Artist Toolkit: John F. Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting
In my art library, certain books earn their place on the shelf through constant use and timeless wisdom. John F. Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting is one of those treasured volumes—a book I return to again and again for its clarity, insight, and practical approach to understanding nature.
Who Was John F. Carlson?
John F. Carlson (1874-1945) was a Swedish-American landscape painter and influential teacher who founded the John F. Carlson School of Landscape Painting in Woodstock, New York. His approach to teaching landscape painting emphasised understanding the fundamental principles of nature rather than simply copying what you see.
Carlson believed that successful landscape painting required knowledge of how light behaves, how values create form, and how to simplify complex scenes into readable compositions. His teaching philosophy was straightforward: master the principles, and you can paint any landscape with confidence.
The Essential Book: Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting
Originally published in 1928 as Elementary Principles of Landscape Painting, this book was then updated and published in 1958, as Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting remaining one of the most practical and insightful books on landscape painting ever written. This is a go-to book in my art library—one I recommend to every landscape painter, whether beginner or experienced.
I purchased the affordable 2022 version which contains 139 pages of black and white only images—which is perfectly fine, as Carlson's focus on value, light, and composition is fully understandable without colour. In fact, the black and white illustrations reinforce his emphasis on value relationships, which are the foundation of successful landscape painting.
Link to the book: Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting
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Why This Book Matters
What makes Carlson's guide so valuable is its focus on principles over formulas. He doesn't give you step-by-step recipes; instead, he teaches you to see and understand. The book covers essential topics including:
- The behaviour of light in landscape
- Value relationships and their importance
- Simplification and massing
- Atmospheric perspective
- Trees, skies, and water
- Composition and design
Carlson's writing is clear, direct, and often poetic. He had a gift for explaining complex concepts in accessible language, making this book as enjoyable to read as it is instructive.
A Short Lesson: Carlson's Principle of Light and Shadow
One of Carlson's most important teachings concerns the fundamental relationship between light and shadow in landscape painting. Here's a key principle I use constantly in my own work:
The Two-Value System
Carlson taught that every landscape can be reduced to two primary values: light and shadow. Everything in sunlight belongs to the light family; everything in shadow belongs to the shadow family. This simple division is the foundation of creating convincing form and depth.
The Rule: The darkest light is always lighter than the lightest shadow.
This means that even the darkest area in direct sunlight (like the shadow side of a sunlit tree trunk) should be lighter in value than the brightest area in shadow (like a patch of sky reflected in shadowed water).
Applying This Principle
When painting outdoors, I ask myself: "Is this in light or shadow?" Once I've made that determination, I know which value family it belongs to. This prevents the common mistake of making shadows too light or lights too dark, which destroys the sense of illumination.
Why Carlson Belongs in Your Art Library
Nearly a century after its publication, Carlson's guide remains relevant because it teaches principles, not trends. Light behaves the same way today as it did in 1929. Values create form the same way. The fundamentals don't change.
I keep this book close to hand in my studio. When I'm struggling with a painting—when the values aren't working or the composition feels off—I reach for this book for wisdom. His basic principles remind me to return to fundamentals.
Other Recommended Resources
While Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting is the essential text, I also recommend this book as part of your art foundation library:
- Pair Carlson with Edgar Payne's classic guide to composition of outdoor painting for a complete foundation; I highly recommend both of these books
Final Thoughts
If you're serious about landscape painting, John F. Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting deserves a permanent place in your art library. It's not just a book to read once—it's a resource to return to throughout your painting journey.
Carlson's gift was making complex ideas simple and accessible. His principles work whether you're painting in oils, watercolors, or any other medium. They apply to plein air work and studio painting alike. Most importantly, they help you see and understand nature in a way that translates directly to better paintings.
This is one of those rare art books that actually makes you a better painter. And that's why it's earned its place as a go-to resource in my toolkit.
Do you have Carlson's guide in your library? What's your favourite principle from his teaching? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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