Principles of Art.

Gradation, Alternation, Balance, Contrast, Harmony, Unity, Repetition and Dominance.  These are the principles of art. 

In this painting, my first in nearly three months being away from my brushes, I had to remind myself of the basics of composition. 

Repetition was easy because of the numerous onion top domes of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.  A secondary shape was the triangle, which repeated in the steeples.  The sun (or moon?) also echoed the circular shapes in the dome.

Contrast was created by the use of textures in the domes.

Gradation was employed in the values.  The light background was connected to the midtones in the center of the page and the dark accents were placed in the midtones to draw the eye to the major subjects of the piece. 

The gradation of smooth to active textures was also kept to the middle of the page.  I was careful not to place textures everywhere which would confuse the viewer.  Textures are not placed in the quiet areas on the outside and bottom of the page.

Unity was achieved by limiting the colors to the muted secondary colors of purple and green, with cool color dominating. 

Having words in your head while you paint will eliminate some of the confusion in the midst of the battle. 

P.S.  I chose this subject in honor of the World Cup Soccer Tournament that is taking place in Russia.