Learning to Paint in Oil

In words, color photos, and art renditions these guides provide detailed explanations of art materials and how accomplished artists use them to achieve desired effects in the various media. The emphasis in these books is not on completing a finished painting -- a subject covered in other Barron's art series -- but on how to select and use the right materials for the right project, along with practical solutions to common artists' problems. Topics are treated in the form of easy-to-follow step-by-step directions. These volumes are valuable reference sources, both for the art classroom and for use by self-teaching hobbyists. Twenty-six concise sections describe oil paints, canvases, brushes, palettes, palette knives, easels, paint boxes, and related tools. Other topics covered in these sections include paint mixing and thinning, use of different brushes to achieve various effects, selecting pigments for a balanced palette, blending colors on the canvas, as well as controlling line and shape with brushwork.