| If your intention is to make unique, somewhat abstracted works with a distinctive style and a unique personality, you may not be able to go directly there. Indeed, some accomplished artists insist that you can't reach a significant level of distinction without a solid grounding in the basics. By basics we mean that a person is comfortable and somewhat proficient with academic drawing, composition, colour control and other technical skills. How to go about grabbing these basics in as short a time as possible? The answer lies in any number of excellent beginner's guides. While it may be beneath a student's dignity and lofty formal education to attain and employ one of these guides, the use of one of them for even a short period of time, may, in the long run, be fortuitous. They are not the only books available--they may not even be the best ones. They just happen to be the ones I've found useful. | ||
 |  |  |
| Alla Prima: Everything I Know About Painting
by Richard Schmid Beautiful book, expensive, worth every penny | Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting
by John F. Carlson $9.95 Unpretentious, timeless wealth of advice and experience. | Composition of Outdoor Painting
by Edgar Payne Somewhat difficult to read, idealistic, useful classic. |
 |  |  |
| Painting What (You Want) to See: "Forty-Six...
by Charles Reid Excellent for oil and watercolour, particularly figurative. | Classical Painting Atelier: A Contemporary ...
by Juliette Aristides $23.10 Valuable apprenticeship to some of the better historical artists. | Design & Composition Secrets of Profess...
Range of approaches by 16 painters, including me. |
|
Back to basics
