11. Compositional Templates
There are many ways to plan a composition. One method, popular with beginners, and commonly advocated on the internet, is to use a compositional template, or pattern: It's a simpler process. Instead of reinventing the wheel, you pick from a series of pre-planned templates, selecting the one you like best, and you change your vision to fit within it. Templates first gained popularity when artist Edgar Payne wrote Composition of Outdoor Painting , in 1941. Breton Tuna Boats, Concarneau, France , by Edgar Payne Most of these ideas are geared toward landscape (and seascape) painting, but you can extend it to still lifes, figurative, and even abstract works - anything really. Are templates the right way to go? In my own art, I avoid using templates, for several reasons. Having spoken with other artists, I haven't seen much value put into them. Many are quick to point out, using a compositional template is no guarantee of success. In fact, some of these patterns are seen as tire d
