Vignette Design Series #1~Composition

Have you ever wondered 

how stylists create their beautiful 

vignettes?

How do they choose...

Which objects to include?
Where to place them?
Quantity to use?

I've always enjoyed arranging

 and re-arranging 

little groupings of objects. 

Since I began blogging, I have been
studying others' vignettes to 

find ways to improve my own.

 Nope, I am not a licensed interior decorator or
a degreed architect interior designer.
 In another life I may have been.
These thoughts are just things I've
 noticed about vignettes that please my eyes.

Here's where I find (peruse for hours) arrangements that help me.

Source: Pottery Barn Online Catalog and Printed Catalog

Of course, main sources for inspiration are
blogs written by talented and creative decorators...
Take a look at some of their vignettes...

The Charm of Home

Dwellings, the Heart of Your Home

Cedar Hill Ranch

Our Home Away From Home

Savvy Southern Style

and many, many more...

So, let me share some of 
the things I've learned

Element #1 

Composition

"the way in which a whole or mixture is made up"

in a

In this series, composition refers to how a vignette
is physically composed or made.

Composition is the real bones of a vignette;
 without good composition, the most beautiful
 objects are not ready for their close-ups, Mr. DeMille.

Several bloggers recently wrote articles that 

give great tips on composition,

 especially about the 

Number 

of items to group together.

Odd numbers of items seem to be more pleasing 

to the eyes than even numbers of items.

Visually, the vignette at my pine chest has 

a total of nine items 

(floral print, topiary, two birds, three cards, paperweight, lamp stack.)

 The lamp on the stack of books works as one unit.

Two birds with the preserved boxwood create 

a group of three.

There are three cards.

Seven items are in the cluster of smaller objects

 that are viewed together. 

 The lamp and print are so different that this small

 visual group is a vignette within a vignette.

Now, look back at the Pottery Barn image.

I'll wait.

There are three lanterns, 

 five items at the table group

 (3 lanterns, table, flower under the table,)

seven major objects in the photo

 (five at the table group and

two vertical posts.)

Composition involves more than numbers...

Movement

 of the eyes is also a big component 

of composition.

The whole scene should lead the eyes

 up and back around in a circular fashion.

 This is also one of the basic concepts in 

 printed page layout.

 The eyes should not be led off

 into nothingness, leaving the page, or, 

in our case, leaving the vignette. 

In this vignette, the preserved boxwood leads the eyes up

 to the print, then the lamp draws the eyes down, 

then down to the medium height card, 

which leads down to shortest card of the three, 

then down to the paperweight, 

which leads back up to the short bird, 

then to the taller bird,

 back up to the boxwood.

The eyes never wander outside the vignette;

 they are always pulled back to another feature.

Revisit the Pottery Barn grouping.

Here it is again so you don't have to look for it.

Source:  Pottery Barn Online Catalog

The three lanterns lead

 the eyes upward to the sky, but 

the right-side vertical post draws 

the eyes back down, and

 the curled rope leads the eyes 

down to the potted plant that leads 

the eyes back up to the lowest lantern.

No one is led off looking into the wild blue yonder.

Focal point

is another part of composition.

Those who have studied art 

are very familiar with creating a 

focal point in a painting or lettering 

so that a realistic perspective is created.

Focal points in paintings are often 

known as vanishing points, 

the spot where all the lines of sight 

converge.

The focal point in my vignette is 

the old French watercolor postcard.

This focal point is created by the placement of

 the objects on either side of the postcard.

The lamp/book stack and the birds are 

positioned closer to the front edge of the 

pine chest with the postcard

 placed farther back.

 The lines of sight on either side of the card 

converge on the postcard.

Seen from above, I realize I really should 

move the shorter bird a little closer to the 

front edge of the pine chest for 

a more pleasing line of sight 

to the watercolor postcard.

Oh, yes,... we will look at the Pottery Barn image 

to see its focal point 

and to see how the stylist achieved it.

Source:  Pottery Barn Online Catalog

Do you think you see the focal point?

Where do your eyes focus first?

My eyes say the focal point is the 

smallest lantern sitting atop the table.

Why?

The lantern is sitting at the corner of the table 

with the corner at the center of the camera lens.

The lines of sight to the lantern follow the edges of the table 

towards the front of the table. 

This is reinforced visually with the 

table leg pointing up to the lantern.

Horizontally, the large lantern is 

behind the smallest lantern and

 the medium lantern is slightly back 

of the smallest lantern.

Source:  Pottery Barn Online Catalog

 More subtle, not perfectly aligned 

lines of sight, is the rope draping 

down to the table from the posts. 

The rope appears to reach its 

lowest point directly 

behind the smallest lantern 

leading the eyes to the  

base of the smallest lantern.

Yes, those Pottery Barn stylists are

real pros!

Movement and focal point are achieved 

by layering objects.

Movement is created by vertical variations.

Focal point can be created by horizontal variations.

Height and depth are two important keys to 

stunning vignettes. 

In summary, 

Composition: Number, Movement, Focal Point
Photo Source: Pottery Barn Online Catalog

What do you think?

Try analyzing a vignette 

that you just LOVE.

See if it has any of these

components and let me know

 what you discover.

Stay tuned...

This is the first in a 

Vignette Design Series.

I hope you will be back for 

articles that will review the 

roles of Theme,

Texture, and Color 

in creating 

vignettes to love.

❧

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Please join me at these inspiring sites...

MONDAY

Blue Monday @ Smiling Sally

Amaze Me Mondays @ Dwellings, the Heart of Your Home

TUESDAY

the Scoop @ Cedar Hill Ranch

Tuesdays At Our Home @ Our Home Away From Home

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

WEDNESDAY

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

THURSDAY

Tutorials, Tips, Tidbits @ StoneGable

Cottage Garden Party @ Fishtail Cottage

FRIDAY

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Fabulously Creative Friday @ Jennifer Rizzo

Be Inspired Friday @ Common Ground

Anything Blue Friday @ The Dedicated House

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

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