Best Still Life Painting Books
Still Life painting became popular in the late 16th century and has remained significant ever since. Still Life painting involves capturing the artist’s vision of inanimate natural objects such as food, flowers, rocks, shells, etc. or human-made objects such as drinking glasses, bottles, books, vases, jewellery, etc.
The advantage of painting still life over other subjects is the freedom it gives an artist to experiment with the arrangement of the various elements while composing their painting. Still life painting is favourite amongst painters for exploring different painting styles, surfaces and mediums.
For the new artist, or artists looking to expand their repertoire by learning to paint still lifes, they experience the freedom to practice their craft without the pressure of trying to capture a live subject. A mistake made in a still life painting can often be viewed as creative expression and enhance the piece.
Another benefit to painting still lifes is the elimination of time constraint. You can complete a still life painting over multiple sittings over a period of days, weeks or months depending on the subject. The objects can be composed and remain untouched for however long it takes the artist to complete their painting.
Regardless of your skill level as an artist, there is always room for improvement. There are new tricks and new ideas you can learn, various mediums or surfaces you can experiment with, and different tools to master. One of the best ways to learn or improve your skills is through books. That’s why we here at Best Books For Creatives decided to put together this list of our top picks of books to learn how to paint still lifes.
Whether you are painting a bouquet, a bowl of fruit or an arrangement of seashells, still life painting is a great way to spend quality time alone or an excellent way for friends to gather and socialize while sharing in their creativity.
If you’ve been thinking of learning still life painting, there’s no better time than the present. These still life books are sure to help you get started in the right direction and ensure you enjoy this wonderful pastime.
Our Top Pick
Our Top Pick for the best still life painting book is An Introduction to Painting Still Life by Peter Graham. Filled with step by step demonstrations, this book focuses on understanding perspective, lighting and composition. Graham offers his advice on selecting suitable materials and equipment for the best results and emphasises the mixing and blending of colors including oil, acrylic, watercolor and pastels.
This book is an invaluable source of practical information and inspiration for beginner artists and those wishing to increase their skill level with still life painting. This book won’t have time to gather dust on your shelf.
Here is our list of the best still life painting books including our top pick.
If you know of any good still life books that we’ve missed, please be sure to share it in the comments below.
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