The simple to use tool for framing, composing, and designing fine art.
Fall back in love with composition with The Fairview Finder™, an innovative tool meticulously designed to revolutionize how artists, cinematographers, and visionaries see and frame their scenes. Crafted from durable corrugated plastic, The Fairview Finder™ combines five uniquely proportioned, laser-cut nested windows from one piece of corrugated plastic. Each window has a cleverly engineered hinge at the bottom.
The Fairview Finder™ isn’t just a tool; it’s a partner in your creative process, backed by a patent-pending status that assures its unique place in the market.
With The Fairview Finder™, see the world not as it is but as it could be—through the lens of design, proportion, and timeless beauty.
Frame Your Vision with The Fairview Finder™ – Where making great artists starts with seeing great art.
UPDATE: Join me tonight, Thursday, May 30, at 6:00 PM Central Time for a free online one-hour discussion and demo of how I use the Fairview Finder. Click the linked image below to sign up and learn more about this fun and interesting tool I made for artists!
The Fairview Finder™
The Fairview Finder is a lightweight and portable tool that assists artists in quickly visualizing and applying fundamental principles of art in any setting. With its help, artists can frame their scenes, identify the Golden Ratio for the center of interest placement, and plan their values. The tool features five standard-sized proportioned windows, allowing artists to preview their potential artwork. By simplifying the application of complex principles, the Fairview Finder empowers artists to confidently compose their scenes, ensuring that each piece they create is grounded in the essential aspects that make art compelling.
The ability to create captivating visual stories depends on a combination of factors such as the well-planned arrangement of elements using principles like thoughtful composition, the Golden Ratio, and the strategic placement of values throughout the scene, which we refer to as "Grounded Values." These three elements play a crucial role in creating impactful art, helping artists design works that are engaging, emotive, and effectively communicate with their audience.
The composition type is the foundation of any artwork. It involves arranging the various elements to lead the viewer's eye, maintain balance, and support the intended narrative or theme. Artists use multiple techniques, such as geometric shapes, dynamic tension, or radial patterns, to create an effective composition that sets the stage for the visual story.
The Golden Ratio is a mathematical principle that can be observed in nature and classical art. It can be used as a tool to position key elements in a visually pleasing and engaging way. This ratio divides spaces in a way that achieves aesthetic harmony and ensures that the area of interest is placed in a naturally beautiful and orderly manner. It is often referred to as the "divine proportion" because of its ability to create a sense of innate beauty and balance.
Grounded Values refer to the distribution of light, mid, and dark values across a scene's background, middle ground, and foreground. This distribution helps to create depth, volume, and focus and enhances the realism or stylization of the artwork. By intentionally separating values across different planes, the artwork gains dimensionality, and the viewer's gaze is directed to the areas of importance.
Look to blend these three key components to create captivating artwork: Composition type, the Golden Ratio, and Grounded Values. By integrating these elements, artists can demystify the process of creating art that resonates on a universal level. Tools like the Fairview Finder make these principles accessible to contemporary artists, bridging the gap between art and science, intuition, and technique.
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!”