Book by J.Sheppard "How to paint like old masters"

[Nathalie Chavieve]

Hello dear artists ! I have came across of a book by Joseph Sheppard " How to paint like the old masters ". Is anyone has read this book ? I find all his paintings in this book looks quiet similar one to other even the autor trying to describe different techniques in this book - techniques of Caravaggio, Titian, Rubens , etc. Would like to hear your opinion about techniques, usage of colors and everything else in this book?

[Keith Russell]

I've looked through the book a few times--and have known a few artists who claimed to really like it--but I'm not impressed by the drawing in the book, and his painting techniques don't correspond to anything else I've read, by anyone else.

I have never owned the book, and have no plans for that to change...

[saintlukesguild]

That book demonstrates how to paint like Joseph Sheppard only. It is all 19th century style, and has no resemblance to 16th and 17th century Masters. His drawing books, however, are as good as you really need to know for life studies.

[Magical_Realist]

I bought that book a very long time ago--probably '87 or '88. I saw an ad for it in American Artist and had to order it by mail and wait six weeks to finally get it, as none of the bookstores around me carried it. (No, I don't miss the old days, pre-Internet)

I was in art school then, being taught by Abstract Expressionists, Pop artists, and the stray Photorealist. Postmodernism and Neo-Expressionism were all the rage. And there I was, wanting to know how to paint like (early) Titian or Caravaggio, but nobody there could even begin to teach me (at best, they thought it was rather quaint; at worst--well, I'm not going back there ).

So after exhausting the library's meager resources, I was excited to see Sheppard's book advertised, and impatient to get it.

I remember feeling a bit let down by it, however. I know I gleaned some useful information from it, but I also recall it being a disappointment. Maybe it was because I'd had the chance to actually see both a Titian and a Caravaggio by then, and Sheppard's paintings...well, as saintlukesguild says, they looked like Joseph Sheppard paintings.

That said, one book of Sheppard's I did find useful many years later was Bringing Textures to Life; I learned a lot from that book, and it's one of the few art technique books I still own.

[wingedbear]

i have it and while i don't believe his methods are 100% historically accurate, i found it immensely informative and helpful.

i've also found that in talking with other artists, many can't get past his particular style of painting. from my perspective, this book isn't so much a how to paint in the "style" of a particular artist, but how to use a set of recipes and techniques to achieve a similar look and feel of the paint application of various artists.

if you've ever looked at a painting up close in a museum or gallery and wondered how the artist achieved such a soft blend of strokes or created such a realistic skin tone, you might find this book helpful.

[GrandManner]

Nathalie,

I also bought he books a couple of years ago. Sheppard claims to use the (exact) techniques of the masters he describes, inclusive the mediums and so (maroger). I think it's a 20th century opion of the techniques.-and not the right ones. If you are interested in real master techniques, you might take a look at my weblog guldencabinet.blogspot.com


I made references and copies of antique painting books on it.

[Yellow Ogre]

I own the book and enjoyed it and learned from it. I still pull it out every once in a while to enjoy. It may not be exactly accurate of old Masters style , but it does a way to get the job done.