Oil Painting Step by Step

Lesson 2: Finding a Focus

with John Loughlin

After choosing your subject, you need to determine the perspective, or viewpoint, from which you wish to paint a scene. Begin by looking at the scene and asking yourself which elements attract your eye. Pick the object that interests you the most and make that the focal point of your painting. There are several ways to bring the focus onto your subject. Cropping a scene (or “zooming in” on your subject) and choosing a format (horizontal, vertical, or square) that complements your subject are two excellent ways to accentuate your focal point. For example, for this painting of a beautiful grove of birch trees, artist John Loughlin was interested in the play of light and shadows on the tree trunks, so ...