still lifes

The still life is a genre with a long and honorable tradition; contemporary still life has its roots in Dutch painting of the seventeenth century. The traditional still life usually features a tabletop arrangement of flowers, fruit, food and various kitchen or household items, including personal effects. Often, still lifes have been interpreted as

celebrations of mundane pleasures,

or as reflections on the transitory nature of life.

Still lifes offer many opportunities to apply the ONE RULE OF COMPOSITION: Never make any two intervals the same because you have a lot of choices for subject matter and composition. You choose the objects to be painted, you arrange these objects the way you want, and you control the lighting and the background. With each choice, the One Rule can be a guide that will help you make better paintings.

selecting your still life subjects

Common still life objects include flowers in all sorts of containers, wine bottles or other containers, fruit such as apples, pears and grapes and objects such as small figurines, clocks, books and other common household items. Albeit a tired cliché, still lifes composed of these objects are still popular and are often presented to students in painting classes, so let’s play with these items while applying the ONE RULE OF COMPOSITION.

When making your selection of objects, you should avoid too many objects that have boring shapes or similar sizes. Anything square, round or equilateral (the boring shapes mentioned in chapter 2) should be chosen carefully. Too many round apples all of the same shape, size and color present a challenge merely because they are too much alike. However, by remembering the ONE RULE OF COMPOSITION and varying the distances and groupings among the objects, we can make an interesting arrangement even out of objects of the same size.

A variety of objects create a satisfying composition
Only a small number of objects are needed for an effective still life composition when those objects vary in size, shape, color and textural detail. This still life contains about a dozen objects (not counting every flower or grape) that exhibit a wide variation in characteristics. For example, the three containers consist of a large, dark blue pitcher, a white enamel bowl and a copper pot. These objects vary in color temperature, size, shape and surface quality, ensuring that there will be satisfying contrasts in any arrangement containing them.

#1 Anne Marie Oborn 20" x 24" (51cm x 61cm) Oil on canvas

Select a variety
When selecting objects for a still life, look for a variety of sizes and shapes, colors and textures.

tips for finding your still life subjects

Too many similarities here
These objects are all roughly the same size and have rather symmetrical, boring shapes. Even the grapes form a regular triangle. Combine objects like this with objects that contrast in size, shape and texture.

Good variety here
These objects differ in size, shape, color and texture. It would be possible to make an interesting arrangement with these three objects alone.

arranging a still life

When arranging still life objects, observe the ONE RULE OF COMPOSITION. Look at what shapes are created and the larger configuration the objects form when grouped together. Place the objects in asymmetrical groups.

create a still-life composition laboratory

Diagonal division of space is boring
Don’t inadvertently line up objects to create a diagonal division of space, a boring partition of the composition.

Objects that parallel the frame are boring
Avoid placing things parallel to the picture frame. In this example, the wine bottle is too close to the edge and parallel to it, creating a boring strip of space along that edge. The arrangement is also unbalanced, with the visual weight to the left, leaving a dull expanse of space in the upper right.

A symmetrical triangle is boring
Don’t pile objects up in a symmetrical or equilateral triangle. Placing a single tall object in the middle divides the picture into two equal (and therefore, boring) halves. This arrangement is inherently static and uninteresting.

Better, but still too parallel
Arranging objects in an irregular triangle is often a good strategy because there is an uneven number of sides. However, avoid making any one side of the triangular arrangement parallel to the side of the picture frame because the intervals thus generated are too much the same.

Lack of depth is boring
Overlapping creates depth. When objects are equally spaced with no overlap, the viewer has no clues to the space they occupy.

Equal spacing is boring
Talk about dull! Don’t line up objects so they are equally spaced, from each other or from an edge, as in this case where all the objects are the same distance from the bottom—boring!

Objects in a row are boring
Don’t place an object so it appears directly above another object. Such an arrangement is confusing, boring and often flat. Better to relate the objects on an oblique. Don’t let objects touch on a single tangent point.

dynamic balance

When assembling a still life, you have almost complete freedom to select and arrange the setup into a visually appealing configuration. Because many common still life objects such as fruit, cups, glasses or other tabletop items are similar in size and visual weight, look for as many ways as possible to apply the ONE RULE OF COMPOSITIONto make it interesting. Vary the placement of objects to avoid forming boring shapes or configurations.

Avoid symmetrical arrangements centered in the format. Some common still life objects, such as flowers in a vase, tend to be naturally symmetrical. Look for ways to create a dynamic balance by shifting the center of gravity off-center. Exercise creative license and vary the shapes so there is a pleasing irregularity.

Objects in symmetrical arrangement
This is an extreme example of a symmetrically balanced composition. The visual weight and energy are equally divided on either side of a central vertical axis.

Objects in asymmetrical arrangement
In contrast, this arrangement is dynamically balanced, with the introduction of as much variety in placement, size and shape as possible.

Symmetrical objects in an asymmetrical arrangement create interest
Most of the objects in this still life are symmetrical, but they are arranged so they do not form a symmetrical pattern. The bright and visually energetic leaves of the poinsettia function as the dominant focal point, nicely offset in one of the sweet spots.

Christmas Still Life Tom Browning 20" x 24" (51cm x 61cm) Oil on canvas

Symmetrical arrangement is static
When the picture is truncated so the poinsettia is in the center, the resulting composition is static and undynamic.

simplicity

Don’t crowd too many objects into your still-life arrangements. Often a few objects are better than many. Too many objects competing for attention makes it difficult to establish a strong center of interest, especially if many of the objects are similar in shape and size. A few objects varying in size, shape, color and texture that have been carefully but dynamically balanced can create a very compelling arrangement.

Subtle variations establish the mood
You don’t need many objects to make an effective still life composition. Marion’s Santa Fe Irises has only seven objects, counting the two flowers. The pattern of the light through the window on the curtain and wall and the softness of the shadows give the picture a warm, inviting and optimistic impression.

Santa Fe Irises Marion Welch 28" x 20" (71cm x 51cm) Watercolor on paper

Experiment with arranging a small number of objects. See how few are needed to make an interesting composition. Can you create an arresting arrangement with only seven or five objects? Try working with only three objects, one large, one small and one in between, that vary in color and shape.

Interesting shapes create variety
Janie Gildow has used only three pears, dramatically lit, to fashion a powerful and compelling image. This is certainly an example of when less is more! The picture is based on strong value contrast that arrests the eye. Simple does not mean boring.

Shadow Still Life, No. 1 Janie Gildow, CPSA 11" x 15" (28cm x 38cm) Colored pencil on paper

making compositional choices

A good composition, be it still life or any other genre, is the product of a series of decisions. Ideally, each decision should be consciously made by the artist, based on informed deliberation. All too often, beginners start working without thinking things through, going by habit or convention. The framing or cropping of the shapes in your composition should be consciously chosen from the beginning.

Simple, pleasing composition
The five objects form an interesting, irregular shape. The center of visual gravity of the grouping is located at one of the sweet spots. The center of interest includes the head of the statue and the neck of the wine bottle. There are no two intervals that are the same.

Unbalanced arrangement
The arrangement is weighted on the left, with a vacant space in the upper right corner. The composition is crowded with too many objects of similar visual weight, so they are competing for the viewer’s attention.

Weak composition
The white statue is too close to the center of the design, with objects of equal weight on either side, forming a regular (boring) triangle. The green bottle on the left is the same size as the gray vase on the right and both are located the same distance from the nearest side.

Well-balanced arrangement
The triangular shape of the objects seen as a group is countered by the oblique thrust of the background drapery. The center of interest is formed by the bottles on the left. The tall wine bottle and the bottom of the drapery align with the perpendiculars determined by the Rule of Thirds. One improvement would be to rearrange the lime, lemon and small red vase on the right so the intervals between them are not equal.

Acceptable composition
The flowers and the bust are too similar in size, so they compete for attention. The lime and the orange are related vertically, an awkward placement.

Through the use of artistic license, you can adjust one of the objects to be more dominant.

Vantage point makes a difference
The unusually high vantage point of this composition makes one uneasy because it isn’t clear where the viewer could be standing.

Pleasing arrangement
This composition exhibits a more natural viewpoint. The objects are irregularly spaced from each other and the edges of the frame. Together, the objects form an interesting shape.

Choosing variety
The doll is the primary center of interest. It is located in one of the sweet spots identified by the Rule of Thirds. The colors are mostly warm, mid-value colors, with some darker and cooler colors (the blue basket) and a bit of bright contrast in the yellow roses. There is enough variety in placement, shape and texture of the objects to make this picture one you could live with for a long time.

Yellow Roses With Japanese Doll Robert A. Johnson 11" x 14" (28cm x 36cm) Oil on canvas

Choosing dynamic balance
This composition is also dynamically balanced. The primary area of interest—the porcelain jar, blue pot and peony—is in the right center, counterbalanced by the green jar and roses on the left. Because the porcelain jar is set against the deep, dark background, and the peony is set against the dark blue pot, the resulting contrasts attract the eye and form a strong anchoring point as the viewer explores the rest of the picture.

Old Lace and Colored Glass Robert Kuester 30" x 40" (76cm x 102cm) Oil on canvas

choosing textures

This watercolor still life is a study in textures as revealed in the glow of a single light source. The warm colors throughout are appropriate for the autumnal theme.

Fall Arrangement Michael P. Rocco, AWS 14" x 21" (36cm x 53cm) Watercolor on paper

Value and shape study
When you examine a painting not in terms of the shapes, but as a pattern of value shapes, you can judge more easily if a composition “works.” This painting contains mostly dark shapes, some mid-value shapes, and bits of light shapes.

Value study
Because it exhibits the composition’s sharpest contrast between light and dark, the pumpkin stem becomes the picture’s center of interest. In addition, the light directs the eye to focus on this spot.

choosing varied intervals

This beautifully painted still life complies with the ONE RULE OF COMPOSITIONin almost every aspect. No two intervals of distance, shape, dimension or size are the same, and if the color wheel and the tonal value scale are thought of as ranges with intervals, these elements comply too.

Most of the colors in the picture are cool or neutral, with the exception of the red berries. The white flowers and the red berries are the primary and secondary focal points, both located at sweet spots according to the Rule of Thirds.

The Indigo Vase Kurt Anderson 30" x 24" (76cm x 61cm) Oil on canvas

Value study
The lights and darks are arranged in an eye-pleasing, irregular pattern made up of mostly middle values, some darks and a few whites.

Underlying shape
When reduced to a simple sketch, objects in the painting form an aggregate shape that is interesting to the eye.

Restaurant Au Bord De L’eau Jack Lestrade 18" x 14' (46cm x 36cm) Watercolor on paper Private collection