Braking The Rules

In the previous discussion, we examined the four principles that form the foundation of visual art — drawing, color, composition, and emotional content.

Each serves a distinct function, providing structure, balance, and coherence within an artwork. Understanding these core elements is essential to building technical precision and visual clarity.

Having established how they operate, the focus now turns to what happens beyond them — how art evolves when these principles are questioned or adapted.

In this next stage, we explore how moving around and beyond the rules allows for interpretations and forms of expression.

We Will now explore how one can Brake the rules.

The Excuse of Expressing Oneself

Why its important to understand principles within making expressing oneself.

While personal expression is valuable, it doesn’t automatically result in effective art. Without some understanding of structure — whether drawing, color, composition, or another guiding framework — the work risks becoming accidental rather than intentional. Expression alone isn’t enough; it needs a system to operate within. Even the most abstract or experimental art still relies on underlying principles. To create work that holds together and communicates clearly, one must know the structures well enough to use them, adapt them, or deliberately move beyond them.

Moving Beyond the Rules

With an Analogy from the Talmud.

Knowing a rule and understanding its foundation gives you the ability to work beyond it with purpose. When the underlying logic of drawing, color, composition, or any principle is clear, you can see what each part contributes and what happens when it’s altered or removed. This knowledge turns deviation into a choice rather than an accident. It allows you to adjust, stretch, or break a rule while still maintaining control over the result. In this way, mastery of the basics doesn’t restrict creativity — it provides the stability needed to innovate, adapt, and develop new forms of visual language.

Knowing when Enough is Enough

Knowing the rule and when to stop.

Knowing the rules also means understanding how much of each principle is needed before it begins to work against the painting. Too much structure can make the image stiff, too much color can overwhelm, and too much compositional control can feel forced. Each rule has a natural limit where adding more no longer improves the work. Recognizing that point keeps the painting balanced and clear. When an artist understands not just the rule but its proper measure, they can use it effectively without overpowering the rest. This sense of “enough” is what allows a painting to feel complete rather than crowded or overworked.

To Continue exploring Art Continue onto the next discussion follow along