Some books we recommend
Painting isn’t exactly something you need to study for, but on the other hand it can help to have a guiding hand on your shoulder, pointing out early mistakes and recommending sources of inspiration. If you’re not currently enrolled in art school, where are you going to find that? In a book, of course! Here are some we recommend.
- The Oil Painting Course You’ve Always Wanted: Guided Lessons for Beginners and Experienced Artists by Kathleen Lochen Staiger: Staiger has the credentials (masters in art and literature from Hofstra University, 35 years of teaching experience), and she also has the writing skills to teach through a book. Each section includes exercises at the end to practice the main ideas.
- Acrylic Revolution: New Tricks and Techniques for Working with the World’s Most Versatile Medium by Nancy Reyner: If acrylics are more your style, explore this 10-section book, featuring 104 distinct techniques. Most of them are illustrated with examples, so you can see the tip in practice. Among other things, you’ll learn how to paint on different surfaces and use acrylics to mimic other mediums.
- Portrait Painting Atelier: Old Master Techniques and Contemporary Applications by Suzanne Brooker: For those interested in the traditional style of portraiture exemplified by Millet and van Gogh, Brooker’s book is highly informative, and includes seven demonstrative exercises. She focuses especially on the layering technique, which older painters used to blend the color tones of their canvases.
- 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die ed. by Stephen Farthing: You won’t find any step-by-step examples in this book, but you will find plenty of different sources of inspiration. Not all of them are masterpieces, but even those will show you what not to do. You’ll learn historical information and where you can see it in person, if you get the urge.
Posted on September 29th, 2010 by www.atelp.org
Filed under: Guides, Inspiration