Composition Tips, Are Your Focal Points Clearly Defined?

A first, quick glance at your painting is important. Some questions to ask yourself may be: What is your eye immediately drawn to? Was this your intention? Does it make sense? How can you more effectively define your intended focal point? You might ask a friend for a second opinion. Sometimes someone else might see something different than you do.

The study of composition is ongoing, limited only by your imagination. Good composition is the foundation of a good painting. With a good, strong composition your painting reads well from a distance. The brushwork and details are what add interest to a painting at a close viewing distance. A well thought out composition creates unity. One feature should dominate above all others.

Focal points can be an area, not necessarily an object. It can be as simple as a brushstroke. First you must start with an idea and establish your area of interest. Then to support that area, group values to create large simple masses of unequal sizes. These are the foundation of your composition. You will use these masses to design your painting.

Creating value studies, using markers, pencils or mixed gray acrylic paints in four different neutrals, can help you in the process of making a cohesive composition. The color and brushstrokes will strengthen your design. After the value studies, try different brushstrokes on a blank canvas to get the feel of different strokes and edges. Each artist uses their brushstrokes differently making their paintings individual, like a fingerprint. As you move through your painting into the center of interest, you will slowly create more contrast and color intensity until reaching the focal point. At your center of interest you will have more contrast and color intensity than anywhere else in the painting. Sharp edges also attract attention. Soft and disappearing edges can lead a viewer to the focal point. Directional lines, like brushstrokes or shapes of objects can also lead the viewer to the center of interest. Another suggestion would be to create passive areas and active areas. One of these areas may act as your focal point.

In a well thought out composition, you are leading the viewer, creating a melody to unify all the notes. Don't forget that you are the conductor. These are ideas to consider when composing a painting, whether the painting is an abstract, still life or landscape. Now you need to paint and paint and paint again.

Becky Joy is a nationally recognized artist specializing in sunsets, landscapes and still life oil paintings. Becky shares art tips, painting demonstrations and art business tips on her blog. http://beckyjoy.com/

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En Plein Air Defined, An Explanation of Plein Air and Alla Prima Painting

"En plein air", the French term, means to paint outside in the open air. To paint all in one sitting either in the studio or outside is called "alla prima". Most plein air painting is done in one sitting, alla prima, but some artists continue to work on a single painting more than one day. This direct approach to painting was first done by the French Impressionists. Up until this time, painting was done in the studio over a period of time, often a romanticized view of nature. The "experience", their "impressions" of a scene are what the French Impressionists were after.

The camera was developed at this time. This gave artists and added tool, both good and bad. They could paint their "feelings", but still render detail in a painting. Some artists did and still do render a lot of detail in their paintings. The buying public has often thought that a detailed painting was a "perfect" redition of a scene. The artist can give a painting feeling and a soul that the camera cannot capture. Over the last 150 years art has fluctuated between "feelings" and "impressions" and slavishly rendered detail.

Most artwork falls somewhere in between. It can be a grand scene or intimate detail to express your "feelings". When communicating through art you may look for color, texture or contrast. The eye usually is attracted to light values. To follow through with your idea, you will first need to simplify, take out anything that isn't necessary. After deciding what your focal point is, you will squint at the scene. This simplifies the colors, details and values. The large masses form the basis of your composition. You then consider various design elements in the composition.

Once you are ready to start painting, most artists use thin paint to block in the painting. Some schools of thought block in the darks first, others paint shapes of colors, one next to the other. Then, you will move onto refining and details, which are a personal preference for the artist. The brushstrokes and/or the palette knife in the refining of the painting are as individual to the artist as handwriting is. This helps to define the artists' "style", which is another topic.

When I am plein air painting, I feel a rush, an excitement that I usually don't get in the studio. This helps to give my paintings "feelings" and an "impression" of the scene. The decisions I make help, or sometimes fail, to convey those emotions to the viewer.

Becky Joy is a nationally recognized artist specializing in sunsets, landscapes and still life oil paintings. Becky shares art tips, painting demonstrations and art business tips on her blog. http://beckyjoy.com/

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