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From an email: Hi Michael, I'm confused about your recent post regarding the top 10 elements of a good portrait. Others might be confused also. I wonder if you could clarify that for the forum. When I think of something as "dominant", it seems to me that other items would need to be less dominant. Do you mean that all these characteristics need to be equally strong?
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This is one of the things I learned fairly early on from Frank Covino and I try to incorporate it into my works. Dominance is a key factor in unity in art. Works of art that display dominance in each of the areas I mentioned before generally tend to be better works because they seem to be unified and in harmony with themselves.
Here in brief, is what is meant by dominance:
Dominance of Line - Keep the lines in a piece predominantly straight or curved and don't oppose your dominant line with too many lines of the opposite. Avoid tangents.
Dominance of Direction - Your support shape generally serves to establish your dominant direction. You can enforce that dominance by incorporating elements that move in a similar direction into the composition. If your painting is a long rectangle, then long shapes in the composition will enhance the impression and dominance of direction. Always, you should try to incorporate at least one element in directional opposition to your dominate direction to add interest.
Dominance of Size/Spacial areas - We have all learned that it is generally not a good idea to equally split areas in your composition. If you divide your panel in half with your horizon, it is not nearly as interesting as if you divide it 60/40 or 80/20. In that case, one primary space is the largest and dominates the work - even if it is not the focal point of the work. This is where the golden mean can really be your friend.
Dominance of Shape - Repetition of shape within the composition is something that is often sought after. If your have a large arch at the top of the painting, then continuing that oval shape elsewhere in the painting will create a dominance of shape that is more pleasing to the eye.
Dominance of Texture - Is the painting dominantly smooth and glossy, or is it largely impasto?
Dominance of Value - Rembrandt's works are often executed in the lower value range. If value is defined as High Key, Intermediate Key, and Low Key, then a lot of Rembrandt's paintings would certainly be classified as being with the Low Key or the lower end of the value scale - dominantly darker. I believe that this is similar to what Peggy mentions as her three value grouping.
Dominance of Color - One color or color range that generally appears more than any other in the work. This also plays into dominance of warm/cool relationships.