Class Notes: Manitou Workshop

My weekend in Manitou included a one day workshop in the lovely space at the Fare Bella gallery,  run by Patti Filler and right next to the TracyMiller gallery.
Because this was not an outdoor (plein air) workshop we worked from photos brought by the artists.
My focus, as always, is on design, and in this case how to bring out the strengths of your reference material.





This black and white photo was the reference for the demo.  My sketch below shows how I ALWAYS start by simply dividing the space into thirds and moving shapes to strengthen the composition.
As a class we all took part in deciding how to break up the space:
#1 We chose to move the horizon to the upper third line.
#2  We connected the major elements:  the large tree and the barn, moving them to the third line on the right- thus creating a strong focal point.
#3  We placed a balancing group of trees to the left side.
#4  Even the division of the foreground follows the grid.
Below the sketch is my quick 9x12 demo.



Compare the demo sketch and the demo to the plein air piece below, done at the same location as the reference material. 
In both cases I make use of the Rule of Thirds by dividing my sketch area into thirds both vertically and horizontally.
This is a classic compositional idea that deals with both the composition and placement of the focal point - meaning,
it helps you organize the space and position subject matter to be visually balanced.

You can see how I clearly made very different, and important choices about - the horizon line, the major elements and the secondary shapes.
Both compositions are strong because they are governed  and held together by the Rule of Thirds.
Read more about the Rule of Thirds by going to LABELS on the right side of this blog, scroll down and click on Class Notes: Rule of Thirds.

. . . and this is a good place to
 plug the benefits of doing a sketch, no matter how simple.

Class Notes: Landscape in the Square

In class we have been enjoying the 6"x 6" square format and now are applying it to landscape. The same rules of good composition apply but we are now using them to address our own photo scrap, or in my case,
a sketch done in the landscape.

Remember the Rule of Thirds? It is a classic compositional idea that deals with both composition and placement - meaning,
it helps you organize the space and position subject matter so it is visually balanced.
The Rule of Thirds, means to divide the canvas into thirds, horizontally and vertically, and position major elements along those third lines.
In my sketch above, the major shapes almost split the space in half, which is the least interesting or desirable way to break up the space. Applying the Rule of Thirds, I can raise those major shapes or lower them. I chose to lower those shapes to create a deeper sky and a better division of the square.

Class Notes: Square Format Needs Drama

In class we have about 2 1/2 hours to paint and I usually ask students to paint on a 12"x 16" canvas, (larger if possible). Breaking away from this standard of size and shape has helped us focus on composition and positive/negative shapes. But where the rectangle has natural directionality and tension because of its height to width ratio - the square has none. The square format suggests strength, firmness, solidity, and - oops - we're on the slippery slope to boredom.
 
How do we create drama and tension in a shape that has none?
While the stodgy square can not give the sense of wide-screen spectacle - we can give it some small screen drama by the way we direct a viewer's eye through the piece.
Begin with the Rule of Thirds for placement, then work with lines and composition to create excitement. The most dynamic lines in any painting are diagonals. These type of lines can be in the subject matter, edges where values or colors contrast, or even in the brushwork.

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.