So often with still life paintings, we focus on the objects
in the painting first—and rightly so; they do take center stage. But still life
artists know that backgrounds can play a major role in the look and feel of a
painting as well.
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A still life composition against a patterned background can work well together
if colors correspond, but objects don't come as sharply into focus as they
might against a neutral surface.
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Positioning a
still life painting or still life drawing on a
patterned surface may give the overall composition more visual interest. But
objects may also get lost on such a surface, especially if they are delicate in
form or of the same overall color scheme as the surface they rest on. Patterned
surfaces can also make the space in a painting appear shallower or flatter than
you might intend.
Against a neutral background, objects are all clearly
visible and there's less competition for the viewer's attention. You are better
able to control how the viewer's eye moves through the work. The tradeoff lies
in the challenge of painting such a background in an interesting way, which is
where gestural marks and more energetic brushstrokes can come into play.
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A neutral background allows still life objects to
command all the viewer's attention. |
Still life art that is shown on a vibrantly colored or shiny
surface can complicate a composition, as the color or reflected light bounces
off objects and skews the colors of the objects themselves. But against a black
surface, still lifes lack cast shadows, which can severely limit a composition.
There's always a trade off, but there are also plenty of
plenty of ways to go! American Artist
magazine has incited many still life painting ideas in me over the years, which
is no surprise given the variety and quality of the work they show and the
instruction they deliver. The only trade off here is you'll
find any excuse to flip through the pages again and again. But to an artist
searching for excellence, a subscription to American Artist is worth it! Enjoy!
