Oil Painting: A Self-Study Guide

Published in Russian by EKSMO · First published in 2011 and reprinted to this day · Chinese publication rights acquired in 2019 · Not yet available in English.

From the "Learn to Paint with Olga Shmatova" series. The book has been published by EKSMO since 2011 and remains in print.

Oil Painting: A Self-Study Guide was released in 2011 by the EKSMO publishing house and is still being reprinted today. That same year, a companion volume appeared in the series: Contemporary Oil Painting: A Self-Study Guide.

About the Book

After the successful releases of her self-study guides to watercolor, felt-tip pens, and colored pencils, Olga Shmatova published Oil Painting: A Self-Study Guide. The book brought together both classical techniques and the author's own methods of working with oil paints, and was enriched with student works that vividly demonstrate how effective the teaching method is.

Oil Painting: A Self-Study Guide became popular despite the abundance of other books on the subject. It has won wide recognition both in Russia — where it is recommended for study in art schools and in the supplementary education system — and abroad. In 2019, a Chinese publisher acquired the publication rights to the book, confirming the universal appeal of the author's approach to teaching and the demand for it.

A distinctive feature of this self-study guide is its emphasis on a detailed discussion of the art materials used in oil painting — oils, varnishes, the painting support and its preparation. Choosing the right materials for oil painting helps the artist reach the intended goal without wasting extra effort or money.

In 2011, two complementary books on oil painting came out in the "Learn to Paint with Olga Shmatova" series — two volumes, because the material would not fit into one:

• Oil Painting: A Self-Study Guide — a detailed guide to the classical multi-layer technique
• Contemporary Oil Painting: A Self-Study Guide — a volume devoted to the alla prima technique, which lets you complete a painting in a single session

Authorship and Editions

• 2011 — first publication of the self-study guide to classical oil painting
• 2011 — first publication of Contemporary Oil Painting: A Self-Study Guide, a volume devoted to the alla prima technique, which lets you complete a painting in a single session

Important: the year printed in the book may differ from the year of first publication, because the publisher updates it with every reprint. To check which printing you are holding, look at the imprint information on the last page of the book. The ISBN may also change from one reprint to another.

About This Edition

• ISBN 978-5-699-38855-4
• Publisher: EKSMO
• 96 pages, illustrated
• Format: 84×108 1/16
• 2011

Who This Book Is For

• Beginning artists who want to master the technique of oil painting
• Anyone who wants to make use of the many painterly effects oil paint has to offer
• Artists aiming to raise their technical level
• Anyone who wants to learn the methods of an experienced professional

The Advantages of Oil Paints

Technical possibilities

• Multi-layer painting
• A wealth of textures
• The ability to work on a painting over a long period
• Ease of making changes

Artistic qualities

• Depth of color
• Richness of shades
• A wide range of transparency
• A variety of surface textures

Practical strengths

• Readily available materials
• Lightfastness of modern paints
• Longevity of finished works
• Simple framing and presentation

Versatility

• Suitable for any genre
• Works with a variety of techniques
• Combines well with other media
• Allows works of any size

Contents

• Oil Painting Is Easier Than You Think — p. 7

Materials and Tools

• Brushes by material — p. 8
• Brush shapes — p. 10
• How to tell a good brush from a bad one — p. 11
• Reshaping bristle brushes — p. 12
• If a brush breaks — p. 12
• Before using a brush — p. 13
• Caring for brushes — p. 14
• Brush types and their uses — p. 17
• Paint sets — p. 19
• Other paints — p. 20
• Types of oils for painting — p. 20
• How oil dries — p. 26
• Varnishes — p. 27
• Varnish drying times — p. 27
• The support — p. 28
• Sizing — p. 29
• What happens without sizing — p. 30
• Priming — p. 30
• Applying the ground — p. 31
• Advice for the beginning artist — p. 33
• A minimal kit for oil painting — p. 37

Oil Painting Techniques

1. Transparent and opaque paints — p. 38
2. Thick and fluid paint in layers — p. 40
3. Color gradation within a single layer — p. 43
4. Applying a second layer without mixing the colors — p. 45
5. Blending with water — p. 48
6. Applying thick paint as a second layer — p. 51
7. Toning — p. 54
8. Softening edges — p. 56
9. Dry brush — p. 59
10. Painting fine lines with a brush — p. 63
11. Removing paint with a palette knife — p. 65
12. Even, uniform coverage — p. 68
13. Brushstrokes — p. 70
14. Reserving the ground — p. 74
15. A colored ground — p. 78
16. Smoothing out relief — p. 80
17. Smudging flat areas — p. 81

Let's Paint Together

1. Mist in the Mountains — p. 82
2. Red Iris — p. 86
3. Swans — p. 90
4. Spring — p. 92

Practice Assignments

• 17 techniques for working with oil paints
• 3–10 exercises in every chapter on painting techniques
• 4 complete step-by-step demonstrations of paintings from start to finish

Features of This Edition

• Clear explanations illustrated with example works
• Detailed step-by-step illustrations
• Technique diagrams with practical tips
• Common mistakes described — and how to fix them
• A system of exercises for every technique
• Advice from an experienced artist

Illustrations in the Book

Oil Painting: A Self-Study Guide presents works in oil paints by both the author and her students. Olga Shmatova did not always caption the illustrations, trusting that readers would intuitively tell professional works from student ones.

The Author Thanks Her Students

The book features works by the author and by her students:

Maria Bogdanova, Anna Goldberg, Anastasia Davydova, Tatyana Dobrichenko, Anna Evmenova, Marina Ilieva, Elena Kozhukhova, Elena Kolesnikova, Tatyana Krevs, Yaroslava Kuzmicheva, Galina Kulikova, Nina Kulikova, Elena Kurakina, Nadezhda Kurbatova, Anna Ladyntseva, Elena Maneshina, Olga Matveeva, Galina Miroshnichenko, Elena Peresvetova, Alexey Petrov, Alla Pukhova, Galina Solovyova, Natalia Subbotina, Natalia Sudakova, Valery Torkunov, Vera Shmatova, Olga Shmeleva.