The rule of thirds is a guideline commonly used in painting, photography, and design. The rule of thirds means that the subject isn’t centered; rather, the main focal point can be to one side or at the top or bottom of the image. It’s a tool to help artists draw the viewer’s eye into the composition, rather than just glancing at the center. Georgia O’Keeffe was aware of this principle, which can be seen in the artwork below. Lines overlaid on an outline of the painting show how she organized the composition.

Take a look at Georgia O’Keeffe’s painting called “Black Place III”.

Georgia O'Keeffe. Black Place III, 1944. Oil on canvas, 36 3/16 x 40 1/8 inches. Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. Gift of The Burnett Foundation.

Dark oil painting of dramatic zig-zag black crevice with veins of red in the greyish black on the bottom, white on the top, with an olive brown lightening bolt shape down the middle through the blackness.

En Español:

Georgia O'Keeffe. Lugar negro III, 1944. Óleo sobre lienzo, 36 3/16 x 40 1/8 pulgadas. Museo de Georgia O'Keeffe. Donación de la Fundación Burnett.

Pintura al óleo oscura de dramática grieta negra en zig-zag con vetas de rojo en el negro grisáceo en la parte inferior, blanco en la parte superior, con una forma de rayo marrón oliva en el medio a través de la negrura.

136_GOK_BlackPlaceIII.png

Georgia O’Keeffe Museum

Black Place III, 1944. (Lugar negro III, 1944)

See how the composition is roughly divided into thirds:

On your sheet of paper, draw four equally spaced lines to create nine areas on your paper, as seen below. This breaks the space into three horizontal and three vertical sections. The four points where the lines meet are visual “hot spots”— good areas to position things you want the viewer to focus on. When the grid is ready, draw your own unique landscape.

Standards for Activity: The Rule of Thirds