Phil Straub Composition Tutorial

Sun 4th Dec 2005, by Phil Straub | Tutorial This article was written by Phil Straub back in 2005, and it is as fresh and vital today as it was then. Phil’s tips and trick are timeless, and can help you make your images pop! Composition is everything! Composition in Environment Concept painting can be quite difficult since your focal point usually isn’t as obvious as in a character piece. DIVINE PROPORTIONS: The Golden Rule and Rule of Thirds When you take the canvas area and divide it into ‘thirds’ Horizontally and Vertically, where the lines cross in the picture area is a ‘Golden Mean’, or the best spot in which to place your Main Subject or Object of Interest as it is the Focal Point of your picture. The golden rule can and usually is applied to a paintings canvas proportions. The imagery below represents the division of space when the “golden rule” is applied to a blank canvas. In the beginning you may find it useful to use this as an overlay for every concept piece you do. The Circle

POST USEFUL RESOURCES HERE Portrait Lighting reference app: - this is really cool; you can select what light sources you'd like to turn on and off. Movie stills: (they're low-resolution though; not ideal, I know, but still ok for what it's worth) Free Tutorials and Custom Brushes Dan Luvisi's tutorials and custom brushes: Reid Southen's custom brushes, skintone swatches and tutorials: idrawgirls.com - retired concept artist Xia Taptara's site, with tons of free videos and a free brush set for download.

Art and Reference point