Modern Oil Painting: A Self-Study Guide

Print edition: EKSMO (in Russian), out of print. Digital edition: in preparation.

About the book

Modern Oil Painting: A Self-Study Guide was published by EKSMO in 2011.

It followed the success of Oil Painting: A Self-Study Guide as its second part, devoted to alla prima (Italian for "at the first attempt" or "all at once"). In this method, a painting is completed in a single session, working into wet paint. That is what gives alla prima its freshness and immediacy in capturing an impression.

The book drew special interest from professional artists, thanks to the author's own unique techniques and practical solutions for painting alla prima. It pays close attention to ways of speeding up the drying of oil paintings, storing color mixes, and other professional secrets that make working with oils more comfortable.

In 2011, the series released two books on oil painting that complement each other:

Oil Painting: A Self-Study Guide — a guide to the classical layered technique
Modern Oil Painting: A Self-Study Guide — a book about alla prima

Why oil paint

What it can do:

Painting in layers
Rich textures
Time to work on a painting over a long period
Changes are easy to make

Artistic qualities:

Depth of color
A wealth of shades
A wide range of transparency
A variety of textures

Practical advantages:

Materials are easy to find
Modern paints are lightfast
Paintings last for a long time
Easy to frame and display

Versatility:

Suits any genre
Works with many different techniques
Combines with other materials
Works at any size

What makes alla prima special

Speed:

A whole painting in one session
The freshness of the first impression stays alive
Spontaneity and expressiveness
Ideal for painting outdoors, en plein air

Technique:

Painting wet-into-wet
Mixing colors right on the canvas
Textured brushstrokes
Rich textures

Advantages of the method:

Bright, fresh color
A unified, cohesive image
An energetic painting style
Every work is one of a kind
A fast pace

Who this book is for

Beginners who want to learn alla prima oil painting
Anyone who wants to use the many painting techniques oil paint offers
Artists who want to raise their technical level
Anyone who wants to learn the methods of an experienced professional

What's inside

Painting materials

Modern painting — p. 7
Art materials — p. 8
Drawing for painting — p. 11
Oil paint pigments — p. 14

Techniques

Thick paint, rubbed in — p. 17
Washes of fluid paint — p. 20
Using a fan brush — p. 23
Fluid paint with a palette knife — p. 28
Fine lines with a palette knife — p. 30
Thick paint with a palette knife — p. 32
Impasto relief — p. 37
Textured ground — p. 40
Scratching (sgraffito) — p. 42
Removing the top layer — p. 45
Removing paint — p. 48
Monotype — p. 50
Finger painting — p. 52
Spattering — p. 54
Stamping — p. 56
Paint fillers — p. 59

Let's paint together

Summer in the Moscow Countryside — p. 63
Still Life with Mushrooms — p. 66
Winter Park — p. 70
Portrait of a Striped Friend — p. 74
'Victoria' Gladiolus — p. 78

Practice

16 techniques for working with oil paints
3–10 exercises in every technique chapter
5 complete step-by-step painting demonstrations

What makes this book special

Clear explanations with examples of work by the author and her students
Detailed step-by-step illustrations
Technique diagrams with practical tips on using each technique
Common mistakes and how to fix them
A set of exercises for every technique
Advice from an experienced artist

What you will learn

Oil painting skills and techniques for working alla prima
Creating smooth transitions of color and tone
Painting fine lines
Applying semi-transparent layers
Original ways of working with oil paint
Choosing materials and tools for alla prima

Student work

The book features work by the author and her students, credited in the book. Her students' paintings are so accomplished that even experienced artists can't always tell them apart from the author's own; in later printings, student works are marked with a white smiley.

Edition details

Series: "Learn to Paint with Olga Shmatova"
Publisher: EKSMO
ISBN 978-5-699-52914-8
80 pages, illustrated
Format: 84×108 1/16
First published: 2011

Please note: the year printed on your copy may differ from the year of first publication, because the publisher updates it with every reprint. You can check which printing you have in the publication details on the last page of the book. The ISBN may also change with a reprint.