Illustration Tutorial: Drawing Composition Basics

Learn why composition is the backbone of any illustration and how to apply the basics of composition to your own work, with Pietari Posti

Composition—how the elements of an image are organized—tells a viewer how to read an image, showing them where to look, in what order, and why. Knowing how to organize the visual objects in your drawings will help you make sure they are read the way you want them to be.

In this tutorial, Pietari Posti (@studioposti) shares a few basic tips to help you compose a balanced and harmonious image.

1. Weight

Every object depicted in an illustration has a visual weight. It is the illustrator’s job to balance each one accordingly.

Just like with a physical scale, you can balance the image by increasing the number or size of the elements on one side of the image or the other, or by moving them closer or further away from the centerpoint.

You can also use negative space as a counterbalance, considering the shapes and patterns created by the empty spaces surrounding your illustration.

2. Focal points

Focal points are the areas and features of an illustration that our eyes are drawn to. Typically, we will prioritize human features over other elements, regardless what is going on in the rest of the picture.

The viewer’s eye can also be directed by using lines. In one illustration, Pietari uses straight lines, known as orthogonal lines, to lead the observer towards the woman in the center of the image.

Isolating an element will also make it stand out. In Pietari’s drawing of birds, an isolated bird stands out in contrast to the mass of birds on the opposite side of the image.

3. Rule of thirds

The rule of thirds is a useful tool for visual artists. The simplest way to apply it is to divide your image into nine equal parts using two vertical and two horizontal guidelines.

These lines will indicate the best points on which to place your key visual elements to create a balanced composition, most notably at the points where two lines intersect.

4. Rule of threes (and other odd numbers)

Finally, you can create more dynamic illustrations by adding elements in odd numbers. Pietari’s drawings of flowers in a vase are a perfect example of how this rule works: an image of two flowers is made more balanced and elegant when a third flower is added.

This rule applies to any amount of flowers, since an odd number of visual elements is almost always more appealing to look at.

If you liked this tutorial and want to learn how to create impactful vector illustrations with balanced compositions and limited colors in Adobe Illustrator, check out Pietari Posti’s online course Dynamic Vector Illustration: Keys to Color and Composition.

You may also like:

- Digital Fantasy Portraits with Photoshop, a course by Karmen Loh (Bearbrickjia)
- Lighting Principles for Digital Painting, a course by Samuel Smith
- Digital Painting for Characters: Color and Light, a course by Joel Santana