We discuss form so lets us move onto placement and perspective. Some artists like to paint very loose some like to paint very tight, the painting process you choose is a very personal choice. Composition and placement is the same you can change the rules up as you choose. Here are some guidelines in the placement of the object. We will use a vase to start with and you have placed it in the center of the canvas but the edge of the table that you have also drawn for the vase to sit on is going straight down, this perception will make the vase look like it is falling off the table, by angling the table line on any side of the canvas should remedy the problem.

Positive and negative shapes refer to a space completely enclosed by a contour. The empty spaces between distinct forms are often referred to as a negative space. The problem in painting is not defining the terms but how to recognize negative areas and transform then into positive shapes. All space on the painting surface must be positive. The artist must work towards encompassing all of the allotted space within some form of contour and holding that space within the boundary lines of the composition or painting. They eye should never be forced out of the picture by negative areas, all parts should hold you interests, such as line, texture and content.

Perspective is sometimes called color perspective and this is the art of creating the impression of distance in a painting and bringing the foreground close. When standing on a hill looking into the distance the hills fade into the sky and look distant. The lighter they look the further away it seems, this is usually just a shade or two darker than the sky. To give the full illusion of the depth in painting the artist must capture this by using color, as the hills, houses, tree fade into the background the cool colors come to mind, blue, violet, but as you come closer to the front of the picture the colors get bright and strong, this is how perspective is achieved.

Linear perspective is a three-dimensional object on a flat surface of paper. This process can be difficult. We do not see objects, angles and lines as they really are. They diminish in size as they move into the distance. The closer you are to the building the larger it will be, the further down the street the smaller it would be. To produce a convincing picture we must drawl the parallel line such as the side of the road as we see them. But in perspective they way we see them they are really at our eye level which is called the horizon line. The point in which the parallel lines converge on the horizon is known as the vanishing point. Our horizon line corresponds with our position. If we stand up and draw it is higher than when seated. Parallel lines below our eye level come up to it; the horizon and parallel line above our horizon come down to it.