This Is Your Design & Composition Solution!
27 Masters Reveal Their Secrets!
Many artists feel intimidated by design. They push it to the back burner and hope that somehow it will take care of itself. But successful results--CONSISTENTLY successful results--come from demystifying the how's and why's of composition. That's where A Painter's Guide to Design and Composition comes in.

No other book does a better job of doing away with the typical, dry run-down of design in favor of lively and engaging instruction. Rather than recite tired concepts, author Margot Schulzke uses anecdotes and examples to keep things visual, engaging and, yes--fun!

Masterful Instruction
Masterful examples throughout illustrate how design works in landscapes, still lifes, florals, portraits and other subjects. Captions are equally masterful at illuminating the design-strategy in simple terms: creating purposeful edges, controlling values, bleeding color from one shape to the next, managing intervals and proportion, and other lessons that you can take back to your own art.

Step-by-step demonstrations and instructive examples show each artists' strategies, from honing in on what they want to convey about a particular subject (which is where great design begins) to how they use (or bend) the rules of design to achieve it. Follow along as they determine the best compositions, make effective color choices, select appropriate backgrounds, and more. Learn how to provide a rhythmic flow of line and pattern, move the eye, draw attention to your focal point. As each painting unfolds, the often staid concept of 'design' is taken off the shelf and comes to life as a wonderful give-and-take between artist and painting...a work in progress...problem-solving at its best.

You Can Learn Good Design
One of the best-kept secrets in art is how design is guaranteed to make a so-so painting spring to life. The next best-kept secret is that you can learn good design. It's not luck, it's not an accident. You can use the rules of design--passed down from artist to artist through generations--to prevent problems and solve them. Just as importantly, selectively breaking some rules or ignoring others now and then is part of being an artist. (But of course, it's essential to know the rules well before you can break them with authority.)

Firmly rooted in the practical, real-life working techniques of modern-day masters, A Painter's Guide to Design and Composition offers a holistic approach to design, from inspiration to establishing your own unique style. It will get beginning painters designing with confidence, and carry artists of any level beyond basics, ultimately opening the door to more experimentation and greater willingness to take risks.

See inside this Book