Capturing Radiant Light & Color in Oils and Pastels

by Susan Sarbach

" Everything was alive, pulsing with light and color ."—Susan Sarback This is more than a how-to-paint book. It's a how-to-see book...specifically, how to tune in to nature's glorious subtleties of light and color. Forget complex theories. "Full-Color Seeing" is based on direct observation. It's about overcoming preconceptions and perceiving true color based on the colors that surround it, the way light hits it, time of day, season, weather conditions, and too many other factors for a mere formula to incorporate. You'll learn to see your subject—any subject—just as life truly presents it to you. This is the secret to capturing the living, breathing sense of atmosphere so celebrated in the works of the Impressionist painters. A revision of Susan Sarbacks' illuminating Capturing Radiant Color in Oils , this book offers twelve more years of fresh insights, new paintings and expanded coverage on soft pastels. The concepts explored here have been handed down through generations of artists: Sarback was taught "Full-Color Seeing" by master painter Henry Hensche, who learned it from Charles Hawthorne, a contemporary of Claude Monet. This step-by-step approach will add greater vitality to your artwork and forever change the way you see.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! I think this will be one of the most important art books in my library. So full of good information, I'm going to buy it to have on hand anytime I need a refresher on "seeing in full color."

I LOVE this book for many reasons:
First, I love her style of painting - impressionistic and full of color and light.
Second, she gives exercises in HOW to SEE in full color, including photo examples.
Third, this book isn't only helpful for oil and soft pastel painters. It is applicable to every art medium!

The author covers so many important components of creating GOOD paintings in this book. She supports her writing by showing photo examples of what she's teaching. This is unbelievably helpful! Sarbach explains the benefits of using soft pastels and oil paints and discusses palettes, surfaces, and supplies for each, even listing resources for each medium. There are demo exercises in oils and pastels, with each step shown with instructions and the corresponding photo.

She talks in depth about the 4 stages of painting, color temperature, value and chroma, edges, shadows and cast shadows, strong compositions, patterns and rhythms, plein air painting supplies, painting strokes, light keys, and so much more. And everything is backed up with picture examples and step by step demos. She demonstrates paintings painted in "full color seeing" and the same painting without it.

This book contains some of the most beautiful soft pastel and oil paintings I've seen. She is a master artist and many of the paintings shown are hers, but she also shows examples of other artists' works. Very inspiring.

Sadly, I must return this book to the library, since it was an interlibrary loan, but I've already ordered it for myself. I NEED this book ... and you may need it too! Check it out.

HIGHLY Recommend for artists - both new artists and experienced.

[Carolm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This starts off with the tone of a born-again Christian sermon, but if you can get past that to where she begins to teach about painting, there are some insights to be had. I got pretty tired of reading the term "full-color seeing" as well.

Although there are pastels mentioned in the title, there are no examples until pretty much the last chapter. Also, it is a little strange to be introducing a brand new concept, Shibui, at the end of the book, when it is not mentioned anywhere else.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

having a hard time seeing the "full color" but trying my darndest. the results look neat-o!