Give your picture focus, unity, conflict, repetition/alternation, dominance, balance, gradation, harmony
The eye is naturally drawn to areas in your picture where there is marked contrast in:
Value - give your picture a range of values of light/dark.
Color
Temperature
Texture
Level of detail
Line - thick/thin etc
Type of edge - hard/ soft
Shape
One thing should over-ride. Don't create massive confusion.
For example, you can create a center of interest by placing a darker subject right next to a light area. Decide where you want the focal point to be. Generally avoid the very center of the page of the very edge. Place the greatest contrast wherever you want the focus to be.
Stand away from your picture to view the regions of light and dark. What kind of pattern do you see? Is there a coherence? Are lights/darks dominant?
Types of schemes include:
Shades of all one color (monochromatic)
Complementary
Analogous (colors next to each other)
Triadic (three equi-distant colors)
Space - architecture : positive/negative area, shallow, deep
Types of perspective
Composition - see the big picture. What are the dominant shapes, colors, etc What is the placement on page - how does this affect feeling? (weight).
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