A mentor to Georgia O'Keeffe, Dow literally "wrote the book" on composition. First published in 1899, this manual influenced generations of teachers and students. Relevant to all of the visual arts, it employs a workbook format to impart principles regarding harmonic relations between lines, color, and dark and light patterns. Reprint of Doubleday, Page & Company, Garden City, New York, 1913 edition.
Here's a sample of other books in this Dover category
Pictorial Composition: An Introduction by Henry Rankin Poore Learn principles of composition, classical and modern, through analysis of works from Middle Ages to present — Goya, Cézanne, Hopper, many others. 148 illustrations, 9 in full color.
Composition in Landscape and Still Life by Ernest W. Watson Highlighting the works of nearly 100 master painters, Watson points out that while an artist's skill is important, a painting's true power lies in its arrangement, design, and theme. 135 paintings.
Perspective for Artists by Rex Vicat Cole Depth, perspective of sky and sea, shadows, much more, not usually covered. 391 diagrams, 81 reproductions of drawings and paintings.
Composition: The Anatomy of Picture Making by Harry Sternberg This clear, concise introduction exposes the compositional devices that underlie successful artworks. Its many examples reduce pictures to their basic formal elements, offering an approachable treatment of an oft-neglected topic.
