How to Lead the Eye

Creating art isn't just about being inspired or talent. It's also about being a master of chaos. The best way to keep your art fresh and intriguing to potential buyers is to control the narrative. Choose where they will look; learn how to lead the eye. Then choose what they will see the second, third, or even fourth time they look over your piece.

Simply apply these steps to each piece of art you create and yours will be the art converting and creating true fans and collectors.

STEP 1: ORDER IN CHAOS

• Choose focal points for your piece; design around them to create contrast and organization around them to form the story.

This first step is critical. If you don't know what is the MOST important thing on the page, how can you expect your patrons to figure it out. Yes, art is different in each eye, but yours is the one creating it. Why not try to tell the story you are seeing? Simply decide which part is the focal point. Then, create supporting cast around these pieces to draw the eye back again and again.

Don't over-crowd the piece! Keeping the focal points in mind at each step will allow you to keep from confusing the matter.

STEP 2: NATURAL EYE MOVEMENT

• The eye will naturally move from top right to mid-left to bottom right and back to the top to start again.

  
  
  
  

Understand this natural tendency and capitalize on it! The most important thing on the page might not be the thing you want people to see first. A good starting point to is begin your story where most people's eye will begin their journey on the page. There are other ways to create interest and focus attention, but this is a good start.

STEP 3: BE INTENTIONAL

• Understand the rule above, but also play with color, size, and shape. These can help show people where to look first, second, third, etc.

Another quick tip here, is the squint test. This is done more easily with graphic art, but you can quickly sketch your idea and do it as well. If you squint at the piece, what pops out first? Is that what you wanted people to see first? If not, adjust the color, size, placement, etc to make the first thing you see with a squint, your intended target.

STEP 4: DESIGN ON A LOOP

• Make your supporting details shine later. Create them in such a way they add to the piece on a second or third look. Give people more to find and they will continue to search.

This one is key. If you throw everything out there as the MOST important part, it's all unimportant. A symphony of sounds with no design is just noise. Make sure to keep your piece interesting and assign the appropriate value to each part by changing up size, shape, color, placement, etc.

Doing these 4 things on each piece of art will allow you to create pieces that will keep your audience's attention and have them coming back for more.