The importance of compositon

Whether it's for concept art or a stage-design like process of populating an in-game scene, composition is not just a pleasant addition to a piece of work but is in fact a vital part of an image or a game. Not only does it create visually pleasing environments but it's also a tool to direct the eye of the player, draw focus to key elements and direct the path of the player through the level. Composition also takes a vital role in creating a believable environment that feels natural to the player whilst still being interesting.

Composition is also used to develop narrative, demonstrate importance and status in an image and is used to create rhythm, mood and pacing in an image. In a game or 3D space these same principals can still be used to great effect; A video game level can be thought of as a series of scenes and vignettes that narrate or illustrate the story of the level or even as a series of 2D images presented to the player. Without composition and planning to order and structure these images, things might be overlooked or meaning might be lost. 

Composition plays a big part in making a scene or image readable whether it's distinguishing the difference between a piece of furniture in a dimly lit room and an enemy lying in wait for you behind it or the figure of focus and the background of an image, composition is there to help make sense of what could be a confusing image in the same way that in a large, open or potentially confusing environment, composition can mean the difference between a frustrated player and a happy one where it can give hints to direction or solutions to puzzles.

Even in it's derelict sections where colour is less of a help, Portal manages it's composition well to point you in the direction of the solution

You can go anywhere, so how do you find where you're meant to go?

Skyrim's vistas are wide and often bleak but compositional elements of flow (the mountains) and focus (First on the tree, then the castle) come together to point the viewer through the image in the direction of the ruined keep and on into the larger world

Through flow (creating curves within the image), contrast, (between light and dark, focus and none focus or bright and dim colours) pattern, repetition and proportion the viewer is able to distinguish where an object in a 2D image is in a potential 3D space. Even in a game this is important because the player is looking at a 3D environment through a 2D medium like a TV. Though 3D gaming platforms exist, 2D is still far more common and then the task of distinguishing depth and placement is left up to the brain and the eyes ability to process the information given and it's up to the artists creating the game to supply the right information to make an area, scene or character recognisable and noticeable in a natural manner.

Mastery of composition is essential in any art field, in video games mastering composition gives you control over how a player will view an area and therefore gives you control over how a player will react to and feel about that area. This is essential in creating a compelling narrative and a sense of emersion or investment from your players. There's a reason employers look for artists rather than technicians.