Van Gogh (Ready to Paint the Masters)

Apr 10

Here is the first entry in a brand new series from the people who brought you the revolutionary (and award winning) Ready To Paint series. Now you can learn to paint like the masters, and discover how they painted their world famous masterpieces. I own an excellent book on Chinese painting that describes the traditional way of learning how to paint in China - copying masterpieces. I confess to doing quite a bit of that myself when I learned how to draw and paint, and of course this is part of what makes the original Ready To Paint series so good. This goes a step further, and gives you the skills to make your own copies of famous paintings, learning as you do what makes them so special. There is also a brief history of Van Gogh in here, and a list of what you will need and how to transfer the tracings. As with the others in the series there are six of them, and five of these are staged projects. Of course Van Gogh did not paint in acrylics as they had not been invented back then, but here is how to use these versatile paints like oils but quicker drying and more forgiving. Pictures here include the famous Sunflowers, as well as three landscapes, Chair With Pipe and another floral study as the final unstaged project. I love the way each project lists all the paints you need and the exact brushes so you can go and buy them with minimum fuss, and all those stages with their clear photographs and short, user-friendly captions. Unlike paint by numbers you get to think about what you are doing every step of the way, and before you know it a completed painting sits before you - magic! I hope this series runs and runs.

Michael Sanders studied graphic art at Plymouth College of Art and Ceramics at Bristol University. He went on to become a graphic artist and signwriter, then a potter, tutor and professional artist. He still teaches and he now runs painting holidays in the UK and Europe. He regularly writes articles for art magazines, loves boats and travelling, and he enjoys music, the theatre and teaching art.