Learn to create eye-catching, well-composed works of art using acrylic, oil, and watercolor paints with Beginning Composition.
From the concept- and technique-driven Portfolio series comes Beginning Composition, which details how to compose a work of art so that it draws in—and then holds—the viewer’s attention. This book features quick exercises for getting started in art, primers on the principles of composition and the Rule of Thirds, what to look for when composing artwork, examples of successful (and unsuccessful) compositions from a selection of artists, and customizable painting projects.
Beginning Composition is written and illustrated by Kimberly Adams, an experienced author and professional artist with years of experience in creating versatile, stunning works of art, as well as co-author of Oil & Acrylic Workshop (Walter Foster Publishing). In this book, Kimberly teaches you how to create successful compositions in acrylic, oil, and watercolor paints. After an introduction to the essentials of composition and some examples of composition in action, you are then invited to create your own artwork on a range of subjects, including landscapes, florals, animals, and more. The painting projects encourage personalization and creativity. Other topics covered include conveying mood and emotion through composition, the Golden Ratio, focal points, and more.
The Portfolio series covers essential art techniques, core concepts, and media with an approach and format that’s perfect for aspiring, beginning, and intermediate artists.
Also available from the series: Beginning Acrylic, Beginning Drawing, Beginning Watercolor, Beginning Pastel, Beginning Colored Pencil, Beginning Color Mixing, Expressive Painting, Beginning Color Mixing, and Beginning Pen & Ink.
Portfolio: Beginning Composition is a tutorial and theory handbook by Kimberly Adams. Released 5th Nov 2019 by Quarto on their Walter Foster imprint, it's 128 pages and available in paperback format.
This is a beautifully designed and accessible book with a lot of valuable technical information for artists and draftsmen who work in different media. The introduction (~15% of the page content) covers studio setup and space, working conditions, tips and advice, tools and supplies, and -very- general tips (one page) on techniques of practice, sketching, and thumbnails.
The following chapters cover composition, planning a design, choosing subjects, and using reference photos for paintings. Throughout the book, the illustrations utilize several different artists' paintings and compositions to illustrate the lessons. (References to the artists' online presence are contained in a links list at the back of the book for further research).
There is a lot of theory and complex composition contained here and the author does a good job of making it accessible to the reader. The composition chapter, for example, contains a good discussion of contrast, value, positive and negative space, and perspective. The lessons are well illustrated without being overly complex or off-putting.
This would make a good addition to the artist's personal library or a support text for a classroom unit on art history, composition, and similar studies.
Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
