CHAPTER III: ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF ART

Lesson 4
The Rule of Thirds

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson 3, the students must have:
1) explained the rule of thirds in your own words;
2) analyzed the importance of the rule of thirds in enhancing an artwork;
3) used the rule of thirds properly;
4) finished all the activities in this lesson.

Lesson Development
LESSON 4
THE RULE OF THIRDS
What is the Rule of Thirds in Art?

The rule of thirds is a guideline for both artists and photographers. The rule of thirds is
helpful for visual artists working in a two-dimensional medium such as photography, drawing or
painting. It says that if you divide your composition into thirds, either vertically or horizontally,
and then place focal areas of your scene at the meeting points of them, you will get a more
pleasing arrangement and layout for your compositions. It involves dividing an image into thirds
using two horizontal and vertical lines so that you are left with 9 equal parts.

The rule of thirds relates to another

principle called the “Golden Ratio”. This is a
mathematical relationship of proportion
that is often found in nature. This ratio has
been used by artists and architects
throughout the centuries, including the
designers of the Parthenon in Athens,
Salvador Dali, Le Corbusier, and Leonardo da
Vinci.

Image source: https://emptyeasel.com/2009/02/03/the-rule-of-

thirds-why-it-works-and-how-to-use-it-in-your-art/
 CHAPTER III: ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF ART

How To Use the Rule Of Thirds?

We will be using a drawing for my example but the rule of thirds applies to any two-
dimensional artwork.

STEP 1: Decide what the dimension of your drawing will be and draw a rectangular shape.

STEP 2: Divide the rectangular you drew in STEP 1 into 3 even sections. This requires you
to draw 2 equidistant vertical lines. This should give you three boxes from left to right. See
illustration below.

Image Source: https://helloartsy.com/rule-of-thirds/

STEP 3: Divide the original rectangle vertically into 3 even sections. This requires you to
draw 2 equidistant horizontal lines. Now your rectangle should have 9 boxes that are all equal
size.

Image Source: https://helloartsy.com/rule-of-thirds/

 CHAPTER III: ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF ART

STEP 4: Now you are ready to compose your drawing. To adhere to the rule of thirds you should
be placing your main subject matter at an intersection. This will be an ideal place to create a focal point or
draw an object you would like to emphasize. There are 4 possible locations where your guiding lines
intersect.

Image Source: https://helloartsy.com/rule-of-thirds/

Example of Photo using the Rule of Thirds:

Image Source: https://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1926196&seqNum=10

 CHAPTER III: ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF ART

Image Source: https://thevirtualinstructor.com/blog/the-rule-of-thirds-in-art

References:

• https://www.virtualartacademy.com/the-rule-of-thirds-in-
art/#:~:text=The%20rule%20of%20thirds%20is,and%20layout%20for%20your%20comp
ositions.
• https://helloartsy.com/rule-of-thirds/