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Gesture as Part of Composition
Gesture isn't the same as composition, but it’s a fundamental part of it. Composition includes color, tone, shadows, realism vs. abstraction, symmetry, and subject matter. Gesture often serves as the initial element noticed in a composition, guiding the viewer’s eye around the canvas.
Can you picture a painting without gesture? It might be flat and have very little energy, blocky and stiff—think Mondrian or Mark Rothko.
Key Points to Remember
● Figures, Trees, and Clouds: A figure's gesture is defined by the arrangement of its body, while a tree's is defined by the trunk and limbs. Look for movement and gesture within the sky, especially the clouds.
● Scenes with Multiple Elements: In a scene with a person and a landscape, both have gesture qualities, and the entire drawing has gestural lines, contributing to the overall composition.
Gesture in landscape painting is about capturing the energy and movement within a still image, guiding or, better yet, directing the viewer's eye, and conveying emotion through dynamic brushstrokes. By understanding and incorporating gestures, your landscapes, and skyscapes can come alive with motion and depth.
As a painter, the effects of light and atmosphere are what I remember about a location and what inspires me most. Light transforms the ordinary or even beautiful into the exceptional. I aim to capture these fleeting moments and help people see things again through new eyes.