Picture This: How Pictures Work

Molly Bang's brilliant, insightful, and accessible treatise is now revised and expanded for its 25th anniversary.



Bang's powerful ideas remain unparalleled in their simplicity and genius: Explore the intricate and thought-provoking ideas that Bang brings to Picture This including 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. Why are diagonals dramatic? Why are curves calming? Why does red feel hot and blue feel cold? She asks the right questions to get your wheels turning while the illustrations and thoughtful designs bring the words to life.



•    Explores the mix of geometrical abstraction and emotional expressions, plus how a few clear principles can be used to build powerful visual statements.

•    Encourages you to answer the question, “How does the structure of a picture—or any visual art form—affect our emotional response?”

•    Includes powerful imagery and beautiful illustrations to help readers feel connected to the text.



First published in 1991, Picture This has changed the way artists, illustrators, reviewers, critics, and readers look at and understand art.



Molly Bang has authored and illustrated more than three dozen books and has won three Caldecott Honors, a Kate Greenaway Honor, and a Charlotte Zolotow Award, among other accolades, in her long career as a writer and artist.



Picture This makes an imaginative and inspiring gift for any artist or loved one who is interested in design.