The Picture Plane in Art

What is the picture plane? The flat surface on which artists work is the picture plane. Artists may use elements on their support to emphasize the flat surface. Artists may also use elements to emphasize space behind the picture plane. It is this use of elements that produce space and depth. For example, in space, colours move toward cool blue and are muted. The first colours that fade are yellow and orange hues. Artists might use linear perspective and overlap to achieve depth. I like some depth in my paintings. I am also constantly aware of the need for a well designed picture plane. Many people see space as a move backwards; artists can also use elements to make their image move in front of the picture plane. We see art works where a child’s leg appears in front of the picture plane as if the child is moving forward and out of the picture.

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Zazzle.com Sale; My Paintings on Etsy

Zazzle.com is having a sale. It includes up to 58% on cards; up to 35% on T-Shirts/Shirts; up to $4 on mugs; up to $5 on postage stamp sheets and up to 35% on bags. No promotion code or time line has been provided but I will add this information to my Zazzle site when available.

My original paintings are sold at my Etsy internet shop and shipping worldwide is free for all my paintings. PayPal gift certificates for my Etsy shop are available on this site.

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Warm & Cool Colour Temperatures in Art

Greeting card with an image of my painting, Autumn Landscape, available at my Zazzle shop.

In my painting, Autumn Landscape, I wanted to achieve the warm golden yellow, reds and oranges of autumn. Colour temperatures are warm or cool. Yellow, red and orange are warm colours (hues) and green, violet and blue are cool colours. But the range of a colour varies from warm to cool. An orange yellow is warmer than a green yellow. My colour palette in my painting is primarily muted warm colours. There are cool colours, i.e. the blue water. The cool colours contrast with the dominant warm hues.

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Compositional Structures in Art- Radial Burst

Women's hooded shirt with image of my painting, Evening Sail, available at my Zazzle shop.

The radial burst is also a compositional structure in art. This structure has shapes and lines that move out from a central point. It is a dynamic, emotional structure; not like the calm image on this shirt. I call the radial burst structure, convergence, although it is technically not correct. It reminds me of one point perspective where shapes and lines move toward a vanishing point on the horizon line. (Design and Composition, Nathan Goldstein)

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"Autumn Landscape" - New Painting, Compositional Structures in Art

"Autumn Landscape"
Acrylic on canvas
20.4 by 25.5 cm; 8 by 10 inches
All rights reserved

I was interested in painting the autumn colours and the rocks. I previously wrote about the compositional structures in this art work. There are 3 vertical shapes emphasizing strenth, action and power. There are 2 strong horizontal shapes emphasizing calm. Both structures emphasize stability.

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Painting Cast Shadows in Art

I previously wrote about cast shadows. Cast shadows in paintings usually have some blue because of the sky’s colour. Cast shadows can provide viewers with information. We can see the direction of the light. We also know the shape of the object casting the shadow. We can tell the time of day; at noon cast shadows are short and have sharper edges. We can tell the manner of the place of the cast shadow. The cast shadow gets lighter and bluer as it moves away from the object casting the shadow for it gets bluer from the sky. The cast shadow is usually darker close to the object and lighter as it moves away from the object. When I am out walking, I examine the details of cast shadows. I also do this when I am inside.

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Zazzle.com Sale Today-Oct. 22/09

Zazzle.com is having a sale today until 11:59 p.m. PT (October 22). The sale includes 50% off custom bags and 10% off mugs and T-Shirts. The code is CAPSLOCKDAY9 and the sale will be applied at checkout. http://www.zazzle.com/arlenebabadartist*

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Compositional Structures in Art- Emphasis on Vertical and Horizontal

I am working on a landscape painting. While my format is horizontal and there are horizontal shapes, the emphasis is on 3 vertical shapes; 2 vertical rock formations separated by the vertical shape of water. While horizontal compositional structures emphasize calm, vertical structures emphasize action, strength and power. Both structures suggest stability. With my use of colours and shapes, I hope to engage viewers in a dynamic painting. (Design and Composition, Nathan Goldstein)

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Compositional Structures in Art- Even Spread

Image of my painting, Burpee Tomatoes, is on mousepad available at my Zazzle shop.

The even spread is a unique compositional structure with the spreading of elements across the entire picture plane. In my painting, Burpee Tomatoes, you can see the even spread of the orange and green circular shapes of the tomatoes. This calls attention to the art work’s second dimension of the picture plane. (Design and Composition, Nathan Goldstein).

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Compositional Structures in Art- The Diamond

The “diamond” is a compositional structure used by artists. It brings stability to the art work and is frequently used with other structures. The diamond breaks the picture plane into 4 sections. The 4 tips of the diamond might also lie at the edge of each side. Along with the grid and the circle, we see many compositional structures artists use in their work. (Design and Composition, Nathan Goldstein)

I am pleased to announce that yesterday, I received Zazzle's Today's Best Award for my poster with an image of my painting, "The Wreck". Links to my internet shops are at the top of this site.

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A New Zazzle.com Sale

Zazzle.com is having a new sale; 10% off prices. The sale is from October 15/09 @ 12:01 a.m. PT until October 18 @ 11:59 p.m. PT. Use code: SWEETESTDAY9. The sale will be applied at checkout. Click on title of post to go to my Zazzle shop. http://www.zazzle.com/arlenebabadartist*

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Achieving Depth in Art

There are ways artists can achieve depth in their art. I have discussed linear perspective. Using “repoussoir”, artists put a large object in the foreground and viewers see this and then move to other objects. We frequently see tree branches in the left foreground. Vermeer used this technique to achieve depth. He placed curtains, tables, etc. in the foreground. Objects in the background are lighter, less clear and muted. If the objects are light, in the background they are darker. Colours move toward a light gray value. There is less contrast in the background and colours have more blue. Overlap of objects is an excellent way to achieve depth. These are a few methods artists use to achieve depth.

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A Problem with Linear Perspective in Art

Frosted glass mug with image of my painting, Cherries, available at my Zazzle shop. Click on title of post to go to my Zazzle shop. Take advantage of Zazzle's weekend sale.

I wrote about linear perspective. Leaving the viewer in the background can be a problem when artists use linear perspective. How do artists handle this problem? One point perspective can be used. Placing the viewer in an atypical location can be used, i.e. left front. Artists can block the background, i.e. a car in urban art. Place a figure in front of the vanishing point. Cezanne was a master in emphasizing the picture plane.

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Zazzle sale this weekend

Zazzle.com is having a sale this weekend to celebrate Columbus Day. All prices are reduced by 14.92%. The sale begins October 10 and ends October 12 @ 11:59 pm, PT. Check Zazzle details. http://www.zazzle.com/arlenebabadartist*

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Painting Clouds in Art

The image on this women's shirt is a detail from my painting, "Waterfall in the Mist". Click on title of this post to go to my Zazzle internet shop.

When I am outside I often stare at the sky and clouds. It seems in Toronto, Canada, we only have cumulus clouds. These clouds are low and are seen mainly in good weather. The tops of cumulus clouds are in the shape of a sphere’s top and the bottoms are flat. We have other types of clouds, i.e. in bad weather, but the sky is so dark, I can’t see the clouds. Clouds show perspective and the darkest dark of the cloud is usually lighter than the ground. Clouds reflect the colours around them and therefore the colour of the clouds is influenced by the ground. I like to paint some light pink in the bottom of my clouds for contrast.

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Compositional Structures in Art- Diagonal & Triangle

Images of my painting, Cherries, on infant's shirt and mousepad.

My painting, Cherries, has 2 underlying structures. One structure emphasizes diagonal shapes and creates tension and movement. The other structure created by the cherries is a triangle and brings stability to my art.

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Compositional Structures in Art- Two Centers

Greeting card with image of a detail from my painting, "Waterfall in the Mist". I also created a mug with this detail.

Two centers is another structural composition. This structure can create tension in art or stability. This structure is used by artists primarily when they want tension in their work. I previously wrote about the structure, the bridge. In a bridge structure, the two shapes are united by a bridge and therefore, more harmonious. (Design and Composition, Nathan Goldstein)

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