Classical Oil Painting - Helen Davison

This beautiful book is a masterclass in classical oil painting. It is structured to teach individual components as separate subjects, allowing students to understand each part without being overwhelmed by the whole. Richly illustrated, it provides a comprehensive guide to methods that yield consistent results and, most importantly, helps you learn and practise new skills to fully equip you on your artistic journey. Classical Oil Painting is a comprehensive guide to painting with oils. With illustrated references to masterpieces throughout, the author places today's students in a long line of artists who have gone before. Examples demonstrate how Manet utilises directional brushwork, how Pissarro arranges a still life, and how Rembrandt masters a hierarchy of darks, mid-tones and lights. This book focuses on the craft of painting so that, in time, artistry will naturally develop. It follows the principles of atelier training and is structured using the six fundamental components of form, values, edges, colour, paint handling and composition. With a strong emphasis on learning by doing, it supports the theory with demonstrations, examples and exercises, providing a complete account of this compelling medium.