{"id":1357751,"date":"2024-05-14T00:15:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-14T06:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artistsnetwork.com\/?p=1357751"},"modified":"2024-05-02T17:13:25","modified_gmt":"2024-05-02T23:13:25","slug":"rule-of-odds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artistsnetwork.com\/art-mediums\/rule-of-odds\/","title":{"rendered":"Playing the Odds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The rule of odds is one of the simplest\u2014yet most dramatic\u2014design principles you can apply to your composition and painting process.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

by Carrie Waller<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can I make my art more impactful in order to better catch a viewer\u2019s attention? It\u2019s a question my students ask me more often than any other. I\u2019m always thrilled to address this topic. There are many principles, or rules, of design that I cover in my art classes\u2014and a basic understanding of those principles is essential to compositional success. I understand, however, that it can often be difficult to decide exactly which design rules to follow, when to follow them and when it\u2019s OK to break them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rule of odds is one design principle I always try to follow. The rule suggests that a composition is more effective when it has an odd number of objects or elements. It can be applied to any form of art, from painting to photography, and to any subject, from landscape to still life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our brains naturally want to pair things up to create visual symmetry, so a work of art will be more visually interesting if the viewer\u2019s eye travels around the composition looking for another object to complete the set. The rule of odds is one of the easiest ways to achieve that goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"\"
Celebration (watercolor on paper, 18×24)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"\"
Fire and Light (watercolor on paper, 14×11)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Compare Celebration<\/strong> (left) with Fire and Light<\/strong> (right). While both paintings are striking, the composition featuring a set of three jars is a more active and visually exciting design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"\"
In looking more closely at Celebration, it\u2019s evident that the rule of odds was applied not only to the number of objects in the painting, but also to the number of colors. Before introducing a color in a painting, I\u00a0always make sure that I\u2019ll use it in at least three different places. Notice the pops of ultramarine blue highlights (circled in white). Applying the complementary color in an odd number of places made the oranges pop and enhanced the painting while keeping the viewer\u2019s eye engaged.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Quenched (watercolor on paper, 24×20) demonstrates the rule of odds. Our brains are wired to find patterns, and an odd number of elements keeps us looking. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Demonstration: May Contain Pits<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Follow along to see how I apply the principle of the rule of odds to a still-life painting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Artists Toolkit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Surface:<\/strong> Arches 156-lb. cold-pressed watercolor paper<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daniel Smith Watercolors:<\/strong> Bismuth Vanadate yellow, Bordeaux, Payne\u2019s blue-gray, quinacridone burnt orange, quinacridone purple, quinacridone magenta, quinacridone gold, pyrrol orange, pyrrol red, phthalo green (blue shade), sap green, opera pink, 50-50 indigo-sepia mixture (the darkest dark)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brushes:<\/strong> 1-inch flat, Nos. 2 and 4 rounds, scrubber<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other:<\/strong> Holbein masking fluid, white, acid-free artist\u2019s tape, paper towels, chambered water bucket, corrugated plastic board, ruling pen (or other masking applicator)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"\"
Step 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Step 1<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

All of my paintings begin with a photo shoot. I\u00a0enjoy the planning and design stage almost as much as the actual painting stage. The design process is 95 percent complete before I\u00a0ever put brush to paper. I use my phone to take reference shots, then view them in the photo grid in my phone\u2019s photo library. They serve as at-a-glance thumbnail sketches, and I\u00a0can quickly see if I\u00a0captured any successful images. Once I\u00a0decide on an image, I\u00a0adapt it using my phone\u2019s editing program and then import it into Photoshop to continue the editing process. I\u00a0mark my favorite images with a heart to make them easier to find later, as you can see in a few of the images marked in the grid of photos above.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"\"
Step 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Step 2<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After choosing an image, I\u00a0completed my drawing and transferred it to watercolor paper, which I taped to a corrugated plastic board. Since this is a 23×30-inch piece, I\u00a0allowed the cherry jars to be a little larger than life. I\u00a0started with the jar on the right, applying masking fluid thinly and lightly to protect my whites. I\u00a0knew these white reflections would be crucial to making the jars look shiny and realistic. I\u00a0began painting the cherries one at a time. As always, I\u00a0was careful to make sure if I\u00a0introduced a color\u2014even as an underglaze\u2014that I\u2019d use it in at least three different places. I\u00a0do this because as the initial washes are built upon, the beginning glazes will affect the color temperature of the whole painting. It also continues to implement the rule of odds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"\"
Step 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Step 3<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The cherries were backlit in the photo reference. To achieve the beautiful glowing color of the fruit, I\u00a0built up thin glazes of reds, yellows, oranges and bright pinks. Each cherry required up to a dozen layers to get the values and level of saturation that I\u00a0wanted. I\u2019m happy with the glow I\u00a0achieved in the end.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"\"
Step 4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Step 4<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I completed one area at a time before moving on to the rest of the painting. This is a process I\u2019ve\u00a0adopted to help make sure my values are established and that I\u2019ll have a successful end result. I\u00a0made sure to include an odd number of cherry shapes within the jar to keep the viewer\u2019s eye moving around the composition. The little containers pictured on the left are my watercolors. I\u00a0make my own pans using these containers I\u00a0found at a hardware store. I\u00a0do all my color mixing right on the paper, which ensures bright and clean glazes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"\"
Step 5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Step 5<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The second jar of cherries also contains an odd number of shapes. I\u00a0added deeper values to direct the viewer\u2019s eye to the center jar and these darker colors help make the yellow glow stand out even more. I\u00a0subtly placed a teal color at the bottom of the center jar, because the addition of a complementary color always adds interest.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"\"
Final: May Contain Pits (watercolor on paper, 23×30)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Final<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To finish May Contain Pits<\/em> (watercolor on paper, 23×30), I\u00a0strategically placed the complementary teal color in five different areas at the bottom of the composition. Implementing the rule of odds in the early design stages contributed to the overall success of this painting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

About the Artist<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Carrie Waller<\/a> teaches workshops online and in person. She\u2019s an ambassador for Daniel Smith Watercolors and holds Signature Membership in several prestigious watercolor organizations, including the National Watercolor Society and the American Watercolor Society. Her paintings have been exhibited all over the world and have garnered many awards\u2014including Best of Show in the 2023 Women in Watercolor International Competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

From Our Shop<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n