[Chris Saper]

Dear Bill,

There seems to be such an enormous range in approaching a background, that there probably are not any formulas available. The most important thing, I think, is that your background support your center of interest and color harmony for the overall painting. The complexity of a representational background depends mainly on your style, temperament and skill level.

Non-representational backgrounds (such as the vignette-type approach you seem to be describing) provide just as much opportunity to create a compelling design, by using tools like value changes, color and temperature shift, etc. If your background is just one value and one color, I think it's important to spend extra time considering the shapes and amounts of negative spaces, so as to avoid a static design. The best advice ever given to me regarding background was to make an immediate commitment to a color and value.

Then you will have a basis to which every other color and value can be related.

Best Wishes,
Chris Saper