Class Notes: Painting On the Square

In class we are painting inside the box, so to speak -
a 6 inch square box.
It is good to take a break from the rectangular/landscape format and I love squares -
so solid, so stable, so - well,
so square.
But what rules govern the square and how do we apply them?
Probably the most classic and simple compositional idea is the Rule of Thirds which deals with both composition and placement - meaning,
it helps you organize the space and figure our where to position the subject matter.
Applicable to photography, painting and graphic design the Rule of Thirds is almost a no-brainer for creating a composition (hence a painting)
with visual balance.
The Rule of Thirds, means to divide the canvas into thirds, horizontally and vertically, and position major elements along those third lines.
Another way to approach it would be to use the lines that divine the space into thirds and place the focal point, or point of greatest visual importance, on one of the four intersections of those lines.