VIDEO: Landscape Composition: Integration, Variation, and Movement in the “Azure & Asphalt” Series

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I love composition. I love thinking about it in my own work and I love teaching it. From my perspective, it seems to be the most elusive and misunderstood aspect of our practice. This month I’ve put together a short 5:10 minute video in which I use several paintings from my Azure & Asphalt series to demonstrate three of the most important aspects of composition.

  • Integration – How we get all aspects of a composition to look like they belong together, so one area never feels separate from the others?
  • Variation – The king of all compositional considerations, which considers the difference between elements, such as size, spacing, weight, etc.
  • Movement – How does the arrangement of shapes keep our eye moving in and around the composition? (Let’s not be boring!) What is the difference between direct and indirect pathways?

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About Author

Mitchell Albala is an award-winning landscape painter, workshop instructor, and author. His semi-abstract and atmospheric landscapes have been exhibited nationally and are represented in corporate and private collections. He is the author of three popular books on landscape painting: "Landscape Painting: Essential Concepts and Techniques for Plein Air and Studio Practice (Watson-Guptill, 2009), with 70,000 copies in print; "The Landscape Painter's Workbook: Essential Studies in Shape, Composition, and Color" (Rockport Publishers, 2022), which has been the #1 selling book on landscape in the nation; and "New Lessons in Landscape Painting: Key Concepts and Exercises in Color and Composition" (Rockport Publishers, 2026). Mitchell leads painting workshops in the U.S. and has offered plein air adventures in Italy. He is also a master mentor with the online mentoring community Mastrius. He has lectured on Impressionism and landscape painting at the Seattle Art Museum and has written for International Artist and Artists & Illustrators magazines. Mitchell also hosts a popular painting blog, which hold the #11 spot on Feedspot.com's "90 Best Painting Blogs to Follow in 2026." He is a Signature member in both the Pastel Society of America and the Northwest Pastel Society.

1 Comment

  1. Useful as always. I am doing Nicholas Wilton’s Creative Visionary Program and I saw you were an instructor, which gave it credibility for me. Enjoying been locked in as I have large garden with a great view of Blencathra mountain this week has been sunny every day a rare occurrence here in the Lake District, so getting on with the boards. I wish everyone was as lucky as I am. Stay well. – Dorothy