Mohamed  Hirji

Fine Art

Shapes - From Boring To Interesting- Part 3

Sep 10, 2018

The last boring shape to discuss is the circle or a sphere, it is not a surprise since whichever way you look it looks the same. Bushes and boulders are the common items bearing this shape. Others being a human head, A flower seen end on, fruits like peaches, grapes, apples, the full moon etc.


If one encounters these, several simple solutions are available. If one intends to paint a full moon, hide a small portion of it behind a cloud. Group the round fruits or vegetables to form a cluster. An example is my painting titled Halloweens Pick where several round pumpkins are grouped together.

Pumpkins grouped together in Halloweens Pick

A rounded rock or boulder can be chiseled to form sharp interfaces. An example is a close up of part of one of my paintings called the Picnic Spot

A boring rounded boulder

Angular, interesting group of rocks in Picnic Spot

Similarly a circular flower like a sunflower, can be painted at a slight angle to make the shape elliptical.


Putting a hat or a head dress on a model is a ploy used by many artists to offset the round head. The famous painting of Vermeer called the Girl With The Pearl Earrings is a case in point. Below is my attempt at painting it.

Girl With The Pearl Earring, After Vermeer

Bushes with rounded forms are plentiful. A good example would be a globe cedar.

A rounded bush - Globe Cedar.

The same bush can be elongated for a better shape - Thin & Tall, just like a runway model !

An elongated bush, a better shape

Alternately make the sides asymmetric to make it even more attractive.

A much more attractive bush compared to the rounded globe cedar.


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Mohamed Hirji