In this book, oil painter Robert Hagan, reveals his secret techniques for creating romantic oil paintings the easy way. He will show you, step-by-step, how to use reference photographs and sketches to help you assemble different elements to form a completely new setting. Robert explains how you can manipulate these elements to compose enchanting paintings using his unique and simple-to-understand "placement theory" - all you do is create a stunning background, (which he shows you how to do), then place the first figure in a carefully chosen spot which will serve as your "command post" from which you can "key" all the other elements of the painting. This oil painting method will have you painting professional looking pictures immediately.

Nobody ever said that oil painting was easy. But it gets much easier and a lot more fun when you follow a step-by-step approach that starts you off on the right foot, helps you build your skills one at a time, and gives you plenty of exercises to develop your craft. That's what you'll find in Oil Painting Made Easy. If you're ready to learn everything you need to know, including how to begin your painting; the importance of underpainting; how to add shadows, highlights, color, and blending; and how to clean up and finish your paintwork, then let's get started!

Because nature is so expansive and complex, so varied in its range of light, landscape painters often have to look further and more deeply to find form and structure, value patterns, and an organized arrangement of shapes. In Landscape Painting, Mitchell Albala shares his concepts and practices for translating nature's grandeur, complexity, and color dynamics into convincing representations of space and light. Concise, practical, and inspirational, Landscape Painting focuses on the greatest challenges for the landscape artist, such as: • Simplification and Massing: Learn to reduce nature's complexity by looking beneath the surface of a subject to discover the form's basic masses and shapes.• Color and Light: Explore color theory as it specifically applies to the landscape, and learn the various strategies painters use to capture the illusion of natural light.• Selection and Composition: Learn to select wisely from nature's vast panorama. Albala shows you the essential cues to look for and how to find the most promising subject from a world of possibilities. The lessons in Landscape Painting—based on observation rather than imitation and applicable to both plein air and studio practice—are accompanied by painting examples, demonstrations, photographs, and diagrams. Illustrations draw from the work of more than 40 contemporary artists and such masters of landscape painting as John Constable, Sanford Gifford, and Claude Monet. Based on Albala's 25 years of experience and the proven methods taught at his successful plein air workshops, this in-depth guide to all aspects of landscape painting is a must-have for anyone getting started in the genre, as well as more experienced practitioners who want to hone their skills or learn new perspectives.

Painting is about responding to the world around you, engaging with light and form, feeling the moment as well as placing lines of colour on a canvas; it can be fun, relaxing and rewarding. How to Paint Made Easy is packed with case studies and examples, will show you how to think about your subject, what materials to use, how to layer paint and construct a great piece of art, in watercolours, oils, acrylics or digitally on a computer. With inspirational contemporary artwork, tips and advice from real artists, traditional and digital techniques and a wide range of genres, this book will show you many different ways of painting, with a variety of methods and materials you can try, to see which works best for you.

The quick-start guide to great results! Oil painting doesn't have to be rocket science, although some books on the subject make it seem that way. Filled with encouraging, easy-to-follow instruction, Oil Painting for the Absolute Beginner is a no-fear, no-experience-required guide to enjoyable painting and happy results. Focusing on the needs of the first-time painter, this book covers everything from selecting brushes and setting up your palette to key principles of color and composition, presented in a way that moves you confidently from first strokes to finished paintings. • Mini demonstrations break down fundamental painting techniques in a clear, common sense way • 12 step-by-step painting projects progress from simple landscapes, still life and flower paintings to more challenging subjects, such as animals, seascapes and portraits • The bonus DVD-workshop features the author creating two paintings from start to finish You'll learn tricks for keeping the greens in your landscapes looking fresh, advantages to working with water-soluble oil paints, simple tips for dynamic compositions and other expert advice to make your introduction to oil painting the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Here, Elkins argues that alchemists and painters have similar relationships to the substances they work with. Both try to transform the substance, while seeking to transform their own experience.