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 Location:  Home » Oils » Study & Teaching » The Complete Oil Painter: The Essential Reference for Beginners to ProfessionalsSeptember 7, 2008  
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The Complete Oil Painter: The Essential Reference for Beginners to Professionals
The Complete Oil Painter: The Essential Reference for Beginners to Professionals
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Author: Brian Gorst
Publisher: Watson-Guptill
Category: Book

List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $10.32
You Save: $14.63 (59%)
Buy New/Used from $10.32

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars(13 reviews)
Sales Rank: 11103

Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 128
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 10.9 x 8.3 x 0.5

ISBN: 082300855X
Dewey Decimal Number: 751.45
EAN: 9780823008551
ASIN: 082300855X

Publication Date: January 1, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

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Editorial Reviews:

Book Description
Oils are perhaps the most versatile of all paint mediums. Yet for many artists oil painting is either shrouded in mystique or considered very difficult. Filled with clear, step-by-step instructions and surefire strategies, The Complete Oil Painter is an essential, one-stop guide to becoming an expert in every aspect of this medium. Artists will discover everything they need to know about materials (pigments, supports, canvases); tools and equipment (palettes, brushes); paint application (wet-into-wet, alla-prima, glazing, impasto); form and color (light and dark, expression, color mixing); exploring themes (still life, portraiture, figure painting); and much more.


Customer Reviews:   Read 8 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars Excellent for both the beginner & experienced painter   August 23, 2008
I'm a self-thought artist and began oil painting at age 6 until I reached my early teens. I never gave up drawing though. I work as a graphic artist and also have work experience in the field of cartoon animation. Now in my early 30's, I decided to give a go at oil again but there were a few things in my art that bothered me. I thought of taking painting lessons, I looked around at the various schools in my area and gave up on that idea since it appeared obvious to me that all that these schools were offering me was to teach me "how to draw" from scratch, regardless of my advanced drawing skills - Instead I bought this book; "The Complete Oil Painter" by Brian Gorst and ".Problem Solving for Oil Painters: Recognizing What's Gone Wrong and How to Make It Right" (also a good book) which was recommended to me. Honestly, I thought that the later (Problem solving) would prove to be most useful but to my big surprise it was The Complete Oil Painter by Gorst - As a self-thought artist, I was simply lacking technique and knowledge of the medium. I didn't know what a ground colour was or how to varnish a painting! This book solved a lot of problems and answered a lot of questions instantly and it saved me hundreds of dollars in un-necessary painting lessons


4 out of 5 stars Very nice, not for professionals   June 8, 2008
  1 out of 1 found this review helpful

As the first book I ever bought on painting with oil colours, I didn't know what to expect. Well, this book is really a great reference, covers everything - charecteristics of specific pigments, how to prime canvas and panels, which mediums do what.. and it has some very helpful demonstrations. What I was missing, is any word about glazing, which medium to use with oils (actuall ratio of distilled turpentine to linseed oil and so on), anything that someone that wants to be more of a pro would look for. But still, a great book.
Also, since the author uses water-soluble oils, it is a very good book for people that use those. He explains everything for those too.



5 out of 5 stars Novice Painter   May 27, 2008
  2 out of 2 found this review helpful

My instructor talked about this book in class and said it was a very helpful book to have. Being a novice, I took her advice and ordered one. It has been very helpful, with clear explanations concering color mixing and opaque and translucent color techniques. I can only recommend this book as a beginning oil painter, but have gotten great tips and my use of color combinations have greatly improved.


3 out of 5 stars Beginner???   April 28, 2008
  2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Just wanted to say I found the book informative but not actually for a true beginner, a first timer who wanted to try painting in oils. The book used lots of words and terms of reference that were unfamiliar to me without first explaining what these terms and words actually meant.
Other than that I must admit I have learnt a lot from the book and would recommend it to someone with some familarity with the genre or a beginner with more brains than me perhaps.
Thanks



5 out of 5 stars highly recommended book   August 20, 2007
  2 out of 3 found this review helpful

This book is well organized, and offers practical information on the tools of oil painting, as well as organization and application.It does not give step by step lessons, nor does it suggest any particular style of oil painting. It is designed to aid the reader in whatever style or level. As a teacher of oil painting this is one of my most used books, and the one I recommend to my students.