Tuesday 31 May 2011

The art books are going too!

I'm quite sure that Julian has an excellent library of art books - and I'm looking forward to reading some of them.  However on the journey down and while I'm there I want some of my comfort zone books with me.

Particularly since I'm Learning how to paint with oils in Provence.

I realised how long I've been planning to paint in oils when I took a look at my shelves to find the oil painting books.

Here's the books I've bought in the past - with particular reference to the ones I'm probably taking with me.  I'm including links to the websites of artists which is another way I buy books - because I ask the question "Do I like the art that the artist produces?"

General information / compendium
Single author - oil painting instruction
Squinting eliminates the unnecessary
  • Brushwork Essentials - by Mark Christopher Weber  (North Light Books 2002) This is a book which I bought on the basis of a recommendation in an earlier exercise about "best books" on this blog.  It's the only book I've ever come across which shows you which brush to use and how for which effect.   
  • Colour and Light in Oils by Nicholas Verrall (Batsford 2004)  This is a painter who is very positive about the use of colour - particularly in countries around the Mediterranean.  His book also focuses on how to bring space, depth and light into oil painting.
I've also got quite a few books (understatement!) which focus on some of the greatest painters working in oils - such as John Constable and JMW Turner.

The ones I'm inclined to take with me are the books by Curtis, MacPherson and Verrall - and quite possibly the brushwork book too.

Over on Making A Mark today I have a post which poses the question Which are the best books about oil painting?  It asks for suggestions as to what are good books.

7 comments:

Sarah said...

great! Loads to read, we are going to be so art saturated...fantastic!

Robyn Sinclair said...

And I'll bring some DVDs. When on earth are we going to sleep?!

Anita said...

Great book - seriously recommend it!

So envious of your trip - sounds like heaven!

Africantapestry and Myfrenchkitchen said...

I am the worst packer...I either take EVERYTHING...for "in case" or I take absolutely completely nothing, thinking I'm a survivor, I can do without! In terms of books...catastrophe...waht to take and what to leave...can we survive with too little...are we survivors...or are we "in case" painters...?
ronelle

Making A Mark said...

I'm very definitely "just in case" with me plus "we can live in hope" as in I've just bought some canvas panels!

However I would point out that when a group of artists were walking back to the hotel via the paddyfields in Bali and got caught out by the darkness falling - who was the one person who had a torch in her backpack? :)

Robyn Sinclair said...

Torch! I don't have 'torch' on my list. My list is ridiculous. I was coming by train - I wouldn't have been carrying all this stuff on the train. And how is Sarah going to carry her panels/canvases?

Making A Mark said...

she's done small ones - see the first post