How to Make an Artist's Viewfinder

Making a Viewfinder for Composing Pictures for Paintings or Drawings

Aug 12, 2009

One of the biggest problems for the artist is editing visual data into a composition that works. This is where the viewfinder comes in. Making one is quite easy.

A viewfinder is a device that works like an aperture in that that the artist may look through it like a window. This gives the artist a feel of how an image might work as a potential composition for a painting or drawing. Everyday things can seem quite overwhelming and the viewfinder can be used to edit out backgrounds or to try out different formats whether it is portrait or landscape.

Materials Required for Making the Artist’s Viewfinder

Cut the card in half using the scalpel. Ensure both halves measure roughly 14 x 20 cm (5.5 x 8 inches) in size. Measure the centre point of the width and the length of each card. Draw a cross on each piece of card with a pencil (fig 1)

Assembling the Card for Viewing Through

In each piece of card, cut a rectangular hole in the centre measuring 6 x 7.5 cm (2.5 x 3 inches). If the card is thick, the scalpel may require several cuts. Holding the ruler firmly against the card will stop it from slipping and cause an uneven cut (fig 2).

Stick a piece of double-sided sticky tape onto the pencil lines at halfway points of the window. Position a peace of thread 24 cm (9.5 inches) long across the window and stick each end onto the pencil line and press into place with the double-sided tape. Repeat for the top and the bottom of the window. The cotton should now form a cross over the window. Ensure the thread is taut, but not so that it might break. More tape might be required to ensure that the thread stays in place (fig 3)

A Gadget for Creating Compositions

Place random pieces of double-sided tape over the card. Place the other card over the first. Press down firmly to ensure the double-sided tape has stuck both pieces of card together (fig 4).

Using the Viewfinder

The viewfinder is compact and easy to use. When viewed through one eye, a scene presents itself. If held close to the eye, the scene in front appears to widen, revealing more of the background. If the viewfinder is held at some distance away from the eye, the view appears to focus upon a particular aspect as though through a telescopic lens. The viewfinder can also be rotated in portrait or landscape mode. The cross in the centre of the window helps the artist gauge the positioning of objects in relation to the four quarters of the window and its centre-point. This enables the artist to use the viewfinder as a drawing aid.

Helping the Artist Find a Composition

The viewfinder is a useful tool for the artist’s kit in that it helps find compositions from everyday scenes, such as gardens, landscapes and still life for painting and drawing. It is easy and cheap to make and lasts for years. All that is required is experimentation and practice in using it to find compositions.

The copyright of the article How to Make an Artist's Viewfinder in Illustration is owned by Rachel Wills. Permission to republish How to Make an Artist's Viewfinder in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.