I was an art instructor for almost 20 years. I taught at our gallery in Belfast, Maine and later in my home studio. It's hard to stop being a teacher, especially when a friend asks for a critique. "What's wrong with my painting? It's not working! Here's the photo - see, I copied it exactly!"......... Well OK, let's go back to the basics and review our class notes.
First of all - You are an artist. The camera isn't. A camera is a mechanical tool that arbitrarily records everything it sees - the good and the bad. You, as the artist, have to take the scene apart and put it back together. You have to shift your mindset from just copying the scene to the hard, cold, technical facts of composition - and the importance of line, values, placement and shapes. If they are not there, you have to create them.
All the elements in a painting should be designed and placed to serve the focal point. If they don't serve the focal point - leave them out. Remember the focal point is what the painting is about. It's where you want the viewer to look. It is where our most important objects are located. The focal point should have the most contrast, most intense color and the sharpest edges. Objects on either side of the focal point are seen in our peripheral vision and cannot be in sharp focus. This is the way our eye naturally sees.
Simplicity is the key to a strong painting. It's not how much you can add - it's how much you can leave out and still tell your story.
Compositional guidelines -
Diagonal lines give energy, direction and movement. All the major diagonal lines in the scene should lead toward the focal point. There should be a straight, strong vertical line or shape near the focal point to serve as an anchor and to stabilize the composition.
The painting is divided into three planes, the foreground, the middle distance and the distance. Each plane must be treated differently to show the natural effects of aerial perspective in the scene.
Foregrounds are for lead-in purposes only. They should be composed of diagonal or curving lines, using value and color changes to lead the eye into the painting. They are never just a straight horizontal line going across the bottom of the canvas. And they are never detailed because, when you are looking straight ahead, foregrounds are seen in your peripheral vision.
Placing the focal point in the middle distance creates a larger foreground area which gives support to the focal area while adding weight to the bottom of the painting. This also gives the foreground space to create direction and movement.
It is in the middle distance where your major objects, color and values are located. This is where the action is. This is where the focal point is.
The softer, cooler atmosphere seen in the distance is the result of aerial perspective. This help to create a feeling of depth.
To help in developing a strong painting work out your composition first in either sketches or a tonal underpainting. Tonal - without color - using black, white and grays. Later you will add the magic of color - but only if the underlying structure is strong and correct. And don't be afraid to use a ruler...
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Above is my acrylic tonal underpainting on a red primed canvas. Note the use of directional lines. The strong verticals in the building provide stability. The main figure, my focal point, is in the middle distance. The strong value design is created to support my focal point. |
So, don't just copy what you see. You are the artist. Create. Build a strong composition and add only the elements that are necessary to tell your story.
Happy painting.
Celene
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Celene Farris, Maine Artist
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