"Composition gives layout and structure to the painting, it also effects the way the subject is perceived and understood. Good composition leads the eye of the observer through the painting and then emphasises the focal point"

This course will cover the rules of composition, and how to improve the student's planning of their paintings to ensure that they have looked at the guidance given in this course. Planning is an important part of any painting in order to get the most benefit from the work. Not all rules will be either necessary or significant in a successful painting, but to understand what rules there are, will give the student the opportunity to be selective in improving their work.

Subsequent to this course the student will be able to decide whether some or all of the rules are necessary in any particular work. The guidance given in the course is based upon historical learning and interpretation, many of the rules mentioned have been utilised by past masters as well as present day famous artists. One question asked, is, whether the planning of a painting is intuitive or entirely through mathematical means, the answer is shown to be part intuition, and part planning through a given process.

I have provided a written course structure, which can be downloaded, to go alongside the lessons, in order for the student to follow the process more easily. The composition rules and guidance will be shown in detail by looking at famous artists and how they planned their work. I will also show my paintings and how and whether I have intuitively planned in accordance with the historical rules, or not.

I will then show the student how to set out paintings utilising the rules as discussed, in order to get the most from their paintings.The course will concentrate on the Golden Ratio rule, which was utilised by past masters and is still used by present day professional artists.