A contemporary and accessible foundation of color theory and advanced techniques for the oil painter at every skill level"In The Oil Painter's Color Handbook, Todd Casey presents priceless information that every art school should teach and every art student should learn. The book breaks down the subject of color into useful pieces of knowledge that painters can put into practice. He analyzes color in terms of light, value, pigment, mixing strategies, palette arrangements, and painting techniques. Each topic is clearly and succinctly explained in the text, illustrated with captions, charts, diagrams, and finished paintings. By the end of the book, the reader will have a clear understanding of how realist painters and illustrators have used color through history." - James Gurney, artist and author “This is the most impressive and complete book on color ever produced. It covers a wide range of color concepts, including some I'd never seen before. It digs deeply into color harmony, techniques, and has powerful examples to demonstrate every concept.” - Eric Rhoads, Publisher, Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine From Todd M. Casey, acclaimed artist and expert teacher, The Oil Painter’s Color Handbook: A Contemporary Guide to color Mixing, Pigments, Palettes, and Harmony provides everything the oil painter needs to understand all aspects of color and empowers the reader to paint with confidence. As Casey notes, every artist and artist-in-training must learn how to “master the main concepts of picture-making: drawing, light, shadow, value, form, composition, and color.” A follow-up to the bestselling The Art of Still Life: A Contemporary Guide to Classical Techniques, Composition, and Painting in Oil (Monacelli, 2020), The Oil Painter’s Color Handbook begins with an in-depth look at the use of color throughout art history. Casey then breaks down the process of understanding color into easily digestible lessons―each clearly explained and richly illustrated with both historic and contemporary paintings―so that the reader can learn progressively and layer more complex ideas as each skill is achieved. Through clear instruction, step-by-step demonstrations, and challenging exercises, readers will learn to apply these techniques and concepts to their own painting. Once educated with this fundamental knowledge, as an artist, one can begin to find the balance between the science and emotional intuition in creating art. This informative and visually dynamic book will be accessible and appealing to artists, art students, and art instructors, to serious amateurs and hobbyists. Read more

Painting with Bob Ross—with artwork created by Bob Ross himself using his specially formulated oil paints, brushes, basecoats, and other tools—introduces artists and Bob Ross fans to the basics of painting landscapes. Everyone will enjoy Painting with Bob Ross, as his “happy accidents” approach makes this challenging subject matter enjoyable for all ages, regardless of skill level and materials used. “All you need is the desire to make beautiful things happen on canvas…” —Bob Ross In 1982, The Joy of Painting  made its debut on public television. The unrehearsed, unedited show soon became a favorite among aspiring artists and painters. Almost 40 years and 403 episodes after his on-air debut, and decades after his untimely passing, Bob Ross still has enormous global popularity as a beloved painter, affable TV personality, and cultural icon. With this guide, you can learn to paint a happy tree in seconds, just like Bob Ross! Painting with Bob Ross introduces you to the tools and materials you need to paint beautiful landscapes, as well as basic painting techniques, such as how to load your brush and how to paint with a knife. Following the introduction are 16 painting projects, each with a complete list of tools and materials needed and instructions for preparing the canvas. Jump into painting with step one, then follow the full-color painting progressions and clearly written instructions until you’ve reached the final step—and your new, joyful work of art! This is the only Bob Ross book with all-color images. Even if you’re brand new to painting, remember that Bob said, “Talent is nothing more than a pursued interest. All you need to paint is a few tools, a little instruction, and a vision in your mind.” Throughout this book, Bob’s quotes encourage you to keep going. So grab your copy of Painting with Bob Ross, relax and unwind, and paint a Bob Ross-inspired landscape! You can paint graceful mountains, ocean waves crashing onto rocks, a winter cabin, a lakeside path, a deep forest river, and many more breathtaking views. And don’t forget to sign each of your masterpieces once you’ve completed the last step! Read more

In The Oil Painting Course You've Always Wanted, author Kathleen Staiger presents crystal clear, step-by-step lessons that build to reinforce learning. Brush control, creating the illusion of three dimensions, foolproof color mixing, still-life painting, landscapes, and portraits--every topic is covered in clear text, diagrams, illustrations, exercises, and demonstrations. Staiger has taught oil painting for more than thirty-five years; many of her students are now exhibiting and selling their paintings. Everyone from beginning hobby painters, to art students, to BFA graduates has questions about oil painting. Here at last are the answers! Read more

Known for her techniques for painting light on water, Jenny Aitken delivers perfect guidance to the intermediate artist on how to paint light in plein air and much more.Learn how to successfully paint scenes that that capture magical effects of light from behind the subject. Good contre-jour – painting into the light – artworks cause the viewer to squint, with light seeming to glow from the canvas. They can look like a kind of magic, with their hazy light and colour singing out. This book demystifies lighting in oils, and provides a practical guide to the process, showing exactly how to create the illusion.Inside, you'll find a wealth of information on simplification, tonal control, capturing accurate color, working both indoors and outdoors, painting landscapes and still life, creating atmospheric depth, and even mastering the illusion of space. Through detailed step-by-step demonstrations and beautifully illustrated techniques, Jenny Aitken reveals how to infuse every painting with vibrant, lifelike light. A section on troubleshooting tricky paintings will show the reader every painting is salvageable, but with an understanding of light and colour, it’s much more likely that they’ll find success the first time round. Read more

Written by a famous American painter and teacher, whose landscapes are found in many of the world's most noted museums, this book is known as one of the art student's most helpful guides. It provides a wealth of advice on the choice of subject; it tells what to look for and aim for, and explains the mysteries of color, atmospheric conditions, and other phenomena to be found in nature. Through his profound understanding of the physical nature of landscapes and his highly developed artistic sense, John Carlson is able to explain both the whys and the hows of the various aspects of landscape painting. Among the subjects covered are angles and consequent values (an insightful concept necessary for strong overall unity of design), aerial and linear perspective, the painting of trees, the emotional properties of line and mass in composition, light, unity of tone, choice of subject, and memory work. In the beginning chapters, the author tells how to make the best of canvas, palette, colors, brushes, and other materials and gives valuable advice about texture, glazing, varnishing, bleaching, retouching, and framing. Thirty-four reproductions of Mr. Carlson's own work and 58 of his explanatory diagrams are shown on pages adjoining the text. As Howard Simon says in the introduction: "Crammed into its pages are the thoughts and experiences of a lifetime of painting and teaching. Undoubtedly it is a good book for the beginner, but the old hand at art will appreciate its honesty and broadness of viewpoint. It confines itself to the mechanics of landscape painting but, philosophically, it roams far and wide. . . . This is a book to keep, to read at leisure, and to look into for the solution of problems as they arise, when the need for an experienced hand is felt." Read more

It's Bob Ross. The man with the gentle voice who can paint a landscape in thirty minutes right before your very eyes in your own living room.Reaching millions of homes every day, Bob Ross is unquestionably America's favorite art instructor. The Best of the Joy of Painting -- Bob Ross's first book -- contains sixty of his favorite paintings, all of them originally created during the Joy of Painting show.Each painting comes complete with a full-color photo and a series of black-and-white instructional photos, accompanied by step-by-step instructions that guide you through the painting process. With this book in hand, you will be amazed at the ease and skill with which you can create your own Bob Ross original. Read more

A landscape painting guide for oil painters that breaks landscapes down into component elements from nature, and showcases tools and techniques used by classic and modern oil painters for bringing these scenes to life.      Landscape painting is one of the most popular subjects for painters working in the medium of oils--from classic masters to contemporary artists. In The Elements of Landscape Oil Painting, established Watson-Guptill author and noted instructor/painter Suzanne Brooker presents the fundamentals necessary for mastering landscape oil painting, breaking landscapes down into component parts: sky, terrain, trees, and water. Each featured element builds off the previous, with additional lessons on the latest brushes, paints, and other tools used by artists. Key methods like observation, rendering, and color mixing are supported by demonstration paintings and samples from a variety of the best landscape oil painters of all time. With The Elements of Landscape Oil Painting, oil painters looking to break into landscape painting or enhance their work will find all the necessary ingredients for success. Read more

A must-have reference book for today's artists and art students. Every artist needs to learn and master the still life.Written by a well-known artist and expert instructor, The Art of Still Life offers a comprehensive, contemporary approach to the subject that instructs artists on the foundation basics and advanced techniques they need for successful drawing and painting.In addition to Casey's stunning paintings, the work of over fifty past and present masters is included, so that the book will do double duty as a hardworking how-to manual and a visual treasure trove of some of the finest still life art throughout history and being created today. Read more

These pages practically glow with Kevin Macpherson's rich and powerful paintings! He shares his techniques for quickly capturing the mood of a scene in bold, direct brushstrokes, with step-by-step instructions that make it easy—simply a matter of painting the colors you see. Follow his lead and you too, can create landscapes and still lives in a vibrant, impressionistic style. Read more

Start painting today!Comprehensive introduction to painting for aspiring artists, written for complete beginners38 step-by-step projects, each teaching a different essential technique, from backruns and blending to painting "alla prima"Practical advice on choosing the best materials and equipment to get the most out of your paintingInspirational galleries and essentials to help develop your artistic skillsOver 350 photos in beautiful color, to take you through every step of the processLearn watercolors, acrylics, and oil paintings, with all aspects exploredAnyone can learn to paint! You might be surprised by how easy it is. This practical hands-on guide will show you everything you need to know to achieve immediate and impressive results, fast!Covering the three most popular types of painting: watercolors, acrylics and oils, this comprehensive step-by-step guide provides basic information on materials and techniques as well as an exciting series of demonstrations. The unique approach of this book is so simple that even a complete beginner can start immediately on original and exciting projects!Each section has practical information on materials and equipment and includes a gallery of professional work by various artists to inspire your own creativity. The thirty-eight included projects cover all types of subjects, including landscapes, still life, people, flowers, animals, weathered rocks, rough tree bark, foliage, ocean waves, buildings, and more, so there is something for everyone!Within each section, the demonstrations provide instruction, illustrating a range of different painting techniques, from basic brushstrokes, masking, and glazing to spattering, drybrush, using resist and sgraffito, scumbling, impasto, painting with a knife, and more.352 pages filled with stunning artworks and inspiring projects, this book will help beginners to achieve immediate and impressive results with a minimum of practice. Before you know it, you'll be creating landscapes, still lifes, and portraits that will amaze your family and friends!Master the basics of watercolors, acrylics, and oils, with How to Paint! Read more

“A story of excruciating power.”—The New York Times   The classic, bestselling biographical novel of Vincent Van Gogh   Since its initial publication in 1934, Irving Stone’s Lust for Life has been a critical success, a multimillion-copy bestseller, and the basis for an Academy Award-winning movie.   The most famous of all of Stone’s novels, it is the story of Vincent Van Gogh—brilliant painter, passionate lover, and alleged madman. Here is his tempestuous story: his dramatic life, his fevered loves for both the highest-born women and the lowest prostitutes, and his paintings—for which he was damned before being proclaimed a genius. The novel takes us from his desperate days in a coal mine in southern Belgium to his dazzling years in the south of France, where he knew the most brilliant artists (and the most depraved whores). Finally, it shows us Van Gogh driven mad, tragic, and triumphant at once. No other novel of a great man’s life has so fascinated the American public for generations. Read more

The Easy Way to Get Started with Oil PaintingCraig Stephens has a simple motto for painting: With a brush, some paints and a willingness to learn, anyone can do it. With that mindset, Craig takes his most essential lessons, boils them down to their basics and teaches you everything you need to know to start oil painting, without any fuss or highbrow. Thanks to his experience teaching painting to high school students for over two decades, Craig is an expert at helping those with no experience pick up a brush and make beautiful art they are proud of. With his direction, you’ll create dynamic, vivid paintings and learn to capture your world in ways you never thought possible.Each project in this book is designed to highlight the important elements of using oil paints, helping you to practice new skills and get comfortable with the medium. And thanks to Craig’s helpful step-by-step directions that pair a picture with each stroke, you’ll get great results. Hone your color-mixing eye as you blend the vibrant greens and subtle yellows in the Freshly Cut Avocado piece. Practice painting unique textures, like the small craters in the Simplified Strawberry or the glossy skin on the Smooth and Shiny Plum. Learn all the ways to capture natural light, like transparency in a glass of Refreshing Lemon Water or dazzling reflections on a Chrome Coffee Creamer. Oil painting is a timeless art form, and with Craig as your teacher, you’ll create 22 beautiful pieces for your walls and learn all the foundational skills you need to enjoy this hobby for years to come. Read more

A lush new volume devoted to the best works by beloved American Impressionist and portraitist John Singer Sargent, whose dazzling use of light and color depicts modern subjects with arresting intimacy.An ideal introduction to the painter’s work, Sargent: The Masterworks features 100 of his most beloved paintings. Illustrating all aspects of his diverse oeuvre—portraits, landscapes, mural commissions—in oil and watercolor, this handsome new book includes works from both private and public collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s infamous Madame X.Author Stephanie L. Herdrich draws on a wealth of new research to provide both an essential overview and a more nuanced understanding of the great American painter. Richly illustrated, the book’s three chapters cover the artist’s career from his childhood and early years in Paris, to his mid-career portraits made in England and United States, and his later years painting out of doors. An illustrated chronology contains fascinating details and archival imagery about the artist’s life. Sargent’s cosmopolitan upbringing and education made him perfectly suited to capture the upwardly mobile bourgeoisie and aristocrats of his era, creating sensual portraits that depict his sitters with startling vibrancy. Though he achieved tremendous success in portraiture, Sargent focused on painting outdoors after 1900, achieving the most brilliant and personal images of his career. One of the greatest portraitists and watercolorists of his time, Sargent remains one of the most well-known and well-loved of all American artists. Read more

Essential color-mixing recipes for oil and acrylic painting in a convenient lay-flat format.No more guessing at colors only to end up with a muddy mess and wasted paint! Color Mixing Recipes for Oil & Acrylic takes the mystery and stress out of color mixing with just the right formula for more than 450 color combinations, along with instruction on a variety of painting techniques. Use the handy conversion chart for finding acrylic equivalents of oil paints and vice versa. Designed for use in the studio, this durable book features:A lay-flat spiral bindingEasily wipeable glossy cardstock pagesA removable plastic color-mixing gridFollow these four simple steps to mix more than 1,500 color combinations:Look in the Color Guidance Index for the subject you want to paint—for example, “Broccoli.”Find the Color Recipe with the subject’s recipe number (“81”) and a photo of the actual paint mixture.Use the Color Mixing Grid to measure each paint color.Mix the color.It’s that easy! This comprehensive reference also includes foundational instruction on color theory and mixing, covering:Color theoryColor value mixingGraying color naturallyMixing flesh and portrait colorsWhether you are a beginning or experienced artist, Color Mixing Recipes for Oil & Acrylic is an invaluable tool for your workspace.Walter Foster’s best-selling Color Mixing Recipes series also includes Color Mixing Recipes for Watercolor, Color Mixing Recipes for Landscapes, and Color Mixing Recipes for Portraits. These books contain hundreds of precise color mixing combinations for realistic results, as well as acetate grids for measuring paint units. Read more

This sequel to the best-selling Bob Ross Coloring Book features a collection of sixty-five seasonal paintings refashioned from Bob Ross's original works.The second coloring book based on the art of the beloved and acclaimed painter and television personality, this exclusive authorized collection of art, derived directly from Bob Ross's own paintings, offers his legions of fans a contemplative, relaxing, and inspiring way to connect with the work and personality of the pop-culture icon.Featuring many of Ross's most famous quotes and catchphrases about happy little trees, friendly squirrels, and more, the book also includes a full-color gallery of the original artwork. But as he would no doubt want, coloring fans of all ages are encouraged to make their own decisions, embrace their mistakes, and make each painting their own. Read more

Here is everything you need to know about getting into oil painting—and maintaining a safe, solvent-free oil painting practice—in a slim, sophisticated guide.Oil painting is an exciting and adventurous medium, but aspiring artists can feel daunted by complex setups and the thought of using harsh chemicals. All of that changes now. The New Oil Painting walks you step-by-step through oil painting fundamentals—which materials you actually need, how to mix paint, how to set up your painting space—and, most revolutionary of all, how to eliminate harmful solvents from your work and replace them with safe, effective substitutes. This instructional handbook is organized into chapters with helpful diagrams throughout illustrating various techniques and tools. Whether you're a true beginner or have been painting with oils for years, you will find that this book has everything you need to build a new, thriving, toxin-free practice.• UNIQUE APPROACH: Not only does this book help aspiring artists build a repertoire of skills and materials, it also offers all artists, regardless of their experience levels, methods for eliminating solvents and other toxic substances from their oil painting practices. What was once a dangerous pastime is now a guilt-free, health-conscious, and rewarding activity. And using safe, nontoxic materials is better for the environment!• LONG-TERM USE: Good art instruction can deliver over a long period of time, and this handy guide is no exception. Along with being able to use this as an entryway into oil painting, you can also use it for reference or reread sections when you need a brushup.• EXPERT AUTHOR WITH IMPRESSIVE CREDENTIALS: Painter Kimberly Brooks was the founding arts editor at Huffington Post. As a painter, she exhibits her work frequently throughout the United States and was a featured artist with the National Endowment for the Arts. She has led oil painting workshops, and now she shares her vast knowledge of the subject in this accessible and comprehensive handbook.Perfect for:• Artists and art aspirants interested in exploring a new medium• Experienced oil painters looking to eliminate solvents from their practices• Painting students and teachers Read more

Unwind and find inner peace with our Mindfulness Patterns Color By Number book. Explore a captivating collection of shapes and zentangle doodle patterns designed to help you relax and de-stress.Let your creativity flow as you color your way to a calmer, more balanced state of mind.51 unique, professionally hand-drawn illustrations (no AI-generated images).Suitable for all skill levels, from beginners to experienced colorists.Single-sided pages to minimize bleed-through, ensuring a seamless coloring experience. (If using markers, place a protective sheet behind the page you're coloring)Engaging coloring activities designed to promote stress relief, calmness, and mindfulness.The perfect gift for friends, family, and loved ones on holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, or any special occasion. Read more

Valencian master Sorolla's Impressionist paintings depict the most beautiful gardens and architecture in Spain.Like Claude Monet's celebrated plein air landscapes at Giverny, the series collected in this book represents among the best-loved examples of Joaquín Sorolla's (1863-1923) work, and a window into the Spanish painter's quest to capture the essence of a garden. Described by Monet as "the master of light," Sorolla and his landscapes, formal portraits, and historically themed canvases drew comparisons to contemporary American painter John Singer Sargent. Sorolla had achieved renown on both sides of the Atlantic for grand scenes of Spanish life when he began a personal series of garden works, presented completely for the first time in this publication.Painted at the palaces of La Granja and the Alcázar in Seville, the Alhambra and Generalife in Granada, and at the painter's home in Madrid, these Impressionist works allowed Sorolla to apply his signature loose brushwork and training as a photographer's lighting assistant to gardens and the sculptures, architecture, and sitters that frame and animate them. Sorolla depicted reflections in fountains and pools, the sunlight dappling his glamorous sitters, sprays of orange blossoms, and shaded blue-and-white tile as he endeavored to render the radiant peace of a summer afternoon. Read more

Outdoor painting tips and more from the best landscape painters working today. Many painters enjoy working outdoors when the weather is good, but they also need to know how to deal with it when the weather changes! This book includes the best instruction on the special challenges of painting landscapes outdoors from a variety of the best plein-air artists working today in all major media—oil, pastel, watercolor, acrylic, and gouache. It includes: - Materials, site selection, and practical tips - Values, shapes, composition, color, and elements of landscape painting - Bringing outdoor studies back into the studio - Complete start-to-finish demonstrations - Hundreds of gorgeous images - A wealth of knowledge from a variety of instructors Read more

An essential guide to the oil painting techniques that will allow artists to master a variety of subjects, including figures, portraits, still life, landscapes, and interiors.Many painters limit themselves to one type of subject matter, but in Oil Painting Essentials, artist and art instructor Gregg Kreutz shows how a multi-genre approach can dramatically improve your painting skills. Arranged by category, each chapter covers both the essentials specific to that subject matter and those that apply to all genres.  Through step-by-step lessons and examples from his own oil paintings, Kreutz shows how you can strengthen your skillset for one genre by painting in another. This comprehensive exploration of the conceptual and practical issues behind oil painting provides all of the tools and encouragement you need to successfully take on any type of oil painting. Read more