If you've taken art classes from myself or other art instructors, you will likely have heard the importance of soft edges in artwork. But what are they? And why are they important in artwork?

Soft edges imply distance, landscape elements, and trigger the imagination in this watercolor sketch.

An edge, when referring to artwork, is an area where one landscape element (or plane) shifts to another. It could be where sky meets land, or tree meets ground, or water meets grass. The change can be abrupt (a hard edge) or more subtle (a soft edge) Soft edges occur in areas where, for instance, grass may change to a slightly different color, or the shadow of a tree lands softly across soil. Another use of a soft edge would be a distant hill, close in value to the sky, and gently blurring into air, lending to the area an atmospheric quality.

Soft edges can be created in a variety of ways. Using a finger or a brush to gently smudge an area, keeping values very close between shapes, or glazing a passage of color over an area all are useful techniques to soften an edge.

Why are soft edges important? When painting, an artist would employ a soft edge to recede a mountain into distance, to keep the eye near a focal point, to add variety, to decrease prominence, or to suggest the element of imagination. This helps keep a painting interesting, and the viewer's eye moving in the desired direction.

Below, soft edges are used at the front ridge top where it blends gently into a distant ridge. The soft edge was created with a smudge of a finger between two closely valued masses. More are in the painting. Can you find them?

Soft edges are used in a variety of areas in Gentle Breath, above.

To keep variety, interest, and focus, soft edges can be used to create distance and impressions in artwork. Take a look at your favorite artist's pieces and see if you spot how and where they employed soft edges.

Hope you enjoyed this quick blog on art. Whether you are an artist, a collector, or a fan, education increases enjoyment and enrichment of the arts. Keep painting, yall! And keep supporting the arts!

Hugs,

Sarah