Oil Painting: Oceans & Seascapes

This is not a big book, but it certainly has a lot of useful information. I always have trouble with the look of my wave splash and foam, the information here hit the spot -simple but very effective.
Plenty of examples and clear information to demonstrate the different effect when painting a seascape, always beautiful with light and shades and movement - trying to capture it with paint is not that easy sometimes.
Great book for beginners or experienced oil painters.

As seen in other volumes of the 40 page art instruction book series, after the introductory part with the tools, techniques, strokes, elementary color theory comes the part with the step-by-step tutorials. They are simple and well explained with gorgeous artwork. The only "complaint" : there is no "open sea" painting, so the title should have been "Shores" instead of "Oceans and seascapes".

Want to learn to paint seascapes with oil paints? Oil Painting: Oceans & Seascapes by Martin Clarke is a detailed step by step instructional book on how to paint oceans and seascapes. Definitely a great tool for learning to paint.

The book includes sections on:

Tools & Materials which also includes a tip on taking care of your palette.
Color Basics which also gives a great explanation on neutral colors.
Painting Methods which also includes a tip on paint drying.
Brushwork Techniques which also includes a section on painting with a knife.
Seascape Techniques.

The artist shows you how to paint five different paintings; Ellenbrook Shore, Eruption, Unridden Wave, The Reef, and Foaming Waters. He gives you detail step by step on which colors and techniques to use to achieve the same look as the picture. The pictures in the book are awesome and made me want to run out and pick up the supplies so I could start my own masterpiece. I have always wanted to try oil painting, and I feel quite confident attempting it after reading this book. I mean, who doesn’t love a good step by step book to advance your creativity.

I wish the author had done a section on transferring or drawing the original picture onto the canvas. I am familiar with the technique as I have painted with water colors. However, someone who has not done that, could probably use a few details on how it’s done.

Thank you to NetGalley, Artist Martin Clarke, and Walter Foster Publishing for allowing me to read and review this 4 star book.

This is a detailed step by step guide, ideal for beginners or intermediate artists. It will guide you through a number of projects focussing on the sea. It is a great observational study and allows you to break down each part and follow the author's instructions for building the picture. I liked the study of waves and spray and the additional hints and tips for getting them right. The projects themselves are inspiring and will have you wanting to try them out. For a short book it covers a lot of ground and is highly recommended.