3 Steps For Using The Golden Ratio To Create Masterful Paintings (2024)

3 Steps For Using The Golden Ratio To Create Masterful Paintings (1)

A Stroll in Xizhou, by Barry John Raybould

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What is the Golden Ratio?

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The golden ratio (also known as the golden section, and golden mean) is the ratio 1:0.62. Use it to divide lines and rectangles in an aesthetically pleasing way. In the above square A is 0.62 of the rectangle. Square B is 0.62 of square A. Square C is 0.62 of square B, and so on. It is also called the divine proportion, and golden number. It is a mathematicalratiothat’s commonly found in nature, and can beusedto create visually-pleasing compositions in your artwork.

Details: The Golden Ratio In Art

The golden ratio is a method that you can use to divide lines and rectangles in an aesthetically pleasing way. Architects use a very accurate golden ratio number, 0.62, when designing buildings. As an easier rule of thumb for your art, you can use a ratio of 3 to 5. Although not the exact 0.62 golden ratio, this is close enough for artists. This golden ratio has been used throughout history by artists to place points and lines of interest in their work.

In “A Stroll in Xizhou” the houses on the street in the sunlight were casting interesting shadows across the road. I needed to divide the shadow areas and the sunlit areas into two different sizes to make them interesting. I ended up stopping the lit part of the street exactly 5 parts out of 8 in the horizontal direction – the golden ratio.

You may wonder if I measured this while I was painting? In actual fact I did not even think about the golden ratio while I was in the middle of the painting. I only discovered after I had finished that I had used the golden ratio everywhere! When I was painting the picture it just “felt right”. While you are starting out, you can measure this point to place key lines and points of interest, but later on it will become more intuitive and you will not have to think about it – much like all the other aspects of painting.

In this diagram you can see the horizontal shadow line was also placed at the golden ratio and so was the large figure to the left.

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3 Steps To Apply The Golden Ratio In Your Paintings

  1. Divide the edge of your canvas into eight sections by halving it several times to create 8 divisions.
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  1. Draw a line down the canvas at the third section from the left (or right).
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  1. Draw a line across the canvas at the third section from the bottom (or top).
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  1. Place the focal point or focal area of your painting where the lines meet.

You can draw the lines at other 3:5 sections of your paintings to create different compositions.

Examples Of The Golden Ratio

Here are some old master paintings where you can clearly see they have used the golden ratio. The 3:5 golden ratio gives you a very pleasing division of your canvas. Use it to place your focal point, or focal area, as Sargent, Zaitsev, and Vermeer did here.

Learn more about using the golden ratio in your paintings.

To learn more about how to use the golden ratio, focal area, and for other composition and techniques, see the lessons in Workshop E of the Virtual Art Academy Apprentice Program.

Read more about space division in your paintings, and interlocking shapes in order to make your compositions more interesting and engaging for your viewers.

See also Wikipedia: Golden Ratio

Thank You

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I hope you find it useful. If you would like to get free painting tips by email, please sign up for my free tips newsletter.

If you are interested in a structured approach for learning how to paint, take a look at my online painting classes.

Happy painting!

Barry John Raybould
Virtual Art Academy

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3 Steps For Using The Golden Ratio To Create Masterful Paintings (2024)

FAQs

How to use the golden ratio in painting? ›

You can create your own golden ratio image by dividing the width and height by 1.618. Artists throughout time used this technique. Draw diagonal lines from each corner and line. Position the elements within your composition on this structure.

What are the golden rules of painting? ›

Rule #1 – Paint what you love. Rule #2 – Paint not only what you know but what you feel. Give yourself permission to paint it your way. Rule #3 – When painting outdoors do not rush into it.

How to apply the golden ratio? ›

Consider the Golden Ratio a useful guideline for determining dimensions of the layout. One very simple way to apply the Golden Ratio is to set your dimensions to 1:1.618.> For example, take your typical 960-pixel width layout and divide it by 1.618. You'll get 594, which will be the height of the layout.

How do you draw a perfect golden ratio? ›

Take a square and multiple one side by 1.618 to get a new shape: a rectangle with harmonious proportions. If you lay the square over the rectangle, the relationship between the two shapes will give you the Golden Ratio.

What is the golden ratio for dummies? ›

You take a line and divide it into two parts – a long part (a) and a short part (b). The entire length (a + b) divided by (a) is equal to (a) divided by (b). And both of those numbers equal 1.618. So, (a + b) divided by (a) equals 1.618, and (a) divided by (b) also equals 1.618.

What are the 3 elements of painting? ›

A painting is likely to use space, color, and line, but may be less concerned with form and texture. A sculpture uses form, space, and texture, and sometimes other elements as well. A pencil drawing uses line, value, and shape, but probably does not use color or form.

What are the three rules of art? ›

Here, I take a look at three compositional standards – Rule of Thirds, The Golden Mean, and the Golden Triangle – and apply them to a single subject to illustrate how each serves as starting points for planning a painting.

What is the main golden rule? ›

The most familiar version of the Golden Rule says, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Moral philosophy has barely taken notice of the golden rule in its own terms despite the rule's prominence in commonsense ethics.

What is a good example of the golden ratio? ›

Golden Ratio is one of the most common mathematical ratios in nature. We see this ratio everywhere from majestic landscapes like the Pyramids of Giza and the Mona Lisa to modern-day logos such as Twitter and Pepsi. Golden ratios are unique because of their golden proportion.

What is the Rule of Thirds golden ratio art? ›

The Rule of Thirds is a simplified version of the Golden Ratio. The Rule of Third splits an image into thirds vertically and horizontally, as shown in this grid. Artists will often separate the foreground and background content by using the horizontal lines.

Is Mona Lisa golden ratio? ›

A famous example of the application of the golden ratio is Mona (Figure 4, [6]) Lisa. "Mona Lisa's face is a perfect golden rectangle, according to the ratio of the width of her forehead compared to the length from the top of her head to her chin." ...

How do you use golden ratio in images? ›

In photography, the golden ratio can be used to create balanced and aesthetically pleasing compositions. This is achieved by dividing the frame into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, and placing the subject or key elements of the image at the intersection points of the lines.

What is the basic formula for the golden ratio? ›

Golden ratio is a special number and is approximately equal to 1.618. Golden ratio is represented using the symbol “ϕ”. Golden ratio formula is ϕ = 1 + (1/ϕ).

How to find golden ratio in art? ›

The golden ratio is found when a line is divided into two parts such that the whole length of the line divided by the long part of the line is also equal to the long part of the line divided by the short part of the line.

How is Fibonacci used in painting? ›

Artists can use the Fibonacci sequence as a tool to help them decide on the placement and proportions of elements in their composition. By using the sequence to divide up the space on your canvas or paper, you can create a composition that is balanced and visually pleasing.

How is the golden ratio used in the Mona Lisa? ›

A famous example of the application of the golden ratio is Mona (Figure 4, [6]) Lisa. "Mona Lisa's face is a perfect golden rectangle, according to the ratio of the width of her forehead compared to the length from the top of her head to her chin." ...

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