Emphasis is the part of a design that catches the viewer’s attention or acts as the center of interest. Good designers use the elements of art to make us pay special attention to the most important area of their work. You can use the intersection of lines to create a visual focal point in a design, like we see in this sculpture.

In Psyche revived by the kiss of Love by Antonio Canova, the sharp lines of the wings intersect with the circle of Psyche's arms to emphasize Cupid's face.

The area of emphasis does not need to be located in the center of the artwork in order for it to be interesting. Actually, locating the focal point in the center of a piece of artwork can be a little predictable and may cause the viewer to lose interest in the piece more quickly. A good piece of artwork will engage the viewer for an extended period of time as their eyes travel across the scene and explore the different elements.

There are lots of ways to add emphasis to a piece of art: using different values, colors, textures, or shapes can add contrast and make a focal point really stand out. One helpful guideline is the Rule of Thirds. This is when you divide your scene into horizontal and vertical thirds, and put the elements you want to emphasize on any of the intersecting lines.