As children progress through primary school they sometimes complain that their drawings and paintings don’t ‘look right’ – although they often find it hard to work out why. Frequently, the problem is one of composition: the way the different elements of an image have been put together to form a whole. One common problem is that children often place the people and objects in their images on an imaginary floor that runs along the bottom of their piece of paper, leaving huge areas of blank paper above them.
Effective compositions often feature a range of shapes and forms that help to create a sense of balance and depth. With a little thought and planning, a child can transform the composition of their image, creating a sense of space that really brings their work to life. In this project we’ll be looking at some practical ways in which children can develop a sense of composition in their drawings and collages.
