Why do I paint lot of houses? ~
A student of mine tells me I often paint houses, at least in my demos and en plein air sessions. Figurative is another story. How might this interest you? Whether you are a painter or a collector, this post helps you better understand the composition behind a painting.
The beauty of geometry
My attraction is maybe a reminiscence of when we were kids and used to draw houses with sloping roofs and chimneys. Perhaps what appeals to me are geometric shapes: trapezoid, rectangle or the triangle, also found in the shape of my umbrellas.
Rational forms and line of emotions
Actually my facades are always connected with trees and vegetation, combining geometric shapes with more random shapes, Euclidean rationale with intuitive lines.
Mountains like camels
The placement of elements, their variety, their proportions are a crucial framework for the outcome of a painting. Perspective is also critical. It's a good practice to break curves into segments. Beginners e.g. have a tendency to exaggerate the mountains profile, which often ends up resembling the humps of a camel! |
I draw a lot of preliminary studies, to make sure that there is a good variety of shapes and an interesting connection between them. Which combined with tonal values establish the weights of the composition.
Paintings of semi abstract realism
Visualizing the geometric boxing in of organic elements is definitely more effective than details. If I have a boat in front of me, thinking of a trapezoid and two ovals helps me in two directions:
-- Control of curves and inclinations
-- Achieve a semi-abstract quality
These compositional principles can be fully appreciated in the beautiful small works available on my website Studio Sale. This selection of demos and plein air watercolors represent my design style to the full. Collect these works at a clearance fixed price thru November 2023.
Happy Art Life! -- Francesco
