Artist 
Writer Focal area
The area of a painting upon which you want to direct the viewer's attention using eye movement techniques.
Focus the viewer's attention on one part of your painting composition by making the focal area more interesting and by directing the viewer's eye to that area. You only need one primary center of interest. For example, when painting marine scenes, if you are interested primarily in the ocean, tone the sky down and simplify it so it doesn't detract from the ocean. Conversely, if you are primarily interested in the sky, tone down the sea.
Alternative term: center of interest
See the Composition Building Block for more information.
