Take your plein air artwork to the next level through easy-to-understand workshop-style lessons and skill-building exercises. In Plein Air Techniques for Artists, award-winning artist and respected workshop instructor Aimee Erickson demystifies how to capture a variety of light effects and guides you in strengthening your plein air skills through practice. This accessible book covers: Materials and gear. Gain a basic knowledge of the possibilities so you can keep your options open and your plein air process fresh. Composition and value. Explore the impact of proportion, color, value, line, edges, shape, and texture. Color. Consider how knowledge and intention, your color palette, and what you see-your perspective-take turns being in charge of the color game, inventing rules and finding solutions. Light effects. Learn how conditions of the day-how much light there is, and whether it's soft, diffuse, golden, harsh, pale, or dusky-affect everything we see and how we paint. Design and the visual idea. Discover strategies for developing a visual idea, from creating serial studies to working with a camera to improvisation. Featuring exceptional still lifes, figures, and landscapes by other noted artists working in a range of mediums, Plein Air Techniques for Artists gives artists at all levels of experience the guidance they need to grow as a plein air artist. The For Artists series expertly guides and instructs artists at all skill levels who want to develop their classical drawing and painting skills and create realistic and representational art.

Delving into Frederick Sandys's unconventional life, Betty Elzea's research reveals much about his complicated and often scandalous relationships. Born and educated in Norwich with an artisan background, Sandys was bohemian by nature, though from necessity, to the world at large, he appeared genteel and respectable. Unfortunately disorganised, un-businesslike and preferring to live alone as a bachelor in lodgings, he struggled to support two growing families of illegitimate children. From youth, developing skills as a draughtsman and painter, he moved to London, meeting Dante Gabriel Rossetti and the Pre-Raphaelites and their associates, while keeping a foothold in Norwich where he maintained friendships and enjoyed the support of the Norfolk gentry and several notable Norwich industrialists. Norfolk landscape painting and nature studies led to commissioned portraiture which became his main source of income. He is known for depictions of beautiful women in legendary disguises as well as meticulously-detailed portraits of elderly women. He also pioneered a new type of large-scale portrait drawing in chalks.

Learn how use oil paints with this clear and simple guide. Accomplished artist and teacher Norman Long explains all the basics and shows you how to master this versatile, vibrant medium so you can produce beautiful paintings full of life and color. Oils has a handy front section covering all the practical stuff, from choosing the right materials to essential techniques. 10 step-by-step tutorials each broken down into key stages range of subject matter from still life to landscapes to figures clear step-by-step photography and instructions includes special features on painting people, painting outdoors and composition tips and practical advice to help make the most of your paints

Create nine lustrous and captivating little works of art with this unique introduction to oil painting. Acclaimed artist Estelle Day demonstrates all you need to know to embark on your oil painting journey from what paints and supplies you'll need to essential oil painting techniques. Beginners will build confidence by working on small-scale, still life painting projects designed for canvases measuring no more than 10cm (4in). Also included are outlines for you to trace so you can get started right away! Easy Oil Painting is the perfect beginner's guide to working with oils and mastering this luminous and exciting medium.

Water-mixable oil paints offer all the qualities of traditional oils – rich pigments, buttery consistency, long drying times – but with one remarkable difference, there is no need for solvents! This book will encourage and inspire beginners and provide them with all the skills and knowledge they need to produce successful oil paintings. It starts with an introduction to the medium, and explains what water-mixable oils are. This introduction is followed by several sections on materials, preparation (how to care for your brushes, storing your paints, and so on), colour (selecting your basic, or capsule, palette), mixing the paints and preparing your surfaces. The first project explains how to explore colour in order to paint in the style of Vincent van Gogh. There are then five longer projects that touch upon the themes of abstraction, still life, landscapes, buildings, and working from a photograph, all of which capitalize on the rich qualities of the paints.  Each project is accompanied by a clear list of materials needed as well as top tips and skills practised; Sarah also interjects with useful anecdotes and words of wisdom garnered from her experience working in this vibrant and exciting medium. At the end of the book, the reader discovers how best to store and transport finished paintings, especially if the paint is still tacky to the touch, and how to frame a painting for impact.

In Dynamic Still Life for Artists, noted artist and instructor Sarah Sedwick presents detailed, step-by-step instruction and insights on the many creative possibilities that drawing and painting still lifes can offer. Develop observational skills by setting up and assessing various arrangements, groupings, and formats. Evaluate an arrangement's abstract shapes by creating black-and-white value studies. Learn the process of alla prima painting, from underpainting to color mixing to applying color. Featuring inspiring examples by other distinguished artists working in a variety of mediums, DynamicStill Life for Artists will encourage all artists, from aspiring to accomplished, to explore this timeless genre through new arrangements, styles, and visual studies, empowering them to develop and expand their creative and technical skills. The For Artists series expertly guides and instructs artists at all skill levels who want to develop their classical drawing and painting skills and create realistic and representational art.

Each year between 1819 and 1825, John Constable (1776-1837) submitted a monumental canvas to the Royal Academy of Arts in London for display in the annual Exhibition. These so-called six-footers vividly captured the life of the River Stour in Suffolk, where Constable grew up and where he returned to paint each year. The Leaping Horse, the last of these, now a major work in the Academy's collection, is the subject of this fascinating new book. Humphreys explores Constable's often avant-garde working methods, as well as his struggle to gain full acceptance within the art establishment of the early nineteenth century. With reproductions of his full-scale preliminary sketches as well as brand new photography of the painting itself, this book is the ideal companion for art lovers who seek a deeper appreciation of Constable's iconic depictions of the English countryside.

Published to accompany Piano Nobile's exhibition of the same title, Cyril Mann: The Solid Shadow Paintings, is the first book to describe this vivid and art historically significant group of still-life paintings. As well as including a fully-illustrated catalogue of the exhibition, the book describes how Mann's solid shadow style emerged in the early nineteen-fifties. Though Mann spent the rest of his career painting natural light, the solid shadow paintings were made under the glow of an electric lightbulb. After moving into a lightless flat at Old Street, Mann's pictures began to course with unnatural, electric colour. For the first time, he noticed the line that joins together an object with the shadow it casts. He depicted this line in his paintings as if it were itself a solid object, laid on the table before him beside apples and Pelican paperbacks. Undertaken between 1951 and 1957, Mann's solid shadow paintings were a dazzling interjection in the subdued art world of fifties Britain. This was his most original period and it stands as his lasting contribution to the history of twentieth-century painting. These works have never been displayed together before and the accompanying exhibition to this catalogue will provide an insight into the artist's radiant formal language.

Stimulating, informative guide by noted teacher covers painting technique, painting from life, materials (paints, varnishes, oils and mediums, grounds, etc.), a painter's training, more. Expert analysis of work of Velasquez, Reynolds, Gainsborough, Hals, Rembrandt, etc. 64 photos. 5 line drawings.

Artists who wish to explore the world of painting with oils en plein air will love the freshness and vibrancy of the work in this book - as well as the expert, down-to-earth advice of its author. Award-winning artist Haidee-Jo explores the appeal of working outside with oils and the enormous benefits it can bring in terms of personal well-being. She also shares her techniques to allow the reader to invest their oil artwork with light, motion and life. With dozens of Haidee-Jo's artworks to provide inspiration to the reader, and clear, step-by-step demonstrations throughout, this book provides both an expert guide to the challenges, opportunities and fun of painting outdoors; and provides an insight into the working methods of this dynamic artist.

The Easy Way to Get Started with Oil Painting Craig Stephens has a simple motto for painting: With a brush, some paints and a willingness to learn, anyone can do it. With that mindset, Craig takes his most essential lessons, boils them down to their basics and teaches you everything you need to know to start oil painting, without any fuss or highbrow. Thanks to his experience teaching painting to high school students for over two decades, Craig is an expert at helping those with no experience pick up a brush and make beautiful art they are proud of. With his direction, you'll create dynamic, vivid paintings and learn to capture your world in ways you never thought possible. Each project in this book is designed to highlight the important elements of using oil paints, helping you to practice new skills and get comfortable with the medium. And thanks to Craig's helpful step-by-step directions that pair a picture with each stroke, you'll get great results. Hone your color-mixing eye as you blend the vibrant greens and subtle yellows in the Freshly Cut Avocado piece. Practice painting unique textures, like the small craters in the Simplified Strawberry or the glossy skin on the Smooth and Shiny Plum. Learn all the ways to capture natural light, like transparency in a glass of Refreshing Lemon Water or dazzling reflections on a Chrome Coffee Creamer. Oil painting is a timeless art form, and with Craig as your teacher, you'll create 22 beautiful pieces for your walls and learn all the foundational skills you need to enjoy this hobby for years to come.

A fully illustrated, comprehensive, and scholarly catalogue of the paintings in the Ashmolean Museum's collection by French artists born between 1775 and 1875 The only complete catalogue of French paintings of the period in the Ashmolean Museum, this comprehensive and scholarly study explores their rich collection of nineteenth-century French art. Continuing a convention set by earlier Ashmolean catalogues that mirrors the concept of the long nineteenth century, the book defines nineteenth-century French artists as those born between 1775 and 1875. Stretching into the twentieth century, it covers a fascinating range of paintings including works by Louis-Leopold Boilly, Camille, Lucien, and Fe lix Pissarro, Henri Fantin-Latour, Edouard Manet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Ce zanne, Claude Monet, and Henri Matisse. The catalogue was compiled by the late distinguished art historian Jon Whiteley. In each entry, Whiteley draws upon his encyclopaedic knowledge of French art and the Ashmolean holdings. Provenance, literature, and exhibition history are recorded as well as extensive technical notes and information on frames. The entries on each work are accompanied by new, high-quality photography and comparative images, resulting in a complete and thorough documentation of this important part of the Ashmolean collection of Western art, providing an informative contribution to existing scholarship. Distributed for Modern Art Press

Oil paint is such a responsive and versatile medium that no two painters need use it in exactly the same way, and since its invention in Renaissance times it has never lost its popularity with artists. Amateurs also find it appealing, both because it is enjoyable to use and because mistakes can be so easily rectified. This compact book explains all the materials, techniques and different approaches to painting with oils. Step-by-step sequences show how to paint a range of themes, from still life to portraits and landscapes, with advice on more difficult subjects. There are also suggestions for presenting your finished paintings and how to go about getting your work seen and exhibited.

Landscape painting is one of the most popular subjects for painters working in the medium of oils - from classic masters to contemporary artists. In The Elements of Landscape Oil Painting, established Watson-Guptill author and noted instructor/painter Suzanne Brooker presents the fundamentals necessary for mastering landscape oil painting, breaking landscapes down into component parts: sky, terrain, trees, and water. Each featured element builds off the previous, with additional lessons on the latest brushes, paints, and other tools used by artists. Key methods like observation, rendering, and colour mixing are supported by demonstration paintings and samples from a variety of the best landscape oil painters of all time. With The Elements of Landscape Oil Painting, oil painters looking to break into landscape painting or enhance their work will find all the necessary ingredients for success.

One of the most unexpectedly useful things we can do when we're feeling glum or out of sorts is to look at pictures. The best works of art can lift our spirits, remind us of what we love and return perspective to our situation. A few moments in front of the right picture can rescue us. This is a collection of 100 of the world's most consoling and uplifting images, accompanied by small essays that talk about the works in a way that offers us comfort and inspiration. The images in the book range wildly across time and space: from ancient to modern art, east to west, north to south, taking in photography, painting, abstract and figurative art. All the images have been carefully chosen to help us with a particular problem we might face: a broken heart, a difficulty at work, the meanness of others, the challenges of family and friends We're invited to look at art with unusual depth and then find our way towards new hope and courage. This is a portable museum dedicated to beauty and consolation, a unique book about art which is also about psychology and healing: a true piece of art therapy.

Rob Wareing has built a formidable international reputation as a portrait artist. This is his first book, and here he draws on over 40 years' experience to provide a complete guide to painting portraits in oils. In Rob's view, the most effective way to capture character is by working from life rather than photographs, and to follow the alla prima method to create a painting in one sitting. Starting with a fascinating overview of the subject, Rob then guides the reader through the materials he uses, explains how to pose and light the sitter, and how to prepare the work area before starting to paint. This is followed by detailed coverage of design and composition, the importance of proportions, and the painting process itself - from colour mixing through to finishing a painting without over-working. With clear, step-by-step demonstrations and numerous examples of the author's work throughout, this book provides both an expert guide to portrait painting and a unique insight into the working methods of one of the world's leading portrait painters.

These pages practically glow with Kevin Macpherson's rich and powerful paintings He shares his techniques for quickly capturing the mood of a scene in bold, direct brushstrokes, with step-by-step instructions that make it easy--simply a matter of painting the colors you see. Follow his lead and you too, can create landscapes and still lives in a vibrant, impressionistic style.

An essential guide demonstrating the universal oil painting techniques that allow artists to expand their horizons, break out of ruts, and master a variety of subjects, including figures, portraits, still life, landscapes, and interiors. Many painters limit themselves to a particular genre out of habit or fear, but art instructor Gregg Kreutz reveals how connected oil painting techniques are no matter what subject an artist tackles. Arranged by essential artistic focal points, each chapter reveals the challenges and rewards that painters face when covering specific genres. Through step-by-step lessons and examples from the works of oil painting masters past and present, Kreutz shows how artists can strengthen their skillset for one type of subject matter by painting in another area they may not be as familiar with. This comprehensive breakdown of oil painting provides all of the tools and encouragement painters need to successfully take on any type of oil painting.