The Simple Tool for Framing, Composing, and Designing Fine Art
Rediscover your love for composition with The Fairview Finder™—an innovative, artist-crafted tool designed to transform how you see and frame your creative vision. Whether you're an artist, cinematographer, or creative visionary, this tool helps unlock the power of design and proportion in every scene.
Made from durable corrugated plastic, The Fairview Finder™ features five laser-cut, nested windows in standard proportions, seamlessly integrated into a single, lightweight design. Each window has a cleverly engineered hinge for effortless adjustment and versatility.
More than just a tool, The Fairview Finder™ is your creative companion, proudly patent-pending, ensuring its unique place in your artistic process.
See the world not just as it is but as it could be—through the lens of proportion, design, and timeless beauty.
Frame Your Vision with The Fairview Finder™—where the journey to great art begins with seeing it.
UPDATE: The Fairview Finder Makes a great Holiday Gift for all the Creatives in your family.
The Fairview Finder™
The Fairview Finder™ is a lightweight, portable tool designed to help artists quickly apply fundamental principles of art in any setting. With its intuitive design, artists can frame their scenes, identify the Golden Ratio for ideal focal points, and plan their values with confidence. Featuring five laser-cut, proportioned windows, this versatile tool allows for quick previews of potential compositions, simplifying the process of creating compelling and well-balanced artwork.
By demystifying complex principles, the Fairview Finder™ empowers artists to compose scenes with clarity and precision, grounding each piece in the essential elements that make art resonate.
The Core Principles Behind Great Art
Creating captivating visual stories hinges on three essential principles: thoughtful composition, the Golden Ratio, and grounded values. These interconnected elements guide artists in designing artwork that engages viewers evokes emotion and communicates effectively.
1. Thoughtful Composition
Composition serves as the foundation of any artwork. It involves arranging elements to guide the viewer’s eye, maintain balance, and support the narrative or theme. Techniques like geometric shapes, dynamic tension, and radial patterns help create a strong framework for visual storytelling, setting the stage for meaningful art.
2. The Golden Ratio
The Golden Ratio, a timeless mathematical principle found in nature and classical art, divides spaces in inherently harmonious ways. Using the ratio to position key elements ensures aesthetic balance, naturally drawing the viewer’s attention to areas of interest. Often called the "divine proportion," this principle elevates artwork by imbuing it with an innate sense of beauty and order.
3. Grounded Values
Grounded Values refer to the deliberate distribution of light, mid, and dark tones across the background, middle ground, and foreground. This method enhances depth, volume, and focus, adding dimensionality and guiding the viewer’s gaze to key areas. Whether aiming for realism or stylization, managing values effectively ensures a strong visual impact.
Bringing It All Together
When composition, the Golden Ratio, and grounded values come together, they form the backbone of compelling art. The Fairview Finder™ bridges the gap between intuition and technique, making these principles accessible to contemporary artists. Whether in the studio or outdoors, this innovative tool simplifies the creative process, helping artists design works that resonate universally.
Unlock the potential of your art with the Fairview Finder™—where timeless principles meet modern creativity.
What Artists are saying
“Such a totally awesome concept!.”
“I will be so happy to get mine! It takes the guesswork out! So many times, I have chosen the wrong size canvas for the painting! Thank you for coming up with this!.”
“I'm so impressed that the Fairview Finder serves to help "see" the potential composition clearly ( as expected), and additionally has printed reference information to help with value, contrast, and movement right on its margins!”
“Landscapes landscapes landscapes! I stare at them every day and still can't quite get them right. Anything to help would be priceless!”
“Thank you very much, Steve. The "grounded value motifs" will be a great tool for guiding thumbnails and the design of larger works. ”
“The viewfinder looks amazing to use outside and guides us to focus on a view that supports our intended point of interest and composition.
I would be curious to try using it another way. We all have these great first washes that we love and then ruin in the second layer. Could the viewfinder be used to look at that first wash and help us plan the second layer regarding placing points of interest, composition, and values?
You could even cover the first wash with acetate and draw in some general guidelines to test out compositions… I would love to try that!”
“I am really enjoying using mine..it sure helps determine what areas in the scene I think would work!”