National Network for Equitable Library Service

Nobody ever said that oil painting was easy. But it gets much easier and a lot more fun when you follow a step-by-step approach that starts you off on the right foot, helps you build your skills one at a time, and gives you plenty of exercises to develop your craft. That’s what you’ll find in Oil Painting For Dummies.  Completely free of arty jargon, this full-color guide has all the hands-on instruction you need to master the basics. You’ll see how to plan a painting, build an image in layers, mix colors, and create stunning compositions. You’ll also find everything you need to know about oil paints, solvents, and pigments; brushes, palettes, and painting surfaces; and how to keep costs down at the art supply store. Discover how to: * Choose the right supplies * Set up your studio and care for your equipment * Handle your materials safely * Develop your design and composition skills * Make practice sketches and studies * Use broken stroke, dry brush, glazing, scraffito and other brush strokes * Try out different compositions * Mix any color you want * Simplify tricky still-life subjects * Paint landscapes and common objects out doors * Paint portraits and the human form Complete with handy color chart, basic materials list, and a very useful viewing square, Oil Painting For Dummies is the fun and easy way to discover your inner artist!