Painting Composition: How to Use a Viewfinder

Use a Viewfinder to Consider the Possibilities

Painting Composition Class: Using a Viewfinder

Image: © Marion Boddy-Evans. Licensed to About.com, Inc

If the town is included, as here, the whole feeling of the composition changes. Suddenly the mountains aren't the primary focus, but a background. The town and the farmlands dominate, yet there isn't a strong focal point to draw the viewer into the painter. As a composition it's rather mundane.

• Why Using a Viewfinder Can Help You Get the Best Composition
• Use a Viewfinder to Crop Out the Foreground
• Use a Viewfinder to Consider the Possibilities
• How About a Square Format?
• How About a Tall Format?