Subject and Focus

 Recently, I wrote about two methods of composition, specifically the Golden Mean and the Rule of Thirds. Both have been popular techniques for designing a composition for centuries and are still valid today. I’d like to take a step back and talk about the first stages of designing a picture. Before you can decide how to arrange a subject, you need to have an interesting subject, one that you are drawn to and one that attracts the viewer. Along with that decision, you should be thinking about the main focus of your composition. Without a focus, the viewer will become confused, and the design will seem as if it is missing something.

Choosing an Interesting Subject

The decision to paint something revolves around two things: 1. the object, person, or view and 2. your interpretation of that subject. Both are related. What you paint has to be interesting enough to make you want to paint it, beyond thoughts of how pretty it is or how different it is. You need to see your subject as you would interpret it. You should be emotionally drawn to it, with the thought running through your mind, “There’s something about this subject that stirs my imagination. I need to draw/paint it!” For example, I was interested in this old red farmhouse that was surrounded by lush old oak trees with a meandering dirt path leading up to it. But, when some guinea hens began to strut toward the house, I knew I had my subject. I deliberately brightened the area around the leading hens to draw the eye inward onto the hens and up toward the house. 

A good painting unites both the subject before you and your interpretation. When you decide on your picture, you should take into account the values, light, shapes, and negative spaces and arrange all to make a unified whole.



“The artist brain is the sensory brain: sight and sound, smell and taste, touch. These are the elements of magic, and magic is the elemental stuff of art.” Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way

Your Composition Should Have a Focus

Whether it’s a drawing or a painting, your composition should include something that represents the central focus.

Wherever we look, our eyes naturally find something to focus on, and as we do, everything else becomes secondary. It’s impossible to focus on more than one thing at once. You will see things in your peripheral vision, but not as clearly as the subject your eyes are focused on. So, too, should your picture have something that draws the eye, with everything around it holding a subordinate position. Without a central focus, your picture is just a collection of artifacts. A focus is where the lines of direction and movement should lead the eye. That place should draw a person’s attention and keep it in the picture. Sometimes it’s obvious what the focal point is.

This picture, Duck Sitting on Falls, is a perfect example of a strong focal point. I remember that it was a pleasantly warm summer day so I decided to check out the park where a fresh water pond with a stone bridge stretched several blocks. There were ducks and geese enjoying the water on one end of the pond. At the other end, the sound of a slow waterfall called me like a peaceful lure. A few ducks were lazily swimming about, but I was taken by the nature of the scene on the falls in front of me. A duck is resting in the sun near the edge of the falls. He appears to be enjoying the cool, rhythmic flow of the water below. It inspired me emotionally and I knew right away that he would be my focal point.

The focal point is the most interesting part of the picture and it’s what draws the eye on first sight. But how does one figure out the focal point in a scene where there are a number of things vying for attention? This is where interpretation comes in. You are the artist, it’s up to you to figure out your focal point, emphasize it, and subdue or eliminate the other items. 

To create a single powerful center of interest, use the brightest colors, the sharpest edges, and the most contrasting values to make it stand out. The trees in the background of this picture have softer edges and receding values. The waterfall below the duck directs the eye vertically upward. The brightest area of the picture is the body of the duck, and it has the sharpest edges and strongest contrast.

The next time you decide to paint or draw something, keep in mind both the importance and emotional investment of the subject and how it can become the focal point of your picture.