Alla Prima: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Direct Painting

by Al Gury

Estimated delivery 3-12 business days

Format Hardcover

Condition Brand New

Description This comprehensive guide explores one of the great traditions of Western painting: alla prima, or direct, painting. Bold brushwork and a painterly surface are the hallmarks of this renowned technique, and one of the great masters of alla prima was Arthur DaCosta, the legendary Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts teacher. In Alla Prima, author Al Gury reveals the step-by-step lessons he learned in his years of study with DaCosta. From start to finish, with clear explanations of color mixing, palettes, drawing and layering, structure, brushwork, and more, Gury guides readers through the full alla prima process. Portraiture, still life, figure, and landscapes are explored, all illustrated with the work of the greats, from Rubens, Rembrandt, and Velazquez, through Degas, Manet, and Cezanne, to Sargent and Whistler. Today alla prima is the ideal choice for artists who want to return to skill-based training yet retain a contemporary style—and Alla Prima is the perfect guide to the technique.

Publisher Description

"Alla Prima" is a practical and comprehensive guide to direct painting (characterised by bold, expressive brushwork and a painterly, atmospheric surface), particularly as it is expressed though the work of the author's mentor, Arthur DeCosta, the legendary master teacher. The book covers the history of the direct methods in both Europe and America. From there, it covers detailed step-by-step lessons and invaluable discussions on drawing structure, broken and smooth brushwork and colour development. Further lessons on colour mixing, palettes and materials, brush technique, drawing and paint layering, portraiture, still life, figure and landscape painting are provided, all through illustrated steps, analysis and historical information.Throughout, the book features the work of the European masters of the direct approach, from the old masters (Rubens, Rembrandt, Velazquez) and the late 19th and early 20th century masters (Degas, Renoir, Manet, Monet, Matisse, Cezanne) to the American Prime masters (Sargent, Whistler, Henri, Eakins, Bellows) who spawned such vibrant late 20th century painters as Alice Noel, Wayne Thichaud and Jim Dinc.

Author Biography

Al Gury chairs the painting department at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, where he also teaches drawing. Gury exhibits his work at the F.A.N. Gallery and has shown at the National Academy of Design in New York, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and numerous other galleries and museums around the country. He is the author of Alla Prima: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Direct Painting and Color for Painters: A Guide to Traditions and Practice. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Details

  • ISBN 0823098346
  • ISBN-13 9780823098347
  • Title Alla Prima: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Direct Painting
  • Author Al Gury
  • Format Hardcover
  • Year 2009
  • Pages 176
  • Publisher Watson-Guptill Publications
GE_Item_ID:138003304;

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