On My Back Door-Step #3

Fence Rails and Bushes (#3)

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Watercolor on paper 11in x 15in

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Creating a composition is a vital part of making an image. Composing a scene for a landscape photograph seems absurdly simple, you point the camera at what you want to capture, frame the scenery so it looks good, and - snap - press the button.

Well, it's another matter creating a composition for a landscape painting, plein air. First, there's so darn much scenery all around, it's easy to get distracted. And then, as you are glancing up and down from the vista to the painting, it's hard to keep your eye on the thing or things that attracted your attention in the beginning.

My problem-solving solution... ta-dah! the old trick of creating a composition using a viewfinder. From of a plain piece of paper, I cut out a rectangle with the same proportions as the paper I'm painting on. I peer through the cutout, and I can sketch my scene onto my paper with some accuracy. Once the main elements of the composition are in place, things are going to run a whole lot more smoothly.

Of course, there are many things about painting outdoors that a viewfinder won't help with, but it makes a good start!

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