Based on the idea that intuition is the overriding principle behind good design in painting, this volume covers all elements of composition and considers them both from a personal and a technical/practical point of view. Beginning with a section on perception, the authors emphasize how the artist can learn to be open to the painting experience, both consciously and unconsciously. They then discuss composition in terms of the elements of shape, pattern, planes, positive/negative space, and dynamics of movement. The next section explores the influences on composition of value and mass, light and shade, texture, proportion, and perspective. Finally, the authors specify creative approaches which the artist can experiment with to increase compositional skill and painting facility. Aimed at beginning and intermediate artists, this book is an invaluable introduction to the often overlooked role of intuition in the achievement of good design.