Landscape Painting In Oils: Twenty Step by Step Guides

How can I Complete My First Oil Painting Guide Step by Step? This art instruction book by Rachel Shirley outlining twenty oil painting demonstrations on landscape art might help.

An Art Instruction Book with Step by Step Demonstrations

My book on landscape painting provides twenty highly instructive step by step demonstrations, supported by images-in-progress. A variety of landscape scenes provides choice and interest. Each demonstration possesses: image of the finished painting presenting a challenge; between six and ten step-by-step images of the painting in-progress; highly-directive instructions corresponding with each image, outlining the pigments used, the brushes and the technique; a list of art materials required for each project and tips along the way.
A preliminary section outlines the art materials required for the demonstrations, which amount to just ten oil colours, six brush types, artboards and a few mediums, making the projects achievable whatever your ability or budget. A section on underglazing will prove invaluable for artists wishing to avoid wishy-washy colours or tonal imbalances in the painting, making satisfactory results more likely.

Kindle Oil Painting Book

Available on Kindle as well as print version, this ebook on oil painting also offers troubleshooting suggestions if the painting does not work out. Various oil painting techniques are explored, including: alla prima, wet-into-wet, scumbling, glazing, limited palette and working dark to light. As can be seen, many different effects can be achieved with just minimal oil painting materials as described within.

Oil Painting Ebook

Subject matter to be found within this art book are: a river, a cornfield, a stone circle, a castle, a lake, a sunset, a coast, a desert scene, lightning, snow, Toronto, Kilimanjaro and others. Each demonstration is allocated a level according to complexity with four levels in all. The artist however, might find a demonstration in level 4 easier than level 1, as each level describe complexity rather than difficulty, as more techniques and various mediums are explored in the higher levels.

Learn Oil Painting on Kindle

Book’s statistics: 19,000 words, 23 demonstrations (each averaging 8 images each) with around 187 colour images in total. A preliminary section outlines the art materials required and preparatory methods. The main body of the book covers the oil painting demonstrations themselves. The final section gives troubleshooting suggestions for problems, as well as a glossary. At around £2.20 (or $3.50), this kindle book on oil painting is a bargain.

Books by Rachel Shirley

Looking for art books on Kindle? Below you will find a summary of oil painting instruction books by Rachel Shirley. A multitude of subject matter are tackled in each field, be it landscape painting or still life.

A diversity of oil painting techniques are also explored in depth in each book. Click on any book cover on the right to purchase a kindle art book from Amazon for just a few pounds (or dollars depending where you are), although my books are also available as print copy.

Briefly I have practiced oil painting from the age of six, achieving a BA Hons in Fine Art from Kingston, Surrey, as well as a PCET teaching qualification from Warwick. I also write children's picture books, details of which can be found at the bottom.

Why do My Clouds Look Like Cotton Wool? Plus 25 Solutions to Other Landscape Painting Peeves

Comprehensive troubleshooting advice on painting landscapes, including issues such as painting plein air, perspective and mixing greens. Chapters including ‘my skies are bland and empty,’ ‘my greens are artificial, and ‘how do I erase a mistake from my painting?’ tackles each issue indepth.

Book’s statistics: 24,000 words, over 100 colour illustrations and 20 diagrams, available as Kindle and hard copy.

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Why do My Ellipses look Like Doughnuts? Plus 25 Solutions to Other Still Life Painting Peeves

Comprehensive troubleshooting advice on painting still life including issues such as ellipses, perspectives and textures. ‘Why do my flowers look wishy washy?’, or ‘the food in my still life resemble plastic toys?’ are just two chapters that tackle common issues related to still life art. An introductory chapter on oil painting materials enables the beginner to embark upon still life painting with minimal fuss, mess and expense, as well as a step by step demonstration at the back.

Book’s statistics: 24,000 words, over 100 colour illustrations and 20 diagrams. Available as Kindle and hard copy.

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Landscape Painting in Oils: Twenty Step by Step Guides

This oil painting instruction book contains 20 step by step landscape painting demonstrations on various landscape scenes including a coast, a castle and a desert. With preparatory chapters, troubleshooting tips and full instructions on how each painting was completed the project is likely to yield satisfactory results. Book’s statistics: 19,000 words and 187 colour images.

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How Can I Inspire my Painting Class? (Lesson Plan Ideas for Oil Painting in Post Compulsory Education)

A guide book for art teachers offering lesson plan ideas for oil painting, including a section on a guide to oil painting materials, classroom management, learning styles and conducting assessments. The main section of the book gives lesson plan ideas for beginners, a course in still life, landscape art, plein air painting and lots of others. This book has 45,000 words and has over 100 colour images and diagrams. A must for any teacher of oil painting. Note, for those wishing to purchase a hardcopy, a colour version and a black and white version (for cheaper cost) are available.

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Oil Paintings From your Garden

(Hard copy only) An invaluable oil painting book for artists wishing to find inspiration in the garden. Sections include a beginner’s guide to oil painting materials, finding inspiration in the garden and pointers to painting the various subject matter including flowers, figures and skies. My book is 172 pages long. Available as hardcopy only. Published by the Guild of Master Craftsman Publications (2002) Limited

Read more about this book or purchase a signed copy  from Ebay.

Oil Paintings From the Landscape

(Hard copy only) A guide to painting the landscape, including a section on plein air painting, oil painting on a budget, and issues surrounding painting various subject matter in the landscape. This invaluable art book for landscape artists is available as hard copy only. Published by the Guild of Master Craftsman Publications (2003).

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Children’s picture books

Ben’s Little Big Adventure

Ben’s Little Big Adventure describes a small boy’s quest for a midnight snack. Only trouble is, everything in his room seems to have scaled up to the proportions of the earth’s great wonders, including the furniture and even his cat. If only Ben’s toy helicopters, cranes and hot air balloon had real engines, for they would make his quest a little easier. With so much to climb and navigate, will Ben ever find his way to his prized biscuits and jam?

Print book’s statistics: 8x10in, 1000 words approx and 32 pages full of colour illustrations.

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Katie’s Magic Teapot and the Cosmic Pandas

An educational picture book for children with full colour images completed in oils, Katie’s Magic Teapot and the Cosmic Pandas takes the reader into a journey through the universe to discover planets, moons, galaxies and other oddities within our cosmos. The journey takes place rather bizarrely within a magic teapot. See sample pages of Katie’s cosmic journey or purchase.

Print book’s statistics: 8x10in, 1000 words approx and 32 pages full of colour illustrations.

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Katie and the Cosmic Pandas’ Deep Sea Voyage

Forming the sequel to Katie’s Magic Teapot and the Cosmic Pandas, this educational picture book for young children, describe Katie’s quest for treasure as she and her troupe venture in the deep oceans within Katie’s magic teapot. Along the way, Katie learns about coral reefs, oceanic mammals and creatures of the deep. But will Katie find any treasure to bring back to her mummy and daddy? See sample pages of Katie’s marine journey here or make a purchase.

Print book’s statistics: 8x10in, 1000 words approx and 32 pages full of colour illustrations.

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Oil Paintings from Your Garden by Rachel Shirley



Click to buy signed
copy from Ebay

An oil painting book for beginners, this book offers comprehensive advice for artists wishing to find inspiration from their own back yard, namely the garden. The garden offers lots of great subject matter from which to paint if one looks hard enough and has the added bonus of privacy and complete control over the environment.

Art Inspiration on Your Doorstep

My book offers lots of guidance on all matters relating to oil painting, including a beginners’ section, composing a painting, effective use of the light and painting flowers. Colour mixing and practical advice on painting plein air ensure the artist is able to build on confidence and improve within the comfort of the garden.

Finding Art in the Garden

Numerous step by step demonstrations including painting figures, sunflowers, a greenhouse interior and strawberries provide an informed view of how each painting was completed. Regardless of shape, size, type or time of year, every garden has something to offer, which might require but a sketch book and a keen eye. Common difficulties such as mixing greens, attaining the colour theory, setting up the painting station in the garden, and saving money on art materials enable the beginner to get to grips with all aspects of painting in the garden.

What to Paint

There is more to the garden than one might first think including flowers, figures, pets, patios, trellises, sheds, children, tools, vegetable plots, hanging baskets, garden furniture, skylines, fish ponds or any still life setting in the garden.

Book’s Particulars

The interior of my book can be viewed on Googlebooks or on Amazon. Click on image to purchase a signed copy from Ebay for just a couple of pounds.

Published by GMC Publications (2002) my book has 172 pages, full of colour photos, illustrations and diagrams, the book’s dimensions are 21x28cm and 1cm deep.

There are 12 chapters within, covering beginner’s guide to using oil paints, where to find inspiration, completing your first painting, painting backgrounds, man-made objects, sunlight and shadow, flowers, fruit and vegetables, figures in the garden, skies and weather. Sections on making your own viewfinder, colour mixing and recommended pigments are included within.

Oil Paintings from the Landscape by Rachel Shirley

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from Amazon

A book on landscape painting for artists wishing to find inspiration from the great outdoors, this book on oil painting offers comprehensive advice on all matters of this popular pastime.

Effective Oil Painting Techniques

My book is broken down into 10 chapters, exploring each aspect of landscape painting in turn and in depth. Numerous step by step demonstrations within inform the reader on how each project was completed, including a demonstration on painting Toronto, Stratford a sunset, Buttermere, making a home pochade box and numerous others.

The Colour of the Landscape

The foundations of landscape painting, such as colour mixing theory, composition finding and creating mood, aim to help the artist of any ability build confidence, improve and understand the elements of landscape painting. Creating mood is often the key to an authentic portrayal of a landscape, and this can be achieved by strategic use of underglazing and complimentary colours, explained in depth.

Background to Landscape Painting

Landscape art is indeed one of the most traditional forms of expression in Western Art, and is readily available, most often, a walk away. But putting it down in the way intended is another matter. This is where this book comes in.

Book’s Particulars

The interior of my book can be viewed in Googlebooks or on Amazon. Published by GMC Publications (2003) this book has 172 pages, full of colour photos, illustrations and diagrams, the book’s dimensions are 21x28cm and 1cm deep.

The book is broken down into 10 chapters, covering: a beginners’ guide to using oil paints, plein air painting, finding compositions by use of the viewfinder, skies, shadows, weather, water and using various resources such as photographs. Indepth sections on colour theory, tones, using photographs, making your own pochade box as well as several step by step demonstrations form only part of what this book offers. Click on image to purchase from Amazon.

How can I Inspire my Painting Class Teaching Guide

Teaching oil painting requires more thought than might first seem. An eminent oil painter does not necessarily make a good teacher, for a good art teacher must understand how students learn. This is where my book, How can I Inspire my painting Class? comes in.

A Book on How to Teach Art

Kindle Art Teaching Guide
click to buy from Amazon

My book combines my experiences of oil painting and my experiences in teaching art. Having graduated from Kingston University, Surrey with a Bachelor of Arts Degree and attained a PCET qualification from Warwick University, I feel I have lots of useful information to share.

Within this book, the art teacher will find information on how to devise a scheme of work for oil painting, writing art objectives, managing a class, keeping students motivated and of course, ideas for oil painting lessons themselves. The book is divided into fourteen sections, from a beginner’s guide to oil painting, to assessing art work at the end of the course and health and safety. There is even a section on taking an art class on a field trip for plein air painting.

Learning Methods for Art

My book explains learning theories and how these can be utilised for art instruction. This includes the KOLB cycle, Ausubel’s Subsumption Theory and Bloom’s Classifications of Thought. Good understanding of how students learn will come in useful when faced with students who suffer low motivation, low self-esteem or the absolute beginner.

In many ways, a succesful art lesson course is one that concludes with every student producing artwork, evidencing creative development and finding inspiration to carry on painting.

Teaching Painting for the First Time

There are lesson plan ideas for around sixty oil painting sessons that cover subject matter from life painting, animal art and landscapes to still life and abstract art. Common problem areas are also covered, including colour mixing, perspectives and drawing ellipses. Lessons to underpin painting are also explained in detail, ensuring students do not stumble at the painting stage. Such lessons include Taking a Line for a Walk and a Tonal Study.

My book contains numerous colour illustrations and paintings. It is available on Kindle for the very competitive price of a few pounds (or dollars, depending on where you are).

Note: Hardcopies are available. You can either purchase the colour edition (containing colour images within) or for a fraction of the price, you can purchase the black and white edition. The print version’s statistics are: 46,000 words 90 images. 220 pages and measures 5.5inx8.5in (140mmx220mm).

Links to my other sites

Rachel Shirley paintings
Oil painting demonstrations

Katie & the Cosmic Pandas’ Voyage Under the Sea

click to buy kindle
edition from Amazon

This picture book for young children, Katie and the Cosmic Pandas’ Deep Sea Voyage, follows my first story, Katie’s Magic Teapot and the Cosmic Pandas, where Katie and her friends explore the oceans to meet some very odd creatures indeed. I wrote and illustrated this children’s educational book to create a book I would have liked as a young child.

Educational Book for Kids on the Oceans

The book is brimming with full colour illustrations, all of which are completed in oils. I wanted to create a visual feast that not only diverts the child, but educates. What better way than juxtaposing a magic teapot, colourful pandas and a young girl against the weird creatures of our oceans?

The journey starts one day as Katie enjoys her day out at the seaside. She takes her teapot with her, having already enjoyed one adventure to explore the cosmos as the teapot had taken flight. This time, the cosmic pandas materialise upon the beach, and together, they take off for the oceans in a quest for treasure.

A Unique Book for Kids

Katie's Magic Teapot in the Coral Reef

Katie and the pandas dive deep under water to encounter a school of fish, a manta ray, dolphins, a coral reef, penguins, a turtle and delve deeper still to discover an array of weird glowing creatures. But do they find treasure? Well, not as you’d expect.

This great kid’s book educates youngsters about the creatures of our oceans, via colourful illustration and a play on words. It has taken me around three months to paint the detail on the original images, all of which measure 15x12in (the double images were 15x24in). A creative but exhausting experience, I am certain it has been worth the effort. Screenshots of the print version’s pages serve to inform on the look of my picture book’s interior.

Book’s Vital Statistics

Katie and the Cosmic Pandas Journey to the Ocean Floor

My book is available both as a print copy and on Kindle. The kindle is very cheap, being around $3.50 depending on where you are (around £2.50 in sterling). It is a standard picture book size, being 32 pages long, around 1000 word and measures 8x10in. Colourful detailed images ensure young kids remain captivated by the story and urge a curiosity to find out what awaits on the next page.

Links to my other sites

Rachelshirleyoilpaintings
Oilpaintingdemonstrations

Picture Book for Boys Ben’s Little Big Adventure

My illustrated learning book for toddler boys follows Ben’s adventure as he tries to negotiate himself through the house for a midnight snack. This is because he has shrunk in the night and compares the obstacles he faces with the great wonders of the world.

Boy’s Children’s Book

Click to buy kindle
edition from Amazon

Ben loves what he calls ‘magic machines,’ such as gliders, motorbikes, trains and cars. With each obstacle he faces, he wishes for a particular machine that will help him inch his way closer to his quest. Faced with the prospect of climbing down the edge of his bed, which incidentally he compares to the White Cliffs of Dover, Ben wishes for a glider in which to gloat gently to the ground. Of course, one is not at hand, so Ben slides down the pole of a bedside lamp instead. And so each obstacle is met and overcome in the same fashion. But will Ben reach his prized snack?

Adventure Book for Young Boys

As with my other illustrated children’s books, I conceived the story starting with the images. I love experimenting with new visual ideas, in this case, illustrating a small boy sliding down a lamp pole, hitching a ride on a cat or rowing across the sinkwater in orange peel. All my illustrations have been completed in oils, entailing lots of setting up, taking of photographs and painting detail. Hard work but enjoyable on my part.

Colourful Books for Boys

Illustration from Ben's Little Big Adventure

My book is brimming with colour illustrations and a feast of detail and hues for the eye, the sort of picture book I would have liked myself. Screenshots of the interior as shown on this post serves to give an idea of the look of the book. My personal favourite illustrations are Ben rolling down the stairs cushioned by a teddy bear and climbing the shelves. References to the Great Pyramids, the Great Wall of China and the Everglades have been referred to.

Book Details on Ben’s Little Big Adventure

The print version of the book is 8x10in in size, 32 pages and around 1000 words long. There are three double-paged images and countless illustrations besides. Kindle version is also available, which will prove a little cheaper. The kindle version requires a different kind of format but the elements are the same.

Other Children’s Books by Rachel Shirley

Ben's Little Big Adventure Book

I have written two other picture books entitled Katie’s Magic Teapot and the Cosmic Pandas and its sequel Katie and the Pandas’ Deep Sea Voyage. Both describe a young girl’s adventure flying in her magic teapot to explore the cosmos, and then the oceans respectively. Details on these books can be found on this blog. Like Ben’s Little Big Adventure, both the Katie books are available on print format and on Kindle.

Links to my Art sites

Oil painting demonstrations
Advice about art materials
Link to gift ideas for kids