Composition is a process-the act of organizing the elements of art. 

                          by Sanchia Lin                          

An artistic composition takes place according principles, such as: proportion, scale, unity, balance, rhythm, and pattern.

Proportion is the comparative relationship of the composition to each other and to the whole.  According to the principle of the golden section of ancient Greeks, a small part must relate to the  larger part as the larger part relate to the whole.

Scale is the relative size of an object compared with others of its kind, its setting, or human dimensions.  The skyscrapers of New York are imposing because of their scale, that is their size compared with the size of other buildings, and people.  Their overall size is essential to their impact.

Unity is oneness or wholeness.  A work of art achieves unity when all its parts seem necessary to the composition.  Frequently, artists stir the viewer's interest by creating variety within unity.  For an example, the repetition in the images of a painting provides an overall unity.