A Direct Approach to Painting: Expand Your Horizons As a Painter

by Alfred Chadbourn

Here is an art book by a noted painter and teacher full of dash, color, and sound advice for the aspiring artist. A lively text punctuated with sketches, drawings and painting demonstrations, shows how a skilled practitioner creates exciting still lifes, landscapes and figurative compositions. Chadbourn's insights broaden the horizons of the novice by demonstrating how to paint complex subjects in a simple, straightforward manner. Years of teaching experience have proven the effectiveness of his premise. A figure or group of figures, says the artist, are no more complicated than trees, buildings or still life objects. It is all in how you think about it and simplify the shapes. Long recognized for his brilliant color and strong, bold compositions, Chadbourn tells of his dedication to art and painting; about his experimenting with different mediums and approaches. He also discusses the differences between the professional and the amateur; how these differences are mainly in the attitude of the individual, not in his ability. Years of teaching and a never ceasing regimen of painting give credence and authority to the author's words. His demonstrations and pictures prove his case convincingly. All artists, novice or experienced, will find The Direct Approach to Painting stimulating, helpful and rewarding.

128 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1985