How to Use a Viewfinder for Artwork

Purchase or make a viewfinder., Look through your viewfinder., Roughly draw the same proportions as the aperture of the viewfinder on your sketchbook paper. , Divide the space into quarters., Start from the bottom right quarter.

5 Steps 1 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Purchase or make a viewfinder.

    Note what you can see at each of the corners.

    Flick your eyes from corner to corner to corner and look carefully, so that when you take the viewfinder down, you can still see the parameter of the image that you will be working on in your mind's eye. ,, Quarter it vertically and horizontally, so that it is split in half both ways.

    This breaks down the complexity of the image that is in front of you into four smaller elements that are going to be easier to control. , This is an information gathering exercise; you are making a map from observation of what will be the painting.

    Think in terms of the design, the pattern and the overall composition.

    This step gives you thinking time before you set about the process of painting and transferring the image to the painting surface.
  2. Step 2: Look through your viewfinder.

  3. Step 3: Roughly draw the same proportions as the aperture of the viewfinder on your sketchbook paper.

  4. Step 4: Divide the space into quarters.

  5. Step 5: Start from the bottom right quarter.

Detailed Guide

Note what you can see at each of the corners.

Flick your eyes from corner to corner to corner and look carefully, so that when you take the viewfinder down, you can still see the parameter of the image that you will be working on in your mind's eye. ,, Quarter it vertically and horizontally, so that it is split in half both ways.

This breaks down the complexity of the image that is in front of you into four smaller elements that are going to be easier to control. , This is an information gathering exercise; you are making a map from observation of what will be the painting.

Think in terms of the design, the pattern and the overall composition.

This step gives you thinking time before you set about the process of painting and transferring the image to the painting surface.

About the Author

E

Emily Mitchell

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