Following on from yesterday’s post, I was thinking I should compile a list of “art rules”. Quickly, off the top of my head, I can think of these:
- Rule of thirds for placing focal point
- Use an odd number of elements not even
- Don’t put a horizon line in the centre
- Don’t put subject in the centre (fried-egg compositions)
- Rules about proportions of dark to medium to light tones — is it 10 : 80 : 10?
- Don’t use black
- Cast shadows have hard edges, form shadows have soft
What else? Do add any you know as a comment/reply below on this blog post or email me.
Don’t have strong lines going out the corners of the painting as it draws the viewer’s eyes away from the composition.
Whatever colours you are using, work bits of them in throughout the painting.
Don’t overmix the paint, but use techniques that allow the colours on the canvas to vibrate against each other.
The colours of the sky are less intense near the horizon.
Jude