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.
Read more about this book.
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.
Read more about this book
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.
Read more about this book.
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.
Read more about this book.
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).
Read more about this book.
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.
Read more about this book.
Katie's Magic Teapot Omnibus Edition
This book combines the 2 Magic Teapot stories outlined below. Katie, a young girl journeys into the cosmos and beneath our oceans within her magic flying teapot. The kindle edition has in excess of 70 pages, each brimming with colour illustrations for young learners, completed in oils. A bumper treat for young children curious about the world about us.
Read more about this book
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.
Read more about this book.
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.
Read more about this book
Saturday, 10 September 2011
Oil Paintings from Your Garden by Rachel Shirley
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.
 |
| Click to buy signed copy from Ebay |
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
 |
| Click to buy 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.
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
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
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. See Youtube clip for a preview of this book.
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).
If the subject specialism is other than oil painting, my Artclass Challenge blog offering art lesson ideas on other art mediums such as acrylics and watercolors, as well as activities to suit other age groups.
Links to my other sites
Advice on art materials
Oil painting demonstrations
My website on how colors mix
My website on photography
Essential watercolor equipment
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. See Youtube clip for a preview of this book.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).
If the subject specialism is other than oil painting, my Artclass Challenge blog offering art lesson ideas on other art mediums such as acrylics and watercolors, as well as activities to suit other age groups.
Links to my other sites
Advice on art materials
Oil painting demonstrations
My website on how colors mix
My website on photography
Essential watercolor equipment
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
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?
 |
| Katie and the Cosmic Pandas' Deep Sea Voyage Rachel Shirley |
Katie
has a secret. Mummy’s teapot is no ordinary teapot. Not only has its spout
poured rivers of tea, the teapot can also fly.
One
day, Katie took the teapot with her to the seaside. Shells and teapots were
alike, she noticed. Both were hollow and made a ‘chink’ sound when you tapped
them. If you held a shell to your ear, a hushing sound like the sea could be
heard.
Katie
held the teapot to her ear and listened through the spout. A voice piped, ‘we’re
at the seaside! We’re at the seaside!’
Katie’s
friends the Cosmic Pandas had appeared on the china and they were popping out
onto the sand! ‘Oh, joy what a glorious day!’ They danced and leapt about. ‘Come
on, chop, chop!’ Greenpatch rallied, ‘time and tide waits for no panda!’ The
five of them leapt inside.
‘Where
are we going?’ Redpatch asked.’
Katie
giggled. ‘Let’s see the sea.’
‘The
sea? quizzed Redpatch.
‘We
might find pirate ships in its watery depths,’ Silverpatch crooned.
‘And
treasure!’ Goldpatch chirped.’
‘I
want to find something for mummy and daddy,’ Katie announced climbing in.
And
with that, the teapot took off for the sea. ‘Whoa!’ they cried.
A Unique Book for Kids
 |
| Katie's Magic Teapot in the Coral Reef |
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 |
I have published Katie's Magic Teapot Omnibus Edition, of both stories Katie's Magic Teapot & the Cosmic Pandas, and Katie & the Cosmic Pandas' Deep Sea Voyage, making this a little cheapter than purchasing the 2 stories separately. Ben's Little Big Adventure book might be alternative for boys.
Links to my other sites
Rachelshirleyoilpaintings
Oilpaintingdemonstrations
Other books by Rachel Shirley
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
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
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?
Preview of my Children's Picture Book
The images above show a preview of the pages that can be found within the print version of my book as well as the Kindle version. Ben's story opens as follows:
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
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
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. Katie's Magic Teapot omnibus edition is also available. Details on these books can be found on this blog. Like Ben’s Little Big Adventure, all the Katie books are available on print format and on Kindle.
Links to my Art sites
More books by Rachel Shirley
Katie's Magic Teapot & the Cosmic Pandas
Oil painting demonstrations
Advice about art materials
Link to gift ideas for kids
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?Preview of my Children's Picture Book
 |
| Picture book for boys' Ben's Little Big Adventure Rachel Shirley |
Everyone knew about Ben’s fad. In fact, Christmases and birthdays were filled with the same gifts: toy models that in real life could travel further and faster than Ben ever could. Ben thought they were magic for their engines could do the impossible: cars that could break the sound barrier, boats that could traverse the oceans and other great wonders like planes, steamboats, lorries rockets and trains.
Not forgetting motorbikes, airships, gliders, fire engines, liners, cranes, tanks, trucks and shuttles. Oh, yes, and helicopters as well.
How Ben loved these magic machines with their wondrous engines. He imagined flying in them, diving in them, scooting in them and floating in them. But if only they were real…
Ben played with his toy models all afternoon. He’d aquaplaned over the Everglades, go-karted across the Sahara and quad-biked over the Prairies. He’d even drifted over the icecaps.
But no adventure would be fun on an empty stomach and Ben’s needed a snack. There was only one problem: his bed seemed to have grown.
And his lamp.
His shelves too.
In fact everything, Ted and all.
Not forgetting motorbikes, airships, gliders, fire engines, liners, cranes, tanks, trucks and shuttles. Oh, yes, and helicopters as well.
How Ben loved these magic machines with their wondrous engines. He imagined flying in them, diving in them, scooting in them and floating in them. But if only they were real…
Ben played with his toy models all afternoon. He’d aquaplaned over the Everglades, go-karted across the Sahara and quad-biked over the Prairies. He’d even drifted over the icecaps.
But no adventure would be fun on an empty stomach and Ben’s needed a snack. There was only one problem: his bed seemed to have grown.
And his lamp.
His shelves too.
In fact everything, Ted and all.
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 |
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 |
Links to my Art sites
More books by Rachel Shirley
Katie's Magic Teapot & the Cosmic Pandas
Oil painting demonstrations
Advice about art materials
Link to gift ideas for kids
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
Katie’s Magic Teapot & the Cosmic Pandas Picture Book
An educational picture book for children with 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. This story's sequel, Katie & the Cosmic Pandas' Deep Sea Voyage takes them under the sea.
Idea for Katie’s Magic Teapot
The idea started with the images, and the story followed suit. I kept thinking how compelling the sight of a flying teapot throughout the cosmos would be, the sort of picture book I would have liked when I was a child.
I have always loved poring over images of the cosmos, where few images compel like the planets Jupiter, Saturn and nebulae. This offered me lots of opportunities to explore painting techniques, using bright colours and interesting compositions. One of my favourite paintings is of a time-lapse image of Katie and the pandas floating through space, in all, featuring eight teapots (see image further down).
Preview of Katie's Adventure
The image above shows a preview of some of the pictures that can be found within this children's book. The story begins thus:
Katie could never have imagined how high the teapot could go, meeting her friends the cosmic pandas along the way. She encounters the moon, Mars, stars, galaxies and more. Each encounter is accompanied by colour illustrations, making this book a visual feast for young learners. I wanted Katie’s journey to be as informative as an enjoyable read.
Art Technique for Children’s Illustrations
I wrote and illustrated the story over a period of about four months, working intensively upon the paintings. I worked oil on panel of sizes 15x12in for single images, or 24x15in for double paged images. I took lots of photographs of the child subject matter, as children have a habit of moving around.
I used an awful lot of black, as you might imagine, but this set the stage for using bright colours on top. I worked on the most detailed parts first when I was feeling most up to it, such as the girl’s face and the detail around the pandas and teapot. Lots of different art techniques were used for effects, including glazing. Glazing entails the application of thin layers of paint, allowing each to dry between. This creates smooth effects for the gradated effects in skies and auras around the planets.
I also smudged the paint via a rag over selected areas to emulate nebula clouds. Only the tiniest amount of paint should be used, and smudged thinly. Once dry, a little more can be added to selected areas to give the clouds more form. Smudging via a rag (or even fingers) was used to get the smooth effects for the rainbow.
Impasto technique was used in small amounts around the planets and the galaxies. This entails applying thicker layers of paint for opaque colours. Oil pigments were often used neat from the tube, such as the red spot on Jupiter and the flowers on the teapot.
Katie’s Teapot Series
The picture book was hard but enjoyable work, so I decided to write a sequel: Katie and the Cosmic Pandas’ Deep Sea Voyage, which describes Katie’s voyage of discovery beneath the oceans. Both these books are 32 pages, roughly 1000 words long and are 8x10in in size. Both books are available on Kindle and as a printed version from Amazon..
A Great Learning Book for Kids
Screenshots on this blog serve to give you an idea of what the interior looks like. Formatting the images and the text just the way I wanted took almost as long as writing the book. This required trying out different fonts, background colours and making sure the elements on each page are balanced correctly, taking into account the page bleeds.
I have recently published Katie's Magic Teapot Omnibus Edition, which works out a little cheaper than purchasing the 2 stories.separately. Alternatively, Ben's Little Big Adventure might be an alternative book for young boys.
My other Art websites
Rachelshirleypaintings
oilpaintindemonstrations
Other books by Rachel Shirley
Idea for Katie’s Magic Teapot
 |
| Click to buy kindle edition from Amazon |
I have always loved poring over images of the cosmos, where few images compel like the planets Jupiter, Saturn and nebulae. This offered me lots of opportunities to explore painting techniques, using bright colours and interesting compositions. One of my favourite paintings is of a time-lapse image of Katie and the pandas floating through space, in all, featuring eight teapots (see image further down).
Preview of Katie's Adventure
 |
| Katie's Magic Teapot and the Cosmic Pandas Rachel Shirley |
Katie
loved her mummy’s teapot. Her mummy told Katie that it was older than Gran and
Gran was very old – and yet the painted flowers had hardly faded at all. Katie
thought this odd, but then, there was something very odd about Mummy’s teapot.
One
day, Katie’s mummy took the teapot from the shelf for a clean. Katie sat and
watched.
‘Mummy,’
Katie quizzed, ‘how many cups of tea have been poured from our teapot?’
Mummy
chuckled. ‘Probably enough to fill that big pond at the back of your gran’s
house!’
Katie
chuckled too. This made her think of a huge teapot. Imagine that!
Katie
pictured her family and friends gathering outside. The town crier would ring
his bell and announce Katie’s momentous tea-party!
When
Katie opened her eyes, she found to her astonishment that the teapot had indeed
grown and she was sitting inside.
The
teapot began to float. It floated from the table, across the living room and up
the chimney.
Katie could never have imagined how high the teapot could go, meeting her friends the cosmic pandas along the way. She encounters the moon, Mars, stars, galaxies and more. Each encounter is accompanied by colour illustrations, making this book a visual feast for young learners. I wanted Katie’s journey to be as informative as an enjoyable read.
Art Technique for Children’s Illustrations
I wrote and illustrated the story over a period of about four months, working intensively upon the paintings. I worked oil on panel of sizes 15x12in for single images, or 24x15in for double paged images. I took lots of photographs of the child subject matter, as children have a habit of moving around.
 |
| Illustrations to Katie's Magic Teapot & the Cosmic Pandas |
I also smudged the paint via a rag over selected areas to emulate nebula clouds. Only the tiniest amount of paint should be used, and smudged thinly. Once dry, a little more can be added to selected areas to give the clouds more form. Smudging via a rag (or even fingers) was used to get the smooth effects for the rainbow.
 |
| A Colourful Educational Book for Kids |
Katie’s Teapot Series
The picture book was hard but enjoyable work, so I decided to write a sequel: Katie and the Cosmic Pandas’ Deep Sea Voyage, which describes Katie’s voyage of discovery beneath the oceans. Both these books are 32 pages, roughly 1000 words long and are 8x10in in size. Both books are available on Kindle and as a printed version from Amazon..
A Great Learning Book for Kids
 |
| Katie's Magic Teapot: Rachel Shirley |
I have recently published Katie's Magic Teapot Omnibus Edition, which works out a little cheaper than purchasing the 2 stories.separately. Alternatively, Ben's Little Big Adventure might be an alternative book for young boys.
My other Art websites
Rachelshirleypaintings
oilpaintindemonstrations
Other books by Rachel Shirley
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)