Emotional Content: How to Create Paintings That Communicate

Too often emerging artists focus on nuts-and-bolts techniques--form--as the key to creating powerful paintings. Here author Gerald Brommer reveals that emotional content is the most vital consideration. He shows how the grouping of elements, the weight given to each and the way they're depicted influence how observers perceive them.

Part one is an introduction to emotional content. The three subsequent parts guide readers through the steps of Brommer's system:

1. Selecting elements: This section includes two in-depth demonstrations on the selection and editing process.

2. Sketching the scene: Quick one-minute sketches lay out possible groupings for the elements selected in the step above.

3. Using color to evoke emotion: Color's impact on mood, temperature, light, dominance of elements, and sense of place. Full-length demonstrations show how to use color to convey emotional content.

A balanced mix of instruction, in-progress illustrations and beautiful completed work make the concepts concrete for all levels of artists.