focal point A focal point is a magnet for the eye. It is a feature in a composition that draws the viewer's eye to it. The viewer will look first at any part of a painting that has these characteristics: · · · · · · · · Contrast in tonal value Concentration of visual energy or detail Bright or intense color Hard edges Gap in a pattern Anomalies in a pattern Tangents Intersections or convergence All of these are really different types of contrast. What attracts the eye is some sort of contrasting characteristic that makes an element stand out because it is unlike any other. In the examples on this page, notice how the eye is attracted to the contrasting element. You can use any of these characteristics to make a particular feature in your painting a magnet for the eye, but there should only be one dominant feature, one "star." The focal point and the center of interest should be one and the same. In other words, the eye and the mind should be attracted to the same spot. If there are competing features, such as two focal points or two cen- ters of interest attracting the mind, the viewer doesn't know where to look.