Three Ideas for Adding Interest to Still Life Paintings - Beautiful Harmony

Beautiful Harmony (36 x 24)

Three Ideas for Adding Interest to Still Life Paintings

1. Consider including assorted textures to add interest.  In this still life, I included an old wooden cabinet, a shiny wood tabletop, a silk scarf, an ivory statue, a woven basket with a metal base, a velvet throw, a smooth porcelain bowl and delicate flowers. 

2. The play of light across the scene adds drama and interest, as well.  I chose to place the brightest light on the rose, with warm, ambient light hitting the ivory statue. The shadows in the cabinet and on the basket add balance for the lights in the painting.

3. You can try to keep objects "moving" with your composition.  Here the branch of leaves crosses the plane of the cabinet door, leading the eye to the statue - which "looks" at the rose, which causes us to notice the blue flowers, which lead us to the tiger lilies, which lead us to the branch and back around again. The corner of the cabinet and the tiger lily resting on the table both prevent us from going off the left side of the painting, as does the shadow on the far right.