11 Add photorealistic focus to the focal point

Composition is not just about 2D considerations; it’s also about the Z dimension of depth and focus. Even though I’m painting a scene that could never be photographed, I try to compose the scene with a photographer’s sensibility. I use shallow focus to evoke the impression of wildlife photography, since this painting is to be published in a magazine that’s mostly illustrated with wildlife photos. The background is dark and cool and way out of focus, and the crushed plants and the egg in the foreground are also blurred.

Composition is not just about 2D considerations; it’s also about the Z dimension of depth and focus – the photographer’s sensibility