Edges are like the cherry on top of the cake. They are the fun part you get to refine once everything else is in place. But if you treat every edge the same, your painting is going to look stiff and amateur. We are breaking down the four specific types of edges you need to know: hard, firm, soft, and lost.

You will learn why hard edges in shadows are a dealbreaker and how to use soft edges to suggest movement. We also analyze work by Sargent and Velázquez to see exactly how the masters controlled their edges to guide the viewer’s eye and create focus.