A comprehensive guide to oil painting practice and technique, this reference offers an informative A-to-Z section of valuable skills such as how to build up a painting and how to make brushwork describe forms and textures—as well as a wealth of stimulating ideas for the canvas, including combining oil paints with other media, mixing paint with sand and sawdust, and applying it with such tools as knives, rags, or even the fingers. The second half of the book shows all the techniques in context. Illustrated with a gallery of paintings by well-known artists and full of detailed, step-by-step demonstrations, the guide shows how each artist applies knowledge of oil painting techniques to the interpretation of a subject, whether landscape, portrait, or still life.