Product Description

If looking at wonderful paintings fills you with desire to create your own, this book is for you. Even if you’ve never put brush to canvas before, but are committed to learning how, Oil Painting for the Serious Beginner will enable you to express yourself richly through this esteemed art medium.

With clarity, simplicity, and enthusiasm, Steve Allrich shares with readers the tried-and-true methods he employs in his mastery of oil painting. Practical step-by-step instruction and fully illustrated demonstrations are provided. You will learn how to:

- Select paint, canvas, brushes, other materials
- Practice good drawing skills, mix color ranges, design vital compositions
- Tone canvas, sketch and block in your subject, achieve painterly brushwork
- Depict strong still lifes and interiors, arrange good lighting effects for both
- Choose the best landscape settings, handle perspective, capture natural light.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #58394 in Books
• Published on: 1996-06-01
• Released on: 1996-06-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

Ingram
Priced to reach a broad market, this book offers an inviting introduction to the materials and techniques of oil painting. Allrich begins with an outline of the essential components of good painting, then describes the basic materials and tools of the oil medium. The fundamentals are strongly stressed and lessons on defining concept, toning the canvas, and understaning light sources are covered. 125 color illustrations.

Customer Reviews

Terrific treasure
This well-written book is informative, intelligent, and practical. It is not a "how-to" book and a real beginner would need something more than this to get started with oils. Nevertheless, this book is a great introduction to the medium and is full of useful "tips" and creative insights. I find myself referring to it again and again.

Probably the best current title for the "advanced" beginner
I purchased this relatively small book four years ago when I returned to oil painting after a long absence. I still refer to it and find the information to be exceedingly relevant to my current work.

As Allrich justly states in an early chapter, "there really is no shortcut in learning to paint." While instructional material can be helpful it often delays the student painter from the actual task at hand; putting brush to canvas. The search for the perfect book is exceeded only by the relentless quest for equipment as a contributary factor in the retardation of skill development. Having said that I must now suggest that this title is one of the few exceptions.

Most reviewers of this title will comment either favorably or unfavorably on the specific palette Allrich has chosen for his work. However, few (other than the previous reviewer who didn't like the "yellow" paintings) can argue that Allrich's work isn't beautifully rendered even if the palette is somewhat unconventional. And no one can claim that his work lacks a unified vision of diverse subject matter yielding that special emotional response that separates art from graphics. Steve Allrich is a fine artist.

Buy this book and read it (just don't skim it and look at the pictures). The information contained within it is comprehensive and often universal no matter what style of painting you're into.

While there are literaly hundreds of books on oil painting currently in the market place this small gem is one of two or three that I consider essential.

A "MUST" read for the educated beginner
I cannot belive there are bad reviews written for this book... This is a great book!.
Painting is a state of being, a perspective, a way of looking at nature. Paiting is for the Judgemental and the enlightened mind. Paining is not something that you can write clif-notes about, unless done as quick reference for the experienced.
This book will not provide you with deep insight and subject matter on color because the author wants you to experience color on your own.
Color is the trademark of the artist. Because of this all photgraphs of work created by the artist are shaded with yellow.
This book as been written with taste and purpose and gives you all that you need to embark on your quest as someone who is serioulsy thinking about painting in oils or on any medium.
Two thumbs up from me.