This 128 page soft back book is a companion to the two previous publications. This time it examines in depth thirty oil paintings by the artist. Besides the finished painting the colour pastel drawing of the subject that was done on the spot is included along with either a further colour sketch or a larger charcoal study done from the original drawing. This black and white version explores the possibilities of recreating, in black, only the excitement of the colour sketch. The lessons learnt from the charcoal, perhaps its heightened reliance on tonal contrasts or emphasised liner rhythms, are often included in the finished oil painting. Unusually the book includes thirty full page actual size details from the finished paintings. This allows the reader to examine the brushwork and the picture surface closely and gives a clue to the size and impact of the whole picture. At the end of the book the artist devotes three pages of his practical approach to the use of colour, line and tone. A fascinating book that breaks new ground in the way it illustrates one particular artist's method of painting.
Academy Press £30 inc p&p
