Dramatic Light: Paint Eye-catching Art in Watercolor And Oil
by Patrick Howe

With two popular mediums and a favorite topic, Dramatic Light is sure to become a staple on every artist’s bookshelf. This guide shows painters how to capture the elusive quality of light and make their work glow from within. Highlights include:

-Instruction in both watercolor and oils

-23 step-by-step demonstrations on seeing and painting light

-An in-depth look at basic light principles: transparency, translucency, luminosity and reflections

-Gorgeous transparent and translucent subjects such as glass jars, sheer curtains, stained-glass windows and water

Artists at every level will come away with a better understanding of light--and more dramatic paintings!

Adorable Animals You Can Paint
by Jane Maday

It’s fun and easy, even if you’re a beginner. Just follow this guide’s step-by-step photos and instructions and in no time, you’ll be using watercolors and acrylics to paint all kinds of adorable animals in a range of charming settings.

Ten start-to-finish demonstrations show you how to capture the cuddly features and precious expressions of puppies, kittens, bunnies, chicks, fawns and more. Twelve additional mini-demos offer complete guidance for getting all the details just right, including fur, feathers, eyes, noses and whiskers. Best of all, you can easily mix and match your favorite animals and settings to create your own unique compositions!

Traceable patterns, materials lists and color-mixing instructions are also included to make every project foolproof and enjoyable. There’s even an inspiring gallery of finished work to give you new ideas, plus a special section that shows you how to put your own pet in the painting.

With Adorable Animals You Can Paint, creativity has never been so cute and cuddly!

No Experience Required!: Water-soluble Oils (No Experience Required)
by Mary Deutschman

With No Experience Required: Water-Soluble Oils, novice painters immediately achieve amazing results with a paint that's easy to use, simple to clean, and safer than traditional oils. The third book in North Light's newest series lets beginners get started today using this popular medium. Artist Mary Deutschman provides:

-An introduction to water-soluble oil basics, covering essential materials and key brush techniques -Unintimidating lessons on light and shadow, color, and composition--taught in 12 skill-building exercises -The features that have made this series a success, including a lively and humorous style, Quick Tip and Words to Know sidebars, and hundreds of spectacular color illustrations that reinforce each technique

Big Art Small Canvas: Paint Easier, Faster And Better With Small Oils
by Joyce Washor

Perfect for learning big techniques on a small scale *How to incorporate painting techniques onto a tiny canvas *Includes 12 step-by-step demonstrations The perfect book for any artist with limited space to paint, limited funds for supplies, or physical restrictions, Big Art, Small Canvas gives readers the techniques they need to create tiny masterpieces quickly and affordably. With basic instruction for beginner or intermediate painters, the book focuses on capturing landscapes and still lifes in tiny oils, leading to art that can be hung in a variety of places, and making it easier for aspiring artists to get a foot in the door with galleries.

Learn to Paint Landscapes in Oil
by Melanie Cambridge

Oil (Learn to Paint Series)
by Parramon's Editorial Team

In words, color photos, and art renditions these guides provide detailed explanations of art materials and how accomplished artists use them to achieve desired effects in the various media. The emphasis in these books is not on completing a finished painting -- a subject covered in other Barron's art series -- but on how to select and use the right materials for the right project, along with practical solutions to common artists' problems. Topics are treated in the form of easy-to-follow step-by-step directions. These volumes are valuable reference sources, both for the art classroom and for use by self-teaching hobbyists. Twenty-six concise sections describe oil paints, canvases, brushes, palettes, palette knives, easels, paint boxes, and related tools. Other topics covered in these sections include paint mixing and thinning, use of different brushes to achieve various effects, selecting pigments for a balanced palette, blending colors on the canvas, as well as controlling line and shape with brushwork.

Landscape Oil Paint Course (A Conni Gordon method book, no. B-7)
by Conni Gordon

Collins You Can Paint Oils
by Linda Birch

Marbling on Paper Using Oil Paints
by Anne Chambers

Oils for the Beginner
by Alwyn Crawshaw

What Shall I Paint? : How to Find the Right Subject in Watercolor, Oils and Acrylics
by Hazel Soan

The beginning artist usually focuses on how to paint rather than on what to paint, often to the detriment of the work. A painter and author with two television series to her credit, Soan emphasizes the art of seeing as the necessary foundation for all good painting. Her book helps develop both observational skills and a deep awareness of the elements that make up a good picture. She begins with subjects found at home, about town, and out in the country and proceeds to the sea and exotic locations further afield. She relates what one sees and one's thoughts and feelings to the creative image and explores the choice of medium as an important decision in getting there. This is a fine choice for amateurs and can be followed by Carole Katchen's more advanced 200 Great Painting Ideas for Artists.