TONALIST PAINTING Lesson #1, Part 2 - Let's look at a Tonalist Painting in Terms of Composition

In Lesson 1 Part 1 Let's look at a Tonalist Painting in Terms of Composition 

We began examining composition in a Tonalist Painting.  In this lesson we continue looking at other design ideas.  

My goal is to get you to see the structure of the painting in terms of forms and shapes  and their patterns.  I am trying to get you away from thinking about the "objects" in the painting alone.

Great paintings begin with strongly designed structural compositions.

You see all the squiggles and lines I drew over the image to help you focus on the structural elements.  As a student my professors often had us look at paintings and then later real life scenes to identify structural elements that could shape a strong composition.  Through a great  painting we were instructed to identify the structural elements that the artist selected to build the composition.  That is why I want you to spend a lot of time looking at WELL COMPOSED paintings and NOT junk.

The next step is selecting elements when composing your own painting from life.  Which is more a story about editing out elements that confuse the structure and focus of the painting.   It is not about copying what you see. 

Composition is not just about  pretty elements  but rather about structural elements that lead the viewer EXCLUSIVELY  to the artists focal idea. What is the painting about?

 What is the viewer suppose to see and feel? 

 An unstructured picture well not have power to hold the viewer's focus.





Next Lesson

TONALIST PAINTING Lesson #1 Part 3 -How to approach making a Tonalist painting and how think like a Tonalist painter.