Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Observations
Review: Carlson fills this book with his years of outdoor painting experience, all the truths he discovered about the landscape. It is a book that both beginners and very experienced painters can glean something from.
Rating: 
Summary: Good book for the beginner, but need guidence from teacher.
Review: I had my first landscape painting class and this was the textbook for that class 30 years ago. It has good pointers for the beginner artist and puts stress on the correct value more than the color itself. The author considers that as long as you have all your values correct no matter what color you use the painting will look good.
Rating:
Summary: Okay, but not great
Review: I was expecting much more from this book after reading the other reviews. The images are black and white, and I personally don't like his style. Sloppy is pretty good description of his work, and I really do admire other painters with a loose style. Maybe his focus was more on color than accurate drawing (like Monet) but if so I didn't get to see it because it was in black and white. Some of the content was moderately informative, but a lot of it was filler. The all-time greatest painting book I own is Richard Schmid's Alla Prima with beautiful color masterpieces that I want to emulate, and it has much more practical and useful information. Save your money for that one.
Rating: 
Summary: Expert instruction from a master of the subject.
Review: John Carlson is unique among artists in his ability to teach painting as masterfully as he did it himself. This book offers a deeper understanding of the subject than any other I have ever read. All things discussed within its pages seem perfectly logical and understandable and yet entirely new in the way they are presented. Master painter, master teacher, Carlson engages his audience completely and imparts his understanding fully. To read his philosophy of art alone is well worth the price. A must have book for the experienced painter and beginning student alike.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Observations
Review: Regardless of your skill level this classic text can help you perfect or refine your own paintings. The clearly written chapters on specific aspects of landscape painting can be used for quick reference when your faced with a problem in painting. A must for beginners!
Rating:
Summary: A timeless classic for artists at any skill level.
Review: Regardless of your skill level this classic text can help you perfect or refine your own paintings. The clearly written chapters on specific aspects of landscape painting can be used for quick reference when your faced with a problem in painting. A must for beginners!
Rating:
Summary: Terrific book that answers questions for landscape painters!
Review: The author seems to have gone out of his way to write a book covering every aspect of landscape painting and has done it well. He starts with his ideas on how to approach painting as a whole, continues with the mechanics of painting wherein he discusses the tools necessary, and covering subjects such as angles and values, design, perspective,light and color. An informative book for the landscape painting enthusiast. I recommend it highly!
Rating:
Summary: A classic! A bit outdated but still useful
Review: The book is old, but it's still popular because the advice contained given by Carlson is timeless. Unfortunately the pictures are b&w. One thing I liked is Carlson gives guidelines which help to make realistic landscapes. A teacher such as Hawthorne (highly recommend his book) would say to forget rules and just get the color right. But I find that's not easy to do. Carlson's guidelines, especially comparing values between foreground, trees, mountains, and sky are very helpful. I read his book on the beach while on vacation and I was able to see for myself a lot of the things he claims, especially about clouds. This book is so cheap there's no excuse for not reading it at least once!
Rating:
Summary: A classic! A bit outdated but still useful
Review: The book is old, but it's still popular because the advice contained given by Carlson is timeless. Unfortunately the pictures are b&w. One thing I liked is Carlson gives guidelines which help to make realistic landscapes. A teacher such as Hawthorne (highly recommend his book) would say to forget rules and just get the color right. But I find that's not easy to do. Carlson's guidelines, especially comparing values between foreground, trees, mountains, and sky are very helpful. I read his book on the beach while on vacation and I was able to see for myself a lot of the things he claims, especially about clouds. This book is so cheap there's no excuse for not reading it at least once!
Rating:
Summary: Worthwhile, but a little old-fashioned
Review: This book covers a lot of important landscape painting topics that are often not covered adequately or well in other books. Although very conscientiously written, Carlson's prose at times can be old-fashioned and very difficult to read. Also, it is unfortunate that the illustrations for this book on painting are presented in black and white.These negative observations made, I found the book to be very worthwhile reading. Carlson speaks to both the craft and art of landscape painting with a master's knowledge and the intent of an experienced teacher. His chapters cover value, light, aerial and linear perspective, color, trees, clouds and composition and contain much valuable information and tips for the painter.
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