14 Formulas for Painting Fabulous Landscapes [Hardcover]

Barbara Nuss (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2003

When it comes to capturing the beauty of the great outdoors, it's the composition that really makes or breaks a landscape painting. Accomplished artist Barbara Nuss takes all the guesswork out of the equation with this indispensable guide.

She shows artists how to simplify, arrange and refine what they see in the natural world to create a truly great painting. The book is divided into 14 chapters to cover each of the core design formats for landscape paintings.

Within each section, readers will find easy-to-follow exercises, thumbnail sketches, photos and other helpful tools. Many of the composition topics are accompanied by complete painting demonstrations. Readers will come away with all the knowledge they need to link real-world nature scenes with these 14 essential compositions.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Barbara Nuss is an award-winning landscape painter who has been teaching painting since 1983. Her accomplishments include membership in the Salmagundi Club of New York City and being featured in the 2001 Arts for the Parks Top 100. She lives in Woodbine, Maryland.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 143 pages
• Publisher: North Light Books (December 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581803850
• ISBN-13: 978-1581803853
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #604,444 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

96 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Have for Landscape Artists!, March 31, 2004

By 

Carol A. Strickland (NC, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 14 Formulas for Painting Fabulous Landscapes (Hardcover)

"Formulas" is such an unfortunate word to put on anything creative. Disregard it. This book is a treasure!

NOT ONLY does it break composition down into 14 loose suggestions that will help you organize your paintings and bring your viewers into them, BUT it also tells you what to pack for plein air sketching, how to photograph the setting once you're there, and how to simplify, simplify, simplify and rearrange what it is you see so it will translate onto the canvas.

Landscape painting isn't about painting what you see. That's why God created cameras. A painting instructor once told me: "You don't paint a tree; you paint a symbol of a tree." Therein lies all the difference in the world, and Barbara goes into the same thing from a slightly different direction here. LIGHTBULB MOMENTS ABOUND!

In addition, there's Barbara's paintings on display. Though she paints more realistically than I do, I would still turn the pages and say, "Oh!" because it's gorgeous stuff.

And she shows you how you can do gorgeous stuff, too. Thank you, Barbara Nuss!!!!

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Advice on Landscape Painting, May 3, 2006

By 

Book Addict (Midwest) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: 14 Formulas for Painting Fabulous Landscapes (Hardcover)

I was somewhat surprised with this book as I don't usually care for the X number of steps for a perfect life type books. However, Barbara Nuss has some very good advice for the beginner and intermediate landscape painter, and even for the advanced painter. She actually does list 14 "formulas" or, as I'd classify, compositions, of landscape painting. Each formula is addressed with samples and step-by-step demonstrations. Some of these are addressed in other books (see my review on Edgar Alwin Payne). However, I think the greatest value in Ms. Nuss' advice is how she gives the viewer confidence to change things. If you don't like the actual landscape in front of you, change it! Ha! How simple is that? But most artists are so consumed with the idea of depicting things exactly as they see them, that they forget that they are the creator and can change the landscape to make a stronger composition and a stronger painting. Most outdoor painters will find value in this book. I will add that Ms. Nuss' oil paintings are much stronger than her watercolor paintngs. If you are looking for W/C, then perhaps another book would suit you better.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly a most wonderful book ., November 4, 2006

By 

J. R. Johnston "Keen watercolourist." (New Zealand.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 14 Formulas for Painting Fabulous Landscapes (Hardcover)

As a recent beginner to painting I have found it difficult to find a suitable subject to paint and have suffered from the "White Paper" syndrome on many occasions. After studying "14 Formulas for Painting Fabulous Landscapes" I am enjoying my new found ability to construct a painting by composition, rather than trying to find a scene that suits. I have been making "photographs", not paintings, but that has now stopped, thanks to Barbara Nuss and her wonderful book of design and composition.
As I am fairly new to oils, having painted in watercolour for a while, I
was especially attracted to this book by the stunning paintings I saw when I first opened it.
I just hope that one day I can produce work like hers, as every painting in this book is absolutely beautiful.
Highly recommend it for beginners and experts alike.