The Secret to Your Painting's Success

Surely one topic that everyone has heard of. But composition is still not an easy subject to master. You may have an instinctive knack for composition. You know when something looks right. But once again when you start painting all sorts of other things creep in as you struggle to work within the confines of the picture plane. Frustration results. So this lecture will teach about fifteen essential composition tips. Use them until it becomes second nature to you.

The humble thumbnail sketch. This remains one of the most effective ways to test your composition. By simply drawing the outline of the painting - square or rectangle - in thumbnail size in your sketchbook, you can test how your subject will fit in. Where your focal point will be and placement of shapes. You can expand this sketch onto your painting surface with confidence.

This technique is a winner yet few artists actually use it. Some of the most important considerations in a painting are:

1. What are the dominant shapes?
2. Are these shapes light or dark?
3. What shapes to leave out?
4. Does the painting look interesting?How to figure this out at the start is by using a notan study. Similar to a thumbnail sketch, but without details. Just the largest light or dark shapes. 

Now we can start preparing the painting surface, get the materials ready and make sure the actual painting process is not frustrated by lack of preparation.

Now we can start the blocking in stage. This is the start with oil paint based on the sketch and notan studies. I am using a basic oil painting palette of the primary colors and white. I am using artists white spirits to make the paint loose and thin. 

Remember to use thin paint only at this beginning stage of the painting. Subsequent layers should not have spirits mixed into the oil paint. The reason for this is that the spirits breaks down the buttery nature of oil paint. You also lose strength of color doing this. So keep painting with nice buttery paint in subsequent layers. 

This is what we call painting "fat over lean".

PS: You can see a photo of the completed painting in the PDF Course Summary in the Conclusion Lecture below.

In this second example I work from preparation stage to fairly late in the blocking in stage. When I reach the end I have a choice. Carry on and complete the painting in one go (alla prima) or let it dry overnight and work on a drier surface. Each approach has its merits and depends on your plan. 

I would like you to try both methods. Alla prima is useful for small paintings (Like this one) or outdoor painting where time is of the essence. You can also get a fresher appearance filled with energy in the alla prima style.

The other approach (letting it dry a bit) offers other brushwork options like dragging and scumbling.

Perhaps you do not have choice if things are not going well and you need time to think? Then leave the painting to rest and regroup for another session the next day. You are the artist so you decide on what is best.

This start-up course is all about teaching the language of painting. At least one part of it regarding how to start the painting. But you can take this much further into your painting. Without a knowledge of the language of painting it becomes very difficult to say what you feel on the canvas. 

Once you have a good working knowledge of the language you can use it automatically. Like you speaking you home language. How you use that language is up to you. It is the same with painting. Learn the language well and you can paint anything your heart desires in YOUR own style.

Are you interested in taking your painting to new levels? Painting landscapes, seascapes or portraits in a loose and impressionist fashion?