Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Roy Lang’s Sea and Sky in Oils
Painting the Atmosphere & Majesty of the Sea

by Roy Lang



      How refreshing to find a book written by a man who insists that he is not an artist, and who dropped out of art at school. No art school training or prestigious career in art for him! Mr. Lang, who did not return to art until his thirties, is surely an inspiration for all of us who are doomed to exist in an "expert culture". He has even made his own brush holder, mahl stick and palette and describes the nine - only nine! - colors he uses for his excellent paintings. Maybe you don’t need to take out a second mortgage to take up art then?

You do need to understand the basics, however, and this book makes a good go at doing this. Much is made of tone and how it works, how this can make or mar a painting and some examples of right and wrong. Learn how to paint the different textures of sky, water, sand, rocks, etc and the best way to capture a good likeness quickly in situ. There are studies to work through yourself with plenty of useful staged photographs, and a general attempt to get under the skin of a demanding subject.

This is not a primer for those unused to the medium - there are plenty of other books for that and I recommend Michael Sanders’ Painting With Oils (also reviewed on this site). If you are reasonably au fait with oils and fancy having a go at this type of painting then this is a useful book, one with an eye to not overspending, as well as a comforting lack of professional superiority.

If you cannot find art supplies locally try SearchPress.com for a list of suppliers.

The Book

Search Press
April 2007
Paperback
9781844480203 / 1844480208
How-To Books/Painting
More at Amazon.com US|| UK
Excerpt
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The Reviewer

Rachel A Hyde
Reviewed 2007
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© 2006 MyShelf.com