The Best Art Books - Composition and Design

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars by 26 customer reviewers on Amazon
Read my review Greg Albert - The Simple Secret to Better Painting

Greg Albert's "The simple secret to better painting" is a book I always recommend to people who want to learn more about composition and design.

"This is a book which you can come back to again and again. It's a 'basics' book for those wanting to learn more about composition and design and it can also act as a 'pick you up' for more advanced artists who feel they're getting stale and need a visual boost. This book makes composition as a topic both accessible and understandable to art students and would-be artists who've been ducking out of improving their knowledge of composition. For those who tend to neglect the importance of composition because it's 'too difficult' or there are 'too many rules' or there is 'too much to think about' there is now no excuse!"

He explains design dynamics and how to make pictures interesting. The books explains what can make a picture unbalanced and how to correct this. Tackling how we look at pictures, Albert explains, in both text and graphics, how to please the eye and how to attract the eye to the focal point and lead the eye through a picture. He has simple and effective explanations of the 'rule of thirds', sweetspots, leads, pointers, blocks and exits. The impact of tonal values and colour on design are highlighted. The book contains sections specifically devoted to still lifes, landscapes and portraits. In each of these he covers the basics which help to make a successful composition. He addresses issues such as:
* selecting still life objects
* arranging a still life
* making use of photographs (for landscapes)
* basic value patterns for landscapes
* cropping the figure and cropping the portrait
* dealing with multiple figures

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars by 30 customer reviewers on Amazon
Read my review - Making a Mark: Mastering Composition - a recommended read

The other book I always recommend is Ian Roberts "Mastering Compostion" which was published in 2007 by North Light Books and has an accompanying DVD

This book covers the tried and trusted of compositional basics - in a clear and accessible way. It provides graphic explanations of structured methods which aid composition and design.

"It's an excellent book for all those who want to learn more about helpful principles and techniques for composition and design. It's all about understanding the structure and dynamics of the picture plane and planning your artwork. In my opinion it has something useful to say to both experienced painters and those starting out - and I have it tagged as one of those books which are not to be lent out!"

I highly recommend this book to all those seeking to improve their skills in design and composition.

Also available as an ebook/Kindle edition - see below