Great Painters Paint Great Edges

The Cove
Acrylic on Arches Paper
20 x 16 in/50.8 x 40.6 cm
Copyright Byrne Smith 2016

The headline of today's post says it all. Great painters paint great edges.

What is a great edge? Well, it's not just one edge in a painting. It's all the edges in the composition and how they relate not only to each other but also to the motif in total.

Edges can move the viewer around and through a painting.

Edges can emphasize or de-emphasize an element as well as the focal point.

Edges can help set the mood of a painting.

Edges attract attention (or not).

Edges are important.

Which painters paint great edges, in my humble opinion? Claude Monet, John Singer Sargent, Edward Hopper, Qiang Huang, Mark Boedges, Colley Whisson, Colin Page, Mary Whyte, and Hsin-Yoa Tseng, just to name a few.

Great painters paint great edges.

Cheers