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Michele Byrne: OPA Article on Dynamic Symmetry

29 Mar 2022 4:04 PM | Admin PAPNM (Administrator)



OPA published an article by Michele on how she uses Dynamic Symmetry. Congratulations. This article has generated a lot of excitement: 

Full article: Dynamic Symmetry in Paintings

First few paragraphs:

DYNAMIC SYMMETRY – And how I incorporate it into my plein air and studio and practice

Michele Byrne · Mar 14, 2022 · 22 Comments

We’ve all heard of the Golden Section, Dynamic Symmetry, the rule of thirds and harmonic armatures. And we’ve always been told to do a value study before we start a painting. However, in our rush to get started painting, many of us disregard it all and jump right in to putting brush to canvas.

Six years ago, I made a pledge to NEVER skip a value study before plein air painting. Soon after, I learned how to design my pieces with a “thrust map” as well. This is a simple 2” study done on a 4”x6” index card with pencil or markers. I indicate the Dominant Vertical (DV), Dominant Horizontal (DH) and Dominant Diagonal (DD). Ideally where all of these lines meet will be my focal point.



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