FOCAL POINTS & CENTER OF INTEREST IN YOUR ART COMPOSITIONS : Create Strong Focal Points to Create Interest in Drawings

You Might Also Be Interseted in our resource page for The Art Principle of Emphasis.

Definition of Focal Point in Art

The focal point is the center of interest or activity in a work of art. It may or may not be the actual center of a painting or drawing, but it is always the most important part. Contrast, structure and color are three things that help define the focal point.

Focal Point in Your Drawings

Learn the fundamentals of this important and essential aspect of art forgotten by many artists today: the focal point.

Focus on Focal Points

Accomplished artists know a few secrets to bring attention toward what they consider the most important part of their chosen subject. A telltale sign of a drawing by an amateur artist is a hodgepodge of subjects (or sections of a subject) without one dominant center of interest. In this article, I discuss various ways of implementing a strong focal point(s) into your drawings to create more interesting and professional works of art.

Focal Points : Art Painting Video Tutorial

Join professional plein air painter Mike Rooney for an exciting Free Video Art Lesson on developing focal points in your work.

Focal Points

Millions of years of evolution mean that we scan our surroundings constantly, looking out for the unusual -- which may spell friend, foe or the next meal. If we don't see anything that catches our attention, we can afford to dismiss whatever we are looking at, and concentrate on something else. The 'thing that catches our attention' is what we are talking about here when we refer to the 'focal point'.

The Focal Point Debate: Should Every Painting Have a Focal Point?

Often called the center of interest, a focal point could very well be a small portion of the painting, like the three figures emphasized by isolated value contrast in Making My Way Across by Jennifer McChristian.

Focal point, Focal area, or Center of Interest...

There is no difference between a Focal Point and a Focal Area, or the 'Center of Interest'. This refers to the same place in a composition. This is not absolutely mandatory, however most artists will agree there should be one area of a painting that is outstanding, relative to the rest.

Focal Point Vs. Center of Interest

A lesson about two fundamental concepts in good composition: center of interest and focal point. Although these two ideas might sound synonymous, there's a critical difference that, when properly understood, will help you make stronger compositions.

Primary and Secondary : A Tale of Two Focal Points

Achieving a solid focal point isn’t terribly difficult. A few tools that will help are contrast (overall the most indispensable):

The Art of Composition: Painting Tips on Directing the Viewer's Eyes to your Focal Point

A list of painting tips to help you learn how to place your main subject and arrange the surrounding elements to emphasize it. Using these tools, you can design art work with a strong, unified composition.

Using Focal Points in Photography (Applies to All Artists)

The reason a focal point is important is that when you look at an image your eye will generally need a ‘resting place’ or something of interest to really hold it. Without it you’ll find people will simply glance at your shots and then move on to the next one.

Composition and Focal Point (For Photographers but Applies to All Artists as Well)

Does artwork or a photo has to have a focal point in its composition. Ask this question at a camera club and you will surely get a lively discussion. It is actually not an easy question to answer because … it depends!

Focusing on the Elements of Composition in Drawing

Composition refers to the organization, arrangement, and combination of objects within the borders of a drawing space. You want to bring the eyes of the viewer toward your center of interest within an aesthetically pleasing composition.

Center of Interest or Focal Point - Not every painting, whether realistic or abstract, needs a focal point or primary center of interest. Some paintings are pattern pieces, based on a variety of colors and shapes.

Painting Composition 101: Creating a Strong Focal Point - Make the Subject of Your Painting Stand Out with These Simple Guidelines

Three Key Elements of a Successful Painting: Focal Point, Composition, and Depth - In evaluating the success of her own paintings, as well as those created by other artists, Humble looks for three key elements: focal point, composition, and depth.

Tips for Creating Strong Compositions in your Paintings : Focal Points - Composition is one of the most important aspects of painting. A pleasing composition is one where shapes and colors in a painting are organized in such a way that there is a sense of balance. Creating a balanced and interesting composition is more challenging that it may appear. If something is out of place or wrong, the viewer is left confused or uninterested. The following tips should help steer you in the right direction.

You Might Also Be Interseted in our resource page for The Art Principle of Emphasis.