---
product_id: 50479579
title: "Practice of Oil Painting and Drawing (Dover Art Instruction)"
price: "R623"
currency: ZAR
in_stock: false
reviews_count: 7
url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/50479579-practice-of-oil-painting-and-drawing-dover-art-instruction
store_origin: ZA
region: South Africa
---

# Step-by-step oil painting guide Classic art wisdom distilled Old masters’ techniques revealed Practice of Oil Painting and Drawing (Dover Art Instruction)

**Price:** R623
**Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock

## Summary

> 🎨 Elevate your art game with the ultimate classic guide!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Practice of Oil Painting and Drawing (Dover Art Instruction)
- **How much does it cost?** R623 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Currently out of stock
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.za](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/50479579-practice-of-oil-painting-and-drawing-dover-art-instruction)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Learn by doing:** Logical, easy-to-follow methods that nurture your artistic intuition and skill progression.
- • **Perfect for all levels:** Whether hobbyist or pro, gain clear, concise guidance that fits your artistic journey.
- • **Deep dive into classics:** Detailed analysis of old masters’ works with practical examples to elevate your craft.
- • **Master timeless techniques:** Unlock centuries-old oil painting and drawing secrets from Victorian master Solomon J. Solomon.
- • **Enhanced edition with color plates:** New re-issue includes vibrant reproductions to inspire and clarify complex techniques.

## Overview

Practice of Oil Painting and Drawing by Solomon J. Solomon is a revered Dover Art Instruction re-issue offering a clear, logical approach to mastering classical oil painting and drawing. Featuring practical methods like 'drawing by the masses' and insightful breakdowns of old masters’ techniques, this book is a must-have for artists seeking authentic atelier training. With a 4.3-star rating and enhanced color plates, it bridges traditional wisdom with modern accessibility.

## Description

Buy Practice of Oil Painting and Drawing (Dover Art Instruction) by Solomon, Solomon J. (ISBN: 9780486483580) from desertcart's Book Store. Free UK delivery on eligible orders.

Review: A timely re-issue of an indispensable guide for artists - * N.B. the one-star previously given by another reviewer in 2010 pertains to a very different, poorly made edition without images, NOT the one issued recently (oct 2012) by Dover books, at which you are most likely looking now. desertcart unfortunately merged the reviews for the other, poorly OCR'd edition with this one. * * * As for this new edition, re-issued by Dover books and with a foreword by James Gurney - it is a gem of a book. A wealth of drawing and painting wisdom awaits within its pages. Victorian master painter Solomon J. Solomon shows you how to start drawing and slowly progress to successful painting. His methods are, it seems to me, logical, easy to understand and his advice and guidelines eye-openers. Solomon gives an overview on how one should practice and progress in drawing and painting (most of which was really eye-opening for me) in the first part of the book, with some practical methods and steps to consider in both drawing and using color. I particularly liked his tried-and-tested method of "drawing by the masses" (in short, measuring form by the negative shapes). This method, which he outlines with practical examples instantly appealed to me. It's very intuitive and it may be one of those things that you were already doing, subconsciously, but now that you're aware of it, can nurture it and develop it into a great skill. The second and largest part of the book is a vast study of some of the greatest paintings by the old masters. He breaks it down, discusses their techniques, colors, etc. - it's a real treat. Recently there have been a few books that have been trying to fill the void of study material for academic or classical atelier painting and drawing. I'm thinking of the books by Juliette Aristides (both Classical Drawing Atelier and Classical Painting Atelier) and for example Figure Drawing by Anthony Ryder. I own all these and think they are good books, filled with useful information and methods. But Solomon's book just stands out for its clarity, logical methods, and concise information. I believe he has managed to say much more with fewer words. Studying Solomon's book feels like really coming close to the very essence of classical atelier training, a tradition that goes back to the Renaissance. To conclude, it's one of the few books out there that are really valuable for professional artists and hobbyists alike. No matter what level you are, there's something in here for you. My only complaint - if any - would be that the size does not accommodate for large images, so that some of the larger paintings reproduced are a bit too small to get all the detail. But that would be criticism towards the publisher, not the author. Still, this doesn't take away anything of the book's content value. I would give this 10 stars if possible. Very recommended.
Review: Before art education lost its way. - I bought this book to replace my rather old and disheveled 1910 version I bought many years ago from a second hand book shop. This new version from Dover is an improvement in that it has colour plates for some of the Old masters paintings which were only monochrome in the original. My only very minor criticism is that the reproductions of some of the illustrations are not as good as the 1910 original and makes it difficult to understand what S.J.S is teaching. Only by referring to my original 1910 book was I able to make total sense of some of his explanations, this is most notable in plates I and II (Horse, Vase) where the dark lines are lost into the dark backgrounds. Any one interested in this excellent book and in a more traditional properly taught art education will probably learn a lot from reading Harold Speed's brilliant 2 books on drawing and painting.

## Features

- Warning:Do not use near overhead power lines.
- Warning:Not suitable for children over 36 months
- New Store Stock

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Customer Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 stars 109 Reviews |

## Images

![Practice of Oil Painting and Drawing (Dover Art Instruction) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91QQHEUiSyL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A timely re-issue of an indispensable guide for artists
*by A***P on 10 October 2012*

* N.B. the one-star previously given by another reviewer in 2010 pertains to a very different, poorly made edition without images, NOT the one issued recently (oct 2012) by Dover books, at which you are most likely looking now. Amazon unfortunately merged the reviews for the other, poorly OCR'd edition with this one. * * * As for this new edition, re-issued by Dover books and with a foreword by James Gurney - it is a gem of a book. A wealth of drawing and painting wisdom awaits within its pages. Victorian master painter Solomon J. Solomon shows you how to start drawing and slowly progress to successful painting. His methods are, it seems to me, logical, easy to understand and his advice and guidelines eye-openers. Solomon gives an overview on how one should practice and progress in drawing and painting (most of which was really eye-opening for me) in the first part of the book, with some practical methods and steps to consider in both drawing and using color. I particularly liked his tried-and-tested method of "drawing by the masses" (in short, measuring form by the negative shapes). This method, which he outlines with practical examples instantly appealed to me. It's very intuitive and it may be one of those things that you were already doing, subconsciously, but now that you're aware of it, can nurture it and develop it into a great skill. The second and largest part of the book is a vast study of some of the greatest paintings by the old masters. He breaks it down, discusses their techniques, colors, etc. - it's a real treat. Recently there have been a few books that have been trying to fill the void of study material for academic or classical atelier painting and drawing. I'm thinking of the books by Juliette Aristides (both Classical Drawing Atelier and Classical Painting Atelier) and for example Figure Drawing by Anthony Ryder. I own all these and think they are good books, filled with useful information and methods. But Solomon's book just stands out for its clarity, logical methods, and concise information. I believe he has managed to say much more with fewer words. Studying Solomon's book feels like really coming close to the very essence of classical atelier training, a tradition that goes back to the Renaissance. To conclude, it's one of the few books out there that are really valuable for professional artists and hobbyists alike. No matter what level you are, there's something in here for you. My only complaint - if any - would be that the size does not accommodate for large images, so that some of the larger paintings reproduced are a bit too small to get all the detail. But that would be criticism towards the publisher, not the author. Still, this doesn't take away anything of the book's content value. I would give this 10 stars if possible. Very recommended.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Before art education lost its way.
*by A***E on 24 March 2015*

I bought this book to replace my rather old and disheveled 1910 version I bought many years ago from a second hand book shop. This new version from Dover is an improvement in that it has colour plates for some of the Old masters paintings which were only monochrome in the original. My only very minor criticism is that the reproductions of some of the illustrations are not as good as the 1910 original and makes it difficult to understand what S.J.S is teaching. Only by referring to my original 1910 book was I able to make total sense of some of his explanations, this is most notable in plates I and II (Horse, Vase) where the dark lines are lost into the dark backgrounds. Any one interested in this excellent book and in a more traditional properly taught art education will probably learn a lot from reading Harold Speed's brilliant 2 books on drawing and painting.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good book!
*by R***S on 2 May 2014*

If you want a book that lays out a good solid technical approach using techniques of the masters, this is a good start. It isn't as great as a tutorial where you actually see how the artist does it, but as far as written instruction goes, it's pretty good, full of valuable insights.

## Frequently Bought Together

- Practice of Oil Painting and Drawing
- Oil Painting Techniques and Materials (Dover Art Instruction)
- The Practice and Science of Drawing (Dover Art Instruction)

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*Product available on Desertcart South Africa*
*Store origin: ZA*
*Last updated: 2026-02-13*