Composition

Change the Way You See and Understand Art

Originally published in 1899, Arthur Wesley Dow's Composition remains a seminal reference for serious artists, designers and craftspeople. He encourages students to look first at the relationship between line, space, color, light and shadow, thus building a strong foundation for a broad range of creative endeavors.

Dow taught for many years at Columbia University, mentoring numerous aspiring young artists of the day, including Georgia O'Keeffe. Building from the general to the specific was seen as a radical departure from the approach in vogue at that time, which was strongly oriented toward learning by imitation. In Dow's words, "Schools . . . regard drawing as a preparation for design, whereas the very opposite is the logical order-design [is] a preparation for drawing."

Referencing many art forms, Dow placed a special emphasis on Japanese printmaking to demonstrate essential components of composition. He also considered music as a close relative to the fine arts, sometimes referring to the essence of a composition as "visual music." The concepts presented here can be applied to all types of design, whether painting, architecture, sculpture, crafts and much more.

A practical guide to creating images based on the harmonic relations of visual elements, it is designed to aid in developing an appreciation of the whole visual field. The well-illustrated and thought-provoking instruction is formatted as a several sets of lessons, designed to broaden and deepen the way in which art is viewed and understood. This book is a must for anyone wishing to infuse their creativity with greater skill and personal expression.

This book is also available from Echo Point Books as a paperback (ISBN 1635619637).

A well-known painter and printmaker, Arthur Wesley Dow taught for many years at Columbia University and acted as a mentor to countless young artists, including Georgia O'Keeffe.