Composition of Outdoor Painting by Edgar Payne notes

 I borrowed this book from a friend for a week, so quickly skimmed it. 

This is a very dense book. Information can be learned from practically each paragraph

Chapter 2; Selection and composition, just some of the things that he shows through line sketches

• multiple examples of varying/rearranging subject to highlight motif
• pictorial designs by European artists
• original sketch and how by selecting part of the view you highlight motif
• things to be avoided in composition

Chapter 3; Types of composition. He suggests you study and experiment with each one.

• Steelyard
• Balance Scale
• Circle or 0
• S or Compound Curve
• The pyramid or Triangle
• The Cross
• The Radiating Line
• The Ell or Rectangular
• The Suspended Steelyard
• The Three Spot
• The Group Mass
• The Diagonal Line
• The Tunnel
• The Silhouette
• The Pattern

Addenda by Evelyn Payne Hatcher

• Practice in drawing from nature helps you to see

Her Father's painting steps

1. Select and arrange the elements of the scene. Then once he decided on main subject, he tried out differing compositions.
2. Sketch scene on canvas
3. Establish pattern of darks and lights
4. Establish color scheme
5. Apply thicker pigment to dark areas. Modeling of forms

Two of her mother's exercises for students

• Make compositions with black, white, and gray only.
• Paint strips of black, white, and grey in varying proportions and orders. Then add landscape touches to half of the strips