Molly Bang's brilliant, insightful, and accessible treatise, revised and expanded for its 25th anniversary, that helps provide clarity to the timeless question "what is art?"

"A revised and expanded 25th-anniversary edition of Bang's go-to text about visual perception, or 'how pictures work,' delivers sublime design and picture-book–art commentary for readers and artists alike." — Kirkus Reviews

First published in 1991, Picture This has changed the way artists, illustrators, reviewers, critics, and readers look at and understand art. Her thought-provoking text, brilliantly illustrated by step-by-step cut-paper illustrations of scenes from Little Red Riding Hood, includes thoughts about how the visual composition of images works to engage the emotions, and how the elements of an artwork can give it the power to tell a story.

Bang asks the right questions to get your wheels turning — Why are diagonals dramatic? Why are curves calming? Why does red feel hot and blue feel cold? — while the illustrations and thoughtful designs bring the words to life.

EXPLORE 12 PRINCIPLES OF VISUAL PERCEPTION: By experimenting with basic art elements (color, placement, size, shape, and space), Bang's unique and insightful work encourages you to answer one question: "How does the structure of a picture—or any visual art form—affect our emotional response?"

FOR ART STUDENTS & CREATIVES OF ALL AGES: Written in an accessible and engaging style, Picture This has opened a window of understanding for generations of artists. Her simple, powerful principles apply to painting, photography, graphic design, animation, and illustration of all kinds.