“Albala’s two previous books have all the makings of a classic … I wondered if he could draw from the well one more time with this third offering. The answer is a resounding “Yes.” Albala is not only a gifted artist and instructor, but has an ability to break down concepts into concise, cogent language as very few artists can do.” – Ray Munger, artist
Advance Praise
"Mitchell is a master of simplification, both in his artwork and in his ability to break down complex painting principles into clear, digestible lessons that artists at any level can understand ... Mitchell takes the overwhelm out of learning the foundational principles." – Julie deBoer, Artist & Founder of Mastrius, the global mentorship community for artists
“More than simply explaining the principles of landscape painting, Mitchell teaches artists how to see, question, and grow. ‘New Lessons in Landscape Painting’ is a beautifully crafted guide that painters will return to throughout their artistic journey, discovering new insights each time they open its pages.” – Martha Jordan, artist, owner and director, Winslow Art Center
"The knowledge in this book is deep without being intimidating. Clear concepts and practical guidance make it a staple on the shelf of everyone from beginners to seasoned painters. I especially appreciated how Mitchell presents familiar topics with fresh language and new perspectives. Words matter, and Mitchell has nailed it." – Michael King, artist and host of artful:minds podcast
"You can paint what you see or paint what you know. Mitchell's 'New Lessons' helps you know what you see. It lays out a set of strategies, like a checklist, that can help you create more successful landscapes.” – Michael Stasinos, instructor, and award-winning landscape painter
“Particularly helpful is the emphasis on not getting bogged down in details, but breaking the painting down into the simple rules of shape, color and contrast. This reset is incredibly valuable, especially for those of us who are professional painters looking to refresh our vision." – Andy Eccleshal, award-winning landscape painter
"Mitchell's 'New Lessons' has deepened my understanding of painting in ways I didn't expect, even after more than 20 years of practice. He has a unique ability to bridge understanding and application. Each lesson encourages you to test each concept for yourself rather than simply accept it intellectually." – Chris Holt, instructor and painter
"Many fine books on painting cover similar same topics — composition, color strategies, and abstraction, for example. But few are as comprehensive as Albala’s. And none include so many masterpieces by famous professionals to illustrate the recommended approaches to each problem. These paintings by themselves are worth the price of admission." – Steve Whitney, instructor and award-winning painter
"I thought Albala’s first two, top-selling landscape painting books were the best since Carlson’s classic, but his new book is even better. Not only does it contain dozens and dozens of beautiful landscape paintings by different painters, but it also includes multiple examples and clearly stated, useful exercises in each chapter.” – Joyce Prigot, fine artist
“‘New Lessons’ is the kind of book I'll always keep on my art table. It’s not something I'll read just once and never touch again, it's something I'll keep returning to as my work develops.” – Marcela Strasdas, instructor and award-winning artist.
“Mitchell’s discussions of shape, value, color harmony, composition, and edges are articulated with great clarity. And just as the perfect famous quotation can elevate a speech, the paintings he uses to illustrate these concepts do the same.” – P.D. Jensen, landscape painter
“The third book on landscape painting by artist Mitchell Albala is an absolute joy, from the introduction to the final sentence. Mitchell writes clearly, in a conversational tone that makes both the basic concepts like composition, and the more complex topics like color temperature, comprehensible and exciting.” – Margaret Davidson, artist, instructor, and author of Contemporary Drawing: Key Concepts and Techniques
ON SALE OCT 13
PREORDER YOUR COPY BY OCT 1
The first 500 preorders will receive a custom bookplate signed by the author. Of those 500, 25 winners will also be selected to receive a signed giclée art print of one of the author’s paintings featured in the book. Preorder Now ››
HOW DOES “NEW LESSONS” DIFFER FROM MY PREVIOUS LANDSCAPE BOOKS?
Compare topics covered in each book ››
AUTHOR EVENTS
Four events in October and November ››
WHAT’S NEW IN “NEW LESSONS”?
“New Lessons” builds on the success of the bestselling The Landscape Painter’s Workbook with new topics, exercises, and demonstrations that are not covered in either of my two previous books. Alongside inspiring contemporary artwork from today’s top landscape painters, this indispensable reference offers intermediate and advanced skill-building lessons that apply to both plein air and studio painting.
- 8 step-by-step, practical exercises, plus “Key-Concept” primers that explain the theory behind key lessons
- Full chapter on color temperature — learn how it can enhance every type of color interaction
- 3 new simplification exercises in the chapter “Seeing the Forest Through the Trees”
- Full chapter on compositional variation with the “Variation Through Abstract Notan” and “Variation in Representational Notan” exercises.
- Special section on edges — one of the most powerful tools to control focus and depth
- Full chapter on color dominance, a practical strategy for building color cohesion and mood
- Explore the keys to abstraction in the chapter “Cultivating an Abstract Aesthetic”
- The spatial properties of color, a rarely discussed topic that goes far beyond “cool colors recede and warm colors advance”
- Explore the special luminosity of the nocturne, and its palette
- Over 100 paintings from more than 50 of today’s most respected landscape artists working in oil, pastel, watercolor, and acrylic
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: Seeing The Forest Through the Trees
The Poetry of Simplification
Shapes and Planes
Demonstration: The Art of Implication
Key Concept: Selecting Photo Reference
Exercise: 10 Shapes or Fewer
Exercise: Shape Combining
Demonstration: Simplifying with a 3-Value Study
CHAPTER 2: The Power of Variation
Key Concept: Aspects of Variation
Key Concept: Notan
Exercise: Variation through Abstract Notan
Exercise: Variation in Representational Notan
Demonstration: All Shapes, Great and Small
CHAPER 3: The Spatial Stage
Volume
Scale and Overlap
Perspective
Atmospheric
Linear
Tactile
The Power of Edges
Edge Variability
The Relativity of Edges
How Value and Color Contrasts Affect the Appearance of Edges
Edges: Creative Translation, Not Direct Transcription
Choose Your Edge—Hard versus Soft
Edges in Action
Edges, Lost and Found
The Spatial Properties of Color
Exercise: Perceiving the Illusion
Dimensional vs. Ambiguous Space
Demonstration: Spatial Repair - Before and After
CHPATER 4: The Power of Color Temperature
Understanding Temperature
Temperature: A Relative Affair
Temperature: A Global Form of Contrast
Temperature Differences, Great and Small
Temperature Analyses
The Temperature of Light
Exercise: Building Temperature Sensitivity
Key Concept: The Temperature-Driven Palette
Exercise: Temperature-Based Painting
CHPATER 5: Color Dominance
Key Concept: Color Grouping
Color Dominance Benefits
Demonstration: With and Without Color Dominance
Dominance Through Proportion
Dominance Through Hue Integration
In Practice: Snow Moon
Color Dominance in Action with Blair Brown and Albala
CHAPTER 6: Day and Night
Value and Color: The Twin Forces of Light
How Value Affects Hue Identity
Day
Leading with Value Contrast
Leading with Color Interaction
Saturated Color as a Substitute for Light
Balancing value and Color Contrasts
Daylight Painting Considerations
Night
Managing Value and Color Contrast in Nocturnal Light
Blue and Green Makes Night
Demonstration: Day Into Night
Nocturne Color Considerations
Between Day and Night
Twilight
Sunrise/Sunset
CHAPTER 7: Beyond Observational Color
Key Concept: Color Evolution
Direct Observation
Informed Modification
Interpretive Color
Exercise: Color Transposition
Beyond: En Plein Air with Signori and Raybould
Beyond: In the Studio with Erickson and Charles
CHAPTER 8: Cultivating an Abstract Aesthetic
What Makes a Painting Abstract?
Inducing abstraction
Ultra-Simplification
Gestural and/or Textural Mark-Making
Interpretive and Expressive Color
Abstraction and Vision
Demonstration: Representational to Semi-Abstract
Abstraction and Flatness
Abstracting in Series
In Practice: Mitchell Albala
In Practice: Vahe Yeremyan
LOOK INSIDE
From Chapter 5, “Color Dominance,” with works by the author (left) and Sandy Bricel Miller (right).
From Chapter 2, “The Spatial Stage,” with work by Tibor Nagy.
From Chapter 4, “The Power of Color Temperature,” with work by Barbara Jaenicke.
From Chapter 2, “The Power of Variation,” with photos and notan studies by the author.