Pictorial Compositions, Continued
Borders
Borders outline picture areas. You should consider borders as part of the
picture area because they link the picture to the real world. Borders can
define or confuse viewers depending on your placement of objects inside the
picture area. Figures, particularly, can affect the overall perception of
border areas. For example, a figure can obscure a scene if placed too close
to the border; the viewer’s attention is directed by the figure to look at the
border, not the scene. Even when the figure does not touch the border, the
figure’s gestures direct viewers to the border. Figures placed nearer one
border than the other attract attention to the nearest border. To avoid this,
leave more space between the figure and the border.
Figure 1-23 shows the affect of a figure on the perceptions of the borders.
Figure 1-23.—Effects of a figure on borders.
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