JULIE’S TIPS FOR FOCAL POINTS

● A focal point should have more detail than other areas of a painting.

● Remember that in any painting the viewer needs a place to rest their eyes. It’s not a good idea to make your picture too busy all over.

● Carefully consider where to put your focal point. The centre of a picture is not the best place; if you are painting a vase of flowers you could place it slightly off centre.

● Try sketching out your composition with the focal point in different places before you decide where it works best.

● Use highlights and shadows to emphasise your focal point.

● Contrast in texture can also be used to add detail to your focal point, for example the texture of stones in the foreground of a beach scene.