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Master Composition with These Five Art Books!
If you’ve been looking to up your painting game, an essential skill is mastering composition. These five art books bring together personal and practical advice from acclaimed artists that will help guide your journey — or even just spark new ideas if you’re already carving out an artistic path. If we missed some of your favorites, let us know in the comments what titles have helped improve your compositions!
Mastering Composition: Techniques and Principles to Dramatically Improve Your Painting, by Ian Roberts
Ian Roberts is a master instructor! His videos on design and composition in painting are among the most-viewed here at Artists Network, and he has amassed a large following with his popular series of YouTube videos. With easy-to-follow steps and demonstrations, this guide will show you how to make decisions that lead to successful compositions with each painting.
Landscape Painting Inside and Out, by Kevin MacPherson
Kevin Macpherson’s Landscape Painting Inside and Out is the essential guide for harnessing your passion to capture nature in all its beauty. Understand how light, atmosphere, and other visual notes facilitate creating art that reflects your deep connection with a given place. All painters of any level can benefit from this book as it offers constructive instruction while still providing tough challenges within each lesson plan!
Picture This: How Pictures Work, by Molly Bang
Bang brings thought-provoking concepts to Picture This that captivate and engage with their visuals. Ever wondered why diagonals are dramatic? Or curves calming? We all know how red is passionate and blue tranquil, but what other emotions do colors evoke in artwork? Bang poses these questions while her illustrations create a powerful story and offer us insight into the visual composition of art!
Composition of Outdoor Painting, by Edgar Payne
For some, this is a tough read, and for others it’s an essential addition to their library. Over time though, this book has been a trusted resource since was first published in1941. Written by the acclaimed California impressionist Edgar Payne, it is packed with wisdom for landscape painters on composition, color and form — invaluable lessons that can easily be applied to photography and digital art too!
Carlson’s Guide to Landscape Painting, by John F. Carlson
John Carlson’s renowned book, beloved by art students worldwide, is a masterclass in the craft of landscape painting. His years as an acclaimed American painter and teacher have endowed him with unparalleled insight into capturing nature on canvas; readers learn his strategies for decision-making when choosing subject matter, how to properly apply color and incorporate atmospheric conditions while delving deep into values that bring unity to your work.
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Meet the Artist
Scott Maier is an artist, instructor, and a content contributor to artistsnetwork.com. He’s an adjunct instructor at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, as well as the author of the instructional art book See, Think, Draw: An Easy Guide for Realistic Drawing and Beyond.
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