Sunday, April 4, 2010

Obliques


Horizontal lines are restful, calm, and quiet. Vertical lines are formal and rather static. To get a feel of movement and tension, oblique lines work best.


Many people use the word diagonal instead of oblique. Diagonal lines cut things in half. An oblique line is any line that is slanted, whether it divides something in half or not.


The oblique line creates tension and therefore interest. In this painting of lobster traps, oil drums and buoys, oblique lines are everywhere. It is important that near the edges the oblique lines point into and not out of the painting. Shadows, objects, lines, and underpaintings can all provide opportunities for obliques to help circulate the eye through the painting.

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