Post: Composition Part 10. Element Relationships and Complements

Composition Part 10. Element Relationships and Complements

This is Part 10 of my series on Composition

There are complementary design elements as well as there are complementary colors. 

With complementary colors, we know that they are opposite of each other on the color wheel. Artists can enhance a design making great color decisions with the use of these opposites - on purpose color clashing. Elements can be made to seen brighter if opposite colors are positioned next to each other. 

The elements in the design can have interesting relationships in many ways; colors can clash, there can be size discrepancies, and there can be a feeling of tension. Other elements may add humor or a deeper meaning - which is a way to get people to stop and study the art to try to figure out what or why the artist did what they did in the piece - which is always good, right?

 

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash 

 

Art Fundamentals: Color Theory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpbMGbQxX90

Swatches

Go forth and color clash!

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This is part of a series of blog posts on the guidelines, or rules of composition. Look for all of them in the Search this Blog feature at the top right by searching for the word "composition". I hope you enjoy the posts!

@2026 Donna Liguria. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use or reproduction is prohibited without permission

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Author: Donna Liguria  is the Blogmaster for Donna's Cave Paintings and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, VA. Donna specializes in acrylic paintings of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art.

 *I LOVE reading your comments on my posts! Just remember that the blog comments are monitored so they may not appear right away.

Post 482: Fall Tall Oaks Art Show in Lakeridge, VA Sat Oct 3, 2026

Fall Tall Oaks Art Show in Lakeridge, VA Sat Oct 3, 2026

It's a tradition! The biannual Tall Oaks Art Show from the artist members of the Prince William Art Society is held twice a year in the Spring and Fall. Mark those calendars for this Fall's Art Show on Saturday, October 3, 2026 in Lakeridge, VA.

https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/post/fall-tall-oaks-art-show

An Art Show Right in the Lakeridge Community!

The biannual Tall Oaks Art Show from the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) will be Saturday, October 3 from 10 to 5 at the Tall Oaks Community Building at 12298 Cotton Mill Drive, Woodbridge, VA. That's on the corner of Hedges Run and Cotton Mill Drive, right down from the Giant off Old Bridge Road. The PWAS art group always has a wonderful art show for the community and people love coming by and visiting - and meeting the artists!

I'll be there with my art group friends - I'm Donna Liguria and I show original paintings, giclee fine art prints, Bookcase Art, and mini art with easels. We have visitors that come to find great gifts for family and friends or to find something for their own homes, to fit perfectly into an exact spot. It is FREE to attend and there is no pressure - we just LOVE showing our art. So come by on October 3 and enjoy!

PWAS Members from the Spring Tall Oaks Art Show 2026

Tall Oaks Art Show 2023

Lakeridge area of Woodbridge, Virginia

We hope to see you there! 

@2026 Donna Liguria. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use or reproduction is prohibited without permission

Like my content? Follow my Blog in the top right navigation!

_________________________

Author: Donna Liguria  is the Blogmaster for Donna's Cave Paintings and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, VA. Donna specializes in acrylic paintings of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art.

 *I LOVE reading your comments on my posts! Just remember that the blog comments are monitored so they may not appear right away.

Post 481: AVA at Arts Alive Sept 12, 2026

AVA at Arts Alive Sep 12, 2026 

The new art group called Association of Visual Artists (AVA) attended their first Arts Alive on Saturday, September 12, 2026 at the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas, VA. Actually, it was the exclusive group's very first show and was attended by 3 of their founding members - Bettie Sperty, Sandra McClelland Lewin, and Donna Liguria.

L-R: Sandra McClelland Lewin, Donna Liguria, and Bettie Sperty

A Great Day for AVA Art

There was a very mild light sprinkle as we unloaded in the morning, but it stopped fairly quickly and just became a cloudy day which worked out fine for all the vendors outside. The show opened at 10 and ran until 5 - we had LOTS of visitors to our art area - even visitors from several of the last few years of being at Arts Alive! 

The AVA art group featured Bettie's unique pottery (loved by all) and original fine art pieces.

Donna featured her mini art with easels, Bookcase Art, giclee fine art prints and original art paintings.

Sandra's fine art original art paintings, art prints, and trinket glass trays featuring her art were admired by all.

The Association of Visual Arts 

The Association of Visual Artists, or AVA—is a small, exclusive group of professional artist friends who share a passion for creating exceptional artwork and bringing it to the public. Our artists have diverse styles, subjects, and creative voices, but we’re united by a commitment to quality, professionalism, and supporting one another. We’re interested in creating unique exhibitions and opportunities that showcase our individual talents while presenting something fresh and different from the traditional art-group experience.

Until next time!

@2026 Donna Liguria. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use or reproduction is prohibited without permission

Like my content? Follow my Blog in the top right navigation!

_________________________

Author: Donna Liguria  is the Blogmaster for Donna's Cave Paintings and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, VA. Donna specializes in acrylic paintings of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art.

Photography: Tinnetta Putney - thank you!!

 *I LOVE reading your comments on my posts! Just remember that the blog comments are monitored so they may not appear right away.

Post 480: Composition 9. Movement Flow from Left to Right

Composition 9. Movement Flow from Left to Right

This is Part 9 of my series on Composition

This one sort of throws me because as a speaking English person here in the USA, we read text from left to right. But there are other languages that do not read that way. So my question would be would this "rule" apply to them?

The rule says to compose your photo from left to right similar to the way we read our text and to even flip your image if needed, as long as there isn't any text printed on it. This is especially suggested for action and wildlife images. And you should leave some blank space to the right of the action so that there is room for the person, animal, whatever has room to move into and doesn't fall off the edge.

 

Photo by Mieke Campbell on Unsplash 

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This is part 9 of a 21 part series of blog posts on the guidelines, or rules of composition. Look for all of them in the Search this Blog feature at the top right by searching for the word "composition". I hope you enjoy the posts!

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@2026 Donna Liguria. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use or reproduction is prohibited without permission

Like my content? Follow my Blog in the top right navigation!

_________________________

Author: Donna Liguria  is the Blogmaster for Donna's Cave Paintings and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, VA. Donna specializes in acrylic paintings of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art.

 *I LOVE reading your comments on my posts! Just remember that the blog comments are monitored so they may not appear right away.

Post 479: Composition Part 8. Golden Rule Placement of Your Main Subject

Composition Part 8. Golden Rule Placement of Your Main Subject

This is Part 8 of 21 of my series on Composition

According to the National Geographic Society, the Golden Ratio "is a unique mathematical relationship. Two numbers are in the golden ratio if the ratio of the sum of the numbers (a b) divided by the larger number (a) is equal to the ratio of the larger number divided by the smaller number (a/b). The golden ratio is about 1.618, and represented by the Greek letter phi."- National Geographic.org

Ok. There is that. Looks like algebra to me. So what does it mean? Read the whole page on the link above to get a bit of understanding (?) and good luck...

The basics of it is that it is a naturally occurring and aesthetically pleasing to the eye way to configure the most balanced composition of order to your design. It is sort of a variation on the Rule of Thirds, using spacing, and blank spacing using the ratio. The thought in practice example is the spirals of a seashell spiraling out. 

Some variations on the theme are:

• Golden Rule
• Golden Spiral
• Golden Mean
• Golden Triangle 
• Golden Rectangle 
• Golden Ratio
  

Painters, photographers and designers have been using this composition rule for years, knowingly and unknowingly. Our eyes are just tickled silly when we see it.

 

Photo by SARAH GRANGER on Unsplash 

Photo by Ludde Lorentz on Unsplash 

Photo by Laura Gilchrist on Unsplash

Do you use this technique in your work or will you start now?

More suggested reading on Art Ignition about the Golden Ratio.

This is part of a series of blog posts on the guidelines, or rules of composition. Look for all of them in the Search this Blog feature at the top right by searching for the word "composition". I hope you enjoy the posts!

@2026 Donna Liguria. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use or reproduction is prohibited without permission

Like my content? Follow my Blog in the top right navigation!

_________________________

Author: Donna Liguria  is the Blogmaster for Donna's Cave Paintings and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, VA. Donna specializes in acrylic paintings of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art.

 *I LOVE reading your comments on my posts! Just remember that the blog comments are monitored so they may not appear right away.

Post 478: The Association of Visual Artists - AVA at Arts Alive in Manassas Sept 12, 2026

The Association of Visual Artists - AVA at Arts Alive! in Manassas Sept 12, 2026 

A NEW art group! The Association of Visual Artists, known as AVA will be at the Arts Alive! Festival on Saturday, September 12, 2026 from 10 to 5. This is a premier festival in Prince William County to celebrate all things ART! Set those calendars and plan to be there!

Arts Alive!

Arts Alive Festival at the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas Sat Sep 12 10-5 A Festival of the ARTS!

Come and enjoy the arts in all its forms! Lots of family activities, vendors and creations to explore.

And the artists of Association of Visual Artists - AVA will be there.

Hylton Performing Arts Center is located at 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas, Virginia and will be rain or shine.

See the Festival Schedule of Events

Come out and meet the newest visual artists group in PWC! Browse original artwork, meet the artists, and maybe even discover the perfect piece to brighten that blank space on your wall. Arts Alive! is a fun-filled day celebrating art, music, dance, poetry—and so much more. With food trucks and a wine tent to enjoy along the way, there’s truly something for everyone. We’d love to see you there—come celebrate the arts with us!

Hylton Performing Arts Center

@2026 Donna Liguria. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use or reproduction is prohibited without permission

Like my content? Follow my Blog in the top right navigation!

_________________________

Author: Sandra McClelland Lewin

Author: Donna Liguria  is the Blogmaster for Donna's Cave Paintings and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, VA. Donna specializes in acrylic paintings of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art.

 *I LOVE reading your comments on my posts! Just remember that the blog comments are monitored so they may not appear right away.

Post 477: Composition Part 7. Use of Subject Focus Filling the Frame

Composition Part 7. Use of Subject Focus Filling the Frame

This is Part 7 of 21 of my series on Composition

Another composition trick or tip is to bring your subject into the foreground with the full focus on really zeroing or zooming in on the subject so the he/she/it fills the frame in a purposeful way. It could mean that some cropping happens to take out unnecessary background "noise", perhaps too much extra sky above or the street/water below, and/or buildings on the sides. 

Bring your subject closer by filling the frame tighter to focus on that subject. Here is a photo I took of the Belmont Bay Marina, Occoquan, VA in 2020 to try to give you an example although the actual focused "subject" is debatable...

I cut out my shadow and a lot of the big blue sky, really tightened up the photo above. Maybe looking at the images of the gazebo at Belmont Bay is a better example (below).

The original picture above

The original picture zoomed in but still a lot of sky, tree, foreground.

The original picture zoomed in more - now the focus is really on the gazebo and a good part of the 'nonsense' is cropped out. Get the picture? (pun intended)

Try zooming in on your design to fill the frame, or canvas with your next composition.

By the way, this is the painting I did of the Belmont Bay Marina at Occoquan, Virginia that day, although it was more about the Marina than a focus in on something. You can see the gazebo to the right in the distance.

 

"Belmont Bay Marina, Occoquan, Virginia" by Donna Liguria, Acrylic 16x20

This is part of a series of blog posts on the guidelines, or rules of composition. Look for all of them in the Search this Blog feature at the top right by searching for the word "composition". I hope you enjoy the posts!

@2026 Donna Liguria. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use or reproduction is prohibited without permission

Like my content? Follow my Blog in the top right navigation!

_________________________

Author: Donna Liguria  is the Blogmaster for Donna's Cave Paintings and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, VA. Donna specializes in acrylic paintings of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art.

 *I LOVE reading your comments on my posts! Just remember that the blog comments are monitored so they may not appear right away.