Tip: Don't Put Your Entire Painting In Focus

When we look at the world everything seems to be in focus. Everywhere we turn the world is clear and sharp. Without paying attention to how we really see, we may fail to notice that only one area is in focus at a time.

For instance when working from a photograph we see that the entire image is typically in focus. Even when working from life, our eyes move from one object to another focusing on each one. As a result, everything we see appears to be in focus. This is what causes a misconception about focus in painting.

Take a minute to stop and look at only one thing. That thing you see in the center of your view is truly in focus. You see it as a sharp and crisp image. Now without moving your eyes and while still focusing on the same object try to notice how things around the object appear, using only your peripheral vision. If you are like me, anything that is not in the center of your view is somewhat blurred. The things you are not focusing on at that moment appear out of focus in comparison to what you are focusing on.

If you want your paintings to appear more realistic and engaging then you may consider painting more like you see. Simply make your subject sharper and the remaining elements softer.

No one does this better than Richard Schmid. His focus is unavoidable and the secondary elements in his paintings almost disappear out of view. Look at these examples of his work: