Rating: 
Summary: Excellent for beginners and done with beautiful style!
Review: I've read or worked thru almost twenty books on oil painting while I'm waiting for my first painting class to start. This was the first one to cover modern materials - the stuff available today - and to cover glazing. The demos are step-by-step and fully explained in Alla Prima, knife techniques, rub-out painting, glazing, and even oil sticks and water miscible oils. Just an awesome text ... period. The reviewer who earlier diss'd the author for his painting style evidently doesn't have much experience creating or viewing art of any kind - not that appreciating this style requires training. On the contrary, the paintings are done in gorgeous, warm, and 'buttery' colors and the style is somewhere between realist and impressionist. I love the art and I love the book. I'm buying his pastel text, as well. This book is worth...[the money] just for the chapters on glazing alone!
Rating: 
Summary: A good book for self-taught artists- beginning >intermediate
Review: OK, so the format of this page only allows you to give one rating, indiscriminating of what kind of readers the book is aiming towards. I'd like more details, as the following:1) 5-star for self-taught and beginning oil painters.
2) About 3.5 -> 4-star for intermediate oil painters.
3) Nice to own as a reference book for advanced and accomplished. No rating necessary. So, there you had it. If you are new to oil painting, this book is a nice and PRACTICAL guideline on presently commercially available materials (including oil paints of different brands, oil sticks, oil mediums, solvents, varnishes, supports, brushes, tools, etc.. - you know, "oil materials"). This book is also a good coverage of "basic" oil techniques. These include the process of going from drawing to painting using charcoal, pastel, conte' crayon; as well as "basic" oil painting techniques such as sketching, alla prima, wet-on-wet, etc... Perhaps the most talked-about feature of the book is the chapter about glazing and scumbling. Yep, those "Old Master's techniques". To be fair, this is not the only book that covers the Old Master's techniques. However, it does provide the readers with detailed demonstrations on creating paintings using glazing techniques. In addition, a discussion on presently available TRANSPARENT oil paints (necessary for glazing) is about the most charming thing in the book. Finally, a chapter about alkyds, oil sticks, and water-miscible oils sums up this book for readers who enjoy alternative media; along with a list of suppliers for practical purposes. For advanced painters who enjoy more thorough discussions on oil materials and painting techniques, I suggest that they go for a more thorough (and less pictorial) title, such as "The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques" by Ralph Mayer, from which some information in this book is derived. As for the comments about "poor" drawings and paintings in the book, I hate to admit that there is some truth to them. In my opinion, the author mainly focussed on the technique (rather than presentation) side of the issue. As a result, some of the final paintings look like "child's play". Ironically, readers sometimes see "how great the book is" just by "how great the paintings in the book are". In terms of "the bottom line", you may "go no wrong" owning this book. If this is the first oil technique book you consider owning, then go for it. For others, it serves well as an additional title to your art library, although some may live just fine without it.
Rating:
Summary: a library must
Review: The author of this book did his homework, and shared his findings in a well organized and informative fashion. A very good book for beginners as an overview for things to come, intermediate artists who might be ready to look beyond direct painting, and to a lesser degree but still useful, for seasoned artists looking for a handy reference on comparisons of the latest materials out there.
Rating:
Summary: If you are interested in oil painting, start with this book.
Review: This book makes most others seem thirty years out of date. Creevy offers up-to-date information on oil paints, solvents, supports, brushes, etc. He also discusses compatible materials for mixed media work. This is NOT a step by step guide to painting specific subjects. Rather, it is an excellent tool for beginning or experienced oil painters who want to understand how their chosen medium really works.
Rating:
Summary: Best book available on oil glazing that I've found!
Review: This book was used by one of my professors in the art dept. at UW- Whitewater. It is my favorite reference book when I need to answer a question about paint brands, glazing, painting mediums. It's an all around good book!
Rating:
Summary: The best book I have read so far!!!
Review: This is a GREAT book!! It offers excellent technical information about everything that involves oil painting. It is written in a concise way. What I really enjoy is that although Bill Creevy explains things with a very technical approach, he always "translates" it so the reader can understand everything. I got this book 4 days ago and cannot stop reading it over and over again. Although I don't really like Mr Creevy's paintings, his technical approach is impeccable. If I had to recommend one book and only one, this would be it!!!
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This is a terrific book at a great price. It's become one of my 'standard references' for oil painting. I'd also recommend "Oil Painting for the Serious Beginner" by Steve Allrich and "All About Techniques in Oils" (Parramon) if you're just starting out, and "Alla Prima" by Richard Schmid if your budget allows it (it's pricey).
Rating:
Summary: The Oil Painting Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's
Review: This is the most helpful book on the the market today for materials and techniques. I consider this my " art bible". I have found this book to be entirely accurate and even though I bought this book about 2 years ago, I read it over and over again. I discover new helpful hints each time. Although this book is simplified and easy to read, there is a great deal of important information that has propelled me into successfully copying the Masters and developing my own style. Thank you Bill Creevy, you have filled in the gaps for me and helped bring me personal success.
| 
