placing the focal point The overall effectiveness of a painting's design will be a function of the location of its focal point and center of interest. Luckily, the One Rule of Composition: Nev- er make any two intervals the same can be used to find the right place every time. The focal point should be located in a place that is at a different distance from all four sides of the picture. The Rule of Thirds The Rule of Thirds says to divide your picture into thirds vertically and horizontally. (Think tic-tac-toe). The intersections of the two horizontal dividing lines and the two vertical lines create what I call the four sweet spots. Any one of these intersections is a good location for the center of interest because each location is unequally distant from the four sides. An alternate way to locate the center of interest is to divide the format into four equal quadrants. The center of each would be a good position for your primary sub- ject. Either method will give you an interestingly off- center place to put the focal point. Divide the picture area as for tic-tac-toe Divide the picture into thirds vertically and horizontally. The intersections of these divisions form the best locations for your picture's center of interest. Find the intersection of thirds Each point determined by the Rule of Thirds is a spot at different intervals from all four sides, complying with our One Rule of Composition: Never make any two intervals the same. Use sweet spots as guides The center of interest does not have to be at the exact point the Rule of Thirds indicates. Close is good enough. Divide the picture area into quadrants An alternate way to locate good positions for the center of interest is to divide the format into four equal quadrants and find the center of each. 47