The Simple Secret to Better Painting
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Product Description
Product Description
A painting is only as good as its composition. No matter how well the colours match, how realistically the subject matter is drawn, or how accurate the perspective is, if the composition is weak, a painting will not be as impactful or as interesting as it could be. One of the most important elements to any painting, composition can also be one of the most intimidating. In this clearly set out book. Greg Albert makes the principles of composition easy to remember and use, as he condenses all the complicated rules into one unforgettable master rule: Never Make Any Two Intervals the Same. By "interval," Albert refers to intervals of distance, length, spacing and dimensions of shapes, as well as the intervals of the values on a value scale and the colours on the colour wheel. He demonstrates this fool-proof "rule" with clear, concise diagrams and sketches, plus samples from today's top painters. Readers will learn from the work of Frank Webb, Tony Couch, Kevin MacPhearson, Charles Reid, Tony Van Hasselt and many more! Artists of all levels will find this invaluable secret to 'great composition easy to remember and even easier to use as they radically improve their compositions from the start.
About the Author
Greg Albert is Editorial Director of North Light fine art books. He's also an artist, author and teacher who lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a very good book with lots of easy to understand advice in words and pictures. The advice given on the first page is reinforced throughout the book with lots of examples. A variety of paintings are discussed and attention is drawn to the one rule of composition.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
31 reviews
95 of 96 people found the following review helpful
Outstanding book on composition for painting & photography
15 Aug 2006
Format:Paperback
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.
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.
82 of 84 people found the following review helpful
Simple but surprisingly thorough!
16 Mar 2005
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I bought this because I was in a mood, had more money than I usually do, and was intrigued by the portrait on the cover. I've been painting for some time now and thought that this might be a book that I'd just turn around and donate to the local library because it didn't seem like a keeper.
Was I wrong! The author expands his simple rule (which I already knew about, of course, but only in one fashion) to cover EVERYTHING about art. I hadn't considered just how far-ranging the rule is. Was it a lightbulb moment or a "Duh! Of course!" moment? Whatever, I'm now AWARE of the rule in every aspect of my art. I now can achieve better compositions, better color, better everything.
Immeasurably helpful! And the author uses the most wonderful paintings and demos to illustrate his points. (Is that his daughter in all those poses? She's lovely!) Definitely a Keeper book. Let the library get their own copy!
Was I wrong! The author expands his simple rule (which I already knew about, of course, but only in one fashion) to cover EVERYTHING about art. I hadn't considered just how far-ranging the rule is. Was it a lightbulb moment or a "Duh! Of course!" moment? Whatever, I'm now AWARE of the rule in every aspect of my art. I now can achieve better compositions, better color, better everything.
Immeasurably helpful! And the author uses the most wonderful paintings and demos to illustrate his points. (Is that his daughter in all those poses? She's lovely!) Definitely a Keeper book. Let the library get their own copy!
101 of 107 people found the following review helpful
A helpful review of design/composition
5 Sep 2003
Format:Paperback
Composition, also called design, is the heart of painting planning; only color planning is perhaps more complex and challenging. This books contains an admirable review of most of the essential aspects of composition, including very pertinent illustrations that neatly clarity the points made in words. (I plan to take the book with me on a sketching/painting trip beginning in a few days to Yosemite and the coast of California as a quick reference to remind me of compositional points--because of these handy illustrations).
However, I must make a few critical remarks, the most important first.
All the books I have read that cover this subject--and I don't claim to have read them all, just many--fail in this way: They do not provide a systematic approach to designing a painting that incorporates all or most of the sigmificant things to remember. Tom Lynch comes close in his "Watercolor Secrets" (recommended) and his recently published "100 charts" (highly recommended). Even the august Edgar Whitney with all his dogmatic principles only hints at possible approaches covering some of his material. Margaret M. Martin "No More Wishy-Washy Watercolor" (highly recommended) does give excellent guidance on dealing with values, the most important aspect of design. But I have found no overall systematic approach that incorporates all the many things to remember. What should one do first, then next, and before this, etc? Maybe there just isn't one! But this book does not integrate all the material, I feel, as it promises.
Second, what do I mean "does not integrate"? Some of the applications of the one rule seem forced. Also, the rule winds up complicated in its application,in that the issue becomes, how do I define "intervals" within the rule "Never make any two intervals the same." What does that mean with color? Just hue? Also intensity? Etc. This book is not consistently clear. The problem frequently becomes, then, clarifying the meaning of "intervals" with each new aspect of design/composition one deals with, which can be more work--and harder to recall in the field--than just forgetting the "rule" and applying the aspects needed at any given point in planning or painting.
Albert's book is admirably ambitious but unfortunately not entirely successful in simplifying design by means of his single rule.
Nevertheless, again, because of the brilliantly instructive illustrations, the thorough coverage of the subject, and the often insightful text, this book is nevertheless highly recommended. Just don't expect the process to get that much easier.
However, I must make a few critical remarks, the most important first.
All the books I have read that cover this subject--and I don't claim to have read them all, just many--fail in this way: They do not provide a systematic approach to designing a painting that incorporates all or most of the sigmificant things to remember. Tom Lynch comes close in his "Watercolor Secrets" (recommended) and his recently published "100 charts" (highly recommended). Even the august Edgar Whitney with all his dogmatic principles only hints at possible approaches covering some of his material. Margaret M. Martin "No More Wishy-Washy Watercolor" (highly recommended) does give excellent guidance on dealing with values, the most important aspect of design. But I have found no overall systematic approach that incorporates all the many things to remember. What should one do first, then next, and before this, etc? Maybe there just isn't one! But this book does not integrate all the material, I feel, as it promises.
Second, what do I mean "does not integrate"? Some of the applications of the one rule seem forced. Also, the rule winds up complicated in its application,in that the issue becomes, how do I define "intervals" within the rule "Never make any two intervals the same." What does that mean with color? Just hue? Also intensity? Etc. This book is not consistently clear. The problem frequently becomes, then, clarifying the meaning of "intervals" with each new aspect of design/composition one deals with, which can be more work--and harder to recall in the field--than just forgetting the "rule" and applying the aspects needed at any given point in planning or painting.
Albert's book is admirably ambitious but unfortunately not entirely successful in simplifying design by means of his single rule.
Nevertheless, again, because of the brilliantly instructive illustrations, the thorough coverage of the subject, and the often insightful text, this book is nevertheless highly recommended. Just don't expect the process to get that much easier.
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