Mondays with Camille – March 11, 2019
Here is a picture of the scene in Petaluma at Shollenberger Park. It was a beautiful, sunny day. We are all anticipating the coming Spring.
On Monday, our class focused on composition. I did three possible small sketches of the scene. The first drawing below is the first composition, followed by a color study.
Here is the second compositional drawing and color sketch.
And finally, the third compositional sketch. No sky, just the pathway and the surrounding foliage.
These were done fast and started to give me an idea of what my final painting will look like. I also suggested that my students divide their canvases into thirds (horizontally and vertically) so they would avoid having their compositions be too symmetrical; or at least, be aware of that if they were.
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What are thing things you look for to decide which of the three studies is the “best”? Other than helping to avoid obvious errors, how do you decide?
I look for the best and most interesting design. I liked the first composition but that doesn’t mean I can’t make the other two work. I just want my students to push themselves and try various compositions. I recommend the book Edgar Payne “Composition of Outdoor Painting.
Thank you… I refer to it often…
Thank you for that reference.