Oil Painting for the Serious Beginner: Basic Lessons in Becoming a Good Painter

by Steve Allrich

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

- 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.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1996

Reviews

[Elly Zupko · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm learning good stuff from this book, but I feel restricted by Allrich - he only tells you about what HE does, and doesn't do more than gloss over your other options. He uses a limited palette, so you learn about mixing with a limited palette. He doesn't ever use glazing, so you don't get any information about that technique. There is little about the figure - it's mostly landscape with some still life. Also, I agree with a lot of the reviews on Amazon that say this book has a weird yellow cast to all the pictures. That may be Allrich's work, or it could be the printing of the book - not sure.

But despite what it lacks, it is chock full of practical information without being bogged down with banal "exercises." He teaches you what you need to know to start painting what you want to paint. His best advice is that you need to paint a lot and you need to experiment, and that is where your greatest lessons will come from.

A great little book - I do recommend it, but try to get it discounted if you can.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and inspiring. He covers the basics and then focuses on his personal approach to painting, which I found to be very helpful. I appreciated his frankness and candor concerning his willingness to manipulate landscapes and objects in order to improve the composition, and not being an absolutist. I bought it mainly because I loved the warmth that seems to radiant from his paintings and would like my own work to capture some of that. Also, having worked mainly in acrylic up till now, many of the lessons here aren’t limited only to oils.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful.

[JW van der Merwe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great - especially the mixing of colour1

[keereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

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