Painting Part 2 - Composition, Perspective & Depth

How to make your painting work:

1. Now that you know what you want to paint or draw, you need to make it work on canvas. How do you convince your audience of your work, create harmony (or “music”) in your artwork and keep their interest?

After covering your canvas with the background or “mood” colour, you need to compose your subject successfully on the picture plane. Successful composition leads the eye around the painted area in a harmonious and satisfying manner. A beautiful painting can become unattractive and unpleasant simply through bad composition! Here are some dos and don'ts:

Don't:

- Don't "frame" your object with a huge amount of empty space or by creating a colour "glow" around your objects.
- Don't try to squeeze objects into the picture plane, allow them to breath or at times break the canvas edge.
- Don't create too much symmetry in your artwork, especially around the center, also vary the sizes of objects in the image (for example patterns in an abstract).

Do:


- Make use of the rule of thirds (or the "golden rule" - 6/10) to compose your main subjects or focal points. Keep away from the center by using the available (or negative) space to its full potential.
- Compose your objects in such a way to allow the eye to move comfortably over the picture plane, objects can break the edges of the canvas, but make sure it breaks it in more than 1 or 2 places, a singular break can lead the eye away from the subject. Diagonals are great for leading the eye.
- Place your main subject(s) off center or near a third to balance to canvas in a more harmonious way.
- Keep an eye out for the direction your subject is looking in and then leave more open space on that side. This keep your subject from staring into the edge of the canvas. Always give room for animals to "escape" by leaving a space in front of them (or below when painting birds).

If you are working with a conceptual meaning in your artwork, these rules can be broken in order to support your idea. Composition plays a significant role in aesthetics as well as conceptualization.


2. Perspective is the first step to creating realism and depth in an artwork. It is a way to create a 3 dimensional image on a 2 dimensional plane. To create successful perspective, one or more vanishing points need to be established on the picture plane towards which all the parallel lines in real life converge (most useful when painting buildings, roads, fences etc). These vanishing points exist on the horizon (or eye-level).

Examples of 1-point, 2-point and 3-point perspective respectively:




3. Depth perception can be achieved through different painting techniques as well as through the correct use of colour and perspective.

Perspectival depth – Creating depth by making use of 1-point, 2-point or 3-point perspective.
Atmospheric/Arial depth – Created by using duller, more faded colours toward the background and brighter colours in the foreground. Colours on the horizon gradually become closer to the colour of the sky.
Colour depth – Using cool colours in the background and warmer colours in the foreground. Shadows also contain cool colours. The use of complimentary colours can exaggerate this effect.
Focal depth – This works on the principle that areas closer to the foreground are painted in focus (more texture or detail) while areas in the background out of focus (soft or slightly blurred).


Happy painting!

Painting Part 1 - How do I get started?

Before you start a new piece:

1.Get out your workbook and start making some plans. These plans can involve life sketches, dreams, abstract thoughts, various exercises, clippings, poems, images you like, favourite songs etc. Allow your workbook or file to become a collection of things that inspire you. Whenever you get stuck for ideas, you'll find it can become your most valuable asset.

2.Remember that you do not always need a perfect plan! Planning a painting or drawing can just as easily inhibit spontaneity so sometimes allow the artwork evolve on it own.

3.Once you've decided on a subject or theme you will need to find a support. The shape and size of your canvas will influence the way it is viewed, for example a painting of a vast landscape will be viewed different on a large canvas than how it will be viewed on a small 10cm x 5cm canvas. Large scales tend to impress and overwhelm the viewer while small scales draw the viewer in. Do not simply work on a specific canvas size simply because it is all you have, make sure it is a conscious decision. To help you decide, imagine the reaction you want from your audience. What shape of the canvas will best suit the subject matter? Another idea is to try painting on something other than a canvas: Driftwood, a broken plate, a calabash, an old chair, tin or rusted piece of metal. Get creative!

4.This is a good time to make some pre-sketches or pre-paintings in your workbook to decide on colour schemes, composition and size. Do not underestimate the value of these exercises! By simply starting a painting, even if you've had much success in the past, you limit yourself and remove the possibility that you could have improved on your original idea or concept. Impulsive or spontaneous paintings do not need much planning.

5.Decide on the technique you are going to use and how it will support your idea. Do you want your painting to be full of drama, mystery, excitement or peace? Should it be bright and cheery, somber, sad or realistic? Should the paint be applied thickly (impasto), should you use a dry brush lightly over dry paint (scumbling), scratch into the paint (sgraffito) or paint thin and delicately? The combination of the shape, size, medium, material, colour and technique will determine the mood of your art work.While you may think that this is a lot think about, the awards will be evident in the final piece.

6.What colour palette will you use? Are you going to work around whatever colours you already have or purchase a new palette? Are you sure you have the colours you need to achieve the right results? Not all colours mix the same!

* One can achieve unity in a series of paintings by working with a limited selection of colour in a particular piece.
* If your colours are too bright, try mixing in a little of the opposite (complimentary) colour and don't forget that black can often create a nasty mix of colours rather than simply making a specific colour darker... try blue!
For example:
green + black = natural dull dark green
blue + black = deep blue
yellow + black = green! (beautiful)

* White might “lighten” a colour, but at the same time removes the chroma (strength) of the colour. To lighten red or orange use lemon yellow instead of white.
* Skintone contains much more than just orange + white or burnt sienna + white, add a touch of green or blue
* Know and practice your colour wheel!! Remember that cool colours recede and warm colours advance. Opposite colours compliment each other and mixes brown.
* You will need at least 2 different reds, 2 different blues and 2 different yellows in your toolbox. Titanium white (Opaque) and Ivory or Lamp black (not much needed). Look out for a great selection of premixed browns like burnt and raw sienna (reds), burnt and raw umbers (blues) and ocres (yellow)... just to mention a few.

Magic must have's: Prussian blue, Alizarin Crimson and Lemon yellow.
Also: mixing your own secondary (purples, oranges and greens) and tertiary (browns) colours can be very rewarding!

7.You can now start by painting a layer of colour over your canvas and then loosely sketch your image using a brush or pastel.


Happy painting,
Kenosis