Customer Reviews:
Ten Stars.....this is the Bible!.......2006-05-04
If you can only buy one book on composition of Outdoor Painting, this is the one. The original book, published in 1941, has seen several editions and goes in and out of print. Although Amazon often shows that it is out of print, call the publisher directly. They have plenty of brand new copies in the latest editions. The book, itself, is not large, only 6x9 or so. And it mostly consists of WORDS! But it is one of the most succinct books on composition I have ever read. Each paragraph, each sentence is packed with information and advice. There are some simple line drawings which help the viewer and provide the basics for compositional outlines. Also, the newer editions have some very fine color samples of Mr. Paynes work in the back of the book, as well as several addenda by his daughter. If you are an outdoor painter, you could read this book every day for the rest of your life and still find something new to think about or try.
Book Description
Composition is one of the most important elements to any painting, but it can also be one of the most intimidating. The long list of rules for designing and structuring a work is complicated, hard to remember and downright mystifying. In this simple resource, Greg Albert boils it all down to one golden rule: Never make any two intervals the same. He demonstrates this fool-proof technique with clear, concise diagrams, before-and-after student paintings and samples from today's top painters. Readers will get to learn from the work of Frank Webb, Tony Couch, Zoltan Szabo, Tony Van Hasselt, Tom Lynch and many more! Artists of all levels with find this secret to great composition easy to remember and even easier to use.
Greg Albert is Editorial Director of North Light Books. He's also an artist, author and teacher who lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Customer Reviews:
A Watercolor Design Course in One Quick Book.......2007-06-27
This book is a great beginner book or review for anyone wanting to understand what it takes to plan and execute an engaging painting. The concise textual ideas are amply illustrated with many examples from actual paintings in progress. The ideas are easy to understand and apply. The presentation of design concepts is spiced up with excellently chosen graphics and diagrams. The author gives psychologically sound explanations as to why certain design ideas work, and others do not.
If you were an art major, and lost all your texts, you could start and end your library replacement right here. If you wish you had been an art major, but do not know where to start, this book is your answer. The author's words early on in the pages are quite true: "This book is intended to be read quickly, and referred back to often."
Basic Information on Composition.......2007-05-21
Like all kind's of book that proclaim to solve the problems with one "secret", this book is full of basic information about composition. It may be helfpul if you don't know anything about the subject, but if you are an serious art student I don't think that this is a great choice.
Useful For All Types and Styles of Art.......2007-03-23
The "One Rule of Composition" is actually three easy to remember and implement rules that will benefit any type or style of art. Pictures that accompany the text reinforce and demonstrate how the rules work.
Easy Read Chalk Full of Info.......2007-01-20
I would have to say that this is one of the best books I've read regarding art instruction. This book is well written, and it keeps you wanting to read the next page.In the introduction Mr. Albert makes an interesting statement. He says that the book should be read quickly and remembered forever. Well I certainly read it quickly, and would say that there are certainly things I'll remember forever, but I would have to say that I'm going to be using this book less as reading material and more as a reference tool.
As a self-taught musicain as well as an aspiring artist I have a rabid obsession with books. Many are written by very talented artist; but all too often it's as though the books were written to impress the reader with the authors amazing abilities, more-so than to teach.
I would call this book more along the lines of say an idiots guide to design and composition. This is by no means a knock on the author, it's actually one of the best compliments I can think of. Being the father of a child that wants to learn the melody to Beethoven's Ode to Joy, or to simply paint a "cool" looking picture in pastel or acrylic, I've noticed that it's easier for him "and me" to get to the meat of things. Dicussing the finer points of music theory, or the ancient theory on arts golden mean for painting composition are wonderful things to digest, but can also add some confusion to the less experienced artist.
I'm impressed that Mr. Albert has forgone the puff your chest out route and setteled for a format for his book that allows more immediate gratification. The title of this book is very bold, implying that you can improve your art immediately. I've seen numerous books that have similar titles with one little difference. This book delivers on it's promise.
I was amazed at how even some of the school children looking thumbnails placed here and there used to demonstrate both correct and
incorrect composition drove the point across. As an artist I lean more toward realism, yet would admit that occasionally an abstract piece will catch my eye. I've always wondered why this is and this book did more then tell me, it let me see what these paintings had that made me put aside my prejudices against abstract art.
Currently I'm giving music lessons. My goal is to hopefully find ways to express to the students how to bypass some areas that are best learned after you have some confidence built up. If I can do this even half as well as Greg Albert did in this book I'll be happy. I've never written a book review before this even though theres many I have read that are in and of themselves good instruction manuals, but I felt compelled to write a review on this book. There is no magic pill for better art, but this book has helped me minimize some frustration and has allowed me to approach art in a much more confident way. This book is more like a straight highway without turns, mountains, or hills so you can arrive at your destination sooner.
Outstanding book on composition for painting & photography.......2006-08-16
I avoided this book just because I was suspicious of the title, there are no secrets, just information. But I finally gave in and ordered it because everyone is talking about it and they say it is that good. I had it on my bookshelf for a while when I was reviewing another book on photography and one reviewer recommended this book (Simple Secret to Better Painting). I'm a painter and a photographer, both amateur, and was suprised to see a photographer recommending it. So I took it with me on a weekend trip.
I really enjoyed the book. Though I still dislike the title. The one rule is just "don't make any two things the same". But what the author does is show how that applies to all aspects of painting (and photography). composition & the rule of thirds, contrasts in the painting, cropping, colors, textures, etc. The best part of the book is that there are small thumbnails showing what is bad and what is good. And finally, unlike most art books which serve only to show the author's work, this book showcases absolutely wonderful work from a variety of artists. Most watercolorists, and I have a new interest in watercolor because of this book. The paintings aren't just there for eye candy, the author uses them to demonstrate the concepts discussed in the book.
Overall I cannot recommend the book enough. Don't be put off by the title. Buy it, read it, and practice it. I'm confident it would make anyone's art better.
Customer Reviews:
an eye opening book.......2003-01-02
i had the experience of being flooded with light and clarity when i first opened and browsed this book. my enthusiasm is in part because of kemp's extraordinary scholarship and detailed command of paintings and art publications across the entire span of western art. but it's also because the story of artistic imaging over the past six centuries is woven around the european romance with linear perspective, which has become so discredited and disliked by artists that it qualifies as a repressed memory. (like any buried memory, perspective surfaces in the dreamlike digital animations of intergalactic science fiction and first person computer games, which take perspective effects to the ultimate level of technical accuracy and artistic triviality.) kemp unearths those repressed perspective memories and shows how vital they were to the development of art and the connections between art and the wider culture of the times.
it is jaw droppingly fun to see how intensive, sophisticated and singleminded was the artistic interest in optical and perceptual issues of seeing. everyone will find special surprises here, but mine include kemp's spatial analysis of velazquez's "las meninas," and the extraordinary drawings and engravings produced c.1800, which force us to realize that we are already looking at "photo graphs," light drawings created by hand, at a time when film photography was not yet practical. there is a large section on various optical devices utilized in visual arts, including the camera obscura and camera lucida, and an excellent section on the evolving understanding and use of color, from the renaissance to seurat.
poignant for me was the victorian fascination with light as a spiritual quality, which comes through in turner's paintings and ruskin's amazing perspectival studies of "clouds" -- images that verge on op art. the intelligence and strength of these images reveal a road left untraveled in art, which turned toward the perceptually driven styles of impressionism and fauvism instead. as a bonus to the many interesting visual exhibits, the writing is lucid, sensible and alert. an invaluable publication.
At long last a scientific approach to art history........2000-04-06
It's amazing what happens when a scientist studies art history. This is a historical perspective on color theory, camera obscura and perspective. It relates the work of indvidual artists to the advances in science.
The refreshing thing is that Kemp realizes that artists who used perspective were not slaves of science, and an artist such as Turner actually realized that the main item of interest in a scene perceptually appears larger than mathematics would dictate.
My favorite story is how it was considered obvious that there were 5 primary colors because Christ had 5 stigmata, but when Newton proved there were 3 primaries, that was obvious because of the Trinity.
This book is certainly not an easy, but the knowledge gained should forever change the way you look at art.
Customer Reviews:
Here's an adjective: Yuck.......2006-04-03
Weak, unconsidered, cliche ridden, mundane, obvious, repetitive -- How are those for a few descriptions? Well, they fit. This is not a good book. She repeats the most obvious and then repeats them again (where was the editor?). Some facts are just wrong, such as most scholars see simile and metaphor as the same. I am sure those who say they "highlighted" it or "read it over and over" must either have been dreaming or reading a different book. It's one long bad Writers Magazine article, one that says, Hey try using "carmine" instead of "red." Try using a metaphor instead of simply saying it was "brown." Duh. Keep reading the reviews, past the ones her friends wrote and you'll see the real reviews -- it just is not a good book at all.
Worth Reading Repeatedly.......2005-08-08
Word Painting was recommended by an excellent writer. I ended up reading the book, cover to cover, four times. Each time I came away with numerous fresh ideas. This book does more than lay down and explain a list of rules. It also draws from the works and advice of great authors in a way that makes reading the book enjoyable as well as instructive. Ms. McClanahan's own experiences, as related in the book, were particularly beneficial, often coming back to remind me how I could make the passage before me more palatable to the reader. The exercises were not as helpful to me as they might be for others, but they are marvelous drills for the more disiplined reader. Whether you want to improve your ability to write a novel, a report, a legal brief, a letter or an e-mail message, try this book!
An Indispensable Writing Tool.......2005-04-19
Word Painting by Rebecca McClanahan is, without a doubt, one of the best writing related books I have ever purchased. Oh, other reference books have come and gone -- mostly to an auction site or a used bookstore -- but Word Painting is one that stays on my shelf and won't be going anywhere.
Is it a book heavy on technical information? Absolutely. At times it reads like a textbook for a writing class, so that might surprise some. But the more I read this book (and I go back to re-read it regularly) the more I learn. To say that Word Painting is merely a book that teaches you how to write more descriptively would be an injustice to the material contained inside.
Word Painting tackles all the standard writing "must knows" like tenses and points of view, moves on to the art of creating your own, unique similes and metaphors (avoiding the cliche), tackles passive vs. active & cluttered vs. uncluttered prose, then moves on to the biggies like setting, and how writing descriptively weaves into narration, description, and exposition to form the larger framework of your overall story...how writing descriptively affects your narrative voice.
McClanahan teaches you to look at the world, people and things around you with an "artist's" eye, noticing texture and sound and light, then guides you through translating what you see and hear and smell and touch onto the page in words so the reader can experience that with you.
Not only did this book teach me the importance of description and how it helps shape a story, it taught me the importance of all the various elements of fiction writing AND how to write them in a balance. Each chapter is full of useful information, but I'm not going to lie and say that it's not heavy reading. It is. But then writing is an art and a skill and it takes time, dedication, and the willingness to hone your skills into the craft. This is not light afternoon reading, and it's definitely a book you have to keep coming back to again and again because what you missed one time will click in the next, then something else the next. To me, that's an indispensable writing tool because it's not a one shot deal like so many other books that you buy, read once, then never read again. Word Painting -- like your writing -- is an evolving book that grows with you.
When people ask me for "how to write" book recommendations, Word Painting is first (and often only) book that comes to mind.
This Sucks.......2004-10-28
It is bloated. If there is any good information, its hidden very deep and i'm not patient enough to look for it. I want my money back.
Great Exercises.......2004-10-25
I need writing exercises when experiencing a block. I liked the chapter advice, and the exercises jumpstarted me on articles I might not have written otherwise.
Book Description
This unique book presents solid composition and design instruction with an emphasis on fun and creativity. The first half of the book focuses on traditional realism while the latter examines more experimental art. In both cases, the underlying lesson is that good composition and design is the underlying foundation of any successful painting, whether super-realistic or non-objective.
Author Pat Dews illustrates this concept by showing, step-by-step, how successful painters in a variety of styles and mediums (including watercolor, water media, pastel, collage and more) use these principles to create gorgeous works of art. A few of the artists sampled design while they paint, always experimenting, using various techniques to decide what will work before committing to a final composition. Others design their compositions before they start painting. Some combine the two approaches. Readers will discover that they can compose beautiful paintings while being as creative as they want to be.
Pat Dews is a signature member of AWS and NWS and is a very popular workshop instructor. She is the author of Creative Discoveries in Watermedia. She lives in Hobe Sound, Florida.
Customer Reviews:
Creative Composition & Design.......2007-01-03
Have enjoyed using this as a reference after observing her in a demo.
Dews is not a good painter.......2006-11-23
Gorky was famous for saying :" I am not interested in poor art for poor people." This is the worst of the 'how to books'. It is simply dumb art for dumb people!
very involved.......2005-10-27
the book teaches a lot, and it's great to read how to finish started works. however, you need a background in abstract work to understand her lessons. I have no such background, and her descriptions of the works in progress confused me. as well, her projects require a lot of specialized art supplies - inks and pigments and stuff that I don't have lying around. the projects also require a lot of space - easels w/ full sheets of watercolor paper, storage for scraps, etc. if you want to spend the $$, go ahead. I'm in a dorm and don't have the background, space, or $$ to do the projects.
A Must For Your Art Library!.......2005-07-16
if you are interested in composition and design, this is a must for your art library. clear, consice, immensely readable, pat dews acts as your personal guide! while her focus may seem in the "abstract vein", there is something for everyone here, no matter what your interest is. warmly written, i found myself reading every word. now that's something for a visual book! her explanations, photos and critiques were helpful and made me want to run to the studio to start my own wonderful discoveries!
Well Worth Waiting For!.......2003-06-19
This is one of the best art instruction books that is now available.It is an excellent follow-up to Creative Discoveries in Watermedia published in 1998.Creative Composition & Design is a workshop in book format. Pat Dews warm positive attitude comes across on each page.The book is very well designed with excellent color photographs of art that will inspire you to create.The tips that are listed on various pages are very helpful.The section showing how different artists work on design and composition is an excellent way to gain additional ideas for your own work.The critiques shown of student work places you right into the workshop experience.You will see how paintings are resolved.You will learn a lot from this book and return to it often.I highly recommend this book-it was worth waiting for.If you are unable to attend a workshop with Pat Dews this is the next best thing.If you have been fortunate enough to take a workshop with Pat Dews this book will act as an excellent follow-up.
Book Description
Now every artist can learn directly from the modern masters. This book shows painters how to create great artwork through great composition -- using advice and examples from 27 of the world's best living painters. Readers will find:
-Paintings and inspirational advice from such renowned artists as Albert Handel, Daniel Greene, Bill James, and Clark Mitchell
-Sketches, diagrams, line drawings, and schematics that break down the basics of composition and show how artists think as they create
-Nine demonstrations, by nine different artists, that encompass a variety of subject matter and mediums
This can't-miss guide gives artists all the tools they need to master composition and build better paintings!
Customer Reviews:
Clear and succinct.......2007-05-21
This book in written in a way that is easy to look through, find a topic of interest and have it presented with meaningful examples. While perhaps not for an advanced artist I would see where it would be helpful for a weekend painter, beginner or novice or someone getting back into painting. It is easy to understand the concepts and advice in the way it is written.
A good book if you have no other books on composition.......2007-01-03
I gave this book a pass as I have better, more substantial book in my art library.
Great Home School Resource.......2006-05-24
What a fantastic resource! We home school and my children and I are all very interested in painting. This book goes through the principles of design and composition in a clear, focused, logical and beautifully illustrated manner. It is an art education in a single volume. I bought copies for each of my children. (It also makes a lovely coffee table piece, for those who just want to look at the gorgeous paintings.) Thank you Margot Schulzke and North Light Books!
K.Chevrier
A Painters Guid to design and Composition.......2006-05-24
One can never have too many books on design. In addition to containing timeless design principles, this book is full of beautiful images by well known artists with great demonstrations. I especially liked Richard
McKinley's demo showing how he builds very translucent layers that achieve a lovely luminosity.
A painters guide to design and composition.......2006-05-21
The book did not present anything new or in a diffrent way. I was very disappointed in the book. I have seen much better books.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting analysis.......2006-12-02
Many of Cézanne's paintings are essentially composed of flat, homogenous planes. He has no interest in textures and takes great freedom in choosing colours and distributing them patchwise. He also disregards proportions and perspective, making receding objects such as roads, mountains and hills stand up straight, so to speak, to the picture plane. Thus each plane in the painting "remains comparatively flat and parallel to the picture plane", but still the painting has a definite feeling of depth because of "the three-dimensional effect that a sequence of the same planes creates through overlapping" (plate XIII). "Cézanne's genius in organizing three-dimensional space is the basic foundation of his composition" and doing so by the plane colour patch approach agrees with the principle that a painting "must remain faithful to its own structure, to its fundamental two dimensions" (section XV). The organisation of space is achieved by the "tension" or "movement" created where planes overlap, and this is Loran's main framework for analysing Cézanne's paintings. With some imagination and many useful geometrical diagrams we can sum up the effects of the overlaps to a general movement; usually some sort of circular movement, always staying within the picture frame. Loran is very faithful to this point of view, even blaming Cézanne when it doesn't apply. In his analysis of a Sainte Victoire painting (plate X) he finds such a circular movement and concludes: "It is this circular movement that gives the painting it ultimate 'closed' effect. Actually, this canvas has many elements of open form ... personally, I find these latter elements insufficiently resolved and somewhat disturbing." Besides this analytic framework, Loran also makes more traditional analyses in terms of balance, dynamics, etc., and he also spends far too much time nagging about two pet topics: Cézanne's famous colour modulations are in fact of incidental importance and Cézanne anticipated Picasso and Braque.
An Extraordinary Book!.......2006-08-30
When I first read this book, over twenty-five years ago, I thought it was the most remarkable book ever written on how an artist composes and organizes his or her creative process. Over the years, I've returned to it many times. Having recently re-read the book I find I am still thrilled by Loran's ability to illuminate the special qualities within Cézanne's canvases. As an artist and art educator, Loran was in a unique position to comprehend how this artist balanced the formal, intuitive, and experiential aspects of composition. All of this comes through admirably and clearly. Although I imagine some people might find the graphic diagrams cold and remote from the vitality of Cézanne's painting, I think a close reading of the book demonstrates that an illustrative graphic can help us reach a deeper understanding of the artist at work, in this case Cézanne. If you are a fan of Cézanne, definitely read this book! If you are interested in understanding the artistic mind, definitely read this book.
Brilliant explanation of space & planes........2004-09-23
Pages 17 to 24 are a so called "Illustrated Glossary" and are worth buying the book for. The classic rules of space and depth and planes are explained in most of their complexity. Then he discusses many many examples of Cezanne's work and how they use the principles of space, planes, and depth. A masterpiece and extensive in its scope. If you really want this type of abstract picture understanding you will not be disappointed. Very highly recommended.
great analysis of the master of masters.......2002-05-18
The book is trully great.... very well written and thoroughly analized...My only problem with it was the lack of colour plates (understanding that the study of his technique is concentrated on the orchestration of planes and volumes). I believe the study of this master requires colours... in order to fully appreciate his methods but also becuse of the pleasure of merely being a spectator and enjoying his art for what it really is...a ballet of fantasy and life!
Appart from that I do believe it is a must for any lover of art.
Top Ten Books on Composition.......2002-05-04
This book is a must read not only for students of Cezanne and Cubism, but for anyone who would like to understand how a composition is put together. By comparing photographs of subjects painted by Cezanne, to the paintings created, one can see what interested the master in his own work. Cezanne's classic remark about Monet ("He is only an eye. But what an eye!")is clearly relevant here: Cezanne is not only an eye function, but a meditation on the process of visual construction per se. A stimulating and important book.
Customer Reviews:
This book changed my life as a painter.......2005-01-10
I picked this book up by chance at the local library, not really expecting it to be much. Wow, was I surprised. Of all the books I've read on composition and the like, this one is my bible. It opened my eyes to new ways of seeing and understanding composition. It's not filled with rules, yet it is not vague. It clearly shows through illustration how to look at the canvas as a two dimensional surface and make meaningful compositions. It show numerous examples of historical pieces and explains how the artists used composition motifs such as the vertical, horizontal, arch, diagonal to design a stronger more powerful image. It taught me the importance of preliminary sketches to work out a more dynamic composition. I bought this book through an old fashioned search prior to the internet and places like Amazon. I had to pay $75 used, as it was out of print. It was worth every penny.
Customer Reviews:
The Painter's Secret Geometry.......2007-07-25
I had three copies of the "Painter's Secret Geometry" by Charles Bouleau by both publishers. What seems to behove me is that the 19th century painters used the pyramid or triangle in composing their works. Yes I do agree with the book that other means were used but artists did not rely just on those given within the book even the author mentions that we should not depend upon them for composing. I think that all artists should study the various compositions and take what they should and depart from that...that is be original and creative. A view finder will suffice and is very simple and cheap! You can create you own.
Cult classic and often referenced guide to the golden rule.......2004-11-19
If you got to this page then you are probably already one of the cult following of the legendary Painters Secret Geometry. I read this book in the form of an entire copy xeroxed form a library edition in the late 80s which I borrowed from another art fan. (Trust me I looked for it but it wasn't for sale anywhere) We both missed the reprint and aren't I kicking myself for it?
Basically Bouleau goes through many many master works of art and extracts the Golden mean from them. The placement of that figure, the way she is holding the vase in relation to her body - so many elements in the composition of these paintings coincide with mathematic placement its eerie. The concept of extracting Fibonacci numbers and finding geometrical patterns in art is nothing new, but here it is demonstrated over and over and much better than anecdotal evidence.
I have never understood why this book is so hard to get ahold of. It has been referenced over and over again since its original publication and was a big influence on art analysis.
Probably you already know this but this is a book you have to have if you are into art history. So the question is do you have the 350 dollars used copies are currently selling for? Trust me all library copies have been stolen by now so reprints or here are your only hope to unravel the painters secret geometry....
The Painters Secret Geometry.......2000-05-01
A unique comprehensive study of the history of pictorial composition.
Books:
- Creating Beautiful Boxes With Inlay Techniques
- CREATIVE LICENSE, THE: GIVING YOURSELF PERMISSION TO BE THE ARTIST YOU TRULY ARE
- CREATIVE LICENSE, THE: GIVING YOURSELF PERMISSION TO BE THE ARTIST YOU TRULY ARE
- Cutting Edge Photo Cropping for Scrapbooks
- Design and Analysis of Experiments, 5th Edition
- Dragonart: How to Draw Fantastic Dragons and Fantasy Creatures
- Draw 50 Horses (Draw 50)
- Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters: 100 Great Drawings Analyzed, Figure Drawing Fundamentals Defined
- Drawing The Female Nude
- Face Off: How to Draw Amazing Caricatures & Comic Portraits
Books Index
Books Home
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- A Chance Meeting: Intertwined Lives of American Writers and Artists, 1854-1967
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Landscape Painting
| Instructional & How-To
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting
Landscape Painting Inside and Out: Capture the Vitality of Outdoor Painting in Your Studio With Oils
Fill Your Oil Paintings With Light & Color
Hawthorne on Painting
Composition: A Series of Exercises in Art Structure for the Use of Students and Teachers
