Mitchell Albala – In Search of Simplified Shapes and Movement (Online Class Recording)

Date recorded: Friday, August 19, 2022
Medium: All

In this  special “double feature” Technique Takeaway, Mitchell will demonstrate two powerful exercises for the landscape painter. The first exercise, on simplification and massing, will show you how to simplify your subjects with a two-step process: applying a limited focus and reducing the composition to 10 shapes or less. The second exercise will show you how to find and “map” pathways of movement in your subjects. These exercises have been game-changers for those in my composition and shape interpretation workshops. Applicable for both studio landscape and plein air work.

Mitchell Albala is a highly respected painter, workshop instructor, and author. His semi-abstract and atmospheric landscapes have been exhibited nationally and are represented in corporate and private collections. He leads painting workshops in the U.S. and has offered plein air adventures in Italy. He is the author of two books: Landscape Painting: Essential Concepts and Techniques for Plein Air and Studio Practice (Watson-Guptill, 2009), which has been the best selling landscape painting book in the nation for 10 years; and The Landscape Painter’s Workbook: Essential Studies in Shape, Composition, and Color (Rockport Publishers, 2021). Mitchell has also lectured on Impressionism and landscape painting at the Seattle Art Museum, and written for “International Artist” and “Artists & Illustrators” magazines. He hosts a popular painting blog, which can be found at his website: mitchalbala.com.