Composition: The Anatomy of Picture Making

by Harry Sternberg

Difficult to grasp and harder still to achieve, composition is a chief concern of artists at every level. This clear and focused introduction exposes the compositional devices that underlie successful artworks. Its many examples reduce pictures to their basic formal elements, offering a concise treatment of an oft-neglected topic.
Author Harry Sternberg, whose works appear in major museums throughout the United States, was a student and instructor at New York's prestigious Art Students League. He draws upon his extensive background as a teacher and professional to provide an approachable view of applying composition to graphic works. Novices and experienced artists alike will benefit from his well-illustrated explanations of handling such elements as the picture border, flat space, tensions, positive and negative space, geometric design, and volume, as well as the processes of analyzing pictures and communication through design.

Genres: Art

48 pages, Paperback

First published April 4, 2008

Reviews

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple and short. The author presents most of the principles of composition and includes an example or two for each discussion. Not a lot of depth is given to any one principle, although there are many exercises included for the reader to do their own analysis of the concepts. If you liked Molly Bang's approach, you might like this.

[Artlab]

Drawing