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Leading the Eye

When we look at a picture of any kind, we instinctively look for a visual pathway to guide us through the composition and make sense of it. This requires that the elements within the drawing be arranged in such a way that connects them to each other in a satisfying, rhythmical manner. If not, the piece appears disjointed, perhaps incomplete and the attention of the viewer is easily lost.

Rhythm is a key element in drawing. In fact, it plays the same role as it does in music, drawing different elements together while lending a distinctive mood to the composition. In drawing, it is shapes, patterns, lines and/or colors that repeat and echo each other. The photograph below is a good example of leading the eye with rhythm.

Other pages of interest

Lighting
Eye level drawing
What are focal points
Drawing attention to focal points
Leading the eye
What is the rule of thirds

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