This is a beautifully designed and accessible book with a lot of valuable technical information for artists and draftsmen who work in different media. The introduction (~15% of the page content) covers studio setup and space, working conditions, tips and advice, tools and supplies, and -very- general tips (one page) on techniques of practice, sketching, and thumbnails.
The following chapters cover composition, planning a design, choosing subjects, and using reference photos for paintings. Throughout the book, the illustrations utilize several different artists' paintings and compositions to illustrate the lessons. (References to the artists' online presence are contained in a links list at the back of the book for further research).
There is a lot of theory and complex composition contained here and the author does a good job of making it accessible to the reader. The composition chapter, for example, contains a good discussion of contrast, value, positive and negative space, and perspective. The lessons are well illustrated without being overly complex or off-putting.
This would make a good addition to the artist's personal library or a support text for a classroom unit on art history, composition, and similar studies.
Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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