Problem Solving for Oil Painters: Recognizing What's Gone Wrong and How to Make it Right

Finally - a book to help you solve all your painting problems!Inside you'll learn how to study a painting and correct problematic areas. Study topics include:Ideas- Is there a good abstract idea underlying the picture?- What details could be eliminated to strengthen the composition?- Does the painting have a focus?- Are the unessential parts subbordinated?- Does the painting "read"?- Could you finish any part of the painting?Shapes- Are the dominant shapes as strong and simple as possible?- Are the shapes too similiar?Value- Could the value range be increased?- Could the number of values be reduced?Light- Is the subject effectively lit?- Is the light area big enough?- Would the light look stronger with a suggestion of burnout?- Do the lights have a continuous flow?- Is the light gradiated?Shadows- Do the shadow shapes describe the form?- Are the shadows warm enough?Depth- Would the addition of foreground material deepen the space?- Does the background recede far enough?- Are the halftones properly related to the background?Solidity- Is the underlying form being communicated?- Is the symmetry in perspective?Color- Is there a color strategy?- Could a purer color be used?- Do the whites have enough color in them?- Are the colors overbended on the canvas?- would the color look brighter if it were saturated into its adjacent area?Paint- Is your palette efficiently organized?- Is the painting surface too absorbent?- Are you using the palette knife as much as you could?- Are you painting lines when you should be painting masses?- Are the edges dynamic enough?- Is there enough variation in the texture of the paint? Read more