Composition: Understanding Line, Notan and Color (Dover Art Instruction)

Change the Way You See and Understand ArtOriginally 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 relativ