All Art is Design

There is only one thing that is the single most important element of a "traditional" painting. That element is design. If a painting lacks good design, no matter how well it is painted, it will be a failure with the public. Now when I say, "traditional" I mean a painting with a focal point and tertiary focal support. This would include abstract art but exclude what I'll call "design" or "pattern" art - i.e. the kind of thing you might see on fabric or floor tiles.

 With traditional art, you must shoot for some sort of "focus" and that is the area that usually gets the greatest contrast and the hardest edges.  The tertiary foci must get less contrast and slightly softer treatment.

  Typically there will be three foci, the main and two sub-actors. They are usually arranged in a triangle as opposed to a straight line.
  Surrounding these three players will be some sort of circle or oval that tries to keep the eye within the picture.  This circular shape is often formed by the most unobvious things such as a few shadows, some wispy clouds, a branch on a tree or a subtle darkening. I think this sort of thing is totally missed by most artists who haven't had it pointed out to them. When I show students how this works, they are always stunned to see it. They have no idea that the artist is making things up to enhance this design in the painting. Most student think that they need to take a photo and copy it but that will not work. One needs to understand how to design in the elements to make a painting work properly and really create a good painting.

   I suggest getting a look at a few good paintings by some admired professional and trying to see the design in the work. Notice what strikes you first. Look for the highest contrast. Find the tertiary foci. See how the lines connect you in some sort of oval or circle.  Notice how the edges and corners have nothing to distract you. It's all done on purpose.

Have fun!