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Title: The Oil Painter's Question & Answer Book by Hazel Harrison ISBN: 0-7858-1741-7 Publisher: Book Sales Pub. Date: 01 August, 2003 Format: Hardcover List Price(USD): $14.99

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Average Customer Rating: 4 (1 review)

Rating: 4
Summary: An Unexpected Find
Comment: I stumbled across The Oil Painter's Question and Answer Book while browsing the art instruction books at a local bookstore. I almost passed it by because of a dated looking greenish cover, but as soon as I opened it to glance at the contents I was intrigued. When I looked at the cover price of 14.99, I grabbed it.
The book is a full sized art instruction book with hundreds of color illustrations and pictures. It's typical of the type of book that commonly sells for $25 to $30 list price and around $20 to $25 on Amazon. It appears to be a reissue of an original volumne published in 1989, which may account for the bargain price.
The basic approach of the book is present a student painting of a particular subject and then, with the use of a professional painting of exactly the same subject, illustrate solutions to problems identified in the original work. For instance, one example poses the student's question, "There is no feeling of space in my painting; what have I done wrong?" The student work that follows is not a bad attempt, but on the facing page is exactly the same landscape demonstrating just how it can be so much more effective. The text explains the problem - the mistakes the student has made - and then lays out the solution. The side by side 'before and after' comparison is enomously effective, and the written explanations are concise and well done. The approach is something like you might find in a painting workshop where the instructor puts your work on his easel and begins to illustrate how it can be made better. This format continues throughout the book with subjects like the following:
For a sweeping landscape, "I did this landscape from life, but I seem to have lost the feeling of emptiness."
A forest scene without much focal point, "My greens look dead and dull; how can I make them more vibrant?"
"I'm not happy with the composition of this portrait; it looks awkward and ugly."
The same process is applied to issues such as painting whites, skin tones, color harmony, foregrounds, creating drama, space and recession, personal statements, and much more. Each 'expert' painting is done by a different artist, so we see a variety of solutions, not just those of the author.
Scattered among these mini-lessions are some nice discussions of color, brush work, impasto, and, my favorite, avoiding muddy neutrals (grays).
I have two book shelves full of art instuction books. I don't know of any that do a better job of illustrating how to correct common painting problems. I'm an intermediate to advanced student of oil painting, and I found many great ideas and concepts that I will try to incorporate in my own work. I'm still reading the book which I recently took on a business trip instead of my unsual escapist fiction. It's great reading. I would recommend it at twice the price. Nicely done.