The rule of odds is likely one of the easiest—but most dramatic—design ideas you’ll be able to apply to your composition and portray course of.
by Carrie Waller
How can I make my artwork extra impactful with a view to higher catch a viewer’s consideration? It’s a query my college students ask me extra typically than some other. I’m at all times thrilled to deal with this matter. There are lots of ideas, or guidelines, of design that I cowl in my artwork lessons—and a primary understanding of these ideas is crucial to compositional success. I perceive, nevertheless, that it may typically be troublesome to resolve precisely which design guidelines to comply with, when to comply with them and when it’s OK to interrupt them.
The rule of odds is one design precept I at all times attempt to comply with. The rule suggests {that a} composition is simpler when it has an odd variety of objects or parts. It may be utilized to any type of artwork, from portray to pictures, and to any topic, from panorama to nonetheless life.
Our brains naturally need to pair issues as much as create visible symmetry, so a murals shall be extra visually fascinating if the viewer’s eye travels across the composition searching for one other object to finish the set. The rule of odds is likely one of the best methods to realize that objective.
Examine Celebration (left) with Fireplace and Gentle (proper). Whereas each work are placing, the composition that includes a set of three jars is a extra lively and visually thrilling design.
Demonstration: Could Comprise Pits
Comply with alongside to see how I apply the precept of the rule of odds to a still-life portray.
Artists Toolkit
Floor: Arches 156-lb. cold-pressed watercolor paper
Daniel Smith Watercolors: Bismuth Vanadate yellow, Bordeaux, Payne’s blue-gray, quinacridone burnt orange, quinacridone purple, quinacridone magenta, quinacridone gold, pyrrol orange, pyrrol purple, phthalo inexperienced (blue shade), sap inexperienced, opera pink, 50-50 indigo-sepia combination (the darkest darkish)
Brushes: 1-inch flat, Nos. 2 and 4 rounds, scrubber
Different: Holbein masking fluid, white, acid-free artist’s tape, paper towels, chambered water bucket, corrugated plastic board, ruling pen (or different masking applicator)
Step 1
All of my work start with a photograph shoot. I benefit from the planning and design stage virtually as a lot because the precise portray stage. The design course of is 95 p.c full earlier than I ever put brush to paper. I take advantage of my telephone to take reference pictures, then view them within the picture grid in my telephone’s picture library. They function at-a-glance thumbnail sketches, and I can shortly see if I captured any profitable pictures. As soon as I resolve on a picture, I adapt it utilizing my telephone’s enhancing program after which import it into Photoshop to proceed the enhancing course of. I mark my favourite pictures with a coronary heart to make them simpler to search out later, as you’ll be able to see in a couple of of the photographs marked within the grid of photographs above.
Step 2
After selecting a picture, I accomplished my drawing and transferred it to watercolor paper, which I taped to a corrugated plastic board. Since it is a 23×30-inch piece, I allowed the cherry jars to be somewhat bigger than life. I began with the jar on the fitting, making use of masking fluid thinly and evenly to guard my whites. I knew these white reflections could be essential to creating the jars look shiny and life like. I started portray the cherries separately. As at all times, I was cautious to ensure if I launched a colour—at the same time as an underglaze—that I’d use it in no less than three completely different locations. I do that as a result of because the preliminary washes are constructed upon, the start glazes will have an effect on the colour temperature of the entire portray. It additionally continues to implement the rule of odds.
Step 3
The cherries had been backlit within the picture reference. To attain the attractive glowing colour of the fruit, I constructed up skinny glazes of reds, yellows, oranges and brilliant pinks. Every cherry required as much as a dozen layers to get the values and degree of saturation that I wished. I’m pleased with the glow I achieved ultimately.
Step 4
I accomplished one space at a time earlier than transferring on to the remainder of the portray. It is a course of I’ve adopted to assist be sure that my values are established and that I’ll have a profitable finish outcome. I made certain to incorporate an odd variety of cherry shapes throughout the jar to maintain the viewer’s eye transferring across the composition. The little containers pictured on the left are my watercolors. I make my very own pans utilizing these containers I discovered at a ironmongery store. I do all my colour mixing proper on the paper, which ensures brilliant and clear glazes.
Step 5
The second jar of cherries additionally comprises an odd variety of shapes. I added deeper values to direct the viewer’s eye to the middle jar and these darker colours assist make the yellow glow stand out much more. I subtly positioned a teal colour on the backside of the middle jar, as a result of the addition of a complementary colour at all times provides curiosity.
Remaining
To complete Could Comprise Pits (watercolor on paper, 23×30), I strategically positioned the complementary teal colour in 5 completely different areas on the backside of the composition. Implementing the rule of odds within the early design levels contributed to the general success of this portray.
In regards to the Artist
Carrie Waller teaches workshops on-line and in particular person. She’s an envoy for Daniel Smith Watercolors and holds Signature Membership in a number of prestigious watercolor organizations, together with the Nationwide Watercolor Society and the American Watercolor Society. Her work have been exhibited everywhere in the world and have garnered many awards—together with Better of Present within the 2023 Ladies in Watercolor Worldwide Competitors.