Improve Your Compositional IQ - 5 Tips. Artistic Composition.

[@monicabaker6075]

While immobilised with a broken foot I used the recovery time to try and learn watercolour painting Now my husband has been diagnosed with dementia and watercolour painting helps me cope with the situation. You have taught me so much, so quickly and effectively even though I am 77 years old. Thank you so much.

[@johnharkness6304]

Just saw your comment Monica, hope things are working out for you. God Bless.

[@rockkkkkification]

So sweet

[@lindsayjayne2169]

Wonderful done and incredibly informative, thankyou Steve!

[@pjlewisful]

I feel this "learning the rules" type of videos are what will help folks improve their work the most...esp. the honest, uncomplicated way you explain them.

[@desdenyt4842]

Honestly, apart from being absolutely adorable, your content is pretty much the best for you tube instructional videos. It is never gratuitous, or overly self-promoting ( not that that is a bad thing), or frivolous or “trendy” for the sake of it. I truly appreciate your work and effort!

[@carateca6676]

It's amazing how I already knew the things in this vid but your perspective still adds knowledge, it's a very good teaching video

[@TrueLoveX1027]

As I am working to paint more expressively, this video was invaluable. When painting with my usual detailed style, I came to always rely on thumbnails. Then I start my expressive painting and completely through out that early instrumentally vital planning stage, as I thought it all had to come from the heart. No, no, no... Now I see that you can still paint intuitively and expressively, but also still have a roadmap with nothing but a value drawing without particular details. I am continually grateful for the ever important content you continually bring to your minders. As always thanks for sharing your time, talent and insight. God bless.

[@megduncan1]

I actually stopped the video and went back to the beginning with a pad and paper to take notes. These aren't new concepts to me, but you explain them so clearly and with such good examples. Thanks! I've started studying the masters by copying them in graphite in thumbnails to understand what they did. It even works for portraits where the main compositional elements are value and contrast.

[@bumblebaa2327]

thanks man. I'm pausing at 10 minutes now to go cut out shapes from magazines and play. I'm also studying the compositions Bonnard came up with. Such a delight. Thanks again.

[@abby-fichtner]

wow, I really enjoyed this! Going to check out the others on patreon - hope to see more of this type of video with sort of fresh ways to get started and things you can think about in terms of creating a good painting. Thank you!

[@Deb-c8x]

another comment - in that last example I clearly saw people! Such a great lesson. Thank you.

[@tuffycampbell]

Dude I'm a music composer and producer and this helped me to think about my creativity. Also very chill, thank you.

[@colleenmcchesney1482]

Okay wow I didn’t even see Sleeping Beauty in the painting until you pointed it out to me. The thought of remembering to used the negative space in my composition is something that I always forget. Thanks for sharing another great video.

[@MSKCCooke]

Thank you! What a great way of showing us composition!

[@v.s.3771]

This video was amazing...like the others in this playlist I've seen so far. I have 9 pages of notes, front and back, with more to be added I'm sure. Thank you so much for sharing your years of experience and knowledge with us!

[@mindofwatercolor]

Glad it was helpful!

[@bls924]

Excellent, excellent video! I learned so much from this one. Thank you for generously sharing your knowledge. I especially liked your breakdown of Maxfield Parrish's composition and the comments on the Brandywine school of artists, also one of my favorite eras.

[@millerscott2781]

Excellent tips for the beginner and a great refresher for us who’ve become shy or forgot about working outside the box or trying new things. I love the idea of working with the abstract shapes to free me up to work on the values and composition layout without being tied down to a set idea. I mostly do landscapes and can’t wait to try that tip out. Thank you! Old dogs can learn new tricks .

[@juliepreimesberger6571]

So very helpful! I learn so much from you. Thank you! 😃👏

[@61sgcust]

That was the best twenty six and a half minutes of the week. So much good information and things to help the creative process! Kudos and thanks!

[@siennaonthenet2127]

This video has really inspired me and helped me over a big stumbling block I was having with identifying why my compositions were lacking. Thank you. You explained it very well.

[@TreasureMapsGenealogy]

Great video! I hope you do more like this on the topic of composition. Thanks, Steve.

[@cherylj.harris4967]

Thankyou for this valuable video. It has given me a fresh perspective from which to work on my paintings. Can't wait to try all of these tips.

[@zemmie01]

Your videos are so helpful! They are clear and instructive, and I really learn a lot from them. Thank you for all your hard work!!

[@marynorby9530]

I took an intro-to-design class several years ago. We cut squares from black paper and arranged them in various ways to depict different concepts: tension, calm, balance, etc. It was a lot of fun to do. From your suggestions, I’m intrigued to create an abstract design and develop a representational painting from it-great idea!

[@tarotbysemaj2424]

The abstract that you created at 10:12 was so cool. It felt like a really soft Impressionistic scene from a Jazz Club. Then when you took it @ 23:45 to a landscape, that just blew my mind. Funny what we see. I NEVER saw the landscape until you brought it out. Such a cool thing to see. Appreciate the insight on the composition. It always seems to be something that most beginners have an issue with. Thanks for bringing some clarity to the subject.

[@zinacilinskiene372]

i have to admit that your videos are the most interesting,helpful,profesional...thank you very much!

[@margaretmitchell7168]

Thank you, Steve. You make it all so understandable. Good job.Well done.

[@dorothyminor7581]

The rule of thirds was perfect! I thought that there had to be something around each of those 4 points... thanks for clarifying my brain!

[@maryanharrell5642]

A very helpful video on composition. Thanks, Steve. Hope you and yours had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Glad to see you back online!

[@robincooper9323]

Wow! This was amazing. I really liked when you showed us a picture and showed us which of the compositional elements that you felt were used in it. and also showed us the focal point. The painting by the german guy, my eye did go to the bright light/clouds but it didn't seem interesting enough to be a focal point so I kept looking for something else to be the focal point. Thank you for sharing this with us. I wish I knew someone who would like to practice with me in recognizing the compositional elements.

[@pattycyr8662]

This is a very helpful video - important aspects to take into account. Thanks!

[@alisonhendry2928]

And hit the button too early... I meant to add that it is frightening, but this old kitty needs to climb out of the box and give it a go! Going to have some fun over the holidays. I will watch this video over and over and try it for myself. Wonderful wonderful. More composition stuff please. It is my biggest hurdle on my art journey.

[@kyliemartin8524]

that was excellent. thank you

[@VeretenoVids]

Interesting lesson, thank you. Once upon a time I was an art historian... Students always loved Bierstadt and Cole. For interesting things in landscape composition that are out of the ordinary for most US viewers, I suggest looking at Isaac Levitan, especially Above Eternal Peace (1894), which blew my mind when I first saw it in person.

[@aliciamolloy5948]

Thank you so much for this video, it was so helpful.

[@alisonhendry2928]

You are the best! This is a fantastic video! I love to hear your voice and pearls of wisdom. This abstract to something “realistic” thing is frightening

[@paintingtheskykingdom9005]

thank you for going through the whole thing, plus I can slow it down and paint along. So helpful

[@LavenderDebs]

That was ...... amazing? Helpful? Encouraging? I'm coming up on 63, I put down my brushes when I put on my cap & gown. Didn't pick them up again until I received my 1st ss check. I'd forgotten all those art lessons that high-school me found tedious. Honestly, I'm itching to reaquaint myself after warching your video. Well done and thank you. Still loving the pretty colors but seeing the triangles in the thirds. Feeling joy instead of the stress of a good grade when all I want to do is paint a bird in the surf... wish I knew then. Debs in #EverettWA

[@pattycyr8662]

Thanks for explaining it so well and helping us to keep the importance of artistic composition in mind!

[@peterkimberley4311]

Thank you again for another helpful and enlightening video . May I take this opportunity in wishing you and all your family a healthful and peaceful Christmas and a happy New Year . I am looking forward to seeing all the new projects next year .

[@joycemaureroriginal8563]

Another "that was amazing!". Wow I learn so much from you and I'm not even a watercolorist! Thank you.

[@lisafred1362]

Very nice explanations.

[@jenniefrench1338]

Really great tutorial! I saw a 2 men sitting on a bench next to each other with their back towards the viewer and the man on the right has his right arm fully extended. Honestly that is what I saw on your composition brain storming with the blue color on the left. Really though it works and triggers creativity and I do the same thing with my kneaded erasers (5). I does remind me of watching the clouds a bit. Thanks for your always very helpful suggestions.

[@deejay2838]

Very interesting and informative . Its helpful to see it in this video. Thanks !

[@dianebever7276]

Fabulous video. Thanks, Steve

[@heartchitect1960]

Need this. Will be studying. Could you do more composition teachings that simplify between drawing and painting? That's where I'm at. After years. Lol.

[@evangelinepoe8952]

I saw two old men on a park bench as well Jennie. Reminded me of the Simon and Garfunkel song, Old Friends - Bookends. Put the abstract full screen and played the version from Central Park. Sublime! Steve - Thank you. I took notes and will be studying some of my favorite paintings and photographs of the masters. 🙏🏻 🤓

[@ArtistWizardry]

We celebrated and was highly thankful this Thanksgiving for all the options and choices we have in this country and where we live!! We went to an authentic Chinese noodle house and it was so awesomely good! It was just a small, family restaurant and they could barely speak English but it didn't matter. The food was amazing. Thank God for what we have to enjoy each other.

[@maryking3093]

Thank you, enjoyed this video, inspiring. The abstract looks like 2 figures, the one on the right is waving, on a ferris wheel.

[@don9133]

Experience is a great teacher. Someone with experience and willing to share? All the better.

[@donnabirney817]

Hi Really enjoyed your description of composition. I understand it so much more..... Thanks so much

[@catherinelevison3310]

The opening is so funny I’ve been laughing for several minutes, in fact laughing too loud to hear you as I replayed it a dozen times. So funny. And your topic is great because I have had zero art lessons...yes, zero. Thank you!

[@MsBettyRubble]

You write well and must be an adult. So where did you grow up that you had no art lessons? A childhood without art and music is incredible sad. I hope you at least had music lessons.

[@catherinelevison3310]

MsBettyR. ..... hello....I went to school in Oregon, Washington, New York and in Canada. The Canadian school taught us the recorder for music. No art classes except a jewelry class I took for a short time. Thanks! (I am an author so I hope my writing is decent enough- laugh.)

[@MsBettyRubble]

@@catherinelevison3310 Thanks for responding. I had a higher opinion of those states until now. So disappointing. Thank goodness for Canada! I grew up in California and had art and music classes in public school from k-12. The recorder was popular here too. I even have a collection now. I love the rich sound of alto and tenor recorders. The tenor is a little big for my hand though. I'm a professional writer too and appreciate a well penned sentence. And I love KZbin; there are videos on practically every subject. At least here you can get all the art lessons you want. Best of luck to you. Do you still make jewelry?

[@catherinelevison3310]

MsBettyR. ... hello again, such a kind and thoughtful reply. I agree with you-the recorder is a nice sounding instrument. I also enjoy KZbin because I love learning and anything I’ve wanted to learn about is here! I did make a lot of jewelry actually but watercolor is my main outlet these days after spending time quilting and sewing garments. Thank you!!

[@tomislavmatic4458]

Damn, you just explained composition better than any of my art teachers on the academy...

[@Houdini343]

Thanks. That's great information.

[@bloomhavenstudios]

Excellent video. Thank you. I think I’ll be doing some abstracts as warm-ups to practice composition. These principles are helpful even with portraits and animals in determining how to position and crop the subject, even though you don’t necessarily alter the subject itself. Also, the teacher in one of the two art classes I ever took taught a principle that I’ve found very helpful: every good painting has large, medium, and small areas of light, medium, and dark values.

[@MsBettyRubble]

I'm truly surprised by how many ppl have had very little or no art classes. Where did you grow up?

[@bloomhavenstudios]

MsBettyR. I grew up in Canada, went to school in Edmonton in the 60s and 70s. We did have some very basic art classes in school, which let us try a variety of mediums. In my comment I was referring to classes I took as an adult. I do agree that there should be more art in schools.

[@Deb-c8x]

would be useful to have pictures side by side of your procreate drawings - the ones that work next to the ones that don't work as well. Another great and specific top ic though.

[@craigpotter4056]

Very well thought out! Also, Thanks for Job 5:8

[@marylujacobus5422]

Where can I get pictures of masterful paintings? The video is great. For some reason I never understood much of this information until of. Thanks so much.

[@hankvana2149]

Would you please do some more videos on link between the abstract and the composition as I think this is the key to watercolor. As a newbie I usually don't see where you are going with your painting until you are well into it. The first 4 compositional tips are relatively easy, seeing the picture in the abstract is the difficult for me. Your spontaneous paintings are awesome - like pulling a rabbit out of a hat - I often shake my head and say how did he do that... then go back and watch the video again trying to see how (apparently) random shapes of color and value become an image. Cheers and Merry Christmas!

[@mindofwatercolor]

Actually the key for me is having painted so many tree, brush and land forms that when paint flows starts to make those shapes I can see them forming and I just coax them out.

[@hankvana2149]

@@mindofwatercolor"Experience" is the key - I understand that - as always, it makes sense Steve. I am too technical (a Printed Circuit Board designer by trade) and need to mentally loosen up as I am always focused on the final product and have difficulty seeing the steps to get there. Was thinking about it last night. Going to try two approaches to learn to see the shapes; a forward approach by taking a series of screenshots to review the progress steps and a reverse approach of taking a photo into an editing program and converting it into high contrast monochrome values to see the basic shapes. After that, it boils down to bashing out a ton of paintings to learn how to coax the image from the shapes. I'm new enough to watercolor that I am still learning the medium - find that getting the pigment particles to settle the way I want is kinda like herding ants - it definitely has a mind of its own . Lots of fun and practice for the long, cold Canadian winter - looking forward to that! Thanks so much for your videos!

[@josephinemaxwell795]

Hank Vana2 Urdu

[@gaylenanut7035]

Thank you for this instructional video. I Very much appreciated your approach to composition and how you isolated a simple explanation of each element. An excellent video to share with my watercolor buddies to improve our skills in our artistic journey. Extremely helpful. Just curious what application you used on your iPad for your demonstration.

[@mindofwatercolor]

Procreate

[@noreenkellett3863]

I think the right hand rock looks down to sleeping beauty making your eye go full circle of the picture, interesting picture

[@BornAgainFarmGirl]

Very helpful , thank you !

[@melodief3848]

Thank you so much!

[@SL-et9bk]

I am catching up on your YT videos. Can I ask why my eye is first drawn to the boulders, as you described them, ie not the figure?! They really stood out for me. It has to be said that I do have an eyesight issue so that may be the problem. But, wow, those boulders!

[@SL-et9bk]

Fabulous video by the way!

[@cassiescreations9828]

Another wonderful lesson! By the way, that's Snow White in Maxfield Parrish's painting, not Sleeping Beauty. Snow White ate the poisoned apple. I am trying to figure out his painting as I write, specifically the red fabric and how the male character seems to be the focal point and not Snow White. She is dead in this scene. In the story, the seven dwarfs placed her in a glass coffin, in the mountainside. This painting seems to be that mountainside. Now I must research his interpretation! 😀

[@mindofwatercolor]

Ah, ok. I knew it was one of those fairytale characters.

[@annclairegreig2635]

Great!

[@rainskitchenandgarden]

Thanks for this wonderfully educational video. As a self-taught (self-learning?) artist, your channel is invaluable! May I ask, did you go to art school to learn? I'm trying to learn techniques and concepts as best I can from You Tube, it seems like the learning is endless!

[@mindofwatercolor]

I did go to art school but 90% of what I learned I taught myself through reading, observation and experimentation.

[@DS40764]

Your discussion might help when a person is painting Flower or buildings. I almost see a figure (like a basketball one in your composition).

[@BethPeppersCoats]

Could you do a video on drawing and painting windows and doors in perspective? Such as in a NY cityscape? Thank you.

[@didierleprince6106]

Merci

[@condorreades2148]

What is the size of the Bierstadt? Tried to find it online and couldn’t.

[@mindofwatercolor]

Sorry don't know. Beirstadt's are usually gigantic.

[@debh3404]

Tried to go through your Amazon link and it says your link isn’t active right now. 🤷‍♀️

[@mindofwatercolor]

Yes, thanks for trying Deb. There is a problem with my account and a review is underway. Hopefully I'll get it worked out shortly. Try back later. Thanks for your attempted support.

[@debh3404]

@@mindofwatercolor No problem :) I've used it before so I know it worked about a month ago. What brand is the acrylic brush holder that hangs them upside down? I can't find it now.

[@BethPeppersCoats]

What type of tablet and stylus are you using? I love the stylus, with it's narrow point!

[@baltalm4277]

It is an IPad, 6th generation, with Apple pencil... The app is Procreate.

[@mindofwatercolor]

Yes, iPad pro actually.

[@saffronsl]

I found this very very helpful and I just wanted to add that the first pic u pulled up I actually didn’t like its composition, is that just me ?

[@mindofwatercolor]

Probably not. Not everyone likes the same thing, especially in art.

[@charlenekociuba7396]

Can you be reached to discuss a picture's composition?

[@mindofwatercolor]

You can add comments here or on Facebook or Instagram for possible short responses, but I don't have time for lengthy discussions. Sorry. I get hundreds of contacts per week. I do more detailed responses to questions for supporters on Patreon only.

[@allanfink7816]

This video makes me think I should start my own KZbin channel.

[@dawnymock]

Very helpful! Thanks 🙏