The Landscape Painter's Workbook

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COMPOSITION IN ACTION

In the last chapter, we learned about the picture window and how using a limited focus determines what portion of the world will become our subject. Now, we turn our attention toward what goes on inside that window. How do the elements we typically associate with a composition—the various parts of the subject—relate to one another? How do they keep a viewer engaged? How do they suggest movement?

For many, composition remains the most elusive area of our practice. This isn’t because we can’t tell the difference between good and bad composition. We have an innate sensibility that allows us to do that. The problem is that we haven’t trained ourselves to approach each aspect of composition as an inquiry. When we do, ...