Art Composition and Perspective in Paintings
A range of articles on all aspects of art composition, including setting out the elements in a painting, choosing a light source, and deciding what to include or exclude in a composition.
How to Improve the Composition of a Painting
A gallery of suggestions to alter a painting's composition to strengthen or improve it.
A gallery of suggestions to alter a painting's composition to strengthen or improve it.
Light Sources or Directions
When painting, one decision that must be made at composition stage, is where the light is going to come from as this influences the shadows, contrasts, and colours. So what are the choices?
When painting, one decision that must be made at composition stage, is where the light is going to come from as this influences the shadows, contrasts, and colours. So what are the choices?
Painting Composition Class: How to Make a Viewfinder
Simple Step-by-Step Instructions for Making a Viewfinder to Use When Composing a Painting.
Simple Step-by-Step Instructions for Making a Viewfinder to Use When Composing a Painting.
Art Composition Class: Using a Viewfinder to Compose a Painting
Often there's simply so much that's appealing in a scene you want to paint that it's hard to choose what to focus on. Find out how to use a viewfinder to crop the elements to get the best composition.
Often there's simply so much that's appealing in a scene you want to paint that it's hard to choose what to focus on. Find out how to use a viewfinder to crop the elements to get the best composition.
Art Composition Class: Dynamic Lines
A simple change in composition can make a huge different in how dynamic a painting is, as these two versions of a painting show.
A simple change in composition can make a huge different in how dynamic a painting is, as these two versions of a painting show.
Painting: Background or Foreground First?
Which do you start painting first, the background or the foreground? Find out here…
Which do you start painting first, the background or the foreground? Find out here…
Composition Class: Choosing the Number of Elements
Why having an odd number of elements in a painting makes for a more dynamic composition than an even number.
Why having an odd number of elements in a painting makes for a more dynamic composition than an even number.
Art Composition Class: Placing of Elements
Using cutouts to decide where to place the elements in a painting.
Using cutouts to decide where to place the elements in a painting.
Art Composition Class: Rule of Thirds
The Rule of Thirds the easiest compositional rule to follow in a painting.Applying it means you'll never have a painting that's split in half, either vertically or horizontally, nor one with the main focus right in the centre like a bull's-eye.
The Rule of Thirds the easiest compositional rule to follow in a painting.Applying it means you'll never have a painting that's split in half, either vertically or horizontally, nor one with the main focus right in the centre like a bull's-eye.
Art Composition Tips: How To Set Up a Still Life
A common mistake beginner artists make when setting out to paint a still life is to casually set up their props and just start to paint. If you want your still life to be successful, it needs a little more thought that this.
A common mistake beginner artists make when setting out to paint a still life is to casually set up their props and just start to paint. If you want your still life to be successful, it needs a little more thought that this.
Perspective: An Introduction
A good introduction to perspective, what it is and how one-, two- and three-point perspective and vanishing points work. Don't be put off that it's on a fantasy art website, the principles apply to all painting.
A good introduction to perspective, what it is and how one-, two- and three-point perspective and vanishing points work. Don't be put off that it's on a fantasy art website, the principles apply to all painting.
Composition: Leaving Something Out
When you're planning a painting, one of the things to consider is what to include and to leave out. Look at these examples to see how excluding quite a bit makes for a better image.
When you're planning a painting, one of the things to consider is what to include and to leave out. Look at these examples to see how excluding quite a bit makes for a better image.
Contrast in a Painting
The greater the difference between the light and dark areas in a painting, the more it catches your attention. This example of tonal contrast may be brief, but it explains the concept very clearly.
The greater the difference between the light and dark areas in a painting, the more it catches your attention. This example of tonal contrast may be brief, but it explains the concept very clearly.