The Beginner's Guide to Oil Painting: Simple Still Life Projects to Help You Master the Basics

by Craig Stephens

Overview

The Easy Way to Get Started with Oil Painting

Craig Stephens has a simple motto for painting: With a brush, some paints and a willingness to learn, anyone can do it. With that mindset, Craig takes his most essential lessons, boils them down to their basics and teaches you everything you need to know to start oil painting, without any fuss or highbrow. Thanks to his experience teaching painting to high school students for over two decades, Craig is an expert at helping those with no experience pick up a brush and make beautiful art they are proud of. With his direction, you’ll create dynamic, vivid paintings and learn to capture your world in ways you never thought possible.

Each project in this book is designed to highlight the important elements of using oil paints, helping you to practice new skills and get comfortable with the medium. And thanks to Craig’s helpful step-by-step directions that pair a picture with each stroke, you’ll get great results. Hone your color-mixing eye as you blend the vibrant greens and subtle yellows in the Freshly Cut Avocado piece. Practice painting unique textures, like the small craters in the Simplified Strawberry or the glossy skin on the Smooth and Shiny Plum. Learn all the ways to capture natural light, like transparency in a glass of Refreshing Lemon Water or dazzling reflections on a Chrome Coffee Creamer. Oil painting is a timeless art form, and with Craig as your teacher, you’ll create 22 beautiful pieces for your walls and learn all the foundational skills you need to enjoy this hobby for years to come.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781645674948
Publisher:	Page Street Publishing
Publication date:	04/26/2022
Pages:	176
Sales rank:	264,169
Product dimensions:	7.60(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Craig Stephens is a professional painter. He taught art at the high school level for over two decades and now teaches painting courses online. His works can be seen in the Sparrow Gallery in Sacramento, California, and online at his website, craigstephensart.com. Craig and his family live in Auburn, California.

Table of Contents

Introduction 9

Welcome to Oil Painting! 11

Basic Tools and Materials 12

Let's Set Up a Studio! 14

The Painting Process 14

The Language of Light 17

Getting to Know Your Colors 17

Using Value to Describe Form 23

Grayscale Sphere 25

Value Study: Black Cube 29

Value Study: Gray Cylinder 35

Value Study: Pear 41

Getting a Handle on Color Temperature 47

Accentuated Pear 49

Paper Bag in Warm and Cool Tones 55

Tackling Textures 63

Smooth and Shiny Plum 65

Fuzzy Peach 71

Simplified Strawberry 77

Juicy Peach Slices 82

Keeping Colors Bright and Vibrant 89

Summer Fresh Lemon 91

Freshly Cut Avocado 97

Ruby-Red Apple 105

Tantalizing Transparency 111

Crystal Clear Bottle 113

Watery Jar with Paintbrush 119

Refreshing Lemon Water 125

Reflecting on Reflections 131

Chrome Coffee Creamer 133

Dazzling Christmas Ornament 139

Tea(pot)Time 144

Putting It All Together 151

Yellow High-Top 152

After School Milk and Cookies 159

Cheeseburger with All the Trimmings 164

Acknowledgments 172

About the Author 172

Index 173

Editorial Reviews

The Beginner’s Guide to Oil Painting is perfect for anyone who wants to learn oil painting but doesn’t know where to begin. Craig taps into his decades of teaching experience and articulates with clarity how successful paintings are created.“ —Terry Miura, professional artist and illustrator

“This easy-to-follow book walks you through the perfect place to begin with oil painting: the simple still life. Through step-by-step instruction, you’ll learn to create beautiful and harmonious paintings.“ —Todd M. Casey, author of The Art of Still Life

“This book teaches you everything you need to know about capturing color and light with oil paints.“ —James Gurney, author of Color and Light

From the Publisher