Speaking of Art Blog

I’ve learned a thing or two about composing a successful painting or drawing, not only from some good books and instructors, but also from viewing successful artworks.  Those astute in the fine art of composing a pleasing landscape painting or drawing in particular, think ahead about how they are going to guide their viewer through the landscape.  They do this through a multitude of tricks, but one way is to literally give the viewer an unobstructed path, a way in.

This is my newly completed pastel painting titled, Snowy Dune.  I live near the IN Dunes State Park and I love exploring over there along the shoreline of Lake Michigan in all seasons of the year.  In fact, on snow covered winter days that aren’t too cold, the park can be a treasure trove of scenic vignettes like this one with nary another visitor in sight.  What really drew me in to photograph this scene were those two fences.  Fences are regularly put up at the base of dunes in the park to prevent erosion of the shifting sand.  The fences slow that process down, and also keep hikers off those areas.  Sometimes in late fall some random fences are left in place, get half buried in the sand and snow, and there they stay for the duration of the winter.  They offer such quaint country charm to an otherwise desolate looking snow covered hill.

What I absolutely loved about those two fences is their near perfect invitation to me to come on into this scene.  My eye was immediately drawn to the space between them, like they were two sides to an open gate.  I gazed upward to the small bump of snow and then made an easy right hand turn, quickly swooping upward to the rising dune top.  Imagine for a moment if I had stood more off to the right with the foreground fence length blocking my path.  Even if I had stood there and could look over the top of the fence, that view would have been a very bad composition.  A fence or wall in front is a road block, not an invitation to come into a scene.  No, the fence must have a break if the artist wants their viewer to enter the scene. 

And see those footprints in the bottom left corner?  Would my open gate feeling have worked without them?  Yes, maybe, but not nearly as successfully.  Those footprints send a definite message, “Enter here.  We’ve tried it and it works.  Come on in.”

What if there’s no fence in a landscape scene?  Then leave an unobstructed path into the artwork between foliage.  Even an ill placed bush or weeds are enough to prevent a viewer from attempting to enter a scene.  So you may have to do some digital gardening before you start or as you create the artwork.  My main point is: Don’t make your viewer work to find a way in.  They’ll pass it by rather than stepping over even a small blockade.  And make the path inviting too.  That’s why I usually save some unique, sweet colors and shapes for viewing along the pathway.  I want the path for my viewer’s eye to be enticing and the preferred way to enter.  Once they step into this winter scene, I hope they have a warm jacket on so that they can stay standing for a long time in that spot and enjoy the view.  It’s a welcoming sight.  The gate has been left open for them.