Alternative arrangements
It is important to experiment with alternative arrangements. It is always tempting to rely on the first idea, but how can you know it is the best if you have not tried others?
In the still life below, the idea is to create a feeling of nostalgia or past childhood. The content is chosen from mementos that have been kept because they mean something special; even though they are not used anymore, they are like old friends, so the treatment should be soft and gentle.
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| This arrangement seems rather distant to express the idea. The dark wood is distracting and too strong. | This composition works quite well. Why? The bear is emphasised because he is the largest and the necklace leads the viewer's eyes to the bear. The shadows create contrast. | The bear looking at the camera makes 'him' seem friendlier, which relates to the idea of 'an old friend'. The flowers on the fabric lead to the bear and so does the box. |
Notice the effect of a strong light to one side of the arrangement and how it creates strong shadows. These are three alternative arrangements of only three objects. Which one is best? Perhaps the third one seems to suggest the artist's idea more clearly. The line of the floor leading out of the picture is distracting; however, it could be left out of the painting.
