Oil Painting Lessons with Rembrandt and 'Calcite Sun Oil': Artist's Health and Safety without Hazardous Solvents Resins Varnishes and Driers

My personal view:Mr. Velasquez book gives a great approach to very basic elements concerning oil painting, it contains very important and valuable information which for different reasons is generally little known among artists.This book gives very basic, complete and important insight and not least deep understanding of artists most important binding medium through time, everything in the book is and well explained, from material properties to mixing and painting procedures.This book reflect mr. Velasquez passion for the subject, and seems to be fruit of serious research done in the course of many years. It has given to me a confirmation on something i personally always have believed regarding the greatest old masters - that ultimate material knowledge and simple, rational and durable methods where - beside their talents, the foundation of their - until today,unparalleled painting techniques and the reason why most of their masterpieces still are available to us today, in the best possible condition.I am a artist based in Oslo - Norway, i have been painting for over 20 years now and have always been deeply interested in the old traditional techniques, and have struggled with the materials i have been using over time, therefore it was to me a great revelation to get known - by chance and tireless searches, come across the research-based work of mr. Velasquez. I has for me thrown a new light at the modern painting mediums which are available to us today, and given me a incentive to rethink about my own materials and painting procedures, and start changing in favor to more health-safe, stable and durable materials and permanent painting practices.I have not finished reading the book yet, i have purchased and seen de DVD which is related to it, but can already warmly recommend it to all those who are interested in oil paint, it is an important and indispensable book to own.Leandro Cassiano,Oslo - Norway.

There is very useful information in the book, but it requires perseverance on the reader's part to obtain the information. To me, the book reads like a book-length SPAM email; including the author's frequent tactic of mentioning something of interest, only to say he'd go over it later in the book. The extreme overuse of Bold Text, CAPITALIZED SPELLING, and other similar SPAMMER-esque techniques contributed to the annoying book layout.When reading the book, I was constantly under the impression that this self-published book was nothing more than the compilation of all the author's notes; stapled together; leaving all his yellow Post-it notes in place instead of properly incorporating those items into a smooth-flowing document.I visited the author's website prior to purchasing his book, and observed that his layout and content were somewhat haphazard and overflowing with the aforementioned overused CAPITALIZED TEXT and other annoying SPAM-like techniques. Had I known that his published books would have the same "Look and Feel" as his website, I would not have made the book purchase.

He makes the practice of oil painting way safer than painting with acrylics. Do not miss the DVD. In fact I would watch the DVD first, and then read the book. Then, TRY IT. You will see a huge difference in your panting practice. A new wealth of possibilities will open in front of you. Thanks for your research, you are one of the best teachers I ever had. You whispered to may ear that secret of the old masters like Rubens, Rembrandt and Velazquez that allow you to control the media instead of the media controlling you.

An excellent guide to creating your own painting mediums and other interesting info. While the book could have used some better organization and editing, I refer to it a great deal and will keep this as one of my favorite go-to art reference books. Thank you Mr. Velasquez!!!

I wish I would have bought this book earlier. Very comprehensive, with emphasis on successful oil painting without the use of hazardous materials such as turpentine and other solvents. Artist Louis R. Velasquez has done his research! This book is fantastic!MIchael W.

I have been carefully studying this book since it's arrival. I have learned so many valuable things, not only about how to hand-refine my own oil, but also about painting and art history in general. I am so thankful to have found this gem and am thankful to the author for his care and concern for the health of artists.

I know that mr Valasquez is full of knowledge.It's a book that you have to take your time to read, then, experiment with his knowledge.I admire what he has to offer.Merci.

This book is very informative and features the best methods for painting without any hazardous solvents, resins, varnishes or driers. You'll learn to make the superior oil used by old masters like Rembrandt, Rubens and Velasquez. Highly recommended for both advanced and professional artists.

If, like me, you get sick from oil paints and solvents, and are also frustrated by long drying times and messy cleanups, then this book is for you.Louis Velasquez offers a variety of make-it-yourself alternatives that are non-toxic, fast-drying and clean up with water.I highly recommend this book.

Good book for technical research on the subject of oil painting.

There is a ton of information on these topics, so was initially tentative about going with a particular book or method. However, I absolutely did not regret buying this book. Louis has been extremely generous and informative.. replying to a lot of questions and concerns that I had via email and I now feel much more confident in my basic understanding of sizes, grounds and oil and will definitely experiment further with many of the ideas contained in the book in the future. I'm very happy to have found this book.

livre très didactique, écrit par un peintre passionné par la redécouverte de techniques oubliées (mais qui donnent des tableaux qui résistent à l'épreuve du temps) comme celle de l'huile de lin rendue siccative par exposition au soleil.... Fruit de plusieurs années de recherches et de mises au point.A lire si on souhaite faire ses propres couleurs à l'huile sans solvants (nocifs à respirer) ni siccatifs plus ou moins toxiques.Il n'y a que du texte, mais on peut compléter par les images de son site ainsi que sur des vidéos et.... on peut contacter l'auteur , avec la preuve d'achat du livre, et il nous envoie un DVD complémentaire (gratuit) !