Another look through my art book collection, to recommend
some gems for your shelves. This time, I've divided them into
two categories: purely instructional, and leading by example,
the latter being books about particular artists and their body of
work, rather than any teaching.
In the purely instructional camp, we have -
Colour and Light in Oils, by Nicholas Verrall and Robin Capon.Nicholas Verrall occupies the area between impressionist painting and straight realism, with his colourful and complex compositions. If you were in a mood to be snide, you could say he picks easy targets: pretty French street scenes, floral arrangements, summer countryside. But if you did this I would jab you pointedly with my index finger, before pointing out how his masterly use of colour makes his complicated subjects work every time. Lesser painters working in the same paradigm often thrash about and hope for the best, but he's notably in control of every aspect of his paintings, especially the colour and tone.
In the purely instructional camp, we have -
Colour and Light in Oils, by Nicholas Verrall and Robin Capon.Nicholas Verrall occupies the area between impressionist painting and straight realism, with his colourful and complex compositions. If you were in a mood to be snide, you could say he picks easy targets: pretty French street scenes, floral arrangements, summer countryside. But if you did this I would jab you pointedly with my index finger, before pointing out how his masterly use of colour makes his complicated subjects work every time. Lesser painters working in the same paradigm often thrash about and hope for the best, but he's notably in control of every aspect of his paintings, especially the colour and tone.
Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting, by John F. Carlson. John F. Carlson was an American landscape painter of the early 20th century, and his book is regarded as a classic among American landscape painters. Do a Google image search to check out his work. It's a pleasant way to pass an hour.
Painting with David Shepherd, by David Shepherd and Brenda Howley. 'The Elephant Man' is perhaps best known for his paintings of elephants and steam trains, and more recently his work in conservation. I've always admired the genial way he completely ignores 20th century art history, as well as his throwaway rendering skills. In this book he tells you how he does some of the magic.
You soon realize that the trouble with books that teach you how to paint is that they will all tell you the same thing - how to mix colours, how to apply the paint, what brushes to use - but these things aren't what you want. You want to paint as well as the people who write the books, but the awkward truth is you can only do that through long and arduous practice, after taking their advice on board, and by struggling with your own subject matter and painting methods.
The Art of Andrew Wyeth, edited by Wanda M.Corn. This was another lucky bookshop find. Published to coincide with a major retrospective at the Fine Art Museum of San Francisco, it offers five essays and many illustrations, colour and monochrome, of the artist's work. The last essay, by E.P.Richardson, is titled 'Andrew Wyeth's Painting Techniques', and covers Wyeth's use of watercolour, dry brush technique, pencil drawing and egg tempera. Why do I like Wyeth's work? Because of his solid, unfashionable commitment to figurative painting, and making art that deals with the look of things.
Constable: The Great Landscapes, edited by Ann Lyles. This is a detailed, in depth look at a painter with whom we're all too familiar, with four essays and dozens of full colour illustrations. It gives some insight into Constable's occasionally shambolic working processes, particularly his making of full sized sketches in oils as a means of starting his six footers.
Can you learn how to paint from books? No, you learn how to paint by painting, but reading widely around the subject will save you a lot of time and effort. Good tuition from someone who knows what they're doing is your best bet, but you can pick up useful knowledge from books and DVDs.
