Hanging artwork on a large wall is daunting, and so is tackling a large canvas for an artist. But there is a design principle that artists use when organizing a large composition that can also be applied to arranging a composition of artwork on a wall.
The rule of thirds helps to add balance, interest and symmetry in a composition and organizes space from large to small.
To apply the rule of thirds to a wall simply divide the wall into three equal parts horizontally and then vertically. You can even map this out with painters tape so that you can visualize the composition.
Align the areas of focus with artwork at the intersection between the lines. Once you’ve created a grid to help you break down the overall composition of the wall you can play around with different sizes and spacing in between pieces. You may even want to create paper templates in the sizes of the artwork you want to hang so that you can play around with placement before committing to the installation.
Keep in mind, if you're hanging art over a piece of furniture, like a sofa for example, you'll want to hang the art 4 - 6” above the top of the furniture. So the area you are considering when you break the dimensions of the wall into thirds should start 4 - 6” above the furniture to the ceiling and include the width of the wall behind the furniture.
We hope that this little tutorial gives you a little more confidence in tackling those large walls and of course, if you're ever in need of help, we would love to work with you in person or virtually.
Happy Collecting!