The Big Book of Painting Nature in Oil

by S. Allyn Schaeffer and John Shaw

Compiled from the 3 best selling volumes, this book presents 135 step by step lessons and covers materials, tools, and basic techniques. Depict the spidery delicacy of sycamore branches outlined... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0823005038
• ISBN13: 9780823005031
• Release Date: February 1991
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill Publications
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 2.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 8.3" x 11.0"

Customer Reviews

Very helpful for working on landscapes

I am relatively new to oils. I found this book amazingly helpful when working on a painting. I could flip through the book to find a specific techniques I was working on, and got a lot of good ideas as to how to proceed. Almost everything you could encounter in landscape painting is covered. This book is not a "beautiful painting book". It is a nuts and bolts guide to dealing with painting various aspects of nature. The paintings in the book are essentially sketches, showing you how to start, and techniques you can use, to create your own interpretations. In many cases, step-by-step insturctions are included. I have used this book over and over, and it is full of my page markers and notes. It is filled with lots of techniques, some of which really helped me to move on when I was stuck. I liked this book so much that I ordered the companion book in pastels. I am pleased with that book as well, and can't wait to try out some of the ideas the author has for handling almost everything you can run into when painting nature. I have sold many of my art books, because they just were no longer useful to me. But I am holding on to this one for good!

Helpful book especially for "home schooled" painters

I didn't know what to expect when I purchased "The Big Book of Painting Nature in Oil". But, after my initial misgivings, I have found it enormously useful as a reference for composition, color selection and methods to paint difficult subject matter (for a beginning artist with no formal art education) such as forests, fog, grass. When I paint outside, I take it with me. It has helped me be more selective in setting up my painting and helped me to simplify. Wonderful book! I'm glad I bought it.

A wonderful guide to oil painting technique

The Big Book of Painting Nature in Oil should be a standard reference in every oil painting library. From the most basic landscape of a lone tree to the intricate details of autumn color, the reader-painter is taken on a journey of discovery.Beginners to seasoned landscape artists will appreciate the attention given to the palette, color mixing, supports, materials, and techniques. Each painting lesson features a reference photograph and step-by-step instructions that, with time and practice, help the reader become a better artist.

Excellent, shows reduction of detail from photo to painting.

This book shows how a painting can capture the essence of a landscape photo without the complexity of every bush tree and rock contained in a photoghaph. There are sections on changing the natural focal point away from animals to a prominent landscape. The sequencing of the development of the painting is easy to follow and little interpretation is required. It's very well presented with a great amount of detail which covers a vast number of settings. Seashore to mountains to forests, plains, and eastern lakes and streams are shown. A great addition to your how to and how to solve library.

An outstanding comprehensive visual aid for painting

I own many art books, but this one is impressive. The author shows photographs and resulting paintings for 135 different landscape painting situations. I find it extremely helpful to see not only the final painting, but also the original photographed scene on which it was based. To me this book is invaluable. I also love the artist's personal style, which is expressive yet realistic. In fact, I love the whole book and return to it again and again for help and inspiration and sometimes just to admire the wonderful paintings! This is a must-have for landscape artists.