Jean Pederson on Composition: Guiding the Viewer's Eye

Jean Pederson, an award-winning artist and author, explains how composition directs viewer attention in painting. She details a hierarchy of visual elements: value contrast is the strongest attention-getter, followed by color intensity (especially reds and yellows), size, shape (geometric over organic), line and edge, and texture. The human eye’s rods (light/dark) outnumber cones (color), making value contrast the most direct focal tool. To let color dominate, reduce value contrast by placing similar values together. Reds and yellows naturally attract; blues and greens need intensity support. Shape recognition favors geometric forms, with triangles suggesting stability and tension. Hard edges establish focal points before soft edges. Classic frameworks like the Rule of Thirds and geometric armatures help place focal points at grid intersections. Secondary areas should be quieter. Pederson illustrates these principles with her works "No Boundaries" (acrylic on YUPO, 30×36) and "What Matters" (acrylic on board, 60×36). The article originally appeared in the 2026 July/August Artist’s Magazine.