There was a lot of fluff to pad the book out, which is extremely unfortunate, because an artist of Paynes caliber certainly had more to offer us.The original book, published in 1941, has seen several editions and goes in and out of print.
Although Amazon often shows that it is out of print, call the publisher directly. And it mostly consists of WORDS But it is one of the most succinct books on composition I have ever read. Each paragraph, each sentence is packed with information and advice. There are some simple line drawings which help the viewer and provide the basics for compositional outlines. Also, the newer editions have some very fine color samples of Mr. Paynes work in the back of the book, as well as several addenda by his daughter. 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. 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. I highly recommend reading and referring to the chapter on compositional forms. He lists a dozen of the most commonly used outdoor compositions, and gives easy examples for understanding them. 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. ![]() 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. He was a better painter than writer but the attempt to creating a method to his art is nevertheless productive. His wifes artwork is included in the book as a gesture of love but it sorely lacks the quality of his own pieces. But Payne was one of the great landscape masters of the early 20th Century and has plenty of useful advice to give contemporary painters. Taste and harmony were two basic tenets that Payne swore by, and these elements are stressed over and over again in his book. His language here is on the academic, even literary side, but his principles and suggestions are clear enough once you wade a bit through the formalized verbiage. Composition. is well illustrated with drawings and paintings by the author and other painters of the time. Definitely a valuable addition to any art library, and certainly useful for anyone interested in oil painting as a hobby or profession. The breakdown on types of composition, along with thumbnail sketches, are VERY valuable. I also really liked Paynes suggestion that artists study the compositions of others, as well as his own examples (i.e his thumbnails of other artists work). If I remember correctly, Payne recommended that one should make thumbnails of others work, which would certainly be very useful for most of us looking to improve our compositions. I dont think that Payne had listed every type of composition possible in landscape, though he listed most and he acknowledged he was not the final word on art. I would buy this book again, but just for the meat of the book.
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