RustyBug 
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jimmuller wrote:
The impressionist painters showed us that even focus or clarity can be sacrificed for the sake of effect.
Agreed.
And, that's kinda the point folks are aspiring to make ... they understood the implications of the techniques relative to the effects.
Compositional choices are a plethora of such implications, both in singularity, but even more so in combinations. So, when a person is interested in achieving an effect (of one's choosing) ... we can take a step back and consider the potential implications that are available to impact toward that effect.
Reverse engineering, if you will. Not the same thing as trying to tell folks what to do, but rather to illuminate the cause / effect relationships, so they have it in their hip pocket for future (intuitive) use ... if they are so inclined (or not). 
Just a quick question to our AI friends returned this. It is not meant to be exhaustive, nor idealistically perfect, but rather illustrative that the considerations are numerous. Granted, they are not 100% infallible, but as conceptual consideration, they can be some available levers for helping to achieve intent of effect.
1. Atmospheric Perspective (Depth & Spatial Mapping)
These variables dictate how the human brain calculates distance, proximity, and environmental volume inside a flat frame.
Warm Tones (Red/Yellow/Amber) = Close. Long light wavelengths physically focus slightly behind the retina, causing the brain to perceive warm objects as advancing forward.
Cool Tones (Blue/Cyan/Magenta) = Distant. Short light wavelengths focus slightly in front of the retina, causing cool tones to naturally recede into the background.
High Saturation = Close. Intense color purity signals that there is minimal air or dust blocking the object, pulling it straight to the foreground.
Low Saturation = Distant. Faded, washed-out hues mimic atmospheric haze, automatically pushing elements deep into the background.
High Value Contrast = Close. Crisp, stark separations between absolute highlights and deep shadows occur naturally when light hits an object up close.
Low Value Contrast = Distant. Compressed, grayed-out tonal ranges signal that atmospheric scattering has diffused the light, placing the elements far away.
Sharp, Tactile Textures = Close. Micro-details (like concrete grain or metal rivets) require optical proximity to resolve, serving as an immediate foreground anchor.
Soft, Diffuse Textures = Distant. Blurred, smoothed-out surfaces mimic the softening effect of distance, fog, or a shallow depth of field, pushing the eye past them.
2. Scale & Geometric Geometry (Size & Proportional Weight)
These variables control how the brain establishes structural relationships, hierarchy, and physical scale.
Large Object = Close. The object occupies a high percentage of the retinal field, instantly establishing proximity and dominance.
Small Object = Distant. The object mimics the natural shrinkage of perspective, serving as a scale bar to prove how massive the surrounding environment is.
Converging Lines = Rapid Acceleration (Go).
Parallel lines that narrow toward a point mimic the optical horizon, violently pulling the eye forward into a deep vanishing point.
Diverging Lines = Spatial Expansion. Lines that fan outward from a tight node create a feeling of sudden explosion, openness, and architectural release.
Horizontal Lines = Stability & Stasis (Stop). Perfectly level lines mirror the natural horizon, inducing a psychological response of calm, rest, and absolute permanence.
Vertical Lines = Power & Grandeur. Soaring vertical axes trigger feelings of monumental scale, height, and immense structural ambition.
Diagonal Lines = Dynamic Tension & Instability. Slicing across the frame, diagonals disrupt natural horizons, creating a feeling of active motion, weightlessness, or impending collapse.
3. Cognitive Biases & Visual Physics (Eye Movement Choreography)
These variables dictate the involuntary "Stops" and "Goes" of human eye movement, regardless of what physical object is in the frame.
Text/Wording = Absolute Optical Stop. The human brain is universally trained to decode symbols. If text is present anywhere in a frame—even if it is small or blurry—the eye will immediately stop to "read" it before processing anything else.
Human Shape/Silhouette = Immediate Focal Center. We are genetically programmed for facial and bodily recognition. The eye will instantly seek out a human figure in a vast landscape, treating it as the primary narrative anchor.
High-Luminosity Pockets = The Visual Target. The human eye is naturally phototropic—it hunts for light. The brightest point in an image will always act as a powerful gravitational drain for the viewer's attention.
Deep Shadow Fields (Monochromatic Noir) = Slower Visual Velocity. When shadows are deep and compressed, the brain must slow down the eye's scanning speed, forcing the viewer to linger on the image to decode the subtle, micro-textures hidden in the dark.
Abrupt Hinge Vertex = Spatial Trapping. When sharp lines intersect at a hard, geometric angle, it forms an optical corner that catches the eye's momentum, trapping the viewer inside that specific section of the frame.
Negative Space Expansion = Respiratory Breathing. Vast fields of empty sky or unencumbered black give the eye a place to rest, making the adjacent high-contrast structures look significantly louder and more deliberate.
Again, not meant to be exhaustive (nor perfectly aligned with my training, albeit ballpark) ... but, illustrative that when folks deconstruct / reverse engineer toward the potential for intent of effect, it isn't them telling folks what to do, but applying an understanding of the principles as noted above (or similar) from their training and experience of understanding.
I've often mentioned a need for developing an exhaustive list ... and never fully developed one. That was before AI, hmmm, might be time to return to that potential endeavor as a reference resource. 
BTW, as a example of this in fashion, we have the deep V-Plunge neckline in a woman's dress. Compare that to the horizontal neckline of an A line dress for a young girl. One set of lines, says "Go here". The other presents a line that says "Stop. Do not proceed. Return to the other direction (i.e. up to the face)".
So, when we want to induce movement ... faster, slower, directional, stop, etc. ... our understanding of compositional elements are available to us, to help us decide what we might utilize to aid the plight of our intended message to our viewer(s) ... whether that be an audience of one (for oneself), or for others (public appeal) may vary, but the influence of the tools / techniques remain available for consideration of our compositional choices / decisions. There's more ... but, hopefully you get the gist.
The masters ... understood these things long before AI began regurgitating them.
I'm sure there are a zillion resources available for a deeper study / understanding. Simple search returned this as but ONE (of many).
https://www.masteroilpainting.com/31-composition-concepts-painting/
HTH
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