Painting Portraits in Oils (paperback edition):Capturing character from life

An inspiring and comprehensive guide to painting beautiful portraits in oils, from beloved teacher and master artist, Rob Wareing.

'If you've ever wanted to try your hand at portraiture, there's no better place to get started.' - Supporting All Artists (SAA)

In this highly regarded book, now available in paperback, renowned portrait artist Rob Wareing distils 40 years of experience into insightful, easy-to-follow lessons.

This easy-to-follow, inspirational guide shows you how to paint beautiful portraits in one sitting. It leads you through all aspects of portraiture, from the first steps of finding and lighting your model, through the practical aspects of mixing for value and colour, to the sitting itself.

Inside you'll find:

• which paints, brushes and tools to use;
• step-by-step example portraits;
• guidance on composition, drawing and backgrounds.

With clear, step-by-step demonstrations and numerous examples of the Rob's inspiring work throughout, this book provides both an expert guide to portrait painting and a unique insight into the working methods of a generationally talented portrait painter. | Foreword 6; Introduction 8; Working from life 10; What makes a portrait? 12; Materials 22; Composing your paintings 34; Preparation 36; Drawing and painting 56; Drawing skills 58; Painting alla prima 70; Values 82; Colour 92; Skin tone 106; The sitting 116; The Portrait 118; Going further 134; Other types of portrait 136; Settings and background 156; Index 160 | Rob Wareing was born in South Africa. After finishing his education he travelled extensively, receiving private tuition from various portrait painters in the USA and Europe, as well as studying the techniques of traditional classical painting. He became a professional portrait painter at the age of 23 and his subsequent career spanned more than four decades. During that time, Rob painted numerous portraits of people of all nationalities, and received many commissions to paint dignitaries, CEOs and their families in countries including the USA, Mauritius, Botswana, South Africa and the UK. He also gave live portrait demonstrations on TV shows in the USA, Mauritius and South Africa.

Rob gained a considerable following on YouTube, and wrote articles for various art publications including The Artist (UK), Paint (SAA), Artists & Illustrators, International Artist and The South African Artist. His first book, Painting Portraits in Oils, was published by Search Press in January 2021.
Sadly, Rob died in August 2021, but his legacy will live on for many years to come