This in depth painting demonstration explains a practical way of achieving sfumato effects with modern art materials when painting Leonardo da Vinci's the Mona Lisa. Featured also in Skin Tones in Oil: 10 Step by Step Guides from Old Masters, this painting project has proved to be sufficiently lengthy to warrant a book in its own right. The chief section of this book comprises step by step images and text that gives instructions on how the Mona Lisa was completed via 5 stages. Preparatory sections, a troubleshooting guide and glossary are also included. Find extra features on managing tonal balances, rendering subtle shadows, working in glazes, dry brushing and using simple art materials. Completing such a momentous project has been broken down into manageable pieces, creating an invaluable experience for any portraitist. This book's aim is to make painting the Mona Lisa inclusive. Contemporary art materials and modified art techniques have therefore been used. However, this book offers a way of achieving great sfumato effects in the style of Leonardo. Book's dimensions: 8x10in and 45 pages. Colour illustrations throughout.

This book was not so much written as constructed, somewhat like a painting. It is a collection of teaching notes from nearly thirty years, each note created in the crucible of an art class. A comment from one of his readers: Ryno Swart has written a book as magical as the most successful painting . . . it says what needs to be said-no more, no less. It gets to the heart of the matter and is peppered with pithy and relevant notes such as "Half the skill of painting is leaving it alone." "You can't make a painting work; you can only allow it to work." "A painting must be conducted like a military campaign; planned and organised and strategised." This is a book that should not lie on a coffee table or grace a bookshelf. This is a book that should be propped up in your studio or wherever you work and should soon become spotted and splashed with paint.

Expanded from its original version as an in class text, this information packed book takes an empirical approach to solving many of the common challenges associated with oil painting. Exploring aspects such as the effects of materials, lighting, composition, color, and drawing, Tim Rees's "Problem Solving" helps artists get past the technicals of oil painting and get to the business of making art. The book contains 26 black and white plates of the author's work and plentiful illustrations to illuminate the text, taking the reader through the format of Rees's 5 week class taught at the Palette and Chisel Academy of Art. This is followed by optional assignments for the reader to complete, as well as an appendix of useful problem solving information that would arise occasionally throughout the course. With concepts that apply across any style of realism, this practical companion is an invaluable tool for those wishing to sort through the complex world of oil painting.

Hold up a painting from a local craft fair next to a masterpiece. Can you tell the difference? If so, you have talent. That is one of the messages in this new book. Most people think that painting a masterpiece is enormously difficult and requires a rare genius. They are wrong. That is the other message. When someone asked Claude Monet how his paintings were done, he replied, "Well, I hope nobody ever figures out how I do it " This book tells how. Not which color to apply where, but rather it leads you to a particular frame of mind and to a process that will let your painting evolve in its own way and result in a work that is much better than what you thought you could do. There are some secrets here, but they're not hard to carry out once you know about them. Some of these secrets died with the Impressionists, but they are explained here - and they are really very simple. They deal mostly with what happens inside your head as you paint. Practical tidbits of advice that I have never seen described anywhere else.

"Painting is my passion. Painting is as natural for me as breathing. Having been attached to painting since childhood, I felt that the necessity to paint grows bigger year after year. I respond creatively to everything that surrounds me."This collection of original paintings by Maya Green displays her deep passion for color. Key in the works is her use of a palette knife, which allows her to apply pure color, delicate lines and perhaps most importantly, to express energy that no brush is able to capture.

Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

Painting is not a vagabond's craft. From the 15th through the 17th Centuries, painters studied past techniques in order to evaluate the possibility of improvement through a process of logical progression. This book is divided into chapters (Keys) that explain each a major step forward in technique and propose the master to whom credit should be given.

How to Paint Tropical Sunsets is the first and only instructional book about the art of painting tropical sunsets. The book will be of interest to art enthusiasts of all ages. No previous painting experience is required. A list of all necessary materials is included, along with detailed step-by-step instructions and plenty of painting tips, beautiful samples, and colorful references. How to Paint Tropical Sunsets is a great tool for art therapy, art classes, self enjoyment, and stress relief."Anyone may enjoy a stunning sunset moment, but only an artist can always create one." --Gina De Gorna

Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

Angels, the artwork of Philip Howe, is a full color book filled with spiritual and dream imagery. Philip Howe's realistic oil paintings are exceptionally rich and moving in their timeless interpretation of unique themes told in a narrative, cerebral approach that is sure to appeal to collectors of classical realism. It is full of beautiful reproductions of his paintings, covering the last 15 years of the artist's career. In addition to the many paintings and closeup shots featured exclusively in this book, the publisher has included over 40 pages of demonstrations for artists and collectors who wish to see how some of the work was created.

Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

Originally published in 1909, "Landscape Painting," by Birge Harrison is a collection of impromptu talks given before the Art Students League at its summer school in Woodstock, New York. Birge Harrison was born in Philadelphia in 1854. He initially trained in the Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, but within a year moved to Paris. There he remained for twelve years as student at the Ecole des Beaux Arts, working under Carolus Duran and Alexandre Cabanel. "Birge Harrison's volume on 'Landscape Painting' a fine commentary on the technique of the craft." -The New York Times, November 14, 1909

A practical guide to learn painting in oils, with simple exercises and step-by-step demonstrations.Bestselling artist and writer Hazel Soan has distilled her art teaching into the things that matter most and can be digested in a short period of time. Learning to paint is one of the life-long aspirations of many of us and the techniques of oil painting can be picked up faster than you think. And, as mistakes can be corrected much more easily in oils than any other painting medium, it is the ideal medium for beginners.In this concise book, Hazel Soan explains everything you need to know about oils in an accessible way. She advises on the materials you need (keeping things to a minimum), how to mix colours, basic brush techniques and how to use a palette knife. The subjects covered range from still life, flowers, animals, landscapes, figures and portraits.Filled with easy-to-follow exercises and demonstrations, this is a practical and helpful guide to learning to paint in oils very quickly.

In a garden glade before a grand fountain, surrounded by a musical party, an elegant woman in a lustrous white gown dances as part of a foursome, raising her eyes to the viewer as if extending an invitation to the dance. This is the enticing scene in the J. Paul Getty Museum's painting "Dance before a Fountain" by Nicolas Lancret (1690-1743), an excellent example of the fete galante, a genre that was created and reached the peak of its popularity in France during the first half of the eighteenth century. This monograph seeks to familiarize American audiences with Lancret, a master of this genre, who was a revered painter in his own time, rivalling his contemporaries Antoine Watteau and Francois Boucher, and a favourite of crowned heads across Europe. Mary Tavener Holmes's engrossing text uses this painting as a springboard to reveal a remarkable amount about the painter, his mode of painting, Paris at the time this work was made, eighteenth-century dance, and the world of art patronage and collecting in France and elsewhere in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Lavishly illustrated with comparative paintings by artists such as Watteau, Boucher, Peter Paul Rubens, Jean-Francois De Troy, Jean-Baptiste Oudry, and Hubert Robert, this fascinating peek into a bygone Parisian era is a treat for the eyes and the intellect alike.

Accomplished art instructor Julie Gilbert Pollard offers expert advice on oil painting through the lens of the common landscape. *Whether you are totally new to painting or interested in exploring oil for the first time, the instruction begins with the basics, then moves toward successful painting techniques. *Learn how to break down and design a composition and explore multiple easy-to-follow methods to getting an oil painting started. *Dozens of specific skills and techniques combine into ten complete step-by-step landscape demonstrations to master subjects such as water, skies, trees, rocks and mountains.