One Painting a Day

One Painting a Day: A 6-Week course in Observational Painting - Creating the Extraordinary Paintings from Everyday Experiences
By Timohty Callaghan
Gifted by Quarry Books
Reviewed by Liz Abderholden, Editor of FaveCrafts.com

If you've ever had the desire to learn how to paint, then this book is for you. One Painting a Day will guide you through a six-week course in observational painting. Breaking down the lessons into three parts, it focuses on three major traditions of observational painting: still life, landscape, and portraiture. Your goal is to create one painting a day following the exercises given. By the end you'll have learned how to take your everyday experiences and observations and turn them into fantastic pieces of artwork.

Like any other craft, practice makes perfect. Let One Painting a Day become your motivational guide to becoming a painter. You don't need any previous painting knowledge to use this book. With accessible language and organized lesson plans even the most inexperienced painter can maneuver through the instructions.  

Each lesson is centered around a specific technique and skill. You'll have a description of the lesson is, a prompt for your painting, and beautiful examples of contemporary paintings that show off the technique you'll be using. It begins with basic skills like line, value, and color, all tools you'll use in later paintings. As the lessons progress, you'll move from the easier subjects like inanimate objects to the harder ones like people. With useful tips, this book spells out every detail you'll need in order to become a painting master.

By the end you'll have created 45 paintings you can hang around your house or share with your friends and family. One Painting a Day is perfect for people who want to learn to paint, or already established painters looking to for some inspiration. With this book, you can go back to school and learn a whole new craft all from the comfort of your home. Take your ordinary experiences and make them extraordinary. Pick up this book and release your inner Picasso.