Tip: Focal Points and Center of Interest

Most artists consider the terms “focal point” and “center of interest” to be synonymous. I like to think that a focal point is an area to which the eye is drawn while the center of interest is the area that attracts the mind. Both refer to areas of a painting that stand out relative to the rest, but they stand out for different reasons. For instance, a focal point induces a subconscious reaction in the viewer whereas the center of interest engages the mind at a higher cognitive level.

Focal points act as an entry point into a composition and then help guide you through a painting. Focal points are unique features that attract the eye.

Focal points work using sharp contrasts in one or more of the following characteristics: shape, value, intensity, temperature, detail, edge, or anything else that draws attention. Most artists create focal points without too much forethought.

Let’s looks more closely at Jennifer McChristian’s painting entitled Making My Way Across. It is shown at the beginning of this blog entry. If your eye is like mine, the first feature you see is the top of the left archway. This area has the highest value, the most stark value contrast, and the most varied pattern of structures and edges.

That is not the only focal point as your eye is drawn to other areas as well.

In contrast to focal points, the center of interest is the feature that most entices the mind. It is where the viewer spends most of his or her time; it is the area that offers the most significance or food for thought.

The best example of a feature that attracts the mind is an individual figure or group of people. The human mind cannot resist the presence of life in a scene. Other types of life (such as, animals) create wonderful centers of interest. In the absence of life, man-made structures, words, or numbers become centers of interest because they provide evidence of life.

For the center of interest to work it must also be a focal point. It must attract the eye and engage the mind. The more engaging the center of interest the more successful the painting. An artist should ensure that there is one dominant focal point, or one place for the eye to start but this does not have to be the center of interest but often is.

The center of interest for me in Jennifer's painting is one of the focal points. It is the small group of people walking across the bridge. Although it is a focal point it was not the first one I was drawn to.

Of course the rest of the painting should be interesting but the center of interest must be captivating enough to draw the viewer back for another look even after they have examined the rest of the painting.

It is easy to see how the viewer is led back to the center of interest.