Artwork presented in three parts is a triptych.
A triptych is a work of art with three panels or parts. Traditional triptychs have two hinged panels that fold inward toward a central panel, a format commonly used for religious artwork during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Triptychs today can represent any subject and are more commonly painted on separate surfaces. The paintings themselves may be a single scene or image that is cut into three parts, framed separately and hung side by side. They may also be painted separately as three unique but related pieces that, when hung as a group, represent a unified composite image.
Instructions
1. Select the subject matter for your triptych. For this example, you could create abstract art using similar lines and shapes and the same color palette.
2. Lay the canvases side by side on the floor or table with the sides touching. Paint as if the three canvases were one piece, extending shapes and background across the canvases. Make the background uniform on all three pieces to help them coalesce as a single work. Add shapes, lines, splatters and anything else your creative spirit moves you to paint.
3. Review your work with a critical eye and decide if the pieces hold together as a composite work. Separate the canvases as they would be spaced when hung on a wall. The panels should be in harmony and as pleasing to the eye as when they were pushed together. Modify as necessary.
4. Number the back of each canvas to indicate the correct placement for hanging. This step is not necessary for a recognizable image such as a landscape where there's only one possible arrangement.
5. Frame the pieces in identical frames to convey that the artwork installation is a composite work. The frames may be different sizes to accommodate the individual pieces, but they should be the same material, color and style. If the sequence number of the piece is hidden by backing paper, write the number on the paper.
