Review: Lessons in Classical Painting: Essential Techniques from Inside the Atelier by Juliette Aristides

Review: Lessons in Classical Painting: Essential Techniques from Inside the Atelier

Juliette Aristides

Watson-Guptill

2016

Good basic instruction here in increments that if followed will help just about anyone improve their skills.  For the more advanced that have hit a snag this would be a good review to work through just to check your technique for the “little” things that matter.  

Each chapter talks the reader through the lesson and gives progressive pictures to show what the words cannot convey.  Talk about lighting and shadows all you want, but a picture gives me that aha moment where all the words come to make more sense.  Each lesson builds on the previous one which for the impatient sorts will chafe considerably.  But that’s way forward in art it seems.  

Planning and more planning to get the right light, colors, and form will become part of the routine.  Value strips abound.  Tedious stuff, but trial and error uses more time and product.  (Of course, I have never done that, but have heard from others who have.)  

Follow this book to its conclusion you will improve.  Yes, this sort of instruction is available in other places and formats. The other versions might work better for your particular learning style.  For those of us that prefer a less hurried method (I’m thinking of video) I would recommend this book.  There is one thing before you start this one, though.  Drawing.  Learn to draw first.  At least well enough to follow along with these instructions.  Besides drawing helps identify more thoroughly just what you are seeing.  Maybe it is the beginning of seeing?  

I do recommend this book.  Lay flat binding, full color prints on nearly every page, clear font.  The only thing better than that would be to work in the atelier itself.

I received this book from the publishers in return for a review.