Oil Painting: A Self-Study Guide

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

About the book

Oil Painting: A Self-Study Guide was first published by EKSMO in 2011 and is still being reprinted today.

It came out after the success of Olga Shmatova's self-study guides to watercolor, felt-tip pens and colored pencils. The book brings together classical techniques and the author's own methods of working with oil paints, and it is enriched with student work that shows clearly how well the method works.

Even with so many other books on the subject, this one became popular. It has been widely recognized both in Russia, where it is recommended for study in art schools and extracurricular art programs, and abroad. In 2019, a Chinese publisher acquired the rights to the book, a sign of how universal and in-demand the author's approach to teaching is.

What sets the book apart is its detailed look at oil painting materials: oils, varnishes, the painting support and how to prepare it. Choosing the right materials helps you reach your goal without wasting extra effort or money.

In 2011, the "Learn to Paint with Olga Shmatova" series released two books on oil painting. They complement each other: the material simply didn't fit into one volume.

Oil Painting: A Self-Study Guide — a detailed guide to the classical layered technique
Modern Oil Painting: A Self-Study Guide — a book devoted to alla prima, a technique for completing a painting in a single session

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

Who this book is for

Beginners who want to learn 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

Oil Painting Is Easier Than You Think — p. 7

Materials and tools

Brushes by material — p. 8
Brush shapes — p. 10
How to tell a good brush from a bad one — p. 11
Reshaping bristle brushes — p. 12
If a brush breaks — p. 12
Before using a brush — p. 13
Caring for brushes — p. 14
Brush types and their uses — p. 17
Paint sets — p. 19
Other paints — p. 20
Types of painting oils — p. 20
How oil dries — p. 26
Varnishes — p. 27
Varnish drying times — p. 27
The support — p. 28
Sizing — p. 29
Working without sizing — p. 30
Priming — p. 30
Applying the ground — p. 31
Advice for beginning artists — p. 33
A minimal oil painting kit — p. 37

Oil painting techniques

Transparent and opaque paints — p. 38
Thick and fluid paint in layers — p. 40
Color gradation within one layer — p. 43
Adding a second layer without mixing the colors — p. 45
Blending — p. 48
Thick paint as a second layer — p. 51
Toning — p. 54
Softening edges — p. 56
Dry brush — p. 59
Painting fine lines with a brush — p. 63
Removing paint with a palette knife — p. 65
Even coverage — p. 68
Brushstrokes — p. 70
Reserving the ground — p. 74
A colored ground — p. 78
Smoothing out relief — p. 80
Smudging flat areas — p. 81

Let's paint together

Mist in the Mountains — p. 82
Red Iris — p. 86
Swans — p. 90
Spring — p. 92

Practice

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

What makes this edition special

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

What you will learn

How to choose oil painting materials: brushes, paints, oils and varnishes
How to care for your brushes
How to prepare a painting support: sizing and priming
17 classical and original techniques for working with oil paints
How to build a painting step by step, through 4 complete demonstrations

Student work

The book features work by the author and her students, credited in the book.

Edition details

Series: "Learn to Paint with Olga Shmatova"
Publisher: EKSMO
ISBN 978-5-699-38855-4
96 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.