Emphasis through placement
I started working on a painting tonight using acrylic and collage pieces. I was taking the advice of my blog friend, Leslie White, with regards to composition and focal point through directional lines: emphasis through placement. I was trying to overlay my items and zoom in on them to converge at my main focal point. It hasn’t worked out quite the way I wanted it to. I can’t see what the focal point is supposed to be, nor do I think anyone else will. The colours are what I could only describe as ‘bleugggh’. The main part of the image is a hideous chocolate colour, and there is too much blue in the other 2 parts of the image. I wanted it more latte coloured, but unfortunately, I overworked it. So, I decided to leave it tonight and go back to it tomorrow, as I was starting to get really frustrated, and when I get frustrated, I just want to throw and rip things. Not a good idea. I can see good bits of it, like the bottom right quarter, so I’ll try my best to rescue it.
Oh Heather! I absolutely love this! You may call me nuts. I don't know much about abstractsbut this is my favorite piece of yours thus far. Has your instructor talked at all about "sweet spots"? If you divide your format vertically in thirds and then horizontally in thirds, your lines will intersect at four spots on your format. Where those lines intersect are good areas for centers of interest. You have a strong sweet spot in this and I'm going to try to explain what I see. There is wonderful depth in this created by your deep warm dark shape. I stood up and backed off the computer screen and actually see a face with head slightly bowed and half covered by the strong diaginal that cuts across the center of this piece. My eye wants to rest there because of the depth as well as the suggestion of part of a face. The face rests almost on the upper right sweet spot. The form in front of it in the lower right hand quadrant looks like it is a stone cutting that suggests the word "ME". How strong is that already? Good job.
The oval shape above the face, I see, suggests a hat or turban of some sort. There is a small light triangular shape pointing down over the brow of one side of the face. The light triangle suggests center of interest lies here. I love this and would hesitate doing much more to it. Love the boulder-like shapes in the lower left that appear as though they are blocking the figure in. I would probably call this piece "Restrained". Your use of texture and value contrast are very appealing to me. Thank-you for sharing this.
Eeks, "Restrained"! You think so? Thank you Leslie. I never know what to call my pieces. Well, that's what I shall call it!
Wow, I don't know what to say Leslie. Thank you! I can't say I see what you see but that's probably because I know what the shapes are and can't see anything else as a result. I am aware of sweet spots, although I haven't been taught about it but in photography there is a similar thing called the rule of thirds, which I think I'm subconsciously aware of when painting. I'm glad that you can see the 'boulders' blocking in the main object as that is what I was going for. I was also trying to go for stone effect in my objects, so I think I have been successful in that at least, but looking at the painting fresh this morning I still don't like the main focal point. I don't see any depth in it at all, and it appears really flat to me. I want it to appear like stone as well, but a much darker stone. It is really difficult because there's not a lot of texture on my objects and the texture that is there is very subtle, and I don't have the skills yet to get the minutiae and various subtleties in. I will try and live with the piece for a few days to see if it grows on me, but I usually know upon second looking whether I like it or not. Thank you for your very encouraging and positive words Leslie. It is greatly appreciated.
I'm without words.I just love it.
Thank for share it with us.
Have a special week-end!
Thank you Alina and thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend!