Add to the number of times I was halfway through a painting and had to stop because it wasn’t working due to a bad composition, it was very frustrating.
As a result, many of my compositions were terrible. In fact, in the first few years I was painting I did no compositional planning, I copied photographs exactly as they were and didn’t do any prior sketches. Now I’ll be honest with you, I haven’t always been good at designing engaging compositions and even now I don’t get it right. A pleasing design and a balanced pictorial plan are essential elements of a fine work of art. So why is composition so important? It’s important because the scene you are painting ideally should be balanced, harmonious and pleasing to the viewer. Some of the compositions I’ve seen are so bad that it’s at that point I think to myself am I missing something here? Did I miss a meeting? It’s a shame because I have seen many a potentially good painting that has been ruined by a bad composition. I have visited many art galleries where there are landscape paintings for sale, some with very high price tags that have terrible compositions. References Why is Composition in Landscape Painting Important?Ĭomposition is a very important aspect of landscape painting but one that is surprisingly overlooked.Five Composition Ideas to Improve Your Landscape Painting.Plan and Design Your Paintings in a Sketchbook First.Why is Composition in Landscape Painting Important?.
