How to Paint: A Course in the Art of Oil Painting

I bought this based on a handful of Internet recommendations I found, but I worried that it would be yet another generic oil painting book that touched on everything and taught nothing. It's a wonderful book. It does indeed cover just about everything, but it doesn't just touch on subjects, it covers them in depth. Important subjects, very readable and understandable writing, I'd have to rate this a must have. If you're to have one book on concepts then this is it. Get others with painting demonstrations if you want, or if you need to explore a particular topic in great depth as your skills improve, but start with this one. Chapters: 1) Basic Structural Drawing 2) Linear Perspective in Cubic Objects 3) Learning Shape Awareness 4) Understanding Values 5) Translating Values into Light and Shadow 6) Modeling the Four Basic Forms 7) Various Light Directions 8) The Behavior of Cast Shadows 9) Basic Color theory 10) How Color Functions in Realism 11) Complementary Color Sequences 12) Light, Shadow, and Texture 13) Color Perception and Harmony 14) Analogous Color Sequences 15) Advanced Color Theory 16) Composition 17) Design 18) Advanced Painting Techniques 19) Color in Landscape 20) Practical Concerns for the Artist

Found this book in my local library and dind't want to return it. I don't really like Gloria Foss's paintings, but she is an amazing teacher. Very well structered, clear, very detailed, covers everything that seemed so confusing to me before. It gave me so much confidence, that I feel like I can be a teacher of art now. It's expensive, but it's the only book you need. It covers media, tools, drawing, perspective, color theory, 3-dimensional shadowing, composition, design and everything is easily understandable. The chapter on design gave me more information than a course in interior design that I took.

I got this book out of the library among many other techniques books in various mediums on painting, composition, drawing, color theory, and this one is the best and most clearly comprehensive one I've read. Pricey, but I am buying it as a reference book.

It's not often one finds a book that is this usefull. Filled with good advice and examples, color and B & W, that would be usefull to beginning or experienced painters. This book refrains from trying to teach a particular style of painting. Rather it covers subjects of interest to all painters in oil. I am primarily an acrylic painter but that has never detracted from the usefullness of this book. There are chapters on structural drawing, perspective, modeling, basic and advanced color theory, composition and design, color in landscape, even "Practical concerns for the emerging artist." The color theory chapters are particularly good, with examples and exhaustive color tables to help one learn one of the most difficult parts of painting, the use of color. One may or may not like Foss's style of painting, but this book is designed to help you learn the techniques that will allow you to find your own style.

The writter has successfuly bring a live a classroom lesson as well as a complete guide to deal with oil painting. I've read a few other similiar book and this book had demostrate a true dedication to education than just oil painting for hobbies. I had a wonderful time reading it and learning to paint. I hope to own a copy of this book as my own.