Elli Milan discusses small-scale composition in further detail on her video in Art Club. Why not sign up for a free trial membership for Art Club ? You’ll find more content like this, as well as information about art history, art travel and more!
How to Create Successful Compositions for Small Paintings
There is a vast variety of canvas sizes available. The most common vary from 36 x 48 in. down to 2 x 2 in. mini canvases. How do you choose which size to use? Are there pros and cons to the different sizes?
Choosing the correct size depends on what you’re painting and what your style is. It also depends on where you plan on creating these small pieces. For example, small paintings offer the traveling artist a number of advantages that larger works of art don’t.
In this blog, we’ll focus on composition and what things to consider when working on a small-scale canvas.
Some Basics in Developing Composition
When developing your composition , there are some basics that you should always keep in mind, regardless of the size of canvas you’re using. Let’s review just a few of them.
- Rule of Thirds . The Rule of Thirds refers to a grid that divides your canvas into three sections vertically and horizontally. Your focal point should fall into one of the four cross sections in the grid. All other elements in your painting should draw the viewer’s eye to that focal point. It’s the main character in the drama unveiled on your canvas.
- Varied Values . Value creates the drama on your canvas. It provides the light and shadow in your piece. What areas need to recede away from the viewer? What things do you want to highlight and draw attention to? Make sure you are using a good variety of tints and shades on your value scale. One way to ensure that you have done this is to take a photo and change it to black and white.
- Number of Elements . Typically, it’s best to use an odd number of elements in your paintings. Odd numbers create more visual interest. They hold your gaze more as your eye moves from element to element around the painting.
What’s Different With Small-scale Composition?
When painting on small-scale canvases, there are some different things to consider as you develop your composition. Let’s take the basic examples we stated above and discuss the differences for small-scale projects.
- Rule of Thirds . The general rule for placing your focal point is on the cross sections of the grid. However, with small-scale paintings, you do have the option to put your focal point right in the middle. This would never be recommended on larger canvases. But with the tighter boundaries, a center focal point can work well.
- Varied Values . Sorry, but there are no differences here. A good variety of values is still important to define the light and dark areas of your paintings. Don’t make the mistake of keeping a very small variety of value. It will diminish the effect of your piece. You’ll lose the drama, the illusion of light, and even your focal point. Value is key in all your paintings.
- Number of Elements . Keeping odd numbers is still recommended. Using too many elements can be overwhelming. With a small-scale project you have the opportunity to develop one strong image that draws the viewer in more intimately. Objects should be recognizable from afar, but have the charisma to draw the viewer closer.
Acrylic Mini Canvas Painting with Nina Hidalgo
Need spring painting inspiration? Follow along with Ambassador Nina Hidalgo to paint an acrylic mini canvas painting! With a few supplies you can create a beautiful mini floral piece of your own.
Step 1: Select your supplies.
I used Rose, Lemon Yellow, Green, Black, and White acrylic paints, a Velvetouch Liner 1, Velvetouch Mini Mop, Glacier Wash 1″, and a tiny canvas and easel.
Step 2:
I applied a thin layer of white paint on the canvas.
Step 3:
Using the Rose paint and liner brush, create strokes similar to the petals of the rose. I decided not to do a pre sketch to not limit my imagination.
Step 4:
Combining Rose with a bit of black, I applied another layer that is smaller than the first layer. This is the shadow of the next layer of petals.
Step 5:
I mixed White with a little bit of Rose paint to get Carnation Pink and dab a few strokes using the tip and belly of the brush gliding from thin to thick and going back to thin to create a petal.
Step 6:
I added a visible leaf at the bottom right of the rose using Green and Lemon-Yellow paints. Then gently dab the excess paint from the brush to the area around the visible leaf to create subtle foliage. I then added black as the background. I used a bit of water to pull the black paint outwards.
Step 7:
Using the White paint, I added thin strokes of highlights on the edge of the petals at the right parts.
Step 8:
I dabbed the left and right edges using Carnation Pink followed by Rose and Green paints with the help of the Velvetouch Mini Mop. I wanted to show the texture of the canvas so I used Glacier Wash 1″ and gently swiped the paints.
You can find more from Nina on her Instagram page @ninathidalgo.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our mini canvas painting tutorial using Princeton brushes. We’d love to see your version from following along! You can share it with us by tagging @princetonbrush on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
