ARC is a season-long program to improve the skills of member artists. Award winning artist and renown instructor Steve Puttrich has been engaged as the first PAPC Artist in Residence for the 2021 season, providing insight and commentary into critical painting processes through weekly posts and reviews. Available to members only through the Member Portal.
From PAPC Artist in Residence, Steve Puttrich
Educate (the value of making better) + Inspire (the value of a better vision) = Great Art.
Thank you to the PAPC leadership for offering me this opportunity to train and mentor the PAPC in an area I’m so passionate about – design.
Design is so important to any successful painting. Good design is what makes the art connect. Good design outweighs poor canvas or cheap paper, student grade paints, poor brushes, and even questionable subjects, combined.
Good design can be spotted from across the gallery floor, and usually is. Sales are made from 50’ away and, 99 times out of 100, it was because of its great design.
So let’s jump right in…
First, some definitions:
Design is the Painting’s Plan and is composed of Design Elements and Design Principles.
Composition is the arrangement of Design Elements following, at various levels, good Design Principles.
Design Elements
- Line
- Shape 2D
- Form 3D
- Value
- Color
- Edges
- Texture
- Size
- Direction
Design Principles
- Boundaries
- Movement and Rhythm
- Contrast
- Harmony
- Patterns
- Emphasis and Dominance
- Perspective
- Proportion and Scale
- Balance
- Variety
- Unity
- Repetition
In future discussions, we’ll explore each of these in detail. For now, get to know them, print them out, get familiar with naming the different Design Elements and Principles so we are all reading from the same book, if you will.
Design Elements can work with or against Design Principles. Once understood, and used effectively and consistently, these Design Elements and Design Principles will set a solid foundation for creating more captivating art.
This is where it can get extremely complex in theory. However, our goal for this 2021 season is to get you so familiar with the Elements and Principles of Design that this will become second nature. Each week, we’ll discuss these Elements and Principles using a few paintings submitted from that week’s paint outs as examples. You’ll soon be able to spot why you are attracted to the highlighted paintings; maybe it’s using keen contrasts and hard edges to keep your attention, while the color rhythms and harmonies are keeping your eyes moving within the painting. You’ll see lots of successful ideas that you’ll be able to use in your own paintings. Carry these lessons forward week to week and, by the end of the 2021 season, our Palette and Chisel Show will be comprised of the best paintings we have ever exhibited and command an attendance better than ever.
For now, and for the next Paint out:
Be inspired: paint what inspires you. Not necessarily what you see, but how you see it.
Be influenced by the Design Elements you do see and use some Design Principles to compose a beautiful composition. It’s not necessarily how they look in real life.
Be engaged, be mindful, be present. Know where your eyes, focus, and attention are going at all times.
Paint your hearts out PAPC. You got this!