Composition
Focusing on the Elements of Composition in Drawing
Jun 24th
Composition refers to the organization, arrangement, and combination of objects within the borders of a drawing space. You want to bring the eyes of the viewer toward your center of interest within an aesthetically pleasing composition.
Strong composition can intuitively engage your viewers. Many “rules” define a good composition, but these rules are only guidelines. Your personal preferences and natural instincts are also important.
When planning the overall appearance of a drawing, you need to be familiar with the following:
- Focal point: A primary center of interest (or focus) in a drawing.
- Overlapping: The visual separation of a drawing into foreground, middle ground, and distant space by overlapping (or layering) objects.
- Negative space: The space within your drawing not occupied by a focal point, important subject, or area of interest.
- Lines: Navigation tools used to guide the viewer through the different elements of a drawing.
- Balance: A stable arrangement of subjects within a composition.
- Contrast: Extremes of light and dark values that create shapes and patterns in your composition.
- Proportion: The amount of space allocated to the various components of a drawing.
Emphasizing the focal point
A drawing becomes much more interesting when it has a focal point — a specific area where you want your viewer to focus the majority of their attention when looking at your drawing.
Your drawings illustrate your choice of subjects from your own unique perspective. Think about what you want your drawing to say and choose a focal point that helps you express that message.
In a portrait, the focal point may be the eyes, and in a landscape it may be one specific tree or flower. You may choose to have more than one area of focus in your drawing; in this case, you have a primary focal point and secondary focal point(s).
After you choose your main point (or points) of interest, you can use many artistic devices and techniques to highlight the point. In Figure 1, the Headde Family illustrates the following tips for emphasizing your focal point:
- Always place your focal point off-center in your composition. Stay away from the bull’s eye. A focal point placed in the very center of your drawing space is a big NO unless you have a specific expressive or artistic reason to do so. Any object that you place dead center commands the viewer’s full attention. All the other important elements of your drawing may be ignored, and the drawing loses its impact.In Figure 1, the main member of the Headde family appears right of center. Your eye may go to this figure intuitively at first, but you still register the other members of the family off to the left.
- Make good use of secondary focal points. Drawing less interesting objects close to the primary focal point helps direct the viewer’s eye toward your center of interest. In Figure 1, the small cluster of family members off to the left draws your eye, but then the eyes on these figures direct you straight back to the main figure on the right.
- Use objects within your drawing space to point to your focal point. The lines of the two steps on the platform in Figure 1 lead the view’s eye to the focal point.
- Define the focal point with more detail and a stronger contrast in values than other aspects of your drawing. The shading of the hair, eyes, and nose is more detailed in the focal point. Also, a very dark value is used to shade the pupils of his eyes and for the shadows under him.
Figure 1: In the Headde family, a primary focal point out-stages the secondary focal points.
Overlapping for unity and depth
Overlapping objects, or placing some objects over (or in front of) others, unifies a drawing, enhances depth of field, and creates an aesthetically pleasing composition.
Observe your subject carefully before you begin your drawing and plan for places where you can utilize overlapping. To overlap subjects in a drawing, you simply draw closer objects in front of those farther away. For example, if two trees appear side-by-side in a scene, consider drawing them in such a way that one is slightly in front of the other. When you overlap objects, you create a strong three-dimensional illusion.
In Figure 2, the larger child (with lots of hair) is in the foreground (the front), the light haired adult and the baby are in the middle ground, and the dark haired adult (with the grumpy facial expression) is in the distant space (behind the others).
Figure 2: Creating depth by overlapping your subjects.
Using lines to your advantage
In the cartoon drawing in Figure 1, the lines outlining the family members and objects are actual lines. The lines of the steps, on which the largest character is standing, point toward him. But of course, bold black lines, like in this cartoon or a coloring book drawing, do not outline objects in the real world around us.
Representational drawings that include realistic three-dimensional subjects can use implied lines to strengthen a composition. This means lines that are not really there, but are formed (or implied) by the edges of the shapes of the objects in your drawing.
Following the leading line
Effective leading lines can invite and encourage the viewer to enter the drawing space, explore the focal point, and linger to investigate the many facets of the composition.
Either actual lines or implied lines can be used to navigate the viewer around a nonrepresentational drawing. However, in a representational drawing, leading lines are usually implied, rather than actual. For example, in a realistic landscape drawing, a leading line can be a pathway, a river, a row of trees, or a fence. When properly rendered, the eye follows this line (or lines) directly into and through the drawing.
Most viewers begin looking at a drawing in the lower-left hand corner, making this corner the best location for a leading line.
Placing leading lines on the right side of your drawing may take the viewer’s eye out of your composition. Also, don’t put leading lines exactly in a corner. When a leading line points directly to a corner it forms the shape of an arrowhead, pointing the viewer directly out of the drawing, just as effectively as a big bold neon EXIT sign.
Lining up emotions with composition lines
Various types of lines put diverse emotions and moods in your compositions. Remain conscious of the following effects lines can have in your drawings:
- Curved lines reflect beauty, gentleness, and calmness. The s-curve denotes balance and grace.
- Horizontal lines create stability, peace, and serenity.
- Vertical lines reflect strength, grandeur, and dignity.
- Diagonal lines offer a sense of movement and power. When diagonal lines meet to form an arrow, they can direct the viewer’s eye.
Balancing subjects in a composition
Most good drawings result from carefully planning the balance of the various subjects. A balanced drawing is more aesthetically pleasing and harmonious. When creating this balancing act, you must take the sizes, placements, and values of the subjects into account.
Playing with the teeter-totter principle
Think of your drawing subjects on a teeter-totter. If your subjects are the same size, then they balance perfectly with both the same distance from the center point, as in the first drawing in Figure 3. On the other hand, a tiny object on one side balances a larger object on the other end, by being farther away from the center point, as in the second drawing in Figure 3.
Figure 3: Balancing subjects of the same and differing masses.
Without balance, your drawings may end up visually lopsided and inharmonious. Of course, if you want a particular drawing subject to appear distressing and jarring, using an unbalanced composition can help.
Arrange your objects asymmetrically. Taller objects usually look better off to one side.
Balancing values and shapes
Masses of light and dark values become shapes. These shapes need to be identified and planned before you begin to draw.
Balance dark and light values in your drawing space, in much the same way as objects. Grouping all the dark objects or all the light objects on one side of your drawing space can create a visually lopsided composition. Sometimes simply moving objects slightly to the right or left in your drawing space, or making them lighter or darker than their actual values, can balance the composition.
Placing an odd number of objects into a grouping (rather than an even number) makes a composition more artistically pleasing. Balancing three objects on one side of a composition and five on the other is much more interesting than a static arrangement of four on either side
Delegating proportions to your subjects
When you plan a drawing, you have to decide how big to make each object in the composition. The proportion of each element relative to the others depends on what you want to emphasize in your composition.
It’s completely up to you to call upon your creative mind to help you make decisions about the proportions in your composition. Ask yourself the following questions:
- What do I consider to be the most important subject within this composition? The answer to this question may decide what your focal point (center of interest) should be.
- Where should I put my focal point and how much of my total drawing space should my focal point occupy? Many beginners choose to make their focal point the largest object in the drawing.
- How much of my drawing format should be background (negative space)? Negative space is sometimes thought of as a resting place for the viewer’s eyes.
Tale of Two Brains
Jun 8th
Right-brained people are supposed to be artistic and spontaneous, while left-brainers are literal and analytical; in other words, Captain Kirk and Spock. This ubiquitous bit of pop science wisdom came out of Nobel Prize-winning neurology, and it spawned the bestseller Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. But does the story of the two brains stand up in the age of the MRI? Produced by Dave Johns.
Lake Cabin Illustration
Jun 3rd
Here is a lake cabin illustration that I just completed. The model was created in 3DS MAX Design 2011 and rendered using the V-Ray render engine. If you have any technical question feel free to post them here.
Composition is one of the most misunderstood concepts in any form of artwork. It has been said that you can be the greatest painter in the world, but if you don’t know how to compose properly, your painting will fall apart and the same goes for digital art/illustrations/renders.
Like all illustrations of mine, this one started off in my head. First I decide what would make this image special and I decide on a focal point. These cabins are on a lake, very close to the water, and have windows and a deck facing the South. I like to play with contrast so I typically place my camera about 45 degrees from my light source (in plan), with the focal point being in the light. Since the cabins are on the lake facing South I know that you would see the sunrise so I took advantage of the glass on the sliding windows. I chose the sunrise in the reflection as my focal point.
To bring the viewers eye to my focal point (composition is really about moving the viewer’s eye) I placed the boat in the foreground, pointing towards my focal point. The boat was tipped slightly away from the camera so it wouldn’t bring so much attention to itself. I used yellow on the boat to help the viewer up into the image knowing the eye associates colors and the sunrise in the reflection is yellow too. The focal point is also 1/3 to the left of center and about 1/3 below center, which is were the eye is naturally drawn to in an image. I usually have my horizon lower, but I wanted at least as much blue water as blue sky (the water and sky are blue, which are complementary colors to my focal so it brings the illustration into balance).
Below are some screen grabs of my V-Ray settings:
VFB Frame Buffer
Global Switches
Antialising
Image Sampler
Environment
Color Mapping
Camera Type
GI
Brute Force
Light Cache
Caustics
DMC
Displacement
Systems
Elements
V-Ray Camera
HDRI
Gamma
I can comfortably say that I have never used the same settings for any 2 scenes so these settings might not work for you, but it might be a good starting point. I am running a render farm with 90Gb of RAM and 24 processors so unless you have an equivalent farm these settings might be to high for you.
Below find some Photoshop CS5 post screen grabs:
(coming soon…)
Z-Depth
Apr 2nd
Below you’ll see a Z-Depth pass, yet another trick that allows you to do some post production work on your illustration. The Z-Depth pass allows you to quickly mimic a cameras depth-of-field lens trick. Gaussian blur in post allows you, while using the z-depth channel, to control the blur from light to dark. Doing this allows you to have a foreground, which is important for your composition, but it will not overpower your illustrations focal point.
Ambient Occlusion
Apr 2nd
Ambient = Dark
Diffuses = Light
An Ambient Occlusion pass returns a gray scale image with intersecting geometry darker. This technique allows you to do some post production using layer manipulation. Revit 2011 has some built in Ambient Occlusion capabilities so be on a lookout in the next release.
The below image was created via a script and I use this technique on almost all of my work. It gives your illustration a more realistic feel. This is also how I create the museum board stills and animation.
What’s New in 3ds Max 2011
Mar 10th
Autodesk® 3ds Max® 2011 3D modeling, animation, rendering software includes the following new and enhanced features:
- Slate, a new node-based material editor, enables you to more easily visualize and edit material component relationships.
- Quicksilver hardware renderer enables you to create high-fidelity pre-visualizations, animatics, and games-related marketing materials in less time.
- Graphite modeling and Viewport Canvas tools help accelerate modeling and texturing tasks.
- The new 3ds Max Composite feature offers high-performance, HDR-capable compositing tools and is based on technology from Autodesk® Toxik® software.
- 3ds Max 2010-compatible format enables you to save scene files to help manage the transition to 3ds Max 2011.
Watch Videos of these new features in Autodesk® 3ds Max® 2011
The Art of Composition
Jan 28th
Think of a landscape photograph as a jigsaw puzzle, with dozens of different
pieces demanding your attention. If you arrange all those pieces in the right
order you’ll end up with an organized, structured image that makes sense and
looks good. But if you put them together any old way, the end result will be a
muddled mess of shapes, colors and details that’s difficult to make sense of.
That, in a nutshell, is what composition’s all about – arranging the
elements of a scene in your camera’s viewfinder so they form something visually
interesting to look at; something that will hold the attention of the viewer
and take their eye on a journey around the frame from the immediate foreground
to the distant background.
Every time you raise a camera to your eye you’re composing a picture – the
very act of deciding where to point it is based on a conscious or sub-conscious
decision about what you want to include in the picture. The trouble is, many
photographers don’t spend enough time thinking about that composition before
firing away, and nine times out of ten the end result is unbalanced and
un-stimulating.
Often the main subject is too far away and marooned in a sea of empty space,
or there are annoying distractions in the frame. Many pictures have no obvious
entry point, so the viewer’s wanders around aimlessly, and lack any sense of
depth or scale so they look as flat as the proverbial pancake.
Painters are one up on photographers when it comes to composing a picture,
because if the scene before them isn’t ideal they can move elements around on
the canvas until it is. We just have to accept what’s there and make the best
of it.
Fortunately, this isn’t as difficult as it sounds because by using different
lenses, choosing your viewpoint carefully and thinking about which part of the
scene you want to capture on film, it’s possible to create successful
compositions every time. There are also many compositional ‘rules’ and devices
that can be used to help you take more interesting pictures, and the more
pictures you take, the better your natural sense of composition will become –
until it becomes and intuitive act, rather like driving a car does when you’ve
been behind the wheel enough.
Step 1 Include foreground interest
Scenic pictures can often be improved dramatically simply by including
something in the immediate foreground. Not only does foreground interest help
to create a strong feeling of depth and scale, which is vitally important, but
it also tightens-up the whole composition by pulling together the different
elements in the scene, and provides an obvious entry point into the shot – the
bottom is a natural place for the eye to start with conventional picture
formats.
All kinds of things can be used as foreground interest – walls, rivers,
rocks, hedges and trees, fences, roads, paths, flower beds and so on.
Wide-angle lenses are invaluable for emphasizing foreground interest. By
moving in close with a 24mm or 28mm lens you can make even small features
dominate the whole shot, and exaggerate perspective to create powerful
compositions with the foreground looming large and the rest of the scene
stretching off into the distance. Wide-angle lenses also offer the added
benefit of extensive depth-of-field. By stopping down to f/16 or f/22,
everything will come out sharp from less than a meter in front of the camera to
infinity.
Step 2 Use the rule-of-thirds
This is the oldest compositional trick in the book, and one that’s used by
both painters and photographers to create a visually balanced picture.
Imagine you’re shooting a landscape and there’s an isolated farmhouse in the
distance or a single tree in the middle of a field, acting as the main focal
point. Most photographers would stick this subject in the centre of the frame –
which can work in some situations. However, you will generally get a more
pleasing sense of balance if you position it using the rule-of-thirds.
To do this, divide-up your camera’s viewfinder into an imaginary grid using
two horizontal and two vertical lines. The focal point is then placed on or near
any of the four intersection points created by those lines.
The rule of thirds can also be used to help you position the horizon. It’s
tempting to stick it across the centre of the frame, but unless you’re shooting
a symmetrical scene, such as reflections in a lake, the result tends to look
very static and lifeless.
A much better approach is to place the horizon one third from the top or the
bottom of the frame, so you’re emphasizing either the sky or ground. To help
you achieve this, divide the viewfinder into thirds using two imaginary
horizontal lines, and then compose the scene before you so the horizon falls on
one of them.
You should never force a picture to comply with the rule-of-thirds, but when
used with care it can work well and after a while you will find yourself
naturally dividing the scene into thirds to aid the position of important
elements.
Step 3 Make the most of lines
Lines just can’t be beaten when it comes to adding depth and dynamism to a
picture. As well as creating a strong sense of direction, they also carry the
eye through the scene so it takes in everything along the way.
If you keep your eyes peeled when shooting landscapes you’ll see lines
appearing everywhere: roads, rivers, railings, avenues of trees, road markings,
telegraph poles and railway tracks slicing through the countryside, raking
shadows cast by the evening sun and so on. All these and many more can be used
to improve the composition of your pictures.
Horizontal lines divide the scene in layers and produce a restful effect by
echoing the horizon. The eye normally travels from left to right and steadily
upwards through the scene.
Vertical lines are far more active so they give a picture tension and a
strong sense of vertical direction – think of the towering trunks of coniferous
trees reaching for the sky.
Diagonal lines are more energetic because they contrast strongly with
horizontal and vertical elements and carry your eye through the whole scene. By
suggesting perspective they also add depth. Lines moving from bottom left to
top right work the best because that’s natural way for the eye to travel.
Converging lines created by roads, crop rows, avenues of trees and railway
lines are ideal for adding a strong sense of depth, scale and perspective due
to the way they rush away to the horizon and seem to move closer together with
distance. To make the most of this effect, look straight down the lines and use
a wide-angle lens to exaggerate perspective. Include the point where the lines
meet – the ‘vanishing point’ – is also a good idea as it brings the composition
to a satisfying conclusion.
Finally, lines don’t actually have to be straight to work in a composition.
The graceful curves of a meandering river will carry the eye through a scene
just as effectively as an arrow-straight canal.
Step 4 Use your feet
The late photojournalist Robert Capa used to say, “If a picture’s not good
enough, you weren’t close enough”. He was talking mainly about war and
conflict, of course, but in the landscape his words still ring true.
Many photographers seem to have a pathological fear of getting close to
their subject, regardless of what it is. They see something interesting, snap
away without a care in the world, and then wonder why the final picture has
enough wasted space to drive a Chieftain tank through.
So, the next time you’re about to take a landscape photograph, stop for a
second, have a last look at the composition and ask yourself if it could be
improved by walking further into the scene, getting closer to foreground
interest or finding something more suitable to fill the foreground. You’ll be
amazed at the difference this can make.
While you’re feeling energetic it’s also worth having a general look around
your subject. That landscape might look rather nice from the lay-by at the side
of the road – and it’s a known fact that some of the most stunning viewpoints
in the UK
are close to roads – but what about if you walked around the corner, or up the
hill behind you? The fact is you’ll rarely get the best picture from the first
viewpoint you find, but unless you make the effort to explore your subject from
different angles you’ll never know the alternatives.
Sometimes all it takes is a slight change of viewpoint to completely transform
the composition. Walking a few meters in any direction could give you a far
clearer view, get rid of unwanted distractions or provide important foreground
interest.
The height from which you shoot should also be considered. Most
photographers take every picture with the camera at eye level, but by kneeling
down or standing on a wall you’ll get a totally different view of the same
scene. Many professionals even carry a step ladder for this purpose (ask
Charlie Waite) so they can gain a slightly elevated position and see much more
of the scene they’re trying to capture.
Using your feet is a vitally important part of composing a picture, so never
be afraid to wear out a little shoe leather.
Step 5 Choose the right format
Although it’s natural to shoot landscapes with the camera held horizontally
in the ‘landscape’ format, turning the camera on its side can totally transform
the composition.
Upright pictures are far more energetic because the eye has further to travel
from bottom to top. You can also emphasize vertical lines and height to add
tension and excitement, or Capture Rivers and roads snaking away into the
distance the horizontal format is much more restful to look at because it
suggests repose, and echoes the horizon itself – that’s why it tends to be
preferred by landscape photographers.
Step 6 Make the most of frames
Using man made or natural features to frame your pictures is a great way to
tighten up the overall composition, get rid of annoying details and direct
attention towards your main subject.
All sorts of things can be used as frames: archways, door and window
openings, a hole in a wall, a gap in dense foliage or between trees, the
overhanging branches of a tree, bridges, even the play of shadow on a scene.
To make best use of frames you will usually find that a wide-angle lens
works best, allowing you to include the frame without obscuring the scene
beyond. Set your lens to a small aperture such as f/11 or f/16 if you want the
frame to come out sharp. Alternatively, blur it by setting a wide aperture and
focusing carefully on your main subject.
If the frame casts a shadow over you, step beyond it to take a meter
reading, otherwise the main scene will be overexposed. In bright conditions the
frame itself will record as a silhouette, which can look stunning.
Step 7 Break the rules
Throughout this feature we’ve looked at numerous guidelines and rules that
can be applied to improve the composition of your pictures. However, they’re
only there as a guide, and should be used as such.
Actors are often told to learn their lines so they can forget them and
improvise. It’s exactly the same with composition. Once you know how these
rules work, you can happily commit them to your subconscious and follow your
instincts.
Often you’ll get a far better picture by intentionally breaking the rules –
placing the horizon across the middle of the picture, or your focal point in
the center. The thing to remember is that whatever you do, make sure you have a
reason for doing it. But most important of all, make it count.
Landscape Composition Rules
Jan 28th
by Johannes Vloothuis
www.cyberartlearning.com
I have put together a series of ” rules” (I’d prefer the word, tips) of composition that when used properly should reduce the flaws in your landscape paintings. These are a compilation of what appears in most books on composition plus some of my own ideas. A word of caution; do not allow these to hinder your work. They are to help you out when you are in doubt on where to place diverse elements in your work. Rules are made to be broken, in which case you should at least know what rule you are breaking and why and not err due to insufficient knowledge. There are 23 pages so get a cup of coffee and prepare yourself for a long haul.
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1. Look at the picture above. A Landscape painting should contain a center of interest, which is the most predominant and beautiful area in a painting. The center of interest can be further enhanced when it contains a focal point creating a “bulls-eye” effect by adding a touch of purer color, and/or value contrast. This area will become the star in your play. The surrounding area should be subordinate. A well developed center of interest contains:
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Fig 2. The logs correctly placed are great pointers that lead the viewer’s eye to the area the artist prefers. |
| Fig 3. The shore serves as a visual path that leads to the bridge which is the center of interest. |  |
| 2. You may want to include a second center of interest. This will add another chapter to your story. I don’t condone this practice though unless you are very skilled. There is a risk that they will compete with each other. |
| Do not place one on top of another. Only one should predominate in size. The best way to place them will be across each other in a diagonal format. In case this can’t be done then placing them horizontally is the second option. |
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Fig 4. This painting didn’t need the flowers in the foreground. However, the artist decided to add a second center of interest. |
| 3. Avoid pushing the viewer out of the painting. This can be avoided if the elements don’t point towards the edge or run out of the picture, such as tree trunks, roads, and rivers. You can add “stops” to avoid the viewer from exiting. A rule of thumb; animals and people should be facing and looking inwards. |
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Fig 5. Observe the horse on the right. The artist subdued the value. Squint your eyes. See how it merges with the trees. If this horse were lighter in value the viewer would mount the horse and ride right ou |
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| Fig. 5a. Observe the first painting. See how the log is too straight and pointing towards the edge. The one in the middle has been edited. Some broken off branches were extended to slow down the speed as well as a branch added at the end (a stop). (Last picture)A better alternative might be to remove the log completely. Now the viewer will follow the shore line. |
| 4. Rivers, streams, roads, etc. should enter the picture with an “S” movement. The second option, not as good, in a curve. Straight lines should be avoided at all costs. The velocity is too fast. Allow the viewer to take a slow visual “walk”. |
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Fig 6. This stream in this composition has a nice lazy “S” shape”. |
| Fig 7. The visual path is a curve. Compare the both pictures and see which one takes you for a slower ride, more enjoyable ride. |  |
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Fig 8. Incorrect: The road enters in a straight line. The visual path is too fast. |
| Fig. 9. The image to the right shows a much better approach. |  |
| 5. Logic doesn’t apply to art. What counts is the visual impact. Sunlight on a field of grass may appear even if it is a cloudy day. Linear and atmospheric perspective can be distorted if the result is a better look. Cast shadows can be longer than they would appear at a specific time of day. Feel free to use your artist’s license.. |
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Fig. 10 Observe how the trees give the appearance that the wind is blowing from right to left. However the direction of the rain shows the opposite direction. |
| 6. Group your subjects of importance within the center of interest. Don’t scatter them around where they would compete for attention. |
| Fig. 11 . All the people appear in the same radius within the center of interest which is located at the bottom right. |  |
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Fig. 12. The horse is wrongly placed. Had the artist positioned it near the bench, the composition would’ve improved. |
| 7. You may wish to allow the viewer to interact and become a participant. Let him look for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow instead of you providing all the visual information. Set your painting up for the viewer to wander around using his own imagination. |
| Fig. 13. What is around the bend? Will there be a lake? What about a town? Here the artist left it to your imagination. The path doesn’t go anywhere. You tell me. |  |
8. Depth. An artist is limited to creating the illusion of three dimensions on a flat two dimensional surface. We are to trick the people who see our paintings to believe that what they see looks real. Sometimes I have heard people ask me when they see my paintings. “Is it a photograph?”. How far from the truth they are! There is nothing real about my work, just a representation of reality. Here are a few gimmicks that will work to create the illusion of depth.
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Fig. 14. You can add more planes which will enhance the feeling of distance if you darken the foreground. |
| Fig. 15. Fog is a great way to create distance. |  |
| 9. Reserve your strongest value contrast for the center of interest, very dark against very light or the reverse. Keep the contrasts subdued everywhere else so as not to compete for attention. That is mid values against darks or mid values against lights. |
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Fig. 16. Wrong The tree on the left is competing for attention. There is a dark against light contrast on the left. |
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Fig. 17 Better. The tree was cropped out and the value contrast is now reduced. It is easier to focus on the buffalo now. |
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Fig. 18. The dark clothes on the man readily make him stand out. There is a dramatic value shift. The door on the shadow side of the house is also dark but it is surrounded by a mid value so it won’t attract the viewer to the wrong area. Think of the spotlight shinning on the actor on a theater stage |
| 10. Your painting will look less busy if you include a rest area, preferably just before the center of interest. This will allow some breathing space. |
| Fig. 19. The snow bank just before the pine trees provides for a nice rest area. |  |
11. If possible include a vertical, horizontal and diagonal movement in your painting. Only one should be predominant in length though. Diagonals are the most preferable because they never run parallel to the frame. These contour lines should not be straight rather just give the sense of direction.
| Fig. 20. The pine tree trunk offers the vertical. The grass is placed diagonally. The shoreline is the horizontal. Note: The smaller pine trees help break up what would be otherwise a blue triangular shape. |  |
| 12. When including elements whose nature is usually in movement, if possible indicate their movement but without putting them into compromising positions that would make them feel that they are posing. |
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Fig. 21. The artist is indicating that the horses are walking. This was achieved by showing the dust they would kick up by dragging their hooves. Also observe fig above. None of the horses are in midair in which case would make them appear that they are flying. The latter would be captured on a photo but don’t paint them this way. The same concept appears to a waterfall. When viewed in a photo it will appear that the water suddenly froze. Some painters copy this from the photo giving an unrealistic hard look. It is better to paint running water blurred. This will give it movement. |
| 13. If you are uncertain from where you want to start your visual path such as a river or road you may want to consider this concept. Most of us read from left to right, so by sheer habit the eye will follow this sequence. |  |
| 14. The visual entrance may also begin at the top left much like reading a book. |  |
| 15. Do not start your visual path from a corner. |
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Fig. 22. This is bad design. As you can see, the river originates from the bottom left corner of the canvas. |
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Fig. 23. By widening the mouth of the river, we’ve solved the problem of originating from the corner. |
| Common Errors and How to Avoid Them 16. Avoid duplicating forms, lines, movement, and size. This will make them compete and conflict with each other. |
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Fig. 24 .Observe these two paintings. (Left)The birch tree on the left has a twin. One of them should’ve leaned a different way and their width should vary. Fig. 25. (Right) the two horses are the same size and in the same position. |  |
| 17. Avoid grouping animals and people in even numbers. In case you wish to depict a pair, change their size and position. |
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Fig. 26. Incorrect. Here the deer compete with each other because they are placed in similar poses. They are also about the same size. |
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Fig. 27.Better. The deer on the right is different in size and is in another position. |
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Fig. 28. The painting looks even better when a third deer is added to the background. |
| 18. Never lean your objects outward. Always have them lean inwards. Do not line them parallel to the frame. That applies in vertical or horizontal format. |
| Fig. 29. Incorrect. The telephone pole is leaning in the wrong direction. |  |
| Fig. 30. This is bad design, as well. The telephone pole is now parallel
to the frame. |
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| Fig. 31. This is a much better design. The telephone pole leans inwards, keeping the viewer in the painting. |  |
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| 24. Do not close the viewer out. Invite him in. A do not trespass sign does not apply to paintings. |
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Left Fig. 42. Incorrect: The artist by closing the door is telling us that we are on private property. Right. Fig. 43 . Better. Doesn’t this composition make you feel more welcome? |  |
| Recommendation. When you depict an area with no light such as a entrance to a building with the light off. Don’t use black. The color of absolute darkness is purple. |
| 25. It is not necessary to indicate every brick, stone, board etc. unless you are into hyper-realism. By suggesting a few will convey the idea. It is better to do this in an impressionist manner. |
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Fig. 44. The viewer easily reads the texture of the chapel’s roof. |
| Recommendations on How to Improve Your Landscape Paintings |
| 26. Keep the corners subdued with little texture and the values dark. |
| Fig. 45. The both bottom corners are dark with minimum texture. |  |
| 27. When painting cast shadows add holes where the light peeks thru, otherwise the shadow will appear pasted on. |
Fig. 46  |
| 28. It is preferable not to place animals sideways to avoid a flat pasted on look. When positioned at ? they will have a three dimensional volume. |
| Fig. 47. Preferably not. |  |
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Fig. 48a and 48b. Better |  |
| 29. Buildings and other man made structures such as concrete, wood, etc. will be more interesting if you make them look weathered by adding texture such as cracks, parts peeling off etc. After all they would have more of a story to tell. |
| Recommendation. Only indicate texture closest to the viewer’s stand point. Texture diminishes in the disstance. |  |
Fig. 49. The artist used the dry brush technique to make the side of the building look old. |
| 30. Add some drama to your landscapes by creating a mood. Late afternoon paintings with orange colors in the sky are much more interesting to see than the average blue sky. Examples of this could be rain, wet streets, wind blowing, leaning palm trees, etc. All these special effects will enhance your work. |
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Fig. 50. This simple composition looks more interesting because of the rain and the sun peeking through the clouds. It even looks mystical. |
| 31. Unless your intent is to create hyperrealism, paint the landscape as if you were looking at it with a squinted blurred vision. |
| Fig. 51. Surely the real life subject material has much more detail in the foreground than the final painting. The artist picked the most essential elements and simplified to the utmost. |  |
| 32. Soft edges in the background will enhance the illusion of distance. Leave hard edges in the foreground and/or within the center of interest. |
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Fig. 52. The trees behind this convent were done on wet on wet watercolor paper. This technique diffused all the edges, making the foliage appear way back in the distance. The foreground tree was painted on dry paper resulting into hard edges, bringing it much closer in the picture plane. |
| 33. Don’t abruptly end a portion as it runs into another area. |
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Fig. 53. Left Incorrect. The highlighted grass suddenly stops when it reaches the foliage. Besides, the picture plane is divided in half in this area. Right. Fig. 54. Better |  |
| 34. Vary your forms. If you have round summer trees don’t have round clouds in the sky. On another note, the peaks of a mountain or pine trees will look nice when surrounded by round clouds. |
| 35. Balance is another key factor. There shouldn’t be that much difference of mass on any of the four sides of the painting; either right, left, top, or bottom. This will make it feel like it’s leaning. The painting will appear it is hanging lopsided. |
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Left. Fig. 55. Incorrect. The heavy mass on the right tends to make the painting want to lean towards that direction like a see-saw. Right.Fig. 56 Better. This composition is more balanced now that some weight has been added to the opposite side. |  |
| 36. Brush strokes should be done with an inward motion and towards the center of interest. |
| Some advice on color |
| The color palette is to the artist like the music notes to a musician. They should play harmoniously. |
| 37. Don’t waste time mixing pigments on your palette; rather mix them on canvas or watercolor paper. This will give you many more variations of color instead of a dull premixed outcome. Allow the colors to mix in the eye by variegating them. Avoid having more than three hues in one area. |
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Fig. 57. Observe all the variations of color that appear in the stone shadows. Instead of mixing blue, sienna , and orange on the palette, the artist slightly decreased the chroma from the colors that come directly from the tube and applied the colors to the shadow part of the rocks. |
| Fig 58. The blue door is practically the only place where this color appears. This creates the focal point in the center of interest. |  |
| Recommendations: I won’t go into color harmony deeply because that takes a whole book to cover. If you intend to take art seriously, it will be extremely helpful to read up on this and apply it to your work. I personally prefer to intermix colors with their complements instead of black. The more colors you mix together the muddier they will get. This will happen after three colors are intermixed and will worsen as more colors are added to the pool. Vary the color slightly every 2 inches to avoid monotony. Most people prefer paintings with predominant warm colors rather than cool ones. Only one hue and temperature should predominate in your painting. Reserve the strongest chroma for the center of interest and add a touch of its complement to make the surrounding color stand out more. Do not repeat the same color that appears in the background in the foreground. This will give the feeling there is a hole in the painting. Place warm colors against cool colors (also complements)because they enhance each other. (See fig . 61) Cool colors recede warm colors bring things closer. Leave your blues or violets for the background. Use this concept to create depth. One way to help balance your painting and make it harmonious is by repeating the same hues in all areas. (See fig. 57) For those who do know about color harmony, I can offer this piece of advice as a trick to create a bull’s effect in your center of interest. If you add small touches of color that are out of your color scheme it will strongly draw the viewer’s attention to that area. |
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Fig. 59. The color harmony is off in this painting. Don’t you feel that the mountains belong to another picture? The blue-violet color only appears in the mountains and not repeated anywhere else. |
| Fig. 60. In order to intertwine the colors, the artist was wise to bring the blue from the sky into the puddles. Observe the amount of variegation of ochres and greens in the tree highlights. |  |
| Recommendations: If your painting is predominantly green, a bluish green sky is better than a blue one. Here are a few gimmicks to bring down the sky colors onto the bottom portion of your painting: Bounce these colors on the shadow sides of rocks and tree trunks When leaves in the shadow portion of a tree are at a 90 degree angle to the sky they will reflect the sky colors due to their shiny polished looking surface which act like mirrors. Some discrete hard to detect with the naked eye touches of green in the shadows of clouds will further ensure color harmony. Bounce colors that result from direct sunlight hitting an object into its surrounding objects. It is uncommon to apply white paint straight from the tube. This would be a cool white and unpleasant too look at. Add a touch of orange or yellow to warm it up. That’s the reason why manufactures of watercolor paper add an orange pigment to their product so the areas left blank will be warm whites even though no pigment has been applied. |
| Fig. 61. Observe the green added to the shadow side of the wall. This avoids the house from looking pasted on. If anybody asks him why that area is green he can say the foliage in front is casting green light into that area. |  |
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Fig. 62. Purple and ochre are complements on the color wheel. They enhance each other and help separate the background from the foreground. Observe that the mountain in the middle ground is warmer because it contains more red than the very far one, which is bluer. The cooler (and lighter) the color, the more it pushes the subject into the distance. |
| 38. One way to make a color even brighter is to apply it thick (called impasto). This blob of paint will receive more light from the gallery light making it even brighter than if it had been applied thinly. |
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Fig. 63. Harvey is a master at depicting light emanating from street lights. The paint in the light area is applied on very thickly. By contrasting it with darks you get a strong contrast thus the illusion of light. You need the darks to get the lights. |
| 39. When painting we can only rely on a few values. In nature there are many more values because of the intensity of sunlight that can never be imitated under studio conditions. Three ways to create the illusion of sunlit areas is by contrasting those areas with exaggerated darks. I.e. It will be necessary to darken the cloud shadows more than they would appear in nature to create the effect of the sun peeking through the clouds. Or the cast shadow over grass will have to be much darker in your painting than in nature to make the sunlit areas appear bathed in sunlight. |
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| Fig. 64. When applying color visualize they way they would look on a gray scale. These values are enough for landscape painting. The differences of the in-between values are so subtle that it wouldn’t make much difference. There are actually 10 values on the value scale but it is a very hard task to paint in color and match all those values. |
| If any of you would like to add another brick to this tutorial, please email me.There could be a rule or tip that I have overlooked. |
40. On a last note, it has been said that nature is the best teacher. This is true for textures and forms. When it comes to color and distance however, sometimes nature fails to come up with a good lesson. For example, trees can be very round or triangular in shape. When copied from nature will result look amateurish. Many colors in nature are quite monotonous such as foliage and rocks being the same color. Some trees grow the same height. Nature has several big advantages over us. The sunlight will give us a much wider value range than a gallery light. Nature’s paintings are huge and three-dimensional. We have to give an appealing equivalent on a flat small surface. In conclusion we should take from nature what looks good and improve what doesn’t. I believe talent is not essential to be a good artist. Hard work is. My definition of talent is the following. Talent is the ability to spot what looks right or wrong in a painting. Knowledge is knowing out to correct what doesn’t look right.
