$26.10
Save $8.84
was $34.94
Buy Now, Pay Later
As low as
$6
/ mo
Learn more
- – 4-month term
- – No impact on credit to apply
- – Instant approval decision
- – Secure and straightforward checkout
Ready to go? Add this product to your cart and select a plan during checkout.
Payment plans are offered through our trusted finance partners Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay, Zip, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. No-credit-needed leasing options through Acima may also be available at checkout.
Learn more about financing & leasing here.
Selected Option
Free shipping on this product
30-day returns
Learn more
30-day refund/replacement
To qualify for a full refund, items must be returned in their original, unused condition. If an item is returned in a used, damaged, or materially different state, you may be granted a partial refund.
To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.
View our full returns policy here.
Availability:
Only 2 left in stock, order soon!
Arrives
Sunday, Nov 15
Recently Viewed
At a glance
- Condition
- New
- Format
- Paperback
- Dimensions
- 8.27 x 0.39 x 10.98 in
- Weight
- 1.16 lb
- Publisher
- Watson-Guptill
- Publication date
- September 1, 1995
- Edition
- First Edition
Description
Some of the most popular art instruction books ever written have been based on student notes culled over the years from actual workshop sessions, with all their power and immediacy - and with practical, on-to-one contact between student and teacher. This is such a book. For more than two years, Linda Cateura has pursued teacher / artist David A. Leffel, notebook in hand, as he critiqued the work of students. Linda Cateura's succinct notes capture his insights, philosophy, painting hints, and general comments. Leffel's classic, painterly, twentieth-century old master style, much in the manner of Rembrandt or Chardin, affords ample illustration of the ideas expressed - through his many paintings, details, demonstrations, and diagrams, almost all in color. No matter what your level of ability, there is something here to apply to your own work, ideas that will cause you to rething your own ways of painting, hints to save you effort, or solutions to persistent painting problems. Read more
Specs 9
| Publisher | Watson-Guptill |
|---|---|
| Publication date | September 1, 1995 |
| Edition | First Edition |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 144 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0823032795 |
| ISBN-13 | 92 |
| Item Weight | 1.16 pounds |
| Dimensions | 8.27 x 0.39 x 10.98 inches |
No specs match.
Frequently asked questions
If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is:
Sunday, Nov 15
Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.
To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.
View our full returns policy here.
To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.
View our full returns policy here.
- Klarna Financing
- Affirm Pay in 4
- Affirm Financing
- Afterpay Financing
- Zip Pay in 4
- Financing through Apple Pay
- Financing through Google Pay
Learn more about financing & leasing here.
Top Amazon Reviews
Good information but poor images
Format: Paperback
The first thing that struck me as I browsed the book is the woeful quality of many of the images, with way too many being out of focus. This problem is also apparent in the other two books by Watson Guptill that I think compliment this one well. Kreutz "Problem Solving for Beginners" and Sheppard "How to Paint Like the Old Masters". If you are looking to paint in a realistic style in the vein of Caravaggio, Rembrandt etc. then you will find plenty of information in these three books. However all three deal with technique and for me the ability to discern the brushstrokes is a critical part of the learning exercise. Hopefully WG will revisit each of these books and bring the images up to scratch. David Laffel is the subject of this book, his approach, technique etc. Leffel is a realist, painting in a style emulating Rembrandt, Caravaggio and Chardin amongst others. His style places great emphasis on shadowy backgrounds with well lit subject matter and the use of light to tell the story. His genre is still lifes, portrait and figure - you won't find any landscapes here. Linda Cateura shadowed Laffel collecting together his classroom teachings, over a 2 year period, at the Artists Students League NY. (It's comparable to Robert Henri's "The Art Spirit" but with illustrations. Henri's book should be on every artists bookshelf). Rather than being a "How to" guide it's more a series of bullet points/concerns/hints & tips etc. for each stage of his painting process. He opens with a treatise on how to think like an artist followed by the "concepts". The concepts are whatever point is of interest in the painting i.e. brushstrokes, building mass, use of light/dark, colour, values, still lifes, portraits etc. Hence I wouldn't consider this to be a book for beginners - more for someone who understands the rudiments of oil painting allowing them to understand each of the concepts. Beginners might want to have a copy of Gorst's "The Complete Oil Painter" on hand. There is plenty here to digest - I give it 5 stars for content and 2 for image quality. Recommended all the same along with all the other books mentioned in this review. And if you really want to get in to the nitty gritty of Rembrandts technique then De Wettering's "Rembrandt, The Painter At Work" is highly recommended also.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2006 by Brian Asquith
Fascinating instruction, fascinating art
Format: Paperback
This book is worth it's price just to see the artwork. At the same time, I have learned a lot from the material in this book and I am inspired by the artist's work. You can tell he's mastered a technique unique to himself and his teaching methods are quite clear and informative. It's fun to see someone so talented who wishes to pass on that knowledge to others. I've read quite a few art improvement books but this one is different in that it really seems to get down to important fundamentals of art in a clear and instructive manner. I imagine I'll re-read it quite a bit as it has a lot of critical detail that I haven't run into before. It is obvious that this artist has great skill and insight and he uses an equal amount of those talents presenting clear and helpful information to those who strive to improve their art skill. I highly recommend this one to anyone with a serious desire to become an artist or who want to better understand real art.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2009 by J. M. Williams
Oil Painting Secrets From A Master Review
Format: Paperback
Amazon's delivery was quicker than expected and this book is the right sized read and great information and detail. Great for beginners-intermediate levels of painting ability. Would recommend if you are especially interested in oil painting tips.
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2012 by jshell
Best Buy for Painting Advices
Format: Paperback
I've bought plenty of painting books in the past and this one offers tons of solid advices and information that I find really useful. Best book I've ever bought and David Leffel is a true master and teacher! Most books just tell you the palette and steps in painting they use, but he went into details as to the brushstrokes to use, what to avoid and what not to, etc., I tried his technique on one painting and directly I see a great improvement! All his lectures on the book require real concentration for me to digest and provoke thoughts for a deeper understanding, which, to me, other painting books lack. All in all, a really helpful book for painters of all stages!
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2011 by rockpainter
Excellent book for advanced oil painters
Format: Paperback
I do agree that some of the images in this book could be improved upon. But still I think there are far more positives in this book to outweigh the negatives. Yes, this is not for beginners. If you read what Leffel is saying, it really makes a lot of sense. Learn to see like a painter. Painting becomes secondary almost. Most of this book relates to portraiture and still life painting. Half of the painting battle is won, I believe, in the composition, before the brush is even picked up. The rest is concept, technique, color, lighting, shadow etc. This book is composed of different concepts that may allow you to rethink your methods in general or pull a specific painting together. It is for you to determine the value of this book for yourself, of course. I find this book to be excellent.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2008 by J Hulsing
Three Stars
Format: Paperback
Good book with some good information. Very vague in some areas. Would love to read more about edges.
Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2014 by marujita
Secrets of a master
Format: Paperback
If you wish to paint in a more painterly fashion then this book is for you. There are no unnecessary words in this book. It is just straight information about how to paint. It's to the point and often in bullet form with lots illustrations of David Leffel's work. I am very grateful to Linda Cateura for writing this book and sharing with us the secrets of a master.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2014 by Claudine
It is a pretty quick read
Format: Paperback
A very informative book. Well worth what I paid. I've been painting for some time now so I knew some that I just skipped over but there are still little tid bits that is proving very helpful. I would recomand it to all but the master painters who could have written their own books. It is a pretty quick read.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2014 by JRVanB