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Traditional Oil Painting: Advanced Techniques and Concepts from the Renaissance to the Present
The only book that lets artists explore the highest levels of realistic oil painting.
As more and more artists today look to the past, there has been a tremendous resurgence of interest in painting realistically—in creating convincing illusions of three-dimensional depth on two dimensional surfaces. How did the Old Masters create their masterpieces? What kind of education allowed these great artists to create such beautiful work, and how can an artist learn these lessons today? Traditional Oil Painting answers those questions and many more. This comprehensive sourcebook explores the most advanced levels of oil painting, with full information on the latest scientific discoveries. Author and distinguished artist Virgil Elliott examines the many elements that let artists take the next step in their mental attitude, aesthetic considerations, the importance of drawing, principles of visual reality, materials, techniques, portraiture, photographic images versus visual reality, and color. Traditional Oil Painting helps artists master the secrets of realistic painting to create work that will rival that of the masters.
As more and more artists today look to the past, there has been a tremendous resurgence of interest in painting realistically—in creating convincing illusions of three-dimensional depth on two dimensional surfaces. How did the Old Masters create their masterpieces? What kind of education allowed these great artists to create such beautiful work, and how can an artist learn these lessons today? Traditional Oil Painting answers those questions and many more. This comprehensive sourcebook explores the most advanced levels of oil painting, with full information on the latest scientific discoveries. Author and distinguished artist Virgil Elliott examines the many elements that let artists take the next step in their mental attitude, aesthetic considerations, the importance of drawing, principles of visual reality, materials, techniques, portraiture, photographic images versus visual reality, and color. Traditional Oil Painting helps artists master the secrets of realistic painting to create work that will rival that of the masters.
- GenresArtNonfiction
224 pages, Hardcover
First published August 7, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 25, 2018
Virgil Elliott's book, Traditional Oil Painting is by far the best book on oil painting I have ever encountered, with the widest possible overview. It is the one I have in my art studio that I use as reference to every phase of oil painting, the one I recommend to all my students. From philosophy to drawing to sight-size method, to brushes, paints, medium used, nitty-gritty of every phase of the process, it is all there. I call it the Bible of oil painting and use it quite like an encyclopedia. Do I have a question on color or color mixing, what colors are lightfast, what type of oil is in the oil paint and which should I use in what case, when or if to use lead white, examining the grounds for different substrates. It is pervasive in its sweep through history, telling us what is established and known of different of the Masters of painting from the past, and what is not. The book goes into the different schools of the masters. The book examines portraiture and figure painting in depth. All throughout the book are excellent color examples of great works of art. Finally, the book has viewpoint, the viewpoint of a seasoned master oil painter who cares greatly for his students, for the future of realistic and skilled works of art, and for their longevity in the archival time-line.
September 9, 2011
A thorough, and thoroughly priggish, treatment of traditional oil painting. While much of the writing is heavy-handed, it is consciously so; the author is protecting a sacred institution and sees no reason to treat fashionable counterarguments courteously.
January 1, 2021
It's no coincidence that one stumbles across this book...the universe wants you to read this...it's that good!! .....
While rules formulas and dogma have their usefulness in the early stages of one's artistic development what they actually are is simplification of much more complex truths...and u can almost feel new wrinkles forming in your brain as they unravel one by one *_*..... And the narration!! It's almost a blur between art and Philosophy!!!
And it's never too soon to pick up this book and read!
While rules formulas and dogma have their usefulness in the early stages of one's artistic development what they actually are is simplification of much more complex truths...and u can almost feel new wrinkles forming in your brain as they unravel one by one *_*..... And the narration!! It's almost a blur between art and Philosophy!!!
And it's never too soon to pick up this book and read!
April 2, 2016
If you can get past the condescending tone, this book is a great resource on oil panting. Elliott details step by step how to construct oil paintings in various traditional styles, including early Flemish, Venetian and French Academic. The chapter on materials is more comprehensive than anything else I've seen collected elsewhere, whether in books or online. It includes lists of paints by oil-to-pigment ratios and transparency, among other things, and a thorough discussion of different painting mediums. Elliott also includes separate chapters on portraiture, landscape painting and still-life painting, where many books will focus on one to the exclusion of others.
March 1, 2015
This book was for me testament to the fact that self-importance is the most repulsive thing about a person, especially when one has nothing to feel important about. Elliot may know his way about describing painting techniques, but judging by the quality of his own work, I could not feel at all assured about the quality of his advice.
Still digesting, may re-evaluate.
Still digesting, may re-evaluate.
April 10, 2008
he has taken everything i ever had questions about and simplified it to the point were everything makes sense.....
March 28, 2021
The invention of the camera brought profound turmoil to the world of art, turmoil of a kind that continues to this day with the development of more recent tools like Photoshop. This turmoil helped usher in an era that reached a reductio ad absurdum in the aesthetics of philosophers like Arthur Danto, who concluded, in effect, that "art can be anything". But the flip side of this conclusion is that art is nothing in particular at all - and a crumpled Coke can is just as valuable as a Rodin. The immediate practical result of this standard, which is actually no standard, was that the body of artistic practices painstakingly developed from the Renaissance forward was all but lost, surviving only in the work of a relative handful of artists.
More recently, the Art Renewal Center, and artists trained in these older methods, have done their best to recover both these practices and a far more humanistic aesthetic. Either one without the other would be incomplete.
Among the books produced by these artists, Elliott's is probably the most authoritative, making "Traditional Oil Painting" the current gold standard for those who are impressed with painters like Rembrandt, Vermeer, Caravaggio, van Eyck and Bouguereau. His book is full of inspirational and aspirational reproductions of the work of these artists, together with an account of how they accomplished their amazing canvases, so far as this can now be determined.
Of course, just reading a book of this kind won't suffice to make anyone another Rembrandt - no book would - but for a leg up on how to approximate to this sort of technique this is the best single place to go.
More recently, the Art Renewal Center, and artists trained in these older methods, have done their best to recover both these practices and a far more humanistic aesthetic. Either one without the other would be incomplete.
Among the books produced by these artists, Elliott's is probably the most authoritative, making "Traditional Oil Painting" the current gold standard for those who are impressed with painters like Rembrandt, Vermeer, Caravaggio, van Eyck and Bouguereau. His book is full of inspirational and aspirational reproductions of the work of these artists, together with an account of how they accomplished their amazing canvases, so far as this can now be determined.
Of course, just reading a book of this kind won't suffice to make anyone another Rembrandt - no book would - but for a leg up on how to approximate to this sort of technique this is the best single place to go.
October 3, 2022
Very academic, not a "fun tutorials" type of art book. Good, solid information. I'd have gone to my local college for art education if someone with his values (the fundamentals) taught when I was looking.
January 22, 2019
Nothing but respect for the craft of oil painting. An in depth look into key components of the craft.
December 10, 2008
I'm still working my way through this one, since it's an art technique book, I finish a section on how to do a certain style of oils and think, "I should try that." but never get around to it.
Anyway. Elliott can seem a little bit preachy at times, but his declaration that an artist must be fully committed to art and art alone is as correct as it is difficult for me to enact. But there is no denying the inspiration to do good painting that I get while reading this book. I just need the time and place to actually paint it out.
Anyway. Elliott can seem a little bit preachy at times, but his declaration that an artist must be fully committed to art and art alone is as correct as it is difficult for me to enact. But there is no denying the inspiration to do good painting that I get while reading this book. I just need the time and place to actually paint it out.
May 16, 2010
Man, this guy does not think much of people using photography as an artistic aid. He made a special point to basically say "photography sucks" after each chapter.
He gives good advice, but I don't really like his work that is generously spread throughout the book.
He gives good advice, but I don't really like his work that is generously spread throughout the book.
March 19, 2014
Great to see realistic painting techniques and concepts. This convinced me not to foresake portraiture and in fact will improve my landscapes. Also good to know about paint differences. The author lost me a few times in his writing style but I liked his work.
November 11, 2017
I wanted to see analyses of their drawings and paintings; breakdowns of techniques; that kind of thing. Pages 67-107 gave me that, but it's only one quarter of the book.
However, that one section is the best I've found on the topic.
However, that one section is the best I've found on the topic.
October 19, 2009
One of the best books I have read on 'traditional' techniques.
Read
March 25, 2011So far this book contains decently interesting information, but I find the writing style to be awfully high-handed. Would have liked more pictures, too!
Read
August 11, 2011Great info and thorough research!
September 18, 2018
[review pending]
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews