Customer Reviews:
The only book you need in painting........2007-03-23
Everything I know about painting? Well, not exactly, not everything. Don't expect to learn everything. Many reviewer on this book maybe expected too much. This is not a step by step painting book. This book does not show you the magical short cut to become a better painter either. But this is the best and only book you'll ever need in painting. I've never seen any book or any artist that explains better in terms of Edges, Values and Colors. The most important 3 ingredients of painting. His teachings on these 3 ingredients are so easy to understand and if you apply them to your work.... you're much better artist/painter already. Invaluable information on chapter 4, 5 and 6. This book will change the everything you know about painting.... well... not exactly.
LOVELY AND ENLIGHTENING.......2007-01-24
This book is full of instruction from edges to contrast techniques. It is such a wonderful book that I bought one for my artist friend. Invest in this one and not the black and white one by Schmid.
Learn how to observe, and how to do DIRECT PAINTING.......2006-02-19
I can hardly praise this book enough. It is full of experience and concrete knowledge.
The text is made of 10 chapters, plus an introduction:
1. Good ideas and free advice
2. Direct painting
3. Starting
4. Drawing
5. Values
6. Edges
7. Color and light
8. Composition
9. Technique
10. The magic
It has 193 pages, and is full of Schmid's paintings, almost all of them oils.
WHAT THIS BOOK TEACHES YOU:
It teaches you how to OBSERVE 3-D REALITY AND TRANSLATE IT ON A FLAT SURFACE AS DIRECTLY AS YOU CAN. The way of achieving it is to paint LIGHT ITSELF (what you see), not the very object with descriptive minutiae (what you know). Meticulous and painstaking painting tends to be naive in most hands.
Schmid asks you to clear up your mind and trust your instinct. THE HOW BECOMES OBVIOUS ONCE YOU UNDERSTAND THE WHAT AND THE WHY.
Some of his most insistent advices are: keep it SIMPLE; don't overwork; don't use ostentatious techniques; don't make random guessing brushstrokes; do a minimum of trial and error (correction wastes time); rather be BOLD than shy, but do it without hurrying and without any thoughtless bravado. Also, EXCESSIVE BLENDING IS LIKE MUMBLING WHEN YOU SPEAK.
He teaches you that, as you start, you sholud focus on one specific problem. Set a GOAL and do it in the time available. Limiting your time helps to SIMPLIFY your works. Simplify values by SQUINTING. If edges remain sharp when you squint, paint them sharp; if they go fuzzy, paint them fuzzy. Trust your squinting.
Schmid insists on the fact that, unlike common belief, most mistakes happen with drawing, not with colour. He says there is no comprehensive colour law; but there's something close to it: COOL LIGHT PRODUCES WARM SHADOWS, AND WARM LIGHT PRODUCES COOL SHADOWS. His palette has as many as 12 colours, not one more, because more than that is unnecessary (and often, the fewer colours, the better), as we can see in the colour charts--a perfect way of mixing all colours with one another until exhausting all possible combinations of two colours plus white. (Besides, don't overmix too many colours, or else you'll obtain MUD colour.)
He recommends: Cadmium Yellow Pale, Cadmium Lemon, Cadmium Yellow Deep, Yellow Ochre Light, Cadmium Red, Terra Rosa, Alizarin Crimson, Transparent Oxide Red, Viridian, Cobalt Blue Light, Ultramarine Blue Deep, Titanium White. There is no black, since he uses different mixtures of browns or reds with blue for getting a substitute for black.
He says what good lighting is for painting.
His ideas about colour harmony and composition are very down-to-earth and full of common sense. No mystic babblings or over-intelectualized theories.
WHAT THIS BOOK DOESN'T TEACH YOU:
It doesn't deal with technical intricacies about different kinds of canvases, papers, grounds, turpentine, brushes, easels, palettes, and materials in general. (Pigments do have his full attention.) It doesn't ignore technique, but it's not the core of the text. (For that subject, you can read Ralph Mayer's book on materials.) Since the book deals with painting in general no matter what medium you use, it doesn't speak about classical Old Master examples (no Leonardo, Velazquez, Rembrandt, Hals, Rubens or any painter in particular). You can apply the lessons to oils, acrylics, tempera, gouache, or even watercolour. By the way, there's a very brief part about using the palette knife, which obviously couldn't be applied to watercolour, for instance. Since the book focuses on Direct Painting the way Sorolla, Sargent or many late-19th century artists did (without mentioning them much), you will find no details about Renaissance or Baroque ways of applying paint. There are not many words about glazing, for instance. There are no words about perspective or anatomy, either, for this is not a handbook for painting specific subjects, but about how to observe light and colour in general.
I love this book! Had I found and read it a long time ago (despite its high price), I would have saved years of an agonizing, careless and method-less hit-and-miss process that had no sense at all in my learning.
Schmid has a very specific method. Maybe it's not meant for all painters, but if you love Sorolla or Sargent, this is THE METHOD for you, no matter whether you are a mere beginner or an experienced artist. And even if you aim at a very different style than that of the artists just mentioned, this book can help you a lot. Trust me!
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book.......2007-03-29
This is the book I refer to most for how to actually handle paint. If you want to know about glazing, this is the book. The author goes into that in depth, discussing transparent versus opaque paint and the various mediums and providing examples with descriptions of what he did to achieve the effects. Very good overview of paints on the market, with discussion of the composition of the various brands, and of various mediums--includes alkyds and miscibles. Weak on the discussion of brushes--names the types, but does not go into the pros and cons of the bristle material--sable, mongoose, hog bristle, etc, and there is nothing about brands of brushes. Nothing to speak of about canvas panels, though there is discussion on wood and masonite panels. The author has a pleasant, direct writing style. Overall, this is a terrific book, I refer to it often.
Creevy's Oil Painting Book has Something for Everyone.......2007-03-17
Bill Creevy's The Oil Painting Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artist is really rather good. Very unassuming but really informative, it is pretty encyclopedic, too. It gives an overview and historical synopsis of twenty-two oil paint manufacturers from all over the world that includes each company's mission regarding oil paint manufacturing and strengths. It continues with valuable information on the characteristics of mediums and solvents and trade-products. It then offers rather unpretentious examples of the many differing styles that one may use to paint with oil based paint. The product information is useful for the advanced painter, and the instructional information, meanwhile, is useful for the experimenting beginner without trying to be a "how to paint" book.
Good material explanation; techniques section could be better.......2007-03-11
The book starts with an extensive explanation about oil painting materials; very complete and understandable. I liked it a lot, but I'm sure that many painters don't have much interest in so much information and theory. The section that describes all the different brands of oil paints is too long and doesn't really add value
The explanation about the techniques is good, but the examples are not really helpful. Bill Creevy has a particular painting style that is not really useful to be used in examples.
The oil painting book.......2007-03-10
Everyone, new to oil painting, should own and read this book.
excellent reference.......2006-08-27
Great reference for learning, experimenting, and purchasing supplies. Well organized and relatively current.
Customer Reviews:
What a beautiful way to learn decorative painting!.......1999-02-28
Priscilla has done a wonderful job with this book! It is very informative, with step by step instructions for each brush stroke technique as well as gorgeous photos of each phase of the design. All that you have to do is follow her detailed directions, and practice, and you too can turn out stunning artwork! Everything you need to know is included in this book! It's just fun to page through and look at, as she is a very talented artist!
All you need to begin to learn in step by step instructions........1998-05-04
Mrs. Hauser's book is a wonderful step-by-step guide to learning basic brush strokes of decorative painting and complete information on supplies whether you paint in acrylic or oils. She explains EVERYTHING! Preparing surfaces, Finishing surfaces, everything inbetween and even explains why! She has covered different brushes and what they do, and supplies for whichever medium you decide to do and always what and why you need them. I love this book!!
Excellent guide to tole and decorative painting.......1997-11-03
Priscilla Hauser has long been known to painters as a leader in the industry - and founder of the National Society of Tole and Decorative Painters. This book is a comprehensive manual on painting - including all the instructions and step by step guides in both acrylic *and* oil. END
Book Description
With the Quick Reference Series, painters who need fast instruction and inspiration finally have the perfect resource. And with Trees & Foliage, they now have the broadest collection of sample trees, shrubs, leaves, and grasses available on the market. Regardless of experience, readers will benefit from:
* Easy-to-follow directions with over 350 color photos providing step-by-step guidance
* A wide variety of plant life, shown in all four seasons, from multiple painters in a broad range of styles
* The accessible format, organized by subject matter
Trees & Foliage offers an invaluable combination of painting demonstration and idea swipe file guaranteed to bring success.
Customer Reviews:
A must have book if you are painting trees.......2007-09-20
This book is an excellent reference book for painting trees. It is very helpful.
Trees & Foliage (Painter's Quick Reference).......2007-03-19
Excellent -- was shipped in mint condition and promptly. This books throughly illustrates the methods and means of painting foliage and trees. Great book!
Average customer rating:
- Great Techniques
- Superior for self-instruction and as a technical reference.
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The Big Book of Oil Painting: The History, the Studio, the Materials, the Techniques, the Subjects, the Theory and Practice of Oil Painting (Practical Art Books)
Jose Maria Parramon
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill Publications
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ASIN: 0823004988 |
Customer Reviews:
Great Techniques .......2007-04-19
Full of the basics of painting with oils, such as composition and colors. Also does a brief run through of techniques used by the artist who made them famous. Teaches you to mix and paint a full painting with only 3 colors, as well as provides examples of warm, cold, and broken palettes and how to mix them with only 3 colors. If you are looking to improve your understanding of colors and how they work together as well as learn new methods for painting I don't think you will be disappointed.
Superior for self-instruction and as a technical reference........1997-03-08
Jose Parramon puts together a fantastic compilation for the artist who
wants to teach himself at his own pace; and does it at a very reasonable price.
This is an easy to read, easy to understand guide to all the techniques you
need to put what you feel on canvas!
The title is an exact description of what you will find inside. After several
semesters of art class, I had plateau'ed, feeling I was missing alot technically.
Within five minutes of opening Mr. Parramon's book, my eyes open to what all my
instructors had been struggling to teach to us in class. Since reading this book
and following the exercises within, I have held five exhibitions in France and sold
every time. I also began to receive commissions and plenty of requests from
friends and family alike. Now I'm teaching my children what I've learned in
Mr. Parramon's book. No matter what subject matter you prefer, Jose Parramon
can help you render it better. Thanks to Mr. Parramon, I've sold paintings on many
different subjects: from children to horses, seascapes to mountain views, St. Tropez to Mont St. Michel,
snowy rivers to farmers' fields.
The key to progressing in any endeavor is practice. Each chapter in The Big Book
of Oil Painting contains many worthwhile exercises for you to do.
I learned how to apply the color wheel to make my subjects stand out from the background.
And how to make that background complement the subject.
I learned how to analyze a composition to create the biggest
impact on what I was trying to express with my brushes. I also learned how to make
the colors in my shadows realistic, not flat gray, as I had always made them before.
Finally, I learned to limit my palette to only what was necessary; making better use
of the basics instead of floundering with so many exotic tubes of rare colors.
Mr. Parramon also shows you how to stretch your own canvas, find the right medium, and
set up your studio. He shows you how to paint 'en plein air' and studio alike. Also,
he includes many different subject materials as examples; from still life to the Italian
countryside; nudes to port cities. Its very complete with all you'll need to get you on
your feet.
You will see all the photo's and color plates you'll need; one for every example,
technique, or exercise. Its a book I highly recommend to get you on your feet or
to have as a studio reference. A great value at Amazon's price!
Marvin Walworth
Oil Painting Hobbyist
Book Description
This third installment in the Painter's Quick Reference series combines the ideas and inspiration found in "swipe file" books with the simple instruction of step-by-step demonstrations. Painters of all skill levels can dive into 52 flower-painting demos displaying a variety of techniques. The guide has:
-Quick ideas for any painting project
-An intuitive, see-it do-it layout: short captions, labels, tips and sidebars
-Streamlined demos averaging four to eight steps
Contributions from more than two dozen top artists will appeal to painters in a range of styles and cover watercolor, acrylics and oils. A great value!
Customer Reviews:
Brushstrokes: close-up and personal.......2006-09-07
Other reviewers have given this book five stars and rightly so but I thought they didn't quite reveal how good it is.
Don't be put of by the words Great Masters in the title, it actually covers artists from the Old Masters (1300-1860) Impressionists (1860-1905) and Modern Masters (1905-1980). A hundred paintings, in color, from seventy-seven artists are considered and each work gets the same treatment, for instance Roy Lichtenstein's 'Whaam!' gets two spreads. The first page has a small photo of the artist and about three hundred words regarding his painting technique, this text relates to seven small line drawings and captions revealing how he worked. The right-hand page has a picture of Whaam! and a preparatory black and white drawing, both have long captions. The next spread has four life size details of the painting (each with a simple thumbnail of the work to show where the detail comes from) and again long captions explaining techniques and the materials used.
It is the life size illustrations that, to me, make this book special. There are plenty of visual art history books, my favorites are the Phaidon series: The Art Book, The 20TH Century Art Book and The American Art Book, all bursting with whole page works of art but it is only when you can see a lifesize close-up of the work (plus a detailed caption) that things somehow start to fall into place and a greater appreciation is acquired. There is something special in looking at part of Henri Rousseau's 'The Dream' or Frank Stella's 'Hyena Stomp' and knowing that you're seeing part of the painting the same size as these artists created it.
Apart from looking at art techniques (and history) in a rather unusual way another reason I love this book is because it is beautifully designed and printed. You can use it as a reference work or just browse through some stunning paintings and understand them and their creators more.
BTW It originally came out in 1985 and it seems there are various reprints so I think it's worth checking the page numbers to see that you buy the complete book. This edition has 541 pages plus another eighteen unnumbered pages at the back. There are three sections to the book (Old Masters, Impressionists and Modern Masters) and I believe each section has been published as a single book.
***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.
Buy it.......2004-05-25
This is one of the most exciting books on the history of art in combination with the technique of great masters that you can come across. Richly illustrated and covering a wide range of artists, this book does not merely give a biography of the artist and an example of his works. Its attraction lies in the fact that one painting of each artist is analysed in detail including sequence of painting, materials and techniques used from the start to finish with some good close-ups and analysis. This is a rare book which brings actual clarity to the reader who may be eager to learn as to how certain effects were achieved by many masters, while at no time erasing the mystique associated with the masterpieces. It has the potential to greatly accelerate the learning curve of an intermediate painter while remaining of value even to the pro. Rich, stimulating, good value for money and a treat in all respects, this book will be near the top of the chart of your favorites in its category, if not numero uno.
Good companion to Gardner.......2003-09-21
This book looks at art history from the point of view of the practicing artist instead of the art historian. As such, it is an excellent companion to books such as Gardner's "Art Through the Ages". Very good read.
Why aren't there more books like this!?.......2002-08-13
This is a superb book, well laid-out, with many excellent reproductions and an informed text. In a perfect world, there would be many books like this, not just a few.
A MUST-HAVE book.......1999-12-05
Here is a book for the serious art student as well as the accomplished artist. Had this book been available when I was in art school, I know my development would have been much easier and faster. I gain much from it every time I study this book , which is quite often.
Customer Reviews:
ugly paintings.......2007-08-10
The photos in the book are all beautiful. But it's disappointing that most of the paintings are very ugly after copying and adapting from the photos. To me, the illustrations of the artists are just of beginners' effort. It's not to criticize that the illustrations are not realistic, nor impressionistic, but their color and design lose the most interesting spirit of nature from the original photos.
Technique Depth.......2007-07-07
I'm basically a beginning oil painter however I'm an Architect and I've drawn and done colored presentations my whole life. I've painted with acrylics and water colors in the past so I have some reasonable sense of composition and technique within these mediums therefore I wasn't looking for a beginners book on oil painting as I knew I just needed to experiment a lot with oils to get the feel of the medium yet I needed some guidance on the immediate basics of techniques for oils versus the other mediums I just mentioned and how best to approach painting various subject matters.
A friend turned me on to this book and I couldn't be happier. If you have any beginning experience with oils I HIGHLY recommend this book. I carry it with me wherever I go so that I can spend a few down moments picking up some more tips. If landscapes in particular are your thing then this books has it all. Mind you it's not an extremely in depth book on EXACTLY how to do everything as it leaves it up to you to connect the dots in your way. If you're painting from a photograph it teaches you how best to interpret the scene so that what is a photograph remains such and it gives you ideas, techniques and suggestions as to how to best exhibit this scene in oil and give it it's own spirit. If trees are giving you a problem then somewhere in this book you'll find a solution. If you're stuck on skies, water, foliage or anything that you would ever run into as regarding a landscape then I can almost assure you that you'll find something in this book to help guide you through your predicament. Trees in the snow? No problem they're in there. His teaching technique is general and loose yet it allows you to watch a master and learn how he might tackle the problem.
Mind you this is not a follow along book as you'll need some beginning experience however if you're wanting to take the reigns and what you need is occasional guidance then this is a GREAT REFERENCE book. This book will not tie you down with step by step explanations on how to exactly do this or that and it therefore allows you your freedom yet if you occasionally need someone on your shoulder to get you out of this or that predicament then it'd buy this book. There is no exaggeration when he entitles it the BIG BOOK of.... as that it is.
Great concept.......2007-01-30
I love the idea of dividing difficult subjects into different sections with advice and examples of how to tackle each. This book is divided into tree, sky and water sections, with subsections for each. Under the sky section, for example, are lessons on painting cloud-streaked skies, moody skies, skies after a storm, night skies and about forty more varieties of skies, with some work in progress pictures in many of the sections and side-by-side comparisons of the reference photo versus the actual painting.
Unfortunately, I think the paintings themselves fall short in this book. Some of the paintings are beautiful but most look like the efforts of a beginner artist to me. I understand that tastes vary so please flip through the book before you make the decision to purchase it. The paintings are impressionistic so if you're looking for realistic, every-detail-captured paintings, this book isn't going to cut it for you. It's not the fact that the paintings are impressionistic that bother me, but that they often come across as being very flat. As I flipped through this book last night, I realized that the artist leans a little too much on the photos he is referencing, which is why those darker areas where so much vitality could lie look almost dead in his renditions. It also seems that sometimes even the artist falls into the common trap of not looking past preconceived notions of color by almost always painting a tree or rock brown, despite whether it actually is or not.
I'm personally not a plein air artist (painting from life rather than photos) and I rely quite heavily on photos in my artwork, but I do believe that to be a successful artist you must know how to fill in the weak spots presented by photos, otherwise your growth as an artist will be limited. For the beginning artist this book will certainly be a helpful foundation, but if you're looking for a little more information I recommend books by Kevin Macpherson, especially "Fill Your Oil Paintings With Light & Color." When I was just beginning to paint and had hit a rut in my artistic growth, the suggestions and examples from that book gave me a whole new understanding of where to go and how to achieve it.
DEMONSTRATIONS ARE NOT REALISTIC.......2007-01-24
If you want to paint real looking paintings, this is not the book for you. Almost foggy looking illustrations for the techniques he describes. Not for me.
When Charles White Is Not Around To Help.......2007-01-17
"The Big Book Of Painting Nature In Oil" was created to bring everything one needs to paint nature in oil in one BIG book - 400 pages filled with 135 lessons in oil techniques for painting trees, skies, and water; 135 reference photographs; and 600 illustrations in full color, including 60 step-by-step demonstrations.
The book brings everything one needs to paint nature in oil, beginning with the basics, the essential materials and techniques and an exploration of color and special effects that add excitement. 135 lessons follow with tips on painting trees, flowers, leaves, bark, and fruit, in all seasons of the year. Next, you will learn to paint all types of skies - quiet, dramatic, sun-filled, or stormy. And finally, you will explore painting water, everything from rivers, lakes, and the ocean to fog, mist, ice, and snow. Each lesson focuses on a specific problem.
Since oil is an "incredibly" flexible medium, the authors' focus is on increasing the excitement and pleasure of painting nature in oil with many varied subjects for all types of painters.
The photographs that are included are to assist in understanding how an artist translates what he/she sees into a painting. It is hoped that the artist will grasp how a scene was interpreted and discover new ways of composing paintings.
I have the distinct pleasure of studying oil painting under renowned landscape artist Charles White. I have found "The Big Book Of Painting Nature In Oil" is an excellent alternative to solving specific problems when Charles is not around.
Book Description
This latest addition to the popular Painter's Quick Reference series tackles a perennially favorite subject matter--landscapes. With instruction for acrylic, watercolor and oil painters, this guide:
-Gives readers countless ideas for gorgeous landscape elements, from the perfect trees and shrubs to clouds, skies, hills, mountains, flowers, water and more
-Offers quick success through more than 40 easy demonstrations--only four-to-twelve steps each!
-Features inspiring samples and variations from such top artists as Claudia Nice, Lian Zhen, Kerry Trout and Hugh Greer
With ideas for different seasons, times of day and weather conditions, this fun, flippable book is the perfect creative boost for any landscape artist!
Customer Reviews:
painters quick reference landscapes.......2007-10-08
I bought this book to help me learn how to paint clouds. The book advertised that it would help me turn my fluffy cotton balls into clouds. It didn't. I was very dissapointed with the quality of the paintings done by the demonstrators. I wanted a classical look, not something that looked like a graphic.
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