Give your painting energy!

Diagonal lines bring energy and movement to any painting. Vertical and horizontal lines are stabilizing and indicate calm and peace. So bringing any form of diagonal into a picture that is calm and steady adds a sense of activity, even if the subject matter is static.

Take a look at this painting below by Leon Holmes.

Leon Holmes – Herd a Rumour

(Original oil painting on sale at the Rosslare Gallery , Rosslare, Ireland)

At first glance it’s a painting about a herd of cows. It’s a scene that should be pastoral and calm. The cows aren’t moving – they are static and just chewing the cud. However, to me it’s painting that is dynamic and full of movement and energy. Why? Because of the strong and clever use of diagonal lines. I’ve drawn some of them in below.

These add movement where there is none. They create a visual excitement in what could otherwise have been a fairly “normal” picture.

And check out the active brushwork, which relates back to my last post. All in all a masterful painting by a master painter! Thanks Leon.

#painting #LeonHolmes #learningtopaint #oilpainting #Composition