Having just taught a pastel painting class for the Pastel Society of El Paso, I have been thinking quite a bit about what affects my own and others' creation process. I frequently heard myself asking individual artists, "What do you WANT?" Just because I would choose a color or a placement of an element, does not mean it is the right way if it does not reflect what the artist wants.
INTENT is usually the first element of composition that needs to be addressed, and this class made me aware of how important it is. INTENT means deciding if a painting has a story or message or is simply meant to be beautiful for its own sake. But it also means remembering WHAT attracts us to a subject and makes us WANT to paint it. WHY do I choose to paint or draw a particular thing or idea? If our motivation is unclear, we cannot know WHEN or IF we actually reach the goal. Conversely, if what attracted me was, for example,
the vivid color of some flowers, but I end up nuancing the foreground dirt or the sky or the leaves or the path or the landscape behind them, instead, I may not get what I WANT or what I INTEND.
The temptation, particularly using photographs as references, is to wander off in the details and the unrelated bits, thereby diminishing the power of what we WANTED to say or show. To greatly strengthen a composition, first remember WHY you chose the subject and WHAT you want to show. Then, balance the rest of the details in proportion to your INTENT in order to arrive at what you WANT.
BTW--note that I am offering a plein air class at the Hondo Iris Farm on May 28, 9-4. Contact me at sarajchambers@yahoo.com or 575-430-6148 for details.
INTENT is usually the first element of composition that needs to be addressed, and this class made me aware of how important it is. INTENT means deciding if a painting has a story or message or is simply meant to be beautiful for its own sake. But it also means remembering WHAT attracts us to a subject and makes us WANT to paint it. WHY do I choose to paint or draw a particular thing or idea? If our motivation is unclear, we cannot know WHEN or IF we actually reach the goal. Conversely, if what attracted me was, for example,
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| This is me, trying to get what I WANT--glorious red poppies! |
The temptation, particularly using photographs as references, is to wander off in the details and the unrelated bits, thereby diminishing the power of what we WANTED to say or show. To greatly strengthen a composition, first remember WHY you chose the subject and WHAT you want to show. Then, balance the rest of the details in proportion to your INTENT in order to arrive at what you WANT.
BTW--note that I am offering a plein air class at the Hondo Iris Farm on May 28, 9-4. Contact me at sarajchambers@yahoo.com or 575-430-6148 for details.
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