plzxplainHow to use Viewfinder
Viewfinder is where you make the framing decision before it turns into a painting decision. Use it to settle the crop, orientation and placement of your subject, then save the result as the reference for your study.
Start with the scene or a photo
Open Viewfinder from the home screen. Choose Live to frame with your camera, or Photo to work from an image already in your library. In Photo mode, choose a photo and use two fingers to reposition it inside the frame. If it is sideways, tap Rotate before you continue.
Choose the shape of the painting
Tap an aspect-ratio option to change the frame. The frame shows exactly what will be kept when you capture or crop, so choose a shape that matches the support you plan to paint on. In Photo mode, Native keeps the photo’s original proportions.
Leave some breathing room around a subject that needs to feel calm or spacious. Crop closer when the point of the study is the subject itself. There is no universally correct choice; the useful thing is to choose deliberately now rather than discovering the crop halfway through painting.
Use the grid as a prompt, not a verdict
Cycle through the grid options to test a composition. The rule-of-thirds grid is a good first check: try placing a focal feature near an intersection, or a horizon along one of the horizontal lines. Switch the grid off if it starts making you second-guess a composition that already works.
The grid does not score your image or tell you where something must go. It is there to make relationships easier to see: how much space sits above a head, how far a vase is from an edge, or whether a horizon is cutting the picture in an awkward place.
The example above uses a grid to make the face, shoulders and surrounding space easier to compare. Notice that the lines remain a quiet reference: they do not cover the photograph or declare one crop correct.
Capture, check, and carry it forward
When the frame looks right, tap the circular shutter button. On the result screen, take a moment to check the crop at full size. Save it to your library, or choose Block-In this photo to take the framed image straight into a value or shape study.
If you are still unsure, make two crops rather than trying to perfect one by instinct. Paint quick thumbnails from both. The stronger arrangement is usually much easier to recognise once there is paint on the page.