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As a painter in all mediums, and a teacher, I find this edition a complete aid in the construction of a painting.one keeper for the library.
It is a shame that few authors , Kevin McPhearson, comes to mind, have tried to address the issues of composition and the nature of art created outdoors or landscape themed as thoroughly and carefully as Edgar Payne. This book has certainly seen better days. His wife's artwork is included in the book as a gesture of love but it sorely lacks the quality of his own pieces. He was a better painter than writer but the attempt to creating a method to his art is nevertheless productive. It is hard to read with a modern understanding and one must dissect the language from the actual content to extract the juice out of it. And some of the contents are just as valid today as they were fifty years ago.
He lists a dozen of the most commonly used outdoor compositions, and gives easy examples for understanding them. I highly recommend reading and referring to the chapter on compositional forms: the pyramid, circle, L, and S shapes for example. Lots and lots of valuable information. Edgar Payne was one of the great american landscape painters, as well as a great teacher, and an accomplished writer. I found his style of English to be a little more difficult to read, but after the first chapter or two I got used to it, and it was well worth the effort.
Also, the newer editions have some very fine color samples of Mr. They have plenty of brand new copies in the latest editions. Each paragraph, each sentence is packed with information and advice. And it mostly consists of WORDS.
If you can only buy one book on composition of Outdoor Painting, this is the one. Paynes work in the back of the book, as well as several addenda by his daughter. There are some simple line drawings which help the viewer and provide the basics for compositional outlines. The original book, published in 1941, has seen several editions and goes in and out of print.
But it is one of the most succinct books on composition I have ever read. 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. Although Amazon often shows that it is out of print, call the publisher directly. The book, itself, is not large, only 6x9 or so.
Also, the newer editions have some very fine color samples of Mr. They have plenty of brand new copies in the latest editions. Each paragraph, each sentence is packed with information and advice. And it mostly consists of WORDS.
If you can only buy one book on composition of Outdoor Painting, this is the one. Paynes work in the back of the book, as well as several addenda by his daughter. There are some simple line drawings which help the viewer and provide the basics for compositional outlines. The original book, published in 1941, has seen several editions and goes in and out of print.
But it is one of the most succinct books on composition I have ever read. 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. Although Amazon often shows that it is out of print, call the publisher directly. The book, itself, is not large, only 6x9 or so.
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