Tips for Creating Strong Compositions in your Paintings

Composition is one of the most important aspects of painting. A pleasing composition is one where shapes and colors in a painting are organized in such a way that there is a sense of balance. Creating a balanced and interesting composition is more challenging that it may appear. If something is out of place or wrong, the viewer is left confused or uninterested. The following tips should help steer you in the right direction.

RULE OF THIRDS

The rule of thirds is a tool made popular by photographers but equally important to painters and is used to help artists create a strong and balanced composition. There are certain things you can do to the composition of a painting that will make it unbalanced or unpleasing to the eye. For instance, a common mistake is to place the focal point of a painting directly in the center. Another common mistake is to split the painting directly in half as in a landscape painting where the horizon line is directly in the middle of the painting.

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