Greetings!
Painting a subject verbatim might not guarantee the best balance. Even though an artist is technically masterful, if the images are not dynamically balanced, the painting will be weak. On the other hand, a well-balanced piece can withstand awkward technique.
Dynamic balance means that everything in the painting is positioned so that the visual weight is equalized and viewer's eye keeps moving within the whole painting.
His paintings were never verbatim. If they had been this might be the results of his Portrait of Myself When Young.
Yes, the space is balanced, but the eye circulates around the musicians. The empty space on either side of them causes a stasis. There is nothing to keep the eye moving throughout the painting.
Adding Shahn's fourth musician on the left helps us see this image's function. It pulls the eye to the left and stops it. Being turned in the direction of the other musicians, he redirects the eye back towards them. This adds gesture and passage, giving a more active balance.
But watch how the dynamics change with Shahn's adding the distant figure on the right.
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Ben Shahn Portrait of Myself When Young 1943
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Happy painting,
Dianne
P.S. Painting verbatim means the subject is painted exactly as the artist finds it without further composing, not always a good idea. Taking time to notice all a subject's elements can give us ideas for how these can be shifted to achieve a strong painting rather than just a well painted picture.
P.P.S. Facebook Challenge for Those Who Would Like To Play
Using as reference the photos below, try doing a small study shifting and/or reinterpreting the images for dynamic balance, then share your results with our
Facebook Group.
