To see just how strong the pull is, try covering it up. It tugs your eye away from the face, especially since it is almost level with his eyes. In this composition, that little blue square is competing with the boy’s face for your attention. To have an area in a picture that attracts your mind and another that attracts your eye is confusing and distracting to the viewer. In other words, there should be one area that attracts both the eye and mind. Therein lies a potential problem: For a picture to be successful, the center of interest should also be a focal point. This little spot is strong “eye magnet” because it contrasts in value, color temperature, and size with its surroundings the eye is naturally attracted to it.
#FOCALPOINT DEFINITION IN ART PATCH#
In the upper right, there’s a lone square in the pattern that stands out from the rest-a light blue patch surrounded by bright reds. Any part of a picture that exhibits these features will make the viewer focus his gaze upon it.Īn example of a focal point can be seen in this painting as well. Bright colors, fine detail, sharp edges, anomalies, patterns and any arrow-like “pointers” also attract the eye. The viewer’s eye is naturally drawn to areas where light and dark are in stark juxtaposition. dark) is the most powerful visual magnet. Who could resist looking at that bright-eyed youngster? Faces and figures are natural centers of interest.Ī focal point, on the other hand, acts as a kind of “eye magnet.” Strong tonal value contrast (light vs.
Notice in Sam’s Quilt that the artist has created a strong center of interest: the smiling face of the boy. When we scan an image for the first time, our attention is naturally drawn to these items. Examples of centers of interest are eyes and faces, the human figure, animals, letters, numbers and symbols, and man-made objects. The center of interest acts as an “attention getter.” It commands the viewer’s curiosity or mental concentration, and it’s the part of the picture that we find naturally fascinating and want to know more about. A focal point is that area of a picture that attracts the eye. Although these two ideas might sound synonymous, there’s a critical difference that, when properly understood, will help you make stronger compositions.Ī center of interest is that part of the picture which attracts the mind.
#FOCALPOINT DEFINITION IN ART FREE#
Feel free to share it with friends.Sam’s Quilt, 14×20 watercolor by Dale Ziegler, is a very well done, attractive painting that offers an important lesson about two fundamental concepts in good composition: center of interest and focal point. I appreciate you taking the time to read this post and I hope you found it helpful. It’s perfect for absolute beginner to intermediate painters. I’ll walk you through the time-tested fundamentals of painting. You might be interested in my Painting Academy course. This is important as it keeps us from falling into a vague space where art is no longer able to be defined or critiqued (much like what has happened with modern art). The principles of art allow us to place some kind of objective reasoning behind why a great painting is great. They are merely a way to help us understand and communicate our thoughts about art. So do not think of the principles of art as a set of overarching rules which you must comply with. Most of the great paintings will only demonstrate a few of the principles. It is also important to understand that a great painting does not have to tick all the boxes in terms of the principles of art. I hope this post clarifies to you what the principles of art are and how you can use them to help understand and communicate your thoughts about art.
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