All language subtitles for 3.1 Understanding Composition

Hey, what's up guys!

Nelson here.

And in this chapter

we'll be making some backgrounds together.

I know backgrounds can be tough for people just starting out

and I want to give you all the tools and knowledge I know to get you started.

We'll be going over a couple key elements of what makes up a background

like composition, perspective, and values.

Afterward's we'll be making our own background based off of the photo.

Let's get started! In today's video, We're going to be talking about composition.

Composition is the artistic arrangement of the parts of a picture.

There are many elements that are able to make an eye-catching composition.

Let's go over them together one by one.

Let's talk about the rule of thirds.

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The rule of thirds is a grid that overlays the scene

The points that intersect are the points of visual interest.

And here are a couple examples when that can come into play.

You often find this grid present in your own camera or a smartphone as well.

I like to place figures or objects or points of interest in the background

on those intersecting points because that's generally where the eye likes to look around.

Let's talk about proportion and framing now.

When you're thinking of a background to draw

what do you want it to be about?

What do you want to focus on?

A character? An object? a full view of a background?

What kind of feeling do you want to convey with it?

Putting it into these terms makes it really broad

and a really good way to narrow it down

is to think about what kind of movies or games or artwork

or just everyday things that inspire you.

Eventually, you'll be able to pick up those stylistic choices and sensibilities

and incorporate it into your own artwork.

You can emphasize proportion and framing in a number of ways

using methods such as light and shadow, depth of field, and shapes and patterns.

All of these methods can be used and a balance of these is key.

You can use all of them simultaneously.

Or focus on one over the other

it's kind of like cooking where you're trying to combine ingredients together

to get something that tastes good.

But in this case something that's visually appealing.

I did a small series on tennis courts emphasizing on each technique

and maybe you can get a better idea of what each technique looks like

in this scene, I drew a full shot of a girl

sitting by the tennis court net.

Simple lines and shapes leave the eye from one thing to another

and the light cutting through diagonally helps bring a rhythm to the drawing

and helps bring some dimension with the shadows

created for a more dramatic effect.

In this scene, it's a shot of the tennis court from the outside

looking in, through chain link fences.

Usually depth of field is achieved through blurring the background

but it's not too common in pixel art.

The dark color of the fence contrasts against the light colors of the background

making it a clear separation of plans already.

In this scene it's a medium close-up shot

where you can only see the head and the upper torso of the girl.

I used the tile walls to emphasize the use of patterns in my scene

and the tile walls contrast with the objects placed in front.

There's also a shadow maybe from a roof overhead.

And an exit sign on the top left Illuminating the girl's

hair and the objects around it.

So in this scene, I use both patterns and light and shadow to create a compelling background.

if you want to learn more in depth about framing

I recommend taking a look at this article

that covers over 50 unique types of camera shots and angles

including examples from movies and their distinct terminologies

cinematography is a great medium to learn and those ideas can help

translate into drawing techniques.

This is a past drawing I made called Greenhouse.

the subject being the girl is placed at the bottom right

on the rule of thirds intersection. She's surrounded by plants all around her.

The plants around her create an appealing shape

and are the supporting elements in the composition.

Some leaves sticking out to create contrast.

Especially the leaf right in front of the girl

being a bright pink in order to draw attention to that area.

I recommend also going out to take your own pictures as well.

You'll start to develop your own patterns and ways of seeing the world

that's unique to you.

The photos that I take play a big part in the things that I like to draw

and now I have an entire library of references to look at.

I hope this way I can show you that the possibilities of drawing

backgrounds are literally endless.

And these are just rough principles to go by

and they can be applied to anything you draw.

It's just a matter of figuring out

what you're interested in drawing.

Thank you all so much for watching.

I hope you learn a thing or two about the elements of what makes up a background.

Let me know if you have any questions.

In the next lesson, we'll be talking about perspective

and making thumbnail sketches together.

See you in the next one and take care.