LANDSCAPE PAINTING:
ESSENTIAL CONCEPTS AND TECHNIQUES FOR PLEIN AIR AND STUDIO PRACTICE

Reviews

"A new classic of landscape art"
Katherine Tyrrell / makingamark.com / January 6, 2010

Read the full review at makingamark.com

This book will become a new classic of landscape art. It takes the core concepts and skills required of those creating any type of representational art and interprets and relates how these apply and work within the context of landscape art. It's an in-depth guide produced by somebody who is an experienced educator. It's written and designed by somebody who is an excellent communicator. It deserves a place on the bookshelf of everybody who takes landscape art seriously — whether they paint plein air or in the studio.

If I was to try and write a book about landscape painting then this would be the one I'd wish I'd written ... It's very refreshing to find a book which focuses on and combines information about the key artistic concepts, skills and practical information relevant to the landscape artist.

Albala is a great communicator and makes the essential concepts and approaches accessible while avoiding the sort of "dumbing down" which afflicts too many art instruction books these days. It was obvious to me that the text has been developed and honed and edited and refined until it's the best it can be — in summary it's a good read in more ways than one.

Nothing in this book is "rocket science". I think I knew virtually all the content — either from books, instruction or experience — but what distinguishes this publication is that he gets it all down in one book! I've known other books which have been excellent at some of the topics covered by this book but very few which have come anywhere near its breadth and depth.

It's also a book which pulls off the neat trick of providing a comprehensive manual for the newcomer to landscape art while providing a refresher for the more experienced artists who will find it provides a useful recap of key concepts as well as tips and techniques.

"A book that takes you as seriously as you take your subject"
ArtBookReview.net / February 1, 2010

This is by no means a book for the beginner, but rather a comprehensive review of landscape painting, for the most part in oils, for the serious student and, as such, it’s to be welcomed.

Most of the book is taken up with a discussion of the process of landscape painting and methods of interpreting different subjects, elements, colours, shapes and lighting patterns. There’s a great deal to read, but it’s punctuated with plenty of illustrations that illuminate the text and never leave you struggling for comprehension. The final section of the book is devoted to a series of demonstration paintings of a good variety of subjects and these are discussed in detail rather than being in the form that could almost be described as painting by numbers.

If you’re a landscape painter and you want a book that takes you as seriously as you take your subject, look no further.

"A beautiful guide for any artist"
Omaha World Herald / December 2009

Anyone inclined to create his own landscapes and nature images with paint can’t go wrong with this how-to book, which covers everything from choosing materials to finding inspiration. But this is no dry textbook; it’s a beautiful guide for any artist.

Praise from readers

"One of the best books on painting, not just landscape painting"
Rico LeBrun / November 2009

One of the best books on painting, not just landscape painting ... You can tell this is a book written by an educator with 20+ years of experience; he is able to distill fairly complex ideas into understandable concepts. For those of you who are intermediate to advanced painters, you will find yourself alternately confirming long held unspoken thoughts and finding practical solutions to the unique problems presented by painting the landscape subject. For beginners, this is a book you will read many times and continue to gain insight as you gain experience. This book is not only a "how-to" (step one, step two, etc.) but a why do. Physically the book is beautiful. In an act of humility, his examples in the book are mostly from 36 other artists, many of whom are new to me. (I look forward to finding out more about some of these artists.) We see Chatham and Shils, a couple of modern day masters as well as Payne and Pinkham. Fantastic selection. We also get a nice selection of Mitchell's paintings, which are wonderful. The reproductions are top notch. It has been quite a while since I have seen such a book full of so much.

Addendum: It has been mentioned that this is a book for beginners. That being the case, if one were to understand and implement successfulyl all that is in this book, you would be well beyond a beginner.

"Best Landscape Painting Instruction Ever!"
S. Scarpa / February 5, 2010

Not only is Mitchell is a great artist, he is a generous and wonderful teacher. This book addresses all of the concerns for the landscape painter at ALL levels. There is much information discussed in this book that I have never read or heard discussed anywhere else and he communicateds it clearly. He gives other gifted artists a boost by using their work to illustrate the concepts in this book. Most artists who write art instruction books only use their own work and perhaps some old masters for this purpose. I haven't read every book on this topic, but so far I would say that this is the BEST BOOK EVER!

"A Blessing"
Inky Thumb / Jan. 2010

This book is a blessing for the beginning, intermediate, and even advanced painter. It is thoughtful and considered. The writing style is one reason I enjoy turning to it for guidance — Albala wastes no words relating essential information, while imparting a calm, pointed knowledge. I am sure to re-read this book many times: not the case with the half dozen other contemporary "how-to" painting books that seemed rather thrown together and which I've wound up reading less than half of. Albala's use of his own and other artist's work is both inspiring and deeply instructive. Each photo is married to a caption that explains why he is using this work to illustrate the sectioned concept. These are high quality examples.

"A new classic in landscape painting"
Wayne Knowles, Painter / December 2009

Mitchell Albala has written a new classic in books dealing with landscape painting. I'd place it along side Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting, Composition of Outdoor Painting by Edgar Payne, Alla Prima by Richard Schmid and The Art Spirit by Robert Henri. It's a wonderful accomplishment.

"A well conceived discussion and approach for the landscape artist"
Suzanne Burnell, Painter / December 2009

This book provides a comprehensive and thorough approach to landscape painting. For any painter wanting to improve his/her skills, this book provides a well conceived discussion and approach for the landscape artist. There are plenty of examples, demonstrations, photographs with practical and clear writing. I also loved the beauty of the book — its layout, inspirational quotes and phenomenal paintings. I'm going to enjoy this book for a long time!