I use the shapes in a subject as material for a design, rather than copying their placement exactly. In this little snow study, I look at a barn, a leaning silo, and a roofline to explain how small changes can make the arrangement more interesting.
Adjust the shapes you are given
I had already changed the silo from what I saw, making it a little taller and reducing its lean while keeping some of its character. I can also alter an angle or the curve of a roofline. These are choices I make to develop the painting, rather than treating the photograph as a fixed set of instructions.
Catch the tangent in the study
Looking at the study, I point out something I would change: the top edge of the silo meets the nearby roof at an awkward corner. Raising the silo farther would separate those edges more clearly. This is one reason I value a small study. It gives me a chance to find a problem before carrying it into a larger painting.
Step back and look at the arrangement
Foreground elements can help lead the eye in, while the structural shapes give me angles and relationships to work with. I want to notice how those elements meet, overlap, and balance. The lesson is to give yourself permission to move things as you design, and then step back to judge whether the changes actually help.
For a related lesson, see looking for design options.
