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Landscape Painting: Essential Concepts and Techniques for Plein Air and Studio Practice
Because nature is so expansive and complex, so varied in its range of light, landscape painters often have to look further and more deeply to find form and structure, value patterns, and an organized arrangement of shapes. In Landscape Painting, Mitchell Albala shares his concepts and practices for translating nature's grandeur, complexity, and color dynamics into convincing representations of space and light. Concise, practical, and inspirational, Landscape Painting focuses on the greatest challenges for the landscape artist, such • Simplification and Learn to reduce nature's complexity by looking beneath the surface of a subject to discover the form's basic masses and shapes.• Color and Explore color theory as it specifically applies to the landscape, and learn the various strategies painters use to capture the illusion of natural light.• Selection and Learn to select wisely from nature's vast panorama. Albala shows you the essential cues to look for and how to find the most promising subject from a world of possibilities. The lessons in Landscape Painting—based on observation rather than imitation and applicable to both plein air and studio practice—are accompanied by painting examples, demonstrations, photographs, and diagrams. Illustrations draw from the work of more than 40 contemporary artists and such masters of landscape painting as John Constable, Sanford Gifford, and Claude Monet. Based on Albala's 25 years of experience and the proven methods taught at his successful plein air workshops, this in-depth guide to all aspects of landscape painting is a must-have for anyone getting started in the genre, as well as more experienced practitioners who want to hone their skills or learn new perspectives.
436 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
282 people are currently reading
506 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
July 10, 2020
I thought this book was a little dry at first, but I'm glad I kept reading. The first few chapters are kind of hard to get through because it's mostly about preparing for painting, but chapters four and on get really practical and into material that I found very interesting and helpful (not that the first three chapters weren't helpful, but they were kind of like the preface to the rest of it and I was eager to get past them).
I got a ton out of this book and, as a beginner, it exposed to me things I hadn't learned about before. I feel like I have so many new tools with which to work and there were many times that I wanted to paint right then and there after reading about a technique or principle in order to apply what I learned. Even though I've been painting with watercolor lately and the author focuses mostly on oil painting, I think about 90% of the material in this book was applicable to many different mediums.
The author includes lots of visual aids of both beautiful landscape paintings and helpful illustrations of what he is teaching. This was invaluable as there was a lot of terminology and concepts that were new to me. His writing sounds like that of a teacher - straightforward, but with a coaching tone. I found myself wishing I could take a class from him.
Each chapter/section is detailed enough to really explain the concept but brief enough that it would be easy to reference quickly in the future. I wish I had taken some notes along the way so I could quickly scan through the big ideas and most helpful tips before each project. As an amateur, it feels like a lot to remember/consider all at once and a quick reference guide would be really helpful. I'll probably go back and do that when I read it again.
I read about half of this book before having the chance to do some plein air paining in and around Theodore Roosevelt National Park and I feel like it really did help my painting. I'm eager now to paint again having read the entire thing.
I rarely read this type of book (instruction) so I have little to compare it to, but I really appreciate this book and am excited by what I've learned from it. This book will provide material for me to practice/work on for a long time!
I got a ton out of this book and, as a beginner, it exposed to me things I hadn't learned about before. I feel like I have so many new tools with which to work and there were many times that I wanted to paint right then and there after reading about a technique or principle in order to apply what I learned. Even though I've been painting with watercolor lately and the author focuses mostly on oil painting, I think about 90% of the material in this book was applicable to many different mediums.
The author includes lots of visual aids of both beautiful landscape paintings and helpful illustrations of what he is teaching. This was invaluable as there was a lot of terminology and concepts that were new to me. His writing sounds like that of a teacher - straightforward, but with a coaching tone. I found myself wishing I could take a class from him.
Each chapter/section is detailed enough to really explain the concept but brief enough that it would be easy to reference quickly in the future. I wish I had taken some notes along the way so I could quickly scan through the big ideas and most helpful tips before each project. As an amateur, it feels like a lot to remember/consider all at once and a quick reference guide would be really helpful. I'll probably go back and do that when I read it again.
I read about half of this book before having the chance to do some plein air paining in and around Theodore Roosevelt National Park and I feel like it really did help my painting. I'm eager now to paint again having read the entire thing.
I rarely read this type of book (instruction) so I have little to compare it to, but I really appreciate this book and am excited by what I've learned from it. This book will provide material for me to practice/work on for a long time!
April 14, 2014
This book was written with oil painters in mind, but has plenty to offer those who use other mediums. It contains a wealth of information about composition, color theory, value, massing and simplification. It's a wonderful resource for all artists, not just those who create landscapes.
August 1, 2022
Such an excellent resource for me. Albala does a fantastic job categorizing the topics. He embeds examples of painting and speaks to the techniques or topic at hand.
He even talks about how artists at every level sometimes lose inspiration and how to combat it.
I'm new to the art of painting and this is a great book to keep on my coffee table. I know I'll refer to it again and again.
He even talks about how artists at every level sometimes lose inspiration and how to combat it.
I'm new to the art of painting and this is a great book to keep on my coffee table. I know I'll refer to it again and again.
September 20, 2014
Excellent book. I highly recommend reading this book to anyone who wishes to work on landscape painting, no matter what medium you work in. Book is an enjoyable read and packed full of great information.
September 1, 2014
One of the best oil painting guides I've seen. Beautiful color photos. Excellent descriptions.
June 18, 2017
Very well written, and the concepts discussed apply to many media. I am a pastel artist, and still found a lot of useful information. Highly recommend.
September 25, 2023
I think this is a fantastic painting book. I found so much knowledge and wisdom about every aspects of the painting journey, all very well organized into different chapters.
To me it is easy to read, full of beautiful paintings very well explained, and I loved that the author includes a lot of quotes from various famous painters to illustrate the differents concepts.
The majority of the book deals with the biggest challenges of painting : Value relationship, simplification and massing, composition, light and color. Great explanations and useful tips are given for all those delicate concepts any painter must understand to achieve successful paintings.
Then we have other chapters, very interesting too, that deals with more practical issues : Materials, indoor VS outdoor studios, site selection, working with photographs, style and inspiration...
We also have two step-by-steps to understand the painting process of the author, and an unexpected but welcome chapter about abstracting nature.
The book is printed on quite a big format and in high quality. The colors of the various painting that are displayed are rich and seems accurate, and since ce paper is really nice, it is all pleasant to look at.
Now I have a few things that bothered me a little, the biggest one being the chapter about working with photographs. I understand the author shares his point of view througout all the book, but I find that in this chapter in particular, Mitchell Albala makes statements that doesn't represent nowaday's art world.
For instance, considering that we must paint from our own photographs : "Aside from issues of copyright infringement, using images from magazines or borrowing other person's photographs is artistically dishonnest."
Today a lot of people borrow photographs from unsplash.com or pixabay.com (no copyright infringement with them, that's the whole point of those websites) in order to have access to subject matters they couldn't see in person otherwise. While I understand it might not be something great to do if our goal is to have our paintings exhibited in museums (but I don't think it could'nt work either), I still believe that aiming museums is not every artist's purpose.
I don't like when people share a one-sided vision, especially when those people are teaching something. Beginners need a lot of practice, and making this kind of statements can create so many missed opportunities to experiment with exciting subjects.
In the same idea, Mitchell Albala is part of the painters who believe that ultramarine is a cool blue and phtalo blue is a warm blue. There is a lot of debate about this vision and many, many artists consider that the opposite is true : Ultramarine would be a warm blue, phtalo would be a cool one.
I think this fact should be mentionned in the book, and it is not the case. The author simple states his vision as if it was a truth, but again, since there is a strong disagreement amongst artists, it is a point of view.
I also did not understand why the author decided to share the form and size of the brushes he uses in each step-by-step as well as the surface he paints on, the colors he chooses... And nothing about the medium used to mix with his oil paints. I think it would have been nice to know more about it since this book is much more about oil paints than it is about acrylics or other medias.
But those two last points are about a very, very small portion of the book. I enjoyed so much every thing else, so 90% of it.
To me it is easy to read, full of beautiful paintings very well explained, and I loved that the author includes a lot of quotes from various famous painters to illustrate the differents concepts.
The majority of the book deals with the biggest challenges of painting : Value relationship, simplification and massing, composition, light and color. Great explanations and useful tips are given for all those delicate concepts any painter must understand to achieve successful paintings.
Then we have other chapters, very interesting too, that deals with more practical issues : Materials, indoor VS outdoor studios, site selection, working with photographs, style and inspiration...
We also have two step-by-steps to understand the painting process of the author, and an unexpected but welcome chapter about abstracting nature.
The book is printed on quite a big format and in high quality. The colors of the various painting that are displayed are rich and seems accurate, and since ce paper is really nice, it is all pleasant to look at.
Now I have a few things that bothered me a little, the biggest one being the chapter about working with photographs. I understand the author shares his point of view througout all the book, but I find that in this chapter in particular, Mitchell Albala makes statements that doesn't represent nowaday's art world.
For instance, considering that we must paint from our own photographs : "Aside from issues of copyright infringement, using images from magazines or borrowing other person's photographs is artistically dishonnest."
Today a lot of people borrow photographs from unsplash.com or pixabay.com (no copyright infringement with them, that's the whole point of those websites) in order to have access to subject matters they couldn't see in person otherwise. While I understand it might not be something great to do if our goal is to have our paintings exhibited in museums (but I don't think it could'nt work either), I still believe that aiming museums is not every artist's purpose.
I don't like when people share a one-sided vision, especially when those people are teaching something. Beginners need a lot of practice, and making this kind of statements can create so many missed opportunities to experiment with exciting subjects.
In the same idea, Mitchell Albala is part of the painters who believe that ultramarine is a cool blue and phtalo blue is a warm blue. There is a lot of debate about this vision and many, many artists consider that the opposite is true : Ultramarine would be a warm blue, phtalo would be a cool one.
I think this fact should be mentionned in the book, and it is not the case. The author simple states his vision as if it was a truth, but again, since there is a strong disagreement amongst artists, it is a point of view.
I also did not understand why the author decided to share the form and size of the brushes he uses in each step-by-step as well as the surface he paints on, the colors he chooses... And nothing about the medium used to mix with his oil paints. I think it would have been nice to know more about it since this book is much more about oil paints than it is about acrylics or other medias.
But those two last points are about a very, very small portion of the book. I enjoyed so much every thing else, so 90% of it.
October 16, 2025
I enjoyed reading this book and felt like there were great lessons for me to apply to my own art practice. Some of the biggest takeaways for me:
-I need to think more about color and color relationships when I paint
-Don’t just add white to lighten and black to darken 🙃 I have been doing this
-Prep work is a big part of the painting process, even if you are plein air painting. Establishing composition, masses, values, etc. will help make a stronger piece
-Being able to abstract and interpret what you see and how to do that. I tend to try and paint very closely to what I’m seeing but want my paintings to feel more expressive and painterly!
A lot of these ideas are things I have heard in the past, but reading and taking notes and asking myself if I really do those things made it finally click. I took a color theory class in college, but the more I learn from other artists and resources the more I understand the actual applications when in the act of painting.
I took notes so I’m hoping that the next few paintings I work on will be good opportunities to put what I have learned to practice.
I would say this book was definitely worth my time as someone wanting to improve my landscape paintings.
-I need to think more about color and color relationships when I paint
-Don’t just add white to lighten and black to darken 🙃 I have been doing this
-Prep work is a big part of the painting process, even if you are plein air painting. Establishing composition, masses, values, etc. will help make a stronger piece
-Being able to abstract and interpret what you see and how to do that. I tend to try and paint very closely to what I’m seeing but want my paintings to feel more expressive and painterly!
A lot of these ideas are things I have heard in the past, but reading and taking notes and asking myself if I really do those things made it finally click. I took a color theory class in college, but the more I learn from other artists and resources the more I understand the actual applications when in the act of painting.
I took notes so I’m hoping that the next few paintings I work on will be good opportunities to put what I have learned to practice.
I would say this book was definitely worth my time as someone wanting to improve my landscape paintings.
November 7, 2022
I like the organization of the book. I am still relatively new to painting (particularly in Oils) and have a lot to learn about the fundamentals. The info in the early chapters was not all new, but did help organize my understanding about how the process can be more successful.
I like the thought of the painting telling a story and the paint, and usage of the paint, being the words. I am learning a new language and that seems less imposing than trying to grasp something completely foreign.
I also liked the artists’ quotes used liberally throughout the book. I’d does help to remind me that we are all on a journey and at the end of the day, we are all just people, trying to do something grand.
I like the thought of the painting telling a story and the paint, and usage of the paint, being the words. I am learning a new language and that seems less imposing than trying to grasp something completely foreign.
I also liked the artists’ quotes used liberally throughout the book. I’d does help to remind me that we are all on a journey and at the end of the day, we are all just people, trying to do something grand.
February 20, 2023
good description of basics with plenty of domain knowledge to help with the specifics of landscape painting. geared more towards beginner-intermediate (so perfect for me :D)
i learned a lot! keen to put it into practice lol. my plan is to get good at landscape plein air painting before a tas trip in april so i can paint the cool views on our hikes
also gotta paint a large yacht piece for my dad by may (this book surprisingly had a few tips for boat painting)
i also loved the constant referencing of man made structures as 'nature'. it's oddly political when compared to all the environmental essays ive read but in the completely matter of fact way of a nonfiction reference book
i learned a lot! keen to put it into practice lol. my plan is to get good at landscape plein air painting before a tas trip in april so i can paint the cool views on our hikes
also gotta paint a large yacht piece for my dad by may (this book surprisingly had a few tips for boat painting)
i also loved the constant referencing of man made structures as 'nature'. it's oddly political when compared to all the environmental essays ive read but in the completely matter of fact way of a nonfiction reference book
July 1, 2018
I'm a watercolor painter, but usually that doesn't stop me from reading painting books about other mediums. This one about plein air looked to be good. There was a lot of good information, but I just couldn't get into it. The paintings themselves were just not inviting. Not sure why.
January 15, 2026
very helpful for anyone making art
Well written and very helpful for anyone making landscape art regardless of the medium. I enjoyed reading it and feel that I learned a lot from this book.
Well written and very helpful for anyone making landscape art regardless of the medium. I enjoyed reading it and feel that I learned a lot from this book.
February 15, 2019
My landscape painting experience is extremely limited and this book came highly recommended. I have read through it once and am now starting to apply Albala's guidance.
June 10, 2019
Helpful
Until now I couldn't put together how to approach and complete a painting. Very comprehensive book. Need to read it many times
Until now I couldn't put together how to approach and complete a painting. Very comprehensive book. Need to read it many times
October 3, 2020
Very good art book, so far maybe the best I have red for landscape. Well written(!), nice examples, practical, lots of well structured information but also easy to read.
January 3, 2023
Better than his latest.
February 21, 2023
An excellent guide to the crucial elements of landscape painting. Right in line with my current art class. colors, composition, big shapes, etc.
September 30, 2023
A useful and easily navigated text, replete with examples and technical hints, in multiple paint types (I’m using watercolor) for the beginner / intermediate artist. 😊
February 20, 2025
Yavapai College Library. Borrow again. Couldn’t renew. Has suggestions and recommendations for painting. Look author up online.
I didn’t read cover to cover.
I didn’t read cover to cover.
April 12, 2025
Very good guide to landscape painting - only critique is that I wish there were more practical “try-at-home” exercises to build upon the techniques discussed
December 30, 2012
This book was a great guide for landscape painting, and was very practical in applying concepts such as color and value. My only complaint would be that the author wasn't very efficient with his words; he might have conveyed the same ideas in less space.
March 8, 2019
An excellent book both in information and inspiration. The beginner will find many tips from recommended supplies to starting a painting. The established painter will find renewing interest in getting out to paint.
July 2, 2013
The book was incredibly helpful. It covered such subjects as composition, color theory, and others. Many of the concepts were new to me and yet were easy to understand. Many of the essentials are covered. This was a fantastic read. I highly reccomend it.
February 25, 2014
A nice section on how to set up your art studio with practical advice on lighting, and how to make a "wall easel". This book seems a good resource for landscape painters. So much useful advice I had to buy it!
February 16, 2010
Opened my package from Amazon and I am not disappointed!! This is a very good book --- if you are a painter.
I love the way this guy writes, and the way the book is organized.
I love the way this guy writes, and the way the book is organized.
January 21, 2010
If you enjoy painting outdoors this book gives a number of welcome and helpful ways of looking at a landscape.
January 21, 2010
A practical and intelligent book on plein air painting that offers sound advice on color, material, composition and technique.
December 29, 2014
If I could have given it 3 1/2 stars...I would have.Some good information here, worth the read. I did add this to my reference library.
June 7, 2013
This is a worthwhile book for anyone who loves to paint. A great reference. I return to the book over and over and each time I learn something new.
September 19, 2014
This is excellent. I'm going to read it again.
I read it and I took a workshop as well. Then I bought the book.
I read it and I took a workshop as well. Then I bought the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews