Simplify the distance detail
Often you will go too far in a painting and you will need to take out some of what you have already painted. Even though you may be reluctant to destroy sometimes hours of work, you must do it to make the painting work.
In the above painting “Corsican Fishing Village, Propriano”, I focused on the rhythm of the shapes of the boats and the houses climbing up the hill. The vague and tantalizing suggestions of detail in the distance contrast with the foreground detail and create an interesting focal area.
Simplify the values
In this painting, the background detail was deliberately simplified and subdued in order not to distract from the main subject and to emphasize the tranquility and sense of space in the Venetian lagoon. I flattened the values in the background (making all the hues in the buildings and water the same value) so that the focus is on the Gondolier.
In reality, there were a lot of buildings and details in the background. If I had painted all the architectural detail on the church, it would take away from the Gondolier who is the focus point of this painting.
Old master painting examples
Look how Degas has simplified the other objects on the stage that are in the background, in contrast to the detail of the main dancer.
In his still life painting, Sprick painted the background a single dark value. Even though you can discern that there are objects there, they do not distract from the focus on the roses.
To learn more about how to add impact to your paintings
To learn more about simplification, other useful techniques for improving the impact of your paintings such as contrast and exaggeration, and how to treat your focal areas for maximum effect, see the lessons on Focal Point in my Virtual Art Academy® Apprentice Program.
Thank You
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I hope you find it useful. If you would like to get free painting tips by email, please sign up for my free tips newsletter.
If you are interested in a structured approach for learning how to paint, take a look at my online painting classes.
Happy painting!
Barry John Raybould
Virtual Art Academy
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