Composition

A favorite saying of mind is,:“A good painting is not by accident but by design.” This statement implies that it is up to the artist to arrange the basic visual elements of the composition: shape, edge, value, and color to make a successful artistic statement. One way of working out these compositional elements, before committing pigment to surface, is to do small sketches. These thumbnail sketches place the major compositional shapes within the framework of a format, allowing an artist to visualize the final painting’s composition. Adjustments can then be made to strengthen the rhythm and movement of the visual pathway throughout the painting, facilitating a more successful outcome. Full Article

In a society that tends to reward excess, it can be difficult to be an artist that works relatively small. Larger paintings are always priced higher in gallery settings and are frequently given more attention in exhibitions. This leads the public to believe they have more intrinsic value. While it is true that considerably more physical time may be required to cover an expansive surface and framing will undoubtedly be more expensive, it is not true that the efforts to create a painting of merit is harder when done in a monumental size. Full Article