Dynamic Symmetry - How to use it in Photography and Painting

[@ContetorTV]

Travis I really like ur tutorial it's really a new chapter of art I would love to learn pls how do I get that card u put on ur phone screen I think that would help me really understand this very well

[@IPOXstudios]

Thanks for the nice comment! I created a ton of dynamic symmetry grids for artists to use on their camera, computer, phone, or iPad. They can found at the link below, then printed onto transparency paper. They are super convenient! :) Thanks for the support, I appreciate it! www.ipoxstudios.com/dynamic-symmetry-grids-for-photographers-and-painters/

[@passage2enBleu]

what about an app that works as a transparent grid? you can have a selection of various dynamic grids to choose from. it can be made to merge with image too for printout or projection.

[@femalefrankenstein]

Tavis Leaf Glover How about a psd or png grid to use in Capture One and such apps?

[@IPOXstudios]

That would be amazing! I wish camera companies would start making them as part of the software.(sorry for the late response)

[@IPOXstudios]

That would be great too!

[@ugurongel3066]

Thank you, very informative and inspiring

[@IPOXstudios]

@@ugurongel3066 glad you liked it!

[@thelostgentleman5096]

This is insane. I just discovered this channel. I will sub and watch more! I find lots of the tips online is almost like "guessing" and "hoping" the elements in the shots will look good. But when you make the calculations, that's when you can up your composition. Thanks for making this video!

[@IPOXstudios]

Thanks for the support! I'm glad you're finding some value in the videos :D

[@Carlos-vd3il]

I just started in the world of photography. As I studied, I was introduced to the Rule of Thirds. Regardless of my lack of knowledge and experience I felt there was something missing. You explanations and demonstrations Dynamic Symmetry using Gestalt's influence in understanding of how the mind perceives visual stimuli is impressive. I also enjoyed your explanation of coincidence. Please keep using examples of each term. It helps visual learners.

[@IPOXstudios]

Carlos Insignares thanks for the nice comment! I appreciate the support :)

[@j8van]

This is sooooo helpful. Especially for an overthinking amateur painter like me. Gives me some direction (no pun intended) of where to paint. Also noticed this in some of me earlier work

[@IPOXstudios]

Glad it was helpful!

[@thisandthatdailylife9081]

I made a 4:3 aspect ratio dynamic symmetry grid to lay over the iphone screen when taking pics /analyzing them. Thanks again for this suggestion in your video. Now hopefully it will result in an improvement in my composition of my reference photos for my paintings.

[@IPOXstudios]

bev bing sounds great, best of luck!

[@SamiAbuauad]

Thank you Tavis for the Amazing tutorials! I just ordered your book. Cheers mate!

[@IPOXstudios]

Sami Abuauad you’re welcome, thanks so much for the support! :D

[@thisandthatdailylife9081]

I found another of your videos and it answered my question. Thanks for filling in all the gaps in this theory. Now to have a go at applying it to the compositions of my future paintings. Thanks again for such clear and helpful an explanation and “how to” walk through

[@IPOXstudios]

bev bing ok sounds good, thanks for letting me know. Take care!

[@dhoutab]

I bought your book"canon of designs" its really help me to enhance my knowledge about composition in painting and how it is applied to photography also.I didn't know about dynamic symmetry before..thank you

[@IPOXstudios]

Dhoutab Sundarsingh thank you for the support, I appreciate it! 😊🙏🏼 I’m glad you’re introduced to the techniques now, they will help your art flourish. Take care!

[@AdiShaktiDakini]

Thank you for the information, I definitely would like more videos like this! 💗 😘

[@jessewhitacre2426]

This is the best video

[@ginnerzapata5909]

Thanks bro! I'm into graphic design... this helped a lot!

[@baba_nam_kevalama]

Superb superb

[@IPOXstudios]

Raman kumar thank you!😊

[@baba_nam_kevalama]

@@IPOXstudios no sir it's really helpful and pleased thanks

[@necessarysufficient]

Maths and Art = perfect partners. Yet so often thought of as opposites in school curriculums.

[@ericthered2963]

My former math teacher is an artist. Every time her drawings kinda merged into the math. And she somtimes doodled while we were solving a problem. To top it all off she was an amazing teacher and has a KZbin channel.

[@thinhpham5203]

first of all, thank you so much for an amazing video, i've learnt alot from it so far. But i have a question, since my english are not good enough to fully understand your intruction in the video at 8:09 , can u explain more about how those "root" interact with the grid? i mean, how a number like 1,333 or 1,272 etc being transferd to different size of canvas that make difference on the grid??? Once again, thank you very much, hope to receive a reply from you.

[@IPOXstudios]

Thanks for watching. The ratio just comes from one side being divided into the other. Here’s a video that explains it in a simple and visual way. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpnTmK2HYs6sqdU

[@aqeelnizamani]

Good work bro

[@IPOXstudios]

Aqeel Ahmed thanks!

[@femalefrankenstein]

Amazing. I showed my BF this video and he went insane. I hope he can buy these grids and instructions on your site. Thanks so much for making these brilliant videos! I hope we can understand all these interesting grids? Cause I guess there are ones for different frames like 3:2 for cameras?

[@IPOXstudios]

Catherine Manne thanks for sharing it, that helps a lot! :D yes, there are many different grids, and I’ve sized them to fit many different LCD’s for cameras. Take care!

[@femalefrankenstein]

Tavis Leaf Glover Thanks I saw that complete set on your website. I’ll tell to buy it tomorrow and check out your books. Thanks for the help.

[@IPOXstudios]

Catherine Manne wow thanks so much! :)

[@WandaMartingaga]

You are amazing.

[@IPOXstudios]

Kinder Garfield thanks for the support! :D

[@HunnitAcreWoods]

hi again, just purchased the grids, didnt know they were printouts, I was looking more for prints shipped to me... any who the older phone folder only has up to iPhone 7... how do I resize them for iPhone 6s plus?

[@IPOXstudios]

Hunnit Acre Woods thanks for the support! Sorry there was some confusion about the format. The iPhone 6plus should also be part of the package. Maybe check in the archived phones folder. They can be resized in Photoshop easily. You just need the dimensions of your phone screen in camera mode (which is a 4/3 rectangle) then drop in the grids and shrink them to that size. Be sure to hold shift to constrain the proportions when resizing. Hope that helps, please email me if you need further help and I’ll do my best to guide you. Take care!

[@Gowthammx]

This video and your article are very informative and I believe they would help while I'm shooting. One thing I couldn't understand was how to implement the roots in the rectangle. Could you please explain that.

[@IPOXstudios]

Thanks for the question! If you are wondering about using the grids in photography, I explain how Henri Cartier-Bresson uses it in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fV7Wk4Kwp8xlrNEm44s If you are interested in drawing you could watch this video with a Picasso master copy. Hope that helps ya! :D kzbin.info/www/bejne/hX7CaK2Cea-YsMU

[@Gowthammx]

Tavis Leaf Glover thanks a lot for responding! I'll check them out for sure :D My interests lie in South Indian martial arts and cultural studies. During my fieldwork I make short video documentaries. You could checkout one over here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mXuVc36kd5Wkp9E I'll be using your techniques to compose my documentaries.

[@thisandthatdailylife9081]

Your idea of a stick on overlay to a phone screen is awesome ! Forgive what is likely an embarrassing question from someone new to this - If you want a border on your painting such as on a 9X12 canvas how to do apply the grid to the smaller painting area?

[@IPOXstudios]

bev bing thanks for watching! It depends on the size of your border. If I were doing it for around 1in of border I’d divide 10in by 1.333 (the ratio of your canvas) to get 7.5in. My painted surface would be 10x7.5 and my border would be .75 on the short sides and 1in on the long sides...equalling 12x9. This would mean your painting area is an exact 4/3 rectangle to use the 4/3 grid, and the border is slightly different on each side. Hope that helps.

[@thisandthatdailylife9081]

Yes a big help thank you !

[@romelmadrayart]

Hi I have watched your videos and tried to apply it to other books I read on composition. However, having some difficulty in understanding.Do have existing order of how to watch your videos to understand what exactly you are trying to communicate,?

[@IPOXstudios]

Thanks for watching. You can try some of the analyzes painting and photo videos. I walk through the techniques and explain it. For dynamic symmetry you can try this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aYPKXoGQqNWNjbs

[@hafiz2664]

Can you recommend other photographers I can check out apart from HCB that also uses dynamic symmetry in their works?

[@IPOXstudios]

Thanks for the comment! Yes, Annie Leibovitz, Erwin Olaf, David Bellemere, and Gregory Crewdson are some of my favorites. I hope that helps :)

[@HunnitAcreWoods]

Hey Did You Learn This From Myron Barnstone And Then Develop It?? And How Would These Apply To A Perpective Drawing??

[@IPOXstudios]

Hunnit Acre Woods yes Myron introduces it to me in his DVD course and class in PA. I’ve developed it much further in my new book. You can use the grids to start with perspective drawings, and you can parallel or add lines (point to point) to get what you need. Or you can use the grids to organize smaller elements within your perspective drawing. Hope that helps, thanks for watching!

[@HunnitAcreWoods]

@@IPOXstudios We are pupils of the same master, my question about perspective is more I can see how the vertical points would parallel the baroque/sinister diagonals, but I'm tryna figure where my horizon line would go... guess I gotta analyze more master works lol

[@IPOXstudios]

Hunnit Acre Woods very cool, he was a great mentor and his videos are priceless! Best of luck with your drawings. Take care!

[@LM-xz1rc]

Hi Tavis - within dynamic symmetry in the Arab world which reads from right to left, does that then mean the sinister diagonal is more popular than the baroque diagonal? This would be helpful when creating work. I also don't know how they read paintings and photography. TIA! :)

[@IPOXstudios]

I believe the sinister diagonal would have the same effect on the way the viewer reads the art if they were use to reading from right to left. Great question :) I analyzed some book covers and found that some popular ones like "Harry Potter" had the design flipped for the East. Pretty cool! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@forrest603]

What about handling a canvas size that may not be within the perfect ratios? Do you simply draw a proper ratio within it, using the rest as dead space -- or? For example, I have a size of 53 x 40 which = 1.325. Not quite 1.333.

[@JohnnyAGraves]

Would be cool to have a grid to place on the view finder on my camera.

[@bonsaipiper3773]

What paper are the grids printed on?

[@IPOXstudios]

Clint Ashley Thanks for watching! The clear ones are printed onto a transparency film. Any print shop has this and can be printed by them or at your home. You can also print the grids on normal paper and use them with a light pad to design a photo or painting. Take care!

[@shastingrace3760]

Really wish you would just show how to do the whole grid in one video! How do we find the reciprocal lines to know where to place our diagonals??

[@skydive7273x]

First I would like to say that I find this very fascinating and I have no training in any of this (I am a chemist and a hobby photographer). In the example of the "jumper" if you just used the rule of thirds and put the jumper some what close to the third that looked good for the composition, I think I would have come up with something very similar with out knowing about the rest of the lines. Also the painting example that you showed. Do you know for sure that he used the lines that you drew on the painting? As humans we are prone to find patterns where maybe none exist. I am not asking to be an asshole, I just have a genuine curiosity and as I have said before I find this and all of your videos to be fascinating and educational.

[@IPOXstudios]

Thanks for the nice comment! I'm glad you found the video and even if you are a hobby photographer...you never know what it will turn into :) Yes, the painter did use those lines (dynamic symmetry) to compose his painting. Most of the master painters did...and were required to by the church (if they were commissioned....circa 1500). It has been kept a secret for a long time, but Myron Barnstone has shared the secrets to other artists. I'm doing the same by sharing this knowledge. Why should we be left in the dark right? I just uploaded a new video where I analyze a Picasso etching and show how he used dynamic symmetry...I recreate his etching into a drawing and show how I did it. Check it out when you can. Thanks for being curious and commenting! I appreciate it!

[@Slicc7]

This is so cool, thank you so much! Did you study under the Barnstone method?

[@IPOXstudios]

Thanks for the comment! Yes, he was a great mentor! :)

[@atmyhouse478]

Do you sell those templates? :)

[@IPOXstudios]

Yes I’ve made a grid package to make it easier to compose. It takes all the math out of things and you can just align to the grids👍🏼 ipoxstudios.com/product/dynamic-symmetry-grid-package/

[@Train35711]

you tried taping the go pro on the roof?

[@IPOXstudios]

Eric Tagayuna yeh I’ve gotten rid of the glasses and attached a GoPro from the ceiling instead 👌🏽😎

[@jilliancrawford7577]

What did you use to make the grid you're taping on your phone? Is it just clear plastic, or is it something special?

[@IPOXstudios]

Jillian Crawford I designed the grid to the size of my phone (also available on my site) and then had it printed onto transparency film. It's pretty durable and can be used multiple times if needed :)

[@Zzz-iz6jk]

I like this kind of theory, but I also think this can be as much a trap as the rule of thirds. That's not so say that one can throw anything on a canvas and expect a pleasing composition. However, being as different people find different things pleasing, formulas won't ensure a pleasing composition to all. Formulas are good to play with, but you also have to develop and learn to trust your intuition. In the end, create whatever pleases your own eye and only lean on formulas when you're under a deadline and your job depends on it.

[@IPOXstudios]

Zzz thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts!

[@dadnoonan]

Make an app! It's call camera function and overlay your grid. Download the code and make lazy quick buttons

[@IPOXstudios]

Sounds great to me! :D Thanks for the comment!

[@bryceworld]

Tavis Leaf Glover there are a few around already! They cost though, some are better than others..

[@IPOXstudios]

Bryce Hughes cool thanks for the heads up!

[@ioanasingureanu]

What does it say about me that I find the sinister diagonal more pleasing than the baroque? 😉

[@IPOXstudios]

VotingInNH haha, good question! Thanks for watching!

[@frankblangeard8865]

Quantum mechanics and special relativity are the only real tools for getting a good photo.

[@arnokruiver]

Really interesting and stuff, but the wiggling of the screen make me seasick within a few minutes. Thats a shame because i wanted too look at it all the way.

[@IPOXstudios]

Thanks for watching as much as you could. Sorry about the shaky POV camera, I have stopped using it :) I have some recent videos that might help you out. They show how to build the root rectangles and armature in Photoshop. Take care!

[@gudgas]

Bah !

[@phantomofoaktown]

My dyscalcula is telling me to use the rule of thirds.

[@IPOXstudios]

Haha, yes that would be the easiest thing to do that's for sure. Try checking out my other video that shows how to start simply with one line. Take care! kzbin.info/www/bejne/aYPKXoGQqNWNjbs

[@mitigiant5328]

do you live in a ship?

[@pjlewisful]

"cause you don't want to confuse us"?!?! Man, I've been an art teacher for forty years & I've never been more confused. LOL I said to myself "I'll hear this guy out & listen" but, sorry, this is just too tedious, math like, & detail-oriented for 95% of my (adult) students. My admiration to all of you who this works for, however.

[@IPOXstudios]

Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts. Sometimes the ego will do things to repair itself when it’s damaged, so I’ll only ask this next question to try and understand further. Were you laughing at yourself for teaching art for forty years and still not using these techniques in your art? I hope not. First, you should never laugh at yourself, and you should give more energy than that to your ability to learn new things which WILL benefit your art. Not to mention that you’re a teacher, so you could take the time to slowly learn this stuff and help others. It’s not fair to speak for your entire group of students even though you may have their best intentions at hand. It’s impossible to know each individual person, and assuming their ability to learn this information is perhaps taking the easy way out. As I was curious about before, the comment seemed to heal a damaged ego and tell me more about you than you may have wanted. That is, if any of this is ringing true, free of the egos desire to lash back and heal itself again. I don’t mean to hurt any feelings, especially not yours since you are a fellow teacher, artist, and took the time to try and learn more. My only intention is to help artists use this information so we can change the future of art together. The rule of thirds won’t allow us to do that, and that seems to be all everyone is stuck with. As one teacher to another, I know you have the knowledge to learn this information and share it in a way that you can communicate it easily to your students. They deserve it. I’ve also got another video that will help you understand the ratios, how the grids can easily be drawn by hand, and how to start with the baroque diagonal. The information is simplified and available for free if you’re truly wanting to learn more. Either way, best of luck! kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpnTmK2HYs6sqdU kzbin.info/www/bejne/aYPKXoGQqNWNjbs

[@negotiableaffections]

Decide if you want to be an artist or a mathematician and commit, is my take on this. If you don't have natural talent...practise, practise, practise.

[@negotiableaffections]

@Techy Nomad there will always be those who'd prefer to take an elevator up to the summit of Mt. Everest!

[@diegofguillen]

Good content, but the camera moves too much, I'm feeling dizzy.

[@amymasi9110]

whooooo boy. Great stuff, but I had to shut it off at around 7 minutes, the video was making me nauseous.

[@quantumangel]

You know, If you're going to film something static you can just use a stationary camera. Sticking the camera to your head while drawing will only make your viewers nauseated. Some people are extremely sensitive to that kind of movement.

[@ChillingSpartan]

Why everywhere the number one is shown as '1', but americans always write this as 'I'? Sorry for to be off-topic.

[@saleemsamie6924]

this is so complicated