Breaking Rules – Birthday Card

In drawing and painting there are “rules” or suggested conventions that help artists organize their creations.  I find many of the rules useful, though I find it helpful to remember that rules change with time.  Also, not everyone agrees on the rules.

In this small painting, I have broken a rule that I generally follow.  I usually do not put a white shape on the edge of a painting.  The reason involves some of white’s optical properties.  White advances in relation to other colors and tones.  Plus, a white, advancing shape at the edge leads your eyes off the edge.  There are implied things happening off the image.

So why did I break the rules and create a composition with a white shape on the edge?  I liked it.   My intention had been to paint the white cat shape a lighter blue.  But, while I was working, I liked the white and it supports my “story”.

The story?  This is an image on a birthday card for my twin sister Michelle.  We are fraternal twins.  She is blonde and I’m brunette, or we were before we started to turn gray.  Our personalities are different too, sort of like night and day.  The kitties represent us.

Back to the rules.   The wonderful thing about rules in drawing and painting, they’re not set in stone.  An artist is free to break the rules and make rules of their own.  And, if the composition works, so much the better!

I enjoyed creating my “Twins”; please enjoy!