What makes a good painting? So what exactly is it that constitutes a good painting? How we sometimes, bowl straight up to something and say...ohh I like that! Is it education.. is it personal choice, is it some mysterious aura? Well...
maybe some of those, but there are some fundamental principals and formulae that are applied to painting and sculpture, to make them appealing. Some artists apply this through training and some through intuition. I'll try and outline some of the principles to the best of my knowledge. Aesthetics:
Primarily, if a painting is broadly liked, it has an aesthetic appeal, that is, its just "nice". Usually this has subject matter that is not imposing, that has broad appeal, perhaps a serene quality, that relaxes and does not challenge. Subject matter: Paintings that appeal, usually have subject matter that appeals to a broad range of people. For example, landscapes are
the most widely painted and bought subject, people can relate to landscapes, as it relates to somewhere they have seen or been. Portraits on the other hand, have a limited appeal to the people, who have an association with the model. Balance: There is nothing worse than a lop sided painting! By that I mean, a work that has too much stuff painted over one side or top or bottom. The
basic rule of art/ photography, is the rule of two thirds. One third sky and two thirds land and vice versa. Many a good painting has been ruined by bad balance! Composition:
When you look at a good painting, your eye is drawn to the most important part of the piece. Usually just off centre, what you don't realize, is that a good painting, will lead your eye over the whole canvas, then draw you to this point. All of the famous old masters, were experts of composition. Most compositions are composed around a triangular structure, which leads your eye around the painting. One of Leonardo's famous paintings, Madonna of the rocks, is a circular composition, just brilliant. If you ever see a painting and it is painted really well, you like the subject and the colour, but it just sucks.... look a little closer, you will see the composition has been botched!
Colour:
Colour is an important facet of our lives, most importantly, it affects our moods. Bright vibrant paintings, make for a lively atmosphere. Dark coloured paintings make for a sombre, reflective mood. Blue, is melancholy, red is angry, green is sublime and so on. If the wrong combinations of colour are used, it makes for an ugly painting. (blue and green should never be seen etc!) And for all of you out there, who have bought art to match your decor and furnishings. ... boo hiss! So, in summarizing, what would make the worlds most popular painting? A nice sunset, with a boat on a lake, slightly off from the centre, with 2/3 sky some pretty girls picking flowers and a dog. Can I be sick now...! Shane Disclaimer: Any advice contained herein is purely for entertainment purposes only and should in no way be mistaken for professional advice. For information on investment in art or of any sort, please seek the help of an industry
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