Description
The methods of the Old Masters made available for today’s artist. Early Masters such as Rembrandt applied multiple layers of transparent paint to produce the deep, glowing hues and darks which typified their work; darks which seethed with hidden colour. The range of rich colours employed by these earlier painters gave a mysterious depth and intensity to their work, a richness and luminosity which only the glazing technique could give. The aim of this book is to equip today’s artist with the technique of glazing developed by the Masters. Lessons from the past brought fully up to date, this book will enable the reader to achieve similar colour effects. Your work will improve dramatically.
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The result would be a kind of chocolate
An amazing book on the art of glazing, details on mediums, tips from the old masters and lots more information. Also some helpful exercises to get you started. Over 300 pages of interesting detail, I’ve learnt so much already and I only purchased the book a few days ago.
by Mr. R. McGovern – Verified Purchase
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The book to get on glazing for professional artists. …
The book to get on glazing for professional artists. It’s so complicated, but this gives you everything you need to know.
by Nelly – Verified Purchase
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A superb volume with much valuable information
A superb volume with much valuable information – we can learn so much from the masters and the glazing technique mystery is now solved for me
by C. E. Grafton – Verified Purchase
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A must have!
Excellent book. So interesting and easy to read. Gives so much information.
by PZ – Verified Purchase (UK)
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Very detailed and thorough
Very detailed and ell researched. The downside is this makes me realize it’s not something I want to do, after all!!
by Anne Sliwinski – Verified Purchase
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Brilliant
Charles Didd – Verified Purchase (UK)
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Best book on painting!
One of the best books on painting. This book really delves into so many topics related to glazing and beyond. This is a book any painter would benefit from. It has helped me avoid paints that fade or change color as it ages, explained the science of how light refracts through different color layers, and I could go on and on.
By Oakville Fallson – Verified Purchase
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This is the best book I have ever bought or read on the …
This is the best book I have ever bought or read on the process of painting, explains in detail with beginners in mind.
By Sharen Duffingon – Verified Purchase
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Five Stars
LOVE this book. Glazing really explained. Trying different things and learning from every page.
By Rebecca – Verified Purchase
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Beautiful book. Not for the casual reader
I’m taking my time as there is a lot to absorb.
By M. Petersonon – Verified Purchase
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Amazing Book! he is a wonderful painter and teacher!
The book is wonderful! I purchased four to share with ny friends at the oil painting class everyone loves it!
By JUANITA JURADO – Verified Purchase
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Excellent technical information
I mainly paint in watercolor; there are dozens of good informational books for that medium. But there aren’t many clear, direct, practical books with technical information about materials and techniques for traditional, realistic oil painting. “Glazing” is by far the best one I’ve found. (And no, I don’t know the author nor have any connection to him.) The information about mediums, historical and modern, was worth the price to me, as I’ve been experimenting on and off with oils and haven’t found my way around them yet. There are just too many types of paint, too many mediums, too much conflicting advice in various books and online. This book is clear about what the author, who says he has worked extensively in painting conservation, recommends. There’s also good information about safe working practices. Also, the book has excellent historical information about pigments and mediums; it makes you wonder how the oil painters of the past lived through working with all the dangerous pigments and mediums. Of most interest, naturally, is the technical information about layering and glazing, and it’s very clearly presented. The book is well illustrated. My only complaint is that it could have used more editing, and fewer incomplete sentences (you guessed it, I’m an English major). The author’s suggestions about methods and materials seem sound, although I haven’t tried them out yet. There’s also limited info about alkyds oils, acrylics, temperas and watercolors, and if and how they can be used with oils.
By JKJon – verified purchase
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This book is absolutely amazing for anyone interested in the process of glazing
This book is absolutely amazing for anyone interested in the process of glazing. The author really went into great detail about not only the science of glazing, but the different effects for each type of paint. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interestedin traditional painting.
By Scetch82on – Verified Purchase
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This is a great book for artists who want to learn more about how the masters painted. Very good quality and informative.
ByJesse Wrighton – Verified Purchase
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Great book! Great information on technique and beautifully illustrated with color/ glossy examples on each page.
By Victoriaon – Verified Purchase
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Most informative, delivered in a no-nonsense presentation. Artists, you aught have this in your collection.
By Lord Harringtonon – Verified Purchase
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Book on Glazing
Terrific resource book to own. I highly recommend it.
By The Owlon – Verified Purchase
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Five Stars
Very one should have this book in there art library.
By Delores A. Haberkornon – Verified Purchase
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Not a doubt, this is the best book on glazing techniques I’ve ever come across, and I’ve been looking for a long time! Excellent brilliant reference. Highly recommended.
By B. Adamson – Verified Purchase
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Five Stars
Beautiful book – well written and most informative
By Veronique Hoogon – Verified Purchase
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Glazing with oils
Very thorough book on oil paint glazing technique. Old masters methods explained in detail with modern changes . Not a fast read but packed with clear concise info
ByCarolyn Highton – Verified Purchase
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Superb book
BySagaciouson June 9, 2015
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
If you are already familiar with the Masters’ techniques of imprimatura, umber layer and grisaille and similarly have a knowledge of the concept of painting “fat over lean” and which mediums to employ, but you still thirst for practical knowledge of how to complete the final step of glazing as a craft, in order that it should not just be a hit and miss exercise, than this book is a real page turner. However, If you are lacking the requisite understanding of the basics, then you are apt to view the book as a tedium of theoretical detail without application. This book is a vast compendium of knowledge which can be read and re-read and used as a valuable reference tool in your painting, using the traditional glazing technique of the Masters. It will provide unprecedented understanding of pigments, how light refracts and reflects through them and insight into the way some of the great painters achieved their results. As a former conservator, scientist and artist, Wilcox may shock you by his description of long standing techniques and materials he views as mere shibboleths in painting, frequently opting for more modern techniques and materials. His droll humor may have you chuckling out loud. My main criticisms are as follows:
1) He frequently mentions the traditional techniques of the Masters and that the problems of value and modelling must be solved before embarking on glazing, which are accomplished through the traditional build up of “dead layers” that the Masters used, yet his own extremely valuable color charts for glazing assume they are being built directly upon a white priming surface, unlike the Masters. It would have been most instructive and a logical extension of his book to include practical examples, step by step of how he would use glazing to paint a portrait, still life, or landscape.
2) His background as a conservator has made him a true purist, causing him to reject much of the materials of the past as being impermanent or having other undesirable qualities, yet at the same time he talks about the very paintings we still have today, 450-500 years later, where those same techniques and materials were employed!
3) His desire for archival perfection and purity should have led to much more discussion on some of the drawbacks of using alkyds and the pitfalls of mixing alkyds with oil mediums and varnishes which he only touches on obliquely; the unsuspecting or unknowledgeable student may suffer as a result from his lack of attention to these details. This is in stark contrast to the meticulous detail he gives in pointing out the numerous pitfalls of choosing the wrong pigment or material when working in oils.
In conclusion, this is an excellent if not essential resource for the serious art student or painter with a sincere interest in approaching the art of glazing as a refined craft with a desire to emulate the effects of the great oil painting Masters.
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Excellent Resource For Painting Like The Ol Masters
ByBrian66on August 16, 2014
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
This book is very thorough in discussing the stages of painting with glazes, the purpose and physical properties of paints and mediums, and case studies of the Old Masters. The section illustrating how light travels through, or is diffused by, various transparent and opaque pigments helped me begin to understand the mystery and magic behind many of great paintings that fill me with awe when I see them in person in a gallery. The section depicting how certain colors are achieved with various pigment glaze combinations is worth the price of the book alone.
I would have given this book five stars and the highest recommendation possible if not for a few editorial problems and comments made by the author that I considered less than professional. In particular, he wrote very negatively about an artist who recently painted a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II that he felt was unskilled relative to the Old Masters. The author neither named the portrait artist in question or displayed an image of the painting in question. There are bits and pieces like this throughout the book that give you the indication this book was self-published and lacked the attention to detail that a reader would normally associate with a professionally published book.
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Five Stars
By Veronique Hoogon February 10, 2015
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Beautiful book – well written and most informative
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Highly recommended!
By E. Smython July 7, 2014
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More info about glazing than I’ve ever seen compiled in one book before. Highly recommended!
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Just the best!
By Lin La Meron April 23, 2015
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Best book on glazing I have ever seen.
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By Diana Rozenon February 24, 2015
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This is a technical how to book which is exactly what I was looking for. Well written and researched.
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GREAT BOOK
By julolaon November 20, 2014
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Wonderful book full of essential information if you want to learn the glazing technique.
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No glossing over here
By Don Lagerbergon December 11, 2014
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Thorough, informed and well-organized. An entertaining mix of facts and opinion. A good (big) addition to a painter’s library.
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By Rick Mujicaon January 8, 2015
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
Without a doubt, the best book on glazing that I’ve ever come across. But it’s not only about glazing, it’s about your materials too. I’ve been painting for 40 years and didn’t realize how fugitive some of the colors and mediums I use are. This book caused me to swap out some of the colors in my palette and now I only buy paints and materials when I know what’s in them. It’s a fantastic book, well researched and very informative. I couldn’t;t recommend it more for anyone who is serious about not only glazing, but also about the craft of painting.
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A wealth of hard-to-come-by information.
By Bruce Boatneron June 20, 2016
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When I received this book I was stunned by the amount and depth of information that it contains. As a painter I am willing to take the extended periods of time necessary to build a painting up in layers, but unfortunately patience is not enough. I frequently find that after a meticulously executed grisaille underpainting, I am at a complete loss as to how to achieve the colors and effects I desire. Often the “obvious” choice produces a sickly glaze that I cannot wait to wipe off immediately. (One good thing about glazing is that you have the equivalent of the “Undo” key!) This book is truly the bible on glazing, and it immediately revealed why I was running into trouble. It is an invaluable resource for the painter who chooses to work in the traditional underpainting/glazing approach. Also I rather enjoy the author’s rather tongue-in-cheek style after all the overstuffed purists that one runs across.
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The Glazing Bible!
By J.A.MCGILLon August 29, 2016
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After reading a few of the reviews I was concerned with editorial vs. painting technique for the price. I prefer studio painting and hungry for information on how to achieve depth and glow with oils. This book delivers on how that is accomplished. Michael Wilcox has done an extraordinary job reporting on old masters tools, techniques and methodology. There are wonderful color tables and easy to understand information for intermediate to advanced painters. Painting technique books are written by author’s with opinions. So what?! If you don’t like the opinion close the book. However, it would be a shame to close this book when 99% is based on the craft of painting. So few painting books are representative of anything beyond Alla Prima and Plein Air painting techniques. This book completely delivers!
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By R. G.on March 22, 2016
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“Glazing” is the bible for one learning to paint with the process used by Rembrandt, Vermeer and their contemporaries. It is instructional because it guides the painter to make decisions, such as which color to apply on top of another, whether to use a transparent paint or an opaque one. Just reading the color charts will improve one’s skill and understanding; there are also discussions on mediums, supports and canvas types, and beautifully colored plates of old world paintings.
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If you are serious about your glazing technique, read this book!
By kilntenderon July 21, 2017
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
Although I haven’t finished reading Glazing, I truly feel this book is giving me a much better understanding of the glazing process. I feel now I can move on with my art. I read and re-read in order to understand, even though I have had training in the old masters techniques. Any one who is serious about learning this technique, must read this book.
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By Davidon July 26, 2017
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
Insightful into painting materials from a historical perspective, as well as glazing. Author clearly states what works and what doesn’t work. This is the first painting book that I’m compelled to read front to back. Loaded with interesting history and why we should be thankful for the supplies we have on hand today.
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Save yourself a lot of experimenting and get this great reference
By Sandra Knighton April 3, 2015
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I read this book cover to cover in a few days and find it invaluable. It is not a “paint by number” type of instruction but an indepth study of the art of glazing and an excellent reference. I have studied his book “Blue and Yellow Don’t Make Green” and I think that the information in that book is a good basis for “Glazing”and recommend it for beginners/intermediates as a pre-req. Mr. Wilcox has saved me months, maybe years, of experimenting. I could say more about the details of the book but previous reviewers have pretty well covered that for me.
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but great information for the serious seasoned artist
By Lidiyaon December 10, 2014
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Very well written and informative. My not be applicable for the beginner, but great information for the serious seasoned artist. Wisely debunks some of the unscrupulous marketing by art companies of substandard products. That information alone will pay for the cost of the book. Really valuable information….an Oil painters “must read.”
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More than happy with this book on glazing
By Madeline sullivanon August 9, 2014
Just what I needed. More than happy with this book on glazing! .
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Very well done
By Josée Morinon May 29, 2015
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This book is a keeper and deserve a hard cover.
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I like it, but….
By traditionstoday_arton July 30, 2015
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
I like it, it’s a great book. However, as others have mentioned, it is filled with grammatical errors and lack of editing makes it confusing. there are a few instances where sentence just ends mid-way or a repetition of words is present back to back. I am slightly disappointed for that as it is not a cheap book. The information is interesting, although more was expected. In short, I do recommend it for the information that is in there but watch out for all these things that do disappoint, unfortunately.
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A good book, although the author’s “voice” slightly grates.
By Francis Tiffanyon July 1, 2015
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While generally a good book, it has to be said that it is somewhat let down by the author’s tone and personality. An external editor (the book is self-published) would definitely have improved the final product by removing the author’s idiosyncratic “voice”. Otherwise a solid and reasonably accurate book (although some of the passages on artists’ techniques have been slightly superseded my more recent research).
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Glazing techniques and info every painter needs to learn. Amazing book.
By JetsonJoeVINE VOICEon March 15, 2016
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Amazing how glazing can transform your oil (and acrylic) paintings. Very well presented and written. Michael Wilcox is a talented artist in his own right. Really first rate.
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Five Stars
By Maryannon April 20, 2015
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
very very good
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I recommend it.
By Paul Richard Jameson April 26, 2015
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
Very informative. I recommend it.