Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com

First published in 1991, Picture This fans will welcome the new edition's striking redesign and introduce its insights to many other artists and art appreciators alike.

Average Customer Rating:

Unusal method of teaching composition.	Customer Rating:
This book would be ideal for a first-time camera user. It is amazingly simplistic. If you're looking for actual tips and techniques, pass this one by.

A Must Have

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I can't say I'm overly well versed in composition, namely because most books on the subject are so dense. But in Picture This, the author has found easily understandable way to show the basic fundamentals of art. Rather than teach composition with diagrams drawn over old master paintings like some books, Molly Bang uses simple bits of paper to demonstrate how shape, color and placement can affect the mood of a picture. And once you understand these principles, it's easy to see how they can be applied to more complex artwork. Bang's pace is very deliberate. Every change to her construction paper compositions is well documented and explained. It's that simplicity and directness that allow her to communicate such a large amount of knowledge in only 96 pages. And don't let the short page count and the fact that this book is recommended for grade schoolers fool you. This is a book every artist should have her shelf.

Fantastic book!	Customer Rating:
This book is amazing...the illustrations are simple, clear and compelling and the narrative approach to understanding the art elements and principles makes this rather dry topic into a fascinating tale. I have purchased several copies of this book for friends and plan to use it in my middle school art classroom.

for grownups, too	Customer Rating:
Don't be misled by the simple pictures and storybook style into thinking this a just a book for children. I have given this book to several adult friends, including some who are professional artists. We all learned something from Molly Bang's clear and compelling explanations of the principles of visual composition.

Picture This: How Pictures Work	Customer Rating:
I love this book and using it for teaching basic design ideas...a fellow teacher uses it in Psychology! The simple story of Little Red Riding Hood serves as the basis for discussion how line, color, shape, etc. work in art. Such a great idea...wish there were others of this type. I will be using it to teach the elements of art in Art History this fall.