Expressive Oil Painting: An Open Air Approach to Creative Landscapes [Paperback]

George Allen Durkee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2009

Become a Landscape Painter

There's a world of difference between painting what you see and conveying what you feel. Expressive Oil Painting shows you how to create engaging landscapes that capture a sense of light, depth, movement and above all, your own unique impressions of the world around you.

Within Expressive Oil Painting, discover:

• Fundamental concepts of oil painting—including supplies, work habits, drawing, color and composition—explained in a friendly, straightforward way
• A diverse sampling of ideas and approaches for painting landscape elements, capturing mood, painting en plein air, simplifying the complexity of nature and determining reference values
• Nine in-depth landscape painting demonstrations illustrating techniques from basic to advanced

Whether you're working on location or from reference photos, this book will empower you to pain "light on your feet," improvising according to the needs of each particular subject and the conditions of the moment. With nature as your inspiration and this book as your guide, you'll find your way straight to the heart of landscape painting, bringing greater sensitivity, intuition and authenticity to your work.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

George Allen Durkee is a San Francisco street painter turned Northern California landscape artist and gallery owner. He co-owns The Art Gallery in Murphys, California where he creates and sells his inspired landscape paintings. He has written articles for The Artist's Magazine and American Artist.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: North Light Books (October 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600611516
• ISBN-13: 978-1600611513
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 7.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #139,057 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #40 in Books > Arts & Photography > Painting > Oil Painting

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better Than Most, October 6, 2009

By 

S. Armstrong - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Expressive Oil Painting: An Open Air Approach to Creative Landscapes (Paperback)

I like this book a lot. The pictures alone are worth the purchase price. Durkee is a very skilled landscape painter and also a sensitive teacher. When I read his words, I feel as though he's speaking to me alone. He doesn't talk over my head, but explains complex concepts of painting in a way that I can get what he's talking about. Has anyone else ever explained how to actually apply color theory as clearly as this? There is a subtle undertone to the book that goes beyond just describing how to get the right color in the right place; George imparts a deep spiritual message, cleverly and often subliminally teaching how to capture the emotion of the landscape. What more could any painter want? He not only shows what to do and how, he also explains why. This is a worthwhile book. I recommend it for beginning and intermediate painters, and also for more experienced painters who are hungry to learn advanced painting techniques.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful Information For All Artists Of Every Level, December 29, 2009

By 

E. Kleven "Ernie Kleven, The Artist" (Auburn, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Expressive Oil Painting: An Open Air Approach to Creative Landscapes (Paperback)

This is well written by a very talented Artist. It is loaded with bits of useful information but without the usual fluff i.e, he gets right to the point. This not a boring rambling treatise by some elite academic but rather down to earth information by an artist who learned while actually doing. He provides step by step illustrations of landscapes you will be proud to emulate. He has put some real thought into the effort and it shows.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than taking private lessons, December 22, 2009

By 

Kenneth G. Nielsen "Kenneth" (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Expressive Oil Painting: An Open Air Approach to Creative Landscapes (Paperback)

The learning starts the moment you open the book. Everything is explained for a person like me: the complete beginner. I am slow, and that is okay because the book lets you pace yourself. There is no hurrying. You get what you need to know and also have the time to acquire the exact equipment you need in order to begin the process. I have had wonderful success in performing the first example. This one is the most important to me because it is the stage where I am getting to learn the basics. Painting is compared to sketching and sketching is emphasized as important to the painting process. All of this was done at great thought and care by the author.

Thank You Mr. Durkee for a fine book which explains the entire process for the beginner. This book alone, plus some basic tools and materials will have you well on your way to painting and expressing not just what nature says it is, but how you feel about what you see in nature. Be ready to learn creative freedom as well as how to use the canvas and oil paints to bring your paintings alive.