Brushwork Essentials
by Mark Christopher Weber
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Book Summary Information
Author: Mark Christopher WeberEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-06-01
ISBN: 1581801688
Number of pages: 144
Publisher: North Light Books
Book Reviews of Brushwork Essentials
Book Review: A terrific introduction to oil painting
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm fairly new to painting, but I have purchased a dozen books on oils, and this one has been the most helpful to me. It's pitched to the beginner or beginner-intermediate artist, not the expert.
Weber mostly makes good on his promise to show you how to do things, not just finished results. He shows you a number of different ways to load a brush, for example "shovel loading, "chisel loading, "tip pull loading," "body loading," and others. The book includes helpful close-up photos of each of these techniques. He then shows you several different ways to apply each of these loaded brushes, again with close-up photos. Using the same kind of closeups, he shows you how to mix paint. I haven't seen this level of detail in any other painting book I've purchased.
The book then goes on to demonstrate several techniques for blending, again using helpful series of photos depicting brushstrokes for blending, different stages in adding transitional colors, and thorough wet-into-wet blending. I really had no clue about blending until I read this material.
The book didn't answer all my questions. I had hoped for some detailed instruction on how to paint water, but while there are "walkthroughs" for painting roses, a mountain landscape, and a human figure, and a couple of shots of water in photos, there wasn't a systematic treatment of water. Also, the book advocates using a "wash" to start a painting without thoroughly explaining why one would do this, although it does include an adequate description of how to go about it.
But these are minor quibbles. I learned a lot from this book. I wish he'd make another, focusing on particular problems in painting, or providing more step-by-step walkthroughs, but this book will keep me busy for a while. I intend to try to reproduce his roses, for example, following his instructions.
One final caveat. Weber happens to use the very same paints I do -- the DUO Aqua water-miscible (sometimes called water-soluble) oils. So for me the book was a perfect match, as he was actually talking about pigments that I'm already somewhat familiar with. Don't get me wrong; mostly his writing has a much broader application to "regular" oils, and he's quite clear about when his comments pertain only to water-miscibles. But part of my enthusiasm for the book is the happy coincidence that he uses "my" paints. For readers who use paints with very different handling characteristics, the book might be slightly less useful. But only slightly less.
Summary of Brushwork Essentials
Knowing how to use a brush properly is essential for effective oil painting. Brushwork Essentials shows artists everything they need to know to render a variety of elegant strokes, along with other exciting techniques like paint mixing and brush shaping. Weber makes mastering each technique easy. He provides detailed, easy-to-follow instructions, step-by-step demonstrations and complementary artwork that highlights each brushstroke as it appears on the canvas. Readers will also learn how to use different strokes to achieve specific effects, such as lighting, shadowing and more.Oil Painting Books
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