The Painter in Oil

by Daniel Burleigh Parkhurst

A widely cited resource on painting in the style of the old masters, this classic guide contains a wealth of insights for amateur and professional artists. Daniel Burleigh Parkhurst, one of the foremost artist/instructors of the early 20th century, presents a master's course in the science and technique of painting that encourages the use of traditional tools and methods.
Parkhurst's four-part treatment encompasses materials, general principles, technical principles, and practical applications. Topics include canvases, easels, brushes, paints, and other tools; attitude and originality; drawing, perspective, light and shade, composition, and color; and sketching, still life, flowers, portraits, landscapes, and figures. 64 illustrations enhance this informative manual.

Genres: Art

432 pages, Paperback

First published June 9, 2006

Reviews

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apparently oil painting has not changed much in the 100+ years since this book was written. This was written by a student of William Adolph Bouguereau, an academic French painter (the 19th century equivalent of Thomas Kinkade). The author was also a contemporary of Claude Monet. It is interesting to note that this was written shortly after the advent of Impressionism and has a brief critique of the "new" style.

When written in 1898, "The Painter in Oil" was directed towards the amateur or hobbyist. As a professional artist, I can tell you there is more information here than you will find in a 5 year Bachelor's degree. Much of the advice contains tips I have found on my own, only through trial, error and experience.

If you are looking for a basic how-to-paint, this is not the place to start; however, I think it would be an invaluable resource for an intermediate painter, someone who has a few canvases under their belt, or a good foundation in design & composition. The only parts that are outdated, are the descriptions of mediums and paint, as many of these have been replaced by more stable, non-toxic formulas.

It is also good know that this book is beyond copyright law and available for free on many websites, so if you don't want to purchase a paper copy, the information is still available for download.

[Ola · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite art books of all time. Yes, it's an old book and the language is outdated, but the lessons certainly aren't. The Painter in Oil was written in 1898, in what I personally consider the golden era of representational painting. I'm a professional figurative oil painter and this book is jam-packed with philosophical insights from someone who truly and fully understand what it means to be an artist and strive for greatness. Daniel Parkhurst was a pupil of William-Adolphe Bouguereau, so that should give you an idea of the league he was in. I learn something new each time I reread this book. It's the one I almost always bring on long travels. It's a gem that can be bought for next to nothing. You can even read it for free if you head over to Project Gutenberg.

[Manoj · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thoroughly useless. Reminds me of the outrageously outdated and almost completely useless curriculum for computer engineering in India. It has absolutely no usable practical information that can be used in either job or personal computer science projects. If you want to really learn how to paint in oil, there are much better newer books out there. I'd recommend even books like "For dummies...", "... for beginner" etc series over this. Yes, I'm THAT outraged. I mean how can anyone in one's right state of mind justify a purely theoretical (badly explained at that) book for something like painting? This is like teaching someone swimming by showing them pictures of muddy puddles!!

[Hesper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still relevant; oil painting hasn't changed much since 1890.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great resource text for drawing practices, design, basic oil painting processes and art theory. Should be on the self of a of a well stocked artist's library.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm 3 days into copying a Vermeer painting ( Melkmeisje /Milk maid - so far so good, but there's plenty of opportunity to mess things up ;D ). While the first few layers dry I'd better read up on technique, hope there is some useful info in this book.

I'm guessing there will be lots of glazing in my future (background and skin), the bread looks like it's made of small layered dots, and I can't figure out how to do that basket in the background (which is going be hell because unless there is a trick/shortcut I'm going to need a teeny tiny little brush)