Composition: Understanding Line, Notan and Color (Dover Art Instruction)

This has been the most helpful read for me. It has explained the difference in the art I want to produce creatively and the art I am frequently asked to produce representationally. The exercises included are helpful directions for developing and inspiring unique, individual skills of your own talent, whether it be in painting, clay, jewelry, or even architecture, etc.. It establishes a good foundation of creativity through line, notan (mass) and color that can be applied to any artistic discipline.

Great content with a great approach to image making that's very different then the modernist western tradition.

I really, really like this book. It reminded me what quality artwork should aspire to and what I should aspire to in my own paintings. Painting is not about copying what you see. It is about adding an element of pleasing design that lifts your painting to a higher level.Reading this book as inspired me and challenged me to attempt a higher level of painting.Dow explains 5 principles of composition,notan-the harmony with dark and light shapes, and color theory.The writing is a little dry in places, but the book is not intended to be an entertaining novel. There are plenty of illustrations and written explanations. The concepts are presented in a very understandable way.I think this book is best suited for those artists who have some basic skills and experience and who want to be able to add an element of good design to their artwork.I recommend this book.

I love this book. I have the updated book, not the old green tome everyone is complaining about and have never seen the old one. If you love Japonism, and, finding harmony of composition and design principles, this book has much merit. Arthur Wesley Dow recognised that the inate desire to design as a primary motivating force in any type of art, was more significant than the look and put and drawing/copying of most systems of art education.

As a proudly self-taught photographer, few books on technique hold much interest. This one does. Even though it is directed at artists that draw. It's been in print for over a hundred years and now I know why. If you're interested, you need it!...

Yes, this is pretty dated. But the underlying concept of Notan is valid and helpful for all serious students of landscape painting. For an under $10 book that you can read in a few hours - it is definately worth it.

Even though this is an older book, it's a goodie. I was exposed to it at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. She followed the techniques in this author's book as the basis for developing her arts approaches. I hope I can apply the clear directions and useful methods of composition described (they're divided by type) for my photography and even drawing projects. The book isn't too massive either, so it feels like something I can work my way through in a reasonable time. Clearly written.

The media could not be loaded.  I hated the book and glad I didn't study under this professor. It was 1920 when written by the professor Wesly Dow and he has a cluttered approach to teaching value study and design.

Was exploring this book for some teaching I am doing as an art teacher.This book looks like a photocopy of a photocopy. The letters are so smudged, that sometimes it is difficult to read. Especially if you are using glasses like I do. The text and illustrations fills about 3/4 of the page. The bottom part is just white. So they have put a smaller book into a bigger format without scaling it up.There are no color illustrations in the color theory part of the book. Weird. You have to search for the color illustrations and not all, of them, can be found on the 8 page color insert. The majority of illustrations are black and white - and again photocopy of a photocopy, which smudges the detail of the illustrations. It might be really good at explaining NOTAN. But the illustrations are of poor quality. There are better books, which does the exact same job much better. For instance "The Landscape Painter's workbook" by Mitchell Albala, which I happened to buy at the same time as this one. It has some really good color illustrations of what is meant by the different theories. So I can not recommend this book unless you are only interested in reading about NOTAN and color theory, and have some knowledge of what it is all about.

It’s like a mini course in art. Very detailed and thought provoking.

Pour un livre sur la couleur, c'est extrêmement dommage qu'il soit imprimé en noir et blanc. Un tiers du livre est incompréhensible.

very interesting book that helps re values in painting etc.

This book is about design and colour is a key element of that. However there is no colour in the book. Minus 1 star. The publisher is Dover. They sell an ebook through their online store that is presumably in colour.