Rating: 
Summary: Well composed!
Review: As a beginning drawing student, when you hear your instructor rambling about composition and eye movement all the time and points out to the composition in the slides you have to sit through... and keeps referring to Cezzane, well if you want to make sense of all that then pick up this book.Don't be fooled by the size of the book. This is one amazing book that disects the composition with clarity and examples. It uses actual drawing/paintings and then demonstrate the concepts by literally disecting the illustrations. I think all art students can learn from this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Great value!
Review: I appreciate this concise book which explains theories of composition using famous paintings. I found the section on "entering" and "leaving" a composition very helpful. Essentially, give the viewer a place to "leave" the composition rather than "backing out" of it. I wanted a tight handbook to improve my skills. I am glad I got this!
Rating: 
Summary: Compact, concise yet complete
Review: I bought this book looking for formalized rules of composition. I got exactly what I asked for, though I must admit Poore writes like the page they tore out of the textbook in "Dead Poets Society." The first chapter on balance was the most formulaic and I felt at times that Poore was stretching his examples to fit or coming up with rules on the fly. I got more out of the following chapters on entrance and exit, circular observation, and angular composition. The strongest section of the book was on composition with one or more units, particularly on how to pose two people for a portrait. The last chapter on light and shade was also good. It is well worth the time and money to read this book, though it may not be where you stop.
Rating:
Summary: Compact, concise yet complete
Review: I bought this book looking for formalized rules of composition. I got exactly what I asked for, though I must admit Poore writes like the page they tore out of the textbook in "Dead Poets Society." The first chapter on balance was the most formulaic and I felt at times that Poore was stretching his examples to fit or coming up with rules on the fly. I got more out of the following chapters on entrance and exit, circular observation, and angular composition. The strongest section of the book was on composition with one or more units, particularly on how to pose two people for a portrait. The last chapter on light and shade was also good. It is well worth the time and money to read this book, though it may not be where you stop.
Rating:
Summary: Compact, concise yet complete
Review: I bought this book looking for formalized rules of composition. I got exactly what I asked for, though I must admit Poore writes like the page they tore out of the textbook in "Dead Poets Society." The first chapter on balance was the most formulaic and I felt at times that Poore was stretching his examples to fit or coming up with rules on the fly. I got more out of the following chapters on entrance and exit, circular observation, and angular composition. The strongest section of the book was on composition with one or more units, particularly on how to pose two people for a portrait. The last chapter on light and shade was also good. It is well worth the time and money to read this book, though it may not be where you stop.
Rating:
Summary: Its good
Review: I find the basics to be very detailed. which is good. But it is slow and it starts to lose my interest a bit. Maybe it is just to basic for me. But, for any beginner I think this would be a good start.
Rating:
Summary: Its good
Review: I find the basics to be very detailed. which is good. But it is slow and it starts to lose my interest a bit. Maybe it is just to basic for me. But, for any beginner I think this would be a good start.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: I've heard art instructors thrash around at length in conversations on composition and not come anywhere near getting their point across like this potent book. Don't let the slim page count fool you--the author simply doesn't need three hundred pages to illuminate his readers--this is clearly the effort of someone who has looked and thought deep and long about what makes some images so engaging and he isn't content just poking around the edges of the topic. Poore writes in a grounded, succinct manner and supports his text with well chosen black and white reproductions (a few pages in the center are in color). This book presents and clarifies some crucial points for creating an image with a pulse. So many art books cost a small fortune and deliver marginal goods--this book asks for a very modest investment and delivers gold. My work is better for having read and studied it.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: This book should be mandatory material for any student of the visual arts. The information is presented very clearly and with excellent examples. I feel I've learned a lifetime's worth of material from this one little book!
Rating:
Summary: Even Better Than I Expected!
Review: This book should be mandatory material for any student of the visual arts. The information is presented very clearly and with excellent examples. I feel I've learned a lifetime's worth of material from this one little book!
| 
