Composition

Favourite books
Books are a popular element in
still life arrangements – here I’ve
picked a favourite scene from an
illustrated book. Multiple books
can be stacked to show the
Plants spines for some variety in colour,
This plant was picked because it and can lift or prop other items
has been raised over the course in an arrangement.
of a few years, and is one of
many present in my workspace.
The random natural shapes of
plants can help balance an
arrangement with lots of
man-made items. Shoes
Items of clothing or other
accessories are a good option
for a self portrait still life, as they
are items that show our tastes,
and reflect our daily life. Shoes
in particular work well, as they
show wear and tear.

Symbolic objects
Some ideas may not be expressed
well by physical objects, or objects
that can fit into an arrangement. This
shell was selected to indicate
Postcards and photos interests in swimming and nature.
Postcards are a versatile option, as
Pastimes can be represented by tools
they can show a number of ideas, such
or related objects.
as favourite artworks, places visited, or
other interests. In a similar way, photos
can be used to introduce depictions of
relatives or inspirational figures.

Types of still life

SOMETIMES KNOWING WHERE to
start can be the hardest part of painting.
Deciding on painting a still life involves
more than just composing a scene – you
have to know what kind of still life you
want to present. One of the most popular
types of still life arrangement now are
self-inspired, using an arrangement of
objects that express the artist, such as
items that revolve around their hobbies,
their personal history, or their personal
effects like clothing and accessories.
Some setups may also be arranged
around furniture or small spaces
regularly used by the artist. This informal
category of still life was made more
popular by New Zealand artist Frances
Hodgkins, who included her own
possessions in abstracted paintings of
still life arrangements.
Vanitas arrangements are a more
traditional form of still life that express
the artist’s personal interests, but
also incorporate more symbolic
objects, particularly those representing
life and death, wealth, and the passage
of time.

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Using perspective
in a composition
PERSPECTIVE AND PROPORTION
are closely related. This is especially
true for still life subjects, as many
common objects have box-like or
cylindrical forms that clearly show the
effects of perspective.
We’re sensitive to errors in
perspective, so if the proportions of
these objects are incorrect, it may
detract from the overall image.
Boxy and cylindrical forms both
change as they are viewed at different
angles and elevations. Other elements,
such as flat rectangular panes, can
produce lines that converge as they
recede from the viewer. Repeating
objects are a good way to inject a sense
of scale too, since they reduce in size
the further away they get.
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Follow these steps...
1
To start, I lay out the major shapes of
the composition by sketching them with
a watercolour pencil and washing in
major areas of colour with watercolour paint.
When drawing from life, observation is often
a more useful starting point than something
like a perspective grid. Though this approach
allows for some room for correction later, it
helps to use negative spaces between
objects to improve accuracy. In this case, the
brown colours of the chopping board are
useful for ensuring the spacing of the objects
is correct.
2
The chopping board is a major
perspective cue as it has two edges
that point into the page.
These edges converge as they get further
away from the viewer, strongly indicating
linear perspective. Take care to observe these
angles correctly – I often compare them to a
vertical or horizontal line by holding a pencil
up against them.
This also leads the eye in from the bottom
left towards the top right – perspective can
be an effective way of directing the viewer
around the composition, as lines can be
arranged to point in a specific direction. Try
rotating rectangular objects when setting up
an arrangement.