Foundations of Classical Oil Painting: How to Paint Realistic People, Landscapes and Still Life

by Lea Colie Wight

Professional painting instructor Lea Colie Wight demystifies the formulaic process of oil painting into a simple approach to help you paint confidently and accurately in full color. Develop a core foundational skill set to develop your paintings and discover a signature way of working from life that can be applied to figure painting, portraits, landscapes and still life. Though the focus is on oils, the methods in this book can be applied to all painting mediums including as acrylic, pastel and watercolor.

   • Informative lessons and simple exercises help to build confidence and lay the foundations for successful oil painting
   • Learn a straightforward system for painting realistically with a focus on accurate color.
   • 4 full-length step-by-step demonstrations show how to paint a figure, a portrait, a still life and a landscape

Genres: Art, Reference, Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

Published September 25, 2018

Reviews

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covered some basic, foundational principles behind painting that can be used to create still lifes, landscapes, and portraits. The author worked in oils, but the focus was more on the principles than specifically how to paint using oils. Also, she talked a lot about painting live scenes and how to work with models or changing light for stills and landscapes.

She first explained value and composition. She briefly covered anatomy and how to use it to draw people accurately. She also talked about three basic steps to get the proportions right and the values on the objects correct. She then talked about a way to add color to the scene so that the colors are accurate and so you don't gray out colors that need to be vibrant. She ended with some step-by-step demonstrations on how to do this entire process for figures, portraits, landscapes, and still lifes. I would recommend this book to painters who have trouble with these basics.

I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.

[Somer Rhodes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, thought it made some very good points. I have read better, more explanatory books before tho

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great illustrations! This would be a very useful studio reference! The white coffee cup on a white sheet really shows how to find color and form. They start simple so it's good for beginners, then work up to higher complexity for experienced artists. Topics include value, composition, anatomy, gesture, color, light, portrait, landscape.

This ARC book was provided by Netgalley and North Light Books, but the opinions are my own.

[Agnes Preszler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Admirer of Lea Colie Wight's painting technique and syle, I appreciate very much this precious book where she explains everything in detail. Classical yes but in a very modern style, it's a must for serious painters who want a solid base and a contemporary look for their artwork. Highly recommended.