compositions just go with it. Why don't you wise guys use some of that energy to try and build at least 5% of the repertoire that this guy has?!

[@AaronBlaiseArt]

Thank you. Yeah...i think I explained it wrong but my point was was that even if you distort a golden ratio it still works from a compositional standpoint.

[@melmel7428]

You said it man!

[@addicted2p0rn]

The Art of Aaron Blaise yeah. It's not an arbitrary distortion. It's the golden ratio made congruent to the image size, or the golden ratio in that realm of perception

[@pianoman1209]

How to make the golden ratio fit in any drawing: step one. make the most detailed parts of your drawing near one of the four corners step two. slap the golden ratio in there step four. sound smart by saying that the detail is near the golden ratio end point step five. profit

[@dsadsa726]

I wouldn't pay any mind to any comments on art anywhere unless they link their artstation portfolio, waste of time :)

[@stuvs830]

What makes your videos so dynamic and immediate is the palpable delight and discovery as you speak. It's less student/teacher than co-adventurer. Very fun.

[@adamthorntonillustration9281]

I really love those pictures of the tiger in the water with the lilly pads and the earlier bear walking across the water. Wonderful! I dream to be able to paint like that. I'm working on it, with the help of Aaron's videos!

[@ProrogonLordoftheJags]

I put the thirds grid on my personal favourite piece and I was blown away at how it perfectly fit everything. This is really cool and helpful and it's getting my art senses tingling to play around with this idea.

[@halfabee]

If enough golden sections are applied to the painting one of them is bound to hit a point of interest. Even as your painting is turned black with golden triangle lines.

[@jurel-enlatado1]

Exactly, this video (and the whole golden ratio concept) feels like bullshit, 11:51 is a perfect example of him trying too hard to demonstrate something that just isn't there.

[@cassielee1114]

@@jurel-enlatado1THANKYOU I thought I was going insane

[@molte6961]

We went through this in math class but I never thought about applying it to my art. I'll definitely keep this in mind when thumbnailing later, it is really helpful. Love your videos!

[@AnnaGlin]

Best tutorial i've ever seen on these technical approaches to composition! I love how you emphasize the "feeling it" part and that it mostly just happens to fit. Well done Sir! Thank you!

[@davevanfunk8917]

This was so clearly explained. After watching a half a dozen videos which explained the math (and I do like math), this really brought the concept home!

[@annylaurie422]

Aaron has not said anything that is confusing or misleading he has just made interesting observations - nothing to get all bent out of shape about - these rules are not set in cement - they are just tools - I don't think the "rules" were ever meant to be applied so literally that the area of focus is always on exact mathematical point Bottom Line he said if it Looks Good it is Good. I think that most great artists gravitate towards the guidelines without ever really knowing them - as artists it is a natural inclination to create pleasing balance Thanks Aaron for the great video

[@bloodsord9]

But people trying to learn would use this as a learning tool.

[@thatswhatshesaid.literally737]

🤔 Actually the golden ratio is a rule that is "set in cement". It's 1:1.6, not 1:1.75 or 1.2:1.6, as he was doing in the video when he kept breaking up the ratio spiral and placing it where it looked like it would fit. Just because it fits doesn't mean it's part of the golden ratio, and nobody is going to learn a thing if they think that they can just break up the ratio portions and drop them anywhere they want and it will make it work. Doesn't work like that. That's what all the commenters are saying.

[@robertsalgado6707]

Thanks for making these awesome lessons Aaron! I'm going to learn as much as I can from them.

[@nhokonhokopuala]

Dude you must hear this all the time, you are so talented, but i think there is so much work into the talent. I envy you in a good way❤️

[@thestudent1541]

I love the statement, 'we were built to see that way...'

[@skwidvishus1188]

This theory/concept/rule/guideline/method has mesmerized me for years and I have a very good grasp of it's application in my art. As well, you have explained it exceedingly well here. I also feel that there is more to this than meets our eye. (No pun intended.) Haven't figured out exactly what that is yet, but my theory supposes that it also has something to with three dimensions, as they are perceived on a two dimensional surface, well as the arrangement of single subject matter(s) onto a flat surface. An excellent video, sir! It truly makes me think about what makes "good" composition and what makes "masterful" composition. Cheers! -John F Willis

[@joylady2012]

I really enjoy your teaching style and how you breakdown complex subjects and explain them in easy to understand terms. I am just embarking on illustrating at 60 years young!

[@alyssalouisee]

Let me just say beforehand that your art is absolutely AMAZING . I draw myself on Deviantart in a group of "Darpg" and I am glad to say that you Aaron, are my idol . My dream is to one day be able to create art as well as you do . You're so inspiring and while I havent been able to watch much videos I look forward to watching them! ^-^

[@akamucrimsidae]

You may have changed the world with this video. Thank you.

[@MichaelHickman3D]

This video is amazing! Can't tell you enough how helpful this was!!

[@davidmercer7767]

Hi Aaron and your viewers, I don't know if this would be easier for you but i use the grid option that's built into Photoshop. To get it to work hit cmd k to open the preferences then under guides, grid & slices in the grid section change it to grid line every 100 percent and subdivisions 3 and click ok to accept the changes. Now when you open any project press cmd apostrophe (cmd ') and it will super impose the rule of thirds grid on your project to suit the aspect. I just find it helps in my work flow. Hope this helps.

[@davidmercer7767]

***** You are welcome! I am glad you will be able to put it to use! I have just told our son that i have taught a top Disney artist something on Photoshop and he just stood looking at me in disbelief! 😃

[@janey2562]

Guides like these are very important to beginners. He is worth listening as we need guides that are universal. However, later we paint, how we would want things be painted and slowly we depart from rigid rules.

[@m.p.1131]

Thanks for being on KZbin Aaron. You're a true inspiration. I've studied the golden number and all some years ago, but it was in art history class and the teacher was so boring... :P We (your viewers) won't be able to say thank you enough, compared to all the good advices you give in your videos. Thank you so much :) ♥ Greetings from Paris!

[@Skykingsound]

Thanks for posting this. The only video I could find that shows real world examples and the golden ratio. Perfect explanation. If you have more to add to this, make another video.

[@SachiSchool]

You can't force the golden ratio to fit something in that way. If you distort it, break it down or shift it, then you can justify literally any composition within the rules of the golden ratio, good or bad. Sometimes it fits, sometimes it doesn't - that's just that. They are guidelines, not rules. And on that note you can use these guidelines to help your decisions if you're having trouble - for eg. the lioness standing to the left looking right over the savanna. Your composition was more or less appealing, but had you fitted your drawing to the mathematics a priori then you may have ended up with an even better composition than you actually did. Or, even so, maybe not. From there we could go onto debate subjectivity... but I think you get my meaning.

[@docdoowop]

good points....lets hear more from people who know what they are talking about...

[@albertopinciroli5331]

becka9431

[@hypeuprise7026]

docdoowop smh

[@raralex8986]

He didn't distort it... He just took a piece of it and found out that it fit... It doesn't meen that you have to distort or shift the golden ratio to fit your composition, it was just like a secondary point of interest...

[@pedrocunhachannel]

@@raralex8986 The golden ratio is proportion and there´s only one. I can´t turn circles into ellipses and keep saying is the golden ratio.

[@scarabrae]

Intriguing. I liked how the butterfly was on the curve in the last example.

[@JackTheVulture]

Awesome explanation! I wish my art professors had gone this in depth with examples. Very easy to understand! Kinda takes the scaryness out of that complicated lookin spiral. Ive always had a kinda "I ...sort of know what this is?" Knowledge about the golden rectangle but now I understand much better. Thank you! And thanks in general, your videos helped pull me out of a nasty artistic slump and really inspired me to get my butt in gear and enjoy learning again.

[@delphineava827]

It was uploaded 6yrs ago and still Gem.❤️🔥🙏

[@melaniebeech3805]

Great little crash course thank you

[@deborahrech7429]

Very interesting! Beautiful artwork too.

[@symeonleriou926]

Just for historical reasons. The golden ratio or phi from the Greek letter φ was first employed by Phidias, a very famous Greek sculptor who had the general supervision during the construction of Parthenon and had charge of the sculptural decoration . it's equal to (a+b)/a=a/b=1.618. Phi (φ) was also used by Pythagoras and of course Euclid.......... (you can read about it in "Euclid's Elements" )

[@thenar]

Aaron, I was looking to refresh my understanding of composition no camw across this. Fascinating and it kind of explains why some of my work which doesn't seem to,follow the rules, yet are pleasing, really do work with the sub rules.

[@TheTerrylwg]

Without a doubt the best explanations I've stumbled across! As a self-taught "dabbler" in art, you have opened amazing windows I've never look through before. I can't wait to view all your videos! You've got a new subscriber.

[@AaronBlaiseArt]

Thanks! So glad you found me :)

[@Mitchekie]

Great advice! Heard of the "rule of thirds" before, but never the "golden rectangle". Very interesting. As an aspiring artist, these lessons are valuable to me. Yours, in particular, have opened me eyes to things. This is one of my favorites of yours, right along with the "using the greater than & less than signs to add direction to character construction". You're a fantastic artist and I love all of these instructions. Don't stop! :)

[@Argyll9846]

Surely if you stretch or compress the golden ratio to fit an existing composition, it's no longer a golden ratio. It may fit the image, but the ratio 1:1.618 is distorted. After all a square is always a square never a rectangle especially when the ratio of the original image is not 1:1.618. I wrote a thesis on ratios and proportion through the ages and can't agree that this type of distortion is 'golden.' I do agree, however, that if it feels right then it (usually) is right.

[@mhairielee6006]

Nicholas Fox I agree with you, and it comes down to feeling right after all if its not right for the artist it probably won't be right for the art viewer. cheers!

[@addicted2p0rn]

he's distorting the golden ratio relative to the image size. it's not an arbitrary distortion. it's the golden ratio if it were congruent to the size of the image.

[@HussOnTheBeat]

Technically a square is always a square AND a rectangle

[@surpriseraisin5892]

I have a Wacom Cintiq and have only ever managed to draw sketches with it, mainly from not knowing how photoshop works. I just found your channel while looking for time lapse videos to show me how to colour in. I love your content and have been flicking through all your videos. They're incredibly useful and easy to understand. I'm in awe of your art and hope to learn a lot off you. Subscribed.

[@amanighamrawi583]

I think power points and golden ratio are very helpful & could be applied thanks

[@leobraddock1488]

Hey thank you for some clear starting points. I used your advice on something I started drawing today and it looks like it's coming together well. Thank you for the video! ^^

[@ddoseofmemes]

wait, how would ik where the center of interest is in an artwork? do I just have to like choose where to start my spiral? is there like a way to know if thats the middle of the spiral? p PLS REPLY ASAP I NEED IT FOR MY HOMEWORK

[@GraphPaperGirl]

I found this video very helpful, and I like your attitude of a sort of "Go with your gut" approach. I think that there are such strict opinions about all of this, and I was looking for just a bit of guidance. But I think people who are snooty about it are ridiculous. Clearly, you're an amazing talent, and your work speaks for that. I found all of it pleasing to the eye, even though wild life art isn't really my thing. I can certainly appreciate your eye for details - wow, and the majestic stillness of these large cats is amazing and you've captured it beautifully. I never thought to subdivide the thirds into secondary thirds, and that was the most important thing that I will take away from this. Thanks.

[@briankonutko7284]

skip to 2:54 to dive into it

[@mvnyk3nn888]

INTERESTING!

[@AngelVazquez-xh1dh]

At the end, If you try to fit an image to the rule of thirds or the golden spiral, you can do it, even if it was not the intention

[@flipletape9706]

This must be the 20th time I watch this. I know we never meant. But, you did so much for me. ty

[@vapsman88]

Thanks, Aaron! Great video once again. I have known about the "Rule of Thirds" and the "Golden Rectangle" for years, but never really seen anyone explain the application of these tools. The fog cleared about halfway through the video. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and skills.

[@sweethomes674]

Great explanations 🎨Thank you

[@Terre11117]

Lovely, very good and helpful explanation. Many thanks Aaron!

[@CC-yl9wz]

ive always wondered about this, thanks for showing it.

[@glenpowell7154]

Your video does a great job of showing how the golden ratio can be used to create pleasing compositions. It seems as though you could’ve cropped your photos, so that they fit the golden ratio and therefore have better compositions. Perhaps you might want to consider creating a video with you tweaking your photos to fit the golden ratio. You could also show how the golden ratio is present in some of the most famous works of art. Thanks for the video. Great job!

[@sylvieroxburgh8370]

Brilliant. So well described Thanks 😊

[@UliankaArty]

Hi, I love all your tips, but how would you apply composition rules on a different "canvases"? I paint mostly on myself or a full body of a model. I normally would break a space on the body into more regular shapes and then try to apply these rules. But I would be very curious to know of you would see it differently? Regards, Ulianka

[@johnsumnerapainterspalette5458]

It's also about ensuring your painting has a Center Of Interest

[@jonuhh_]

My understanding of the video. The composition technique is basically really good and the circle of the end of the swirl attracts the viewers eye

[@kitkat9341]

Can you tell me hw you got the golden spiral overlay, or did you create it? Does it really fit when you keep breaking it down. I think you if break anything down enough it would eventually fall where you "want it", but thanks for the video.

[@Sourav67676]

Thank you sir! I was very confused about this golden ratio. But now I know some of this rule.

[@paintpad6057]

Thanx for posting! Great explanation! I love art!

[@lanorefulgham6469]

Thank you so much for sharing!!

[@f1l4nn1m]

Composition rules are just a tiny part of the story. There's much more going on: size of the objects, layering, colors, tones, light. Studying composition rules seems just the very tip of the iceberg to me. I would argue that the best works of composition (in photos, movies, and paintings) are very far from following such rigid rules. On the contrary, they all break such rules by considering the other factors I mentioned above. That said, this video is very helpful.

[@SÉBASTIEN-formateur-CSE]

If you "double" (13:27), or manipulate in other ways, the golden spirale, are you sure it still works ??

[@kelt8123]

Great explanation & demo of this theory......thanks.

[@anthonypc1]

7:07 But if you adjust the proportions, then it's no longer the golden ratio... or am I missing something

[@thejakobistable]

the fibonacci numbers will adjust

[@anthonypc1]

@@thejakobistable could you explain what that means a little more ? (I know what the fibonacci sequence is)

[@thejakobistable]

@@anthonypc1 I think there is a ted talk video explaining it in 7 minutes. I dont know if I could nail it in a comment.

[@fbpliegorrivero8869]

You are not rambling. I think your analysis fit very well and nicely with theory. If you take the golden point rule further, you'll notice that other composition findings such as triangles, large objects, S & L shapes, horizon placement and other fit very well with it. Thumbs up!

[@Diana-pq4bq]

Thanks for sharing with us your attentive observation in composition, especially this is interesting to see how the golden ratio works in the environment!

[@namliennguyen3754]

thank you ! really helpful 🌻

[@biscuitsalive]

If you look for patterns you will find them. I'm still sceptical about the golden ratio. I'm actually doing a video right now to test out the theory for cinematography. Hopefully I will come to some conclusions.

[@bethbartlett5692]

The Golden Ratio is evident throughout Creation - Life - it is "Form - Balance aka Harmony" Balance is a 🔑 to our Life Journey - achieving and keeping it the Goal Trust the facts of the Golden Ratio and the Patterns it result in - truly Beautiful in the Grand Plan.

[@thienang7315]

Thank you so much for these amazing lessons!

[@HieuNguyen-og2ld]

Those sharing are really helpful. Thank you so much.

[@zakariamarghich7173]

you can't just increase/decrease the length and the width of the Golden ratio... ofcourse it will fit that way....

[@mohammedadil6181]

At 7:00 wouldn’t compressing the golden ratio basically changes its dimensions so essentially it’s no longer a golden ratio?

[@joannaskor316]

When you "free-transformed" you distorted the golden ratio. It's wise to study the golden ratio first and then paint, not the other way round.

[@WorldBelongsToUs]

I think many here are missing a simple point he made early on - if it looks good it IS good. It's not the MECHANICAL formula that defines the art and composition; it's the HUMAN aspect. I believe he was just trying to show the relationship of mathematics in relation to our minds. The real explanations are the squares and what fills them, not the spiral itself. People truly don't take something so simple to postulate a model of the creative mind? After all, aren't rules meant to be broken? Mathematician here studying marketing myself :)

[@pedrocunhachannel]

Joanna Skor, you're right. What is happening here is really misunderstanding (or ignorance) of the golden ratio and what is it, in depth. If any distortion is applied, it is not the golden ratio, is another ratio. It's all about proportions. And there is a golden one. About this issue, everything here is wrong.

[@addicted2p0rn]

@@pedrocunhachannel he's distorting the golden ratio relative to the image size. it's not an arbitrary distortion... it's the golden ratio in the realm of the image.

[@collectorduck9061]

Isn't the golden ratio a myth? =) Some old dudes wanted to explain everything in existence by way of mathematics because maths was the "language of god". And so they set out to explain beauty with it. But the truth is we don't really know why some times that leads to a pleasing image and other times it does nothing.

[@myscape8843]

I freaken stopped and checked the comments after he seriosly made he golden ratio fit the lion....that aint the golden ration no more..that's called "THE FREE-TRANSFORMED" ratio.... this is the first video I've watched so far that distorted the GR...

[@jan_wh1tey]

You can't just squash the spiral to fit your liking because in doing this you lose the ratio that you so desire.

[@addicted2p0rn]

he's distorting the golden ratio relative to the image size. it's not an arbitrary distortion... it's the golden ratio in the realm of the image.

[@victorialmoyer312]

Aaron, if you start manipulating these rules, ratios to fit your photographs, etc...they are not going to work. Some of your pictures that you showed would have worked, if only you cropped them. For example, the Leopard or the Lion & the Butterfly...try cropping the body of the leopard, you'll see that excess area isn't really pleasing to the eye (at least to mine) , and again, the lion & butterfly, try cropping the right side, you'll make a better (and pleasing to the eye) composition, I bet the Rules of 3rds and Golden Ratio are going to work. This is my humble opinion.

[@irwintatyana9066]

Hi do You use Golden ratio for drawing Birds

[@toxicmedium3205]

Interesting. I'm just getting into photography and videography; this was helpful in understanding framing.

[@raulalvarado7471]

this was really interesting! I never thought about it like that, you are up to something good with this, and reminded me of sacred geometry, thank you

[@AaronBlaiseArt]

Raul Alvarado Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@Galvorn100]

Amazing explanation, thank you!!

[@amedrodriguez5718]

I have watch almost all of your videos and their are awesome, thank youuuu!

[@marcosd9909]

Big thanks ❤️

[@johnnonamegibbon3580]

Don't look too long at the spiral, Aaron, you might go all Junji Ito's Uzumaki on us.

[@shannonfowler272]

Thank you! This is fascinating and very helpful!

[@kurbiswind7838]

See, when I turn on the thirds nothing really fits. But when I do this... *Literally breaks down all the thirds in more and more thirds so that the entire picture is covered in microscopically tiny squares* See? Everything's perfect, the rule applies.

[@EXOVVILLARUEL]

where to get that grid formats ?

[@f1l4nn1m]

OMG! You're such a talented drawer!!!

[@FFG8G]

Subscribed already. Future Animator here.♥️

[@JustinDancingHawk]

What about the more sophisticated technique of Dynamic Symmetry? Is there a template for the "Golden Mean" for Pixelmator Pro? I have Photoshop, but it stopped working!

[@3DKnuckles]

great tips, thank you

[@rociooAchan]

love your videos, you're extremely helpful. Thank you!

[@davidvanderveer5882]

I call it the golden meen and if you use it exclusively you will always have to get custom frames, if you frame your work...that can get alot more expensive then sticking with standard canvas detentions!

[@johntynan8161]

👍 brilliant!

[@flacisebulcivike8403]

I am trying learn art as fast as possible!

[@BaremetalDrake]

One of the key ingredients to art is patience :) I say this because I had your goal exactly. Enjoy the piece, love the process of making art

[@estikazzi9818]

thnks for this lession aaron

[@scurvofpcp]

I like how the lion @ 11.20 looks right at the other point of interest in the rule of 3rds.

[@PntrGrl]

I'm curious if you keep this in mind when you're actually designing? Or its just something that naturally evolves from having painted and studied art? It appears that is kind of a happy accident? Beautiful paintings that you do!

[@piepayal8777]

Sir you explained about the compositions. That's great! But should be the right size and ratio of the image? Could you kindly explain that?

[@irishelk3]

I don't understand how it fits if you keep breaking it up, i thought its just supposed to fit without having to do any of that?.

[@itchycroe411]

I think he’s just showing examples of the ratio inside the ratio and how using it in more than one way in a single work may help the overall composition

[@davidlestrange9153]

yeah that didn’t really make sense to me

[@dailyraven3241]

If it fits it sits rule. But it still works if it's not the golden ratio

[@nidhiyadav2991]

Thank you so much for this amazing videos.

[@17JazzyMe]

Very good and very helpful. Thank you.

[@donjonc33]

It's very cool that overlaying the golden ratio syncs up to a lot of art, but If you're skewing the golden ratio to overlay the canvas, wouldn't it no longer be the golden ratio? Or would it still be the golden ratio, just skewed?

[@JohnDoe-jz7bj]

+donjonc33 Skewing things by definition changes the ratio, so it's not a golden ration anymore.

[@gherat]

he didn’t skew it, he squashed it. It’s still a logical ratio, maybe not THE golden one, however, it did sync on the ratio of his canvas and ended up on points of interest on really nice compositions. Coincidence or not?

[@Honeyman126]

What size of canvases do you buy ?

[@VanillaXO]

thank you so much for this. i try so hard to understand measuring of golden ratio, but your video make me clear. the important point i get it is ... we can stretch ratio and break down part by part to get focus point ... i am right please? actually i confused using golden ration when work at square artboart (i am logo designer)

[@pedrocunhachannel]

No, you can´t. The Golden ratio is a proportion, a relation between two measures. If you change the proportion, squeezins it, there will be another proportion, but Phi. C= A+B so that B/A=C/B. That´s Phi.

[@spectrearts4544]

This will help me a lot !!! Thank you 🙏🏻