Guides
How to use plzxplain
Practical, plain-English guides — from your first critique to reading what each metric is telling you.
Getting your first critique
How to submit a reference photo and your painting to get your first measurement-backed critique.
GuideReading your metrics
What block-in, value, and edge metrics actually measure, and how to use them to improve.
GuideTips for better reference photos
Simple photography habits that make plzxplain's measurements more accurate.
CompositionUnderstanding composition and the rule of thirds
How the rule of thirds works, and how plzxplain's Viewfinder and block-in tools support — without replacing — your own composition judgement.
ColourColour harmony basics for painters
A short primer on hue, value and temperature, and how they relate to what plzxplain's value and edge engines actually measure.
EdgesWhy edges make or break a painting
The difference between hard and soft edges, and why varying them is what makes a painting read as three-dimensional.