


The L-shaped viewfinder is beneficial in helping to determine what size canvas is required for a particular scene if you do not plan on using a standard size canvas. You then look through this frame to determine the scene you wish to paint. The L-shaped viewfinder is made from two L-shaped pieces of cardboard, mat board, or paper that, when placed together, create a frame around your area of focus. Once you have decided on the composition, tape the viewfinder in position on your photograph to hold it in place. canvas size = 9″ x 12″, 12″ x 16″ or 18″ x 24″, window cutout = 3″ x 4″ or 6″ x 8″Īfter carefully measuring and cutting out the viewfinder opening, move it around slowly on the surface of your snapshot until the image that interests you appears in the opening.Other proportions that might be useful are: For example, a 16″ x 20″ or 24″ x 30″ canvas would require the viewfinder window to be 2″ x 2.5″ or 4″ x 5″. The window opening should be proportionate to the prepared canvas in height and width. Take a simple piece of paper, scrap mat board, or cardboard and cut a rectangular window in the center to look through. For standard size canvases, you may want to choose the window viewfinder. Both types are simple to make and which one you choose depends on the canvas you plan to paint on. Making a viewfinder requires little effort. It does this by cropping out the unimportant parts resulting in a much stronger composition.

It can be moved up, down, left, or right to isolate the most appealing aspects of the scenery present in the photograph. Artists use these devices as an aid to organizing the scenery of their paintings. In oil painting, a viewfinder is a tool used by a painter that performs a similar function. In photography, this optical device is the apparatus on the camera that the photographer looks through to compose, and in many cases, to sharpen the focus of the photograph he/she wants to take. What is a Viewfinder? Use a viewfinder to crop out unwanted parts of an image to make a better composition.Ī viewfinder is a handy tool often used by photographers and artists.
