Visual Persuasion in watercolor- using the elements of Composition

Capturing the Viewer’s eye is easier said than done.

So it is best to stand back from one’s painting and then take a really good look at it.
Then we apply The 20 foot Gallery Rule-
Stand back 20 feet from your work and see if the painting grabs you!

Light versus dark is part of Visual Persuasion …
also known as – one element of composition.

Positive and Negative Space is part of Visual Persuasion …
and are additional elements of composition.

Positive Space – English Village

1- Our major dark areas are considered Positive Space.

2- the rest of the painting which is not nearly as dark is considered – Negative Space.

* This begins the process of Romancing the Viewer’s imagination.

You see – having a roof over one’s head suggests security and comfort.

One doesn’t need to know what kind of roof it is… shake, tile, or shingle – to get that cozy feeling.

The silhouette of the roof tops is enough to generate that cozy feeling.

And the forms of the Positive Space starts a romance within the viewer’s imagination…

the subtle interplay, or ritualized Ballroom dance sequence like a Paso Doble.

Negative Space also works it’s own degree of Visual Persuasion.

Negative Space Landscape

The Mental Dialogue continues as a tingle and gradually becomes – an insistenf whisper.
Not like a mumble … more like the ocean waves gently lapping along the sea shore.

In short – There is nothing negative about Negative Space.
It is your ally.

This is where you find the opening to wrap the viewer’s heart around your finger –
and … begin to loosen the viewer’s grip on their pocket-book.

What other means of Visual Persuasion can we employ to amplify the affect of Negative Space?

Let’s be bold and venture … using little baby steps – into the mystery of this painting … sort of like exploring a cavern with a flash-light.

Line is an element of Visual Persuasion…
can be used to promote DISTURBANCE.

Line in landscape

Within the Negative space … and while it may not be obvious at first … there is a line … gently sloping downward in this painting. To what end?

Exceptionally advanced painters will tell you …

1- The eye wants to balance this line … but the line refuses to balance.
2- The mind wants to balance this line … again – the line refuses to balance.
3- Emotionally – we want to balance this line – but it refuses to balance!

This is called Disturbance.

So the mental dialogue begins to frenzy within the viewer’s psyche.

“Why … won’t this line balance?”

So now – your viewer – is compelled to consciously self-talk about your painting …

For those of you who enjoy fishing … sounds like finding your perfect lure … doesn’t it?

Allow me to digress for a moment of explanation –

When I approached a fellow artist about applying these Visual Persuasion / Composition concepts to this painting for an article – her eyes lit up.

My friend related the following story …

“Imagine this painting is hanging in a show … one of those group showings with 10-15 other artists.”

“People are milling around, strolling from one painting to another.”

” If there are other landscapes also showing … the element of Disturbance is most likely not present in the other works as this is a uniquely sophisticated painterly technique.”

And she mentioned what another artist had told her about his use of disturbance.

“He said he always employed disturbance because it acts like cat nip for humans.”

“You see,” she continued – “as people are drifting from one painting to another their eyes are blankly focused on each new paintings – because their minds are still trying to resolve the feeling of disturbance after seeing his painting.”

“You see – the more people try to put his painting out of their mind and move on … they cannot.”

“The more they tell themselves not to think about his painting … the more they actually do think about his painting.”

And he ususally sells his painting – if not at the show, he usually gets a follow-up call in a day or two.

So a word to the wise … employ disturbance at your own risk.

You may run out of inventory!

Commercial artists have added another element to Visual Persuasion … in this case … The Letter ‘C’

Letter C in visual art composition

1- The Letter C allows the foreground to meld into the middleground and dissappear into the mysterious background.
2- This letter gives the eye a clear path to travel ever deeper into our painting.
3- There was a gum a few years back much like this letter C … when you bit down on the gum – you got a squirt of flavor in your mouth.
4- In this case … the letter C gives the mental dialogue a little piece of peace.

While the mind may not want to accept what it is seeing … the viewer is feeling a spiraling … around and down.

Light is an element of Visual Persuasion.

1- As the viewer is feeling the downward pull of the road towards the mysterious lush darkness of the background bushes … the eye stops.
2- And the eye is lifted up … along the strong wall of the Orange House!
3- The eye travels around the glistening roof tip and over to the shaded right
4- Where we encounter a warm sun-lit tree,
5- which gently brings us back down to terra firma.
6- Now the Orange House is not in the same spatial plane as the lush bushes.
7- The Orange house is big and strong and … forward.
8- And we are saved from going all the way down the road – into who knows where.
9- The brightness of this house is symbolic of a Lighthouse … a safe place to be.
10- And the mental dialogue … says – “Wow- what a ride – that was fun.”
11- “I feel like trying this again!”

At this point … the viewer toys with the feeling of surrendering to the powerful emotional pull you’ve manifested within this bucolic looking landscape.

And with each new ‘go-round’ the feeling of surrender becomes accepted.

Reminds me of that song from the 50’s … “I’ve put a spell on you.”

And in some ways as a visual artist … your job #1 is to capture your viewer.

You know – you can’t use a butterfly net or the people in little white coats will come for a visit.

It is much more socially acceptable – to employ visual persuasion!

Symbolism is another element of Visual Persuasion.

Symbolism in landscape composition

Indulge me for a moment …

1- Symbolism is the ‘hide in plain sight’ language of connection of like minds …
2- And for those who recognize and ‘feel’ the connection – it is real.
3- Symbolism extends the ‘global audience’ of a painting.
4- What is the symbol in this painting and what is it’s purpose?

I submit – a case can be made that the symbol is …

1- The Hammer and Sickle from the Standard of what used to be The USSR.
2- Just bare with me for another moment – as I’m in ‘free-flow.’
3- The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics used to span 24 time zones.
4- That’s a whale of a lot of people.
5- The symbol for generations of people … was both – a positive and a negative.
6- But just like anything else … as time passes – the negative fades.
7- Over time … it has become a positive.

Today … the symbol does not represent – The Gulag…

1- Today the symbol represents what used to be The Greater Russian state.
2- Today the symbol represents a time-past of predictable security.
3- Today the symbol represents ‘free health care.’
4- Today the symbol represents – universal higher education opportunities.
5- Today the symbol represents … the golden age of Mother Russia.

Did the artist intend to use this symbol?

1- I don’t know … I didn’t ask – but –
2- There it is.
3- And symbolically – it serves it’s purpose of subliminally communicating with those who ‘see’ it.
4- Without putting a number to it –
5- That’s a whale of a lot of people who subconsciously are also drawn into this painting.

And – you did not have to learn Russian – to connect to this vast audience for your work.

Ahhh …. the visual persuasive power of symbolism.

Now – if you don’t see the symbol … well that’s the whole point of a symbol … only some will see it.

You know … some people see faces in slices of bread … while others see the 12-grains.

Now I know I’m in free-flow because I’m thinking of a Publisher’s Clearing House commercial. 3 cups of high-test coffee in 20 minutes will do that to you.

Imagine what you’ll see with 3 shots of Vodka in 20 minutes!

Aside – Commentary does confirm a lot of what we paint comes from the subconscious –

By following up with the Artist – Hilda Eakins I was able to confirm the following:

“Most of what you observed in the painting was not a conscious effort on my part.

The last part about the Russian symbol was purely coincidental.”

– Ms. Hilda Eakins

Golden Glow is an additional element of Visual Persuasion.

Yellow Glow in landscape composition

1- I have added a Golden Glow to the roadway and the figures in this painting because…
2- Golden Glow in the Classical painterly sense indicated a heightened sense of the Beatific …
3- “The Blessed”… and what better place to position the glow … but the people and the road.
4- This heats up the emotions of safe and comfort-cozy in our painting.
5- And it taps our solar plexis – connecting us to a more satisfying time.
6- A time most of us would like to revisit… again and again.
7- And we can – within the world of this painting.

Aside – Kinkaid made a living using Golden Glow.

Summary of Visual Persuasion elements:

1- Capture the viewer’s eye – the 20 foot rule.
2- Romance the imagination – using Negative Space sub-elements.
3- Start the Mental dialogue using a little ‘disturbance.’

Fast Forward – into the future …

1- Should we employ some or all these elements in our next painting …
2- or decide to paint a series of landscapes utilizing these elements of Visual Persuasion –
3- we can anticipate our getting better at working with these elements …
4- and developing a following for our landscapes …
because we are deliberately working with the elements of Visual Persuasion.

Visual Persuasion selects it’s own audience and following…
as it activates an inner mental dialogue within the viewer.

This sounds so much more fascinating than say … ‘A treatise on Composition’ … doesn’t it?

Nod your head if you agree.