Notan design Ret ee a Ce OP The impact a painting has on the viewer often does not depend on how much detail you put in, but on how much you simplify the scene in front of you. This painting is a good example of that principle. In this article | will explain the design concept | had behind this small painting. | painted this small sketch in the studio of a friend of mine in China. The thing that attracted me to the scene in the first place was the play of light on the red flowers and the simple shapes around it it the room. Table of Contents 1. Three-value notan design 2. Gradations in Notan design 3. Color map 4. Final painting Three-value notan design Serie he eee for the painting showing just three Pets Dea een RA ere CG Neies The design of this painting was based on some very simple ideas. The notan structure was designed in only three values. But to make the design more interesting | added a few major gradations in the background in the form of very soft edges. Gradations in Notan design There are two major gradations in this painting. These gradations consist of very soft edges that gradually transition between two values in the painting. Fae uit) eee Second major gradation The first transition is a transition from the base of the window sill to the background. The other transition however is based on the form shadow on the clay pot. This is the shadow that is formed as the light on the pot turns from the light into the shade. Color map Added to this three-value notan design structure with two major gradations was a simple color plan. This plan involved a warm/cool color contrast. | painted a few warm red color spots against a background of low saturation blue violet and red violet grays. Not only was this a contrast of temperature but it was also of contrast of saturation. The cool colors were lower saturation and the warm reds a higher saturation. The lesson is not to make your paintings too complicated or add too much detail. Sometimes the simpler the better!