Have you checked your library system where you live to see if they have a copy you can look at? I haven’t seen either of these books, but should I run across them will let you know.

For the newcomer to painting, it’s a stellar book. Certainly worth having, but I’d try and find it for less than those numbers elsewhere.

It’s hard to say there’s much weakness in such a book, but at the time I got my copy (v.1) I was hoping for more direct information about landscapes and figure than I remember it having.

I’ve always wondered what the big differences between 1 and 2 were to warrant a whole new book. I didn’t want to pony up to find out though.

I’m self taught so I have read many books on drawing and painting over the years. Of those, there are only a half dozen that I thought worth keeping.

One of those is the first Alla Prima book which, by coincidence, I am in the process of re-reading. I don’t paint in as direct a manner as he does but Scmid’s advice on things like seeing shapes, values, and edges is invaluable – especially for beginners to intermediates – but serves as a good reminder even to more advanced painters.

For landscape painting I think Carlson’s Guide to Landscape Painting is considered a classic. It is a bit of a slog to read but it lays out everything you need to look for in terms of viewing and depicting your subject matter.

I have hardback Alla Prima II.
Also Landscapes.

Alla Prima 2 is really for portraits although there are some scenes with Nancy his wife in. Also some interior. The reproductions are fantastic. Every brushstroke can be see.

Landscapes the same. You see his painting improve from the beginning. Great reproductions. Every brushstroke can be seen.

Here are the most important factors. Buy large format books not to read words(but they can help). But to have great reproductions close up etc. Not postcard size.

Secondly being such large tomes buy hardback. Its worth it as they are better quality binding.

I have a library of rare art books full format. From Edward Seago by Ron Ranson both volumes to Odd Nerdrum all costing over £100 each. I dont care what it costs within reason. I invest in rare art books. Alla Prima is a classic and is takes pride of place.. Landscapes is a classic. Buy both.

sabana, good advice, but buying coffee table art books unseen is also risky. Sometimes the prints are good, often they’re not. I have a de Laszlo book with over sharpened color casted reproductions that are painful to look at. But then I have Sorolla book which is very accurate. So it’s a gamble, an expensive one because art books are often quite expensive.

These days, I actually prefer putting my monitor in portrait mode and viewing images downloaded from sites like Google Art Project. I can often zoom in and look at individual strokes and see the canvas grain.

I agree Mares. Its a risk but I do a lot of research before buying. (Not just Amazon reviews:). I recently bought Sargent vol 1-8 by Ormond and Kilmurray (£320). And the reproductions were xxxx. Yet the reviews apart from a few were glowing. But its a Catalogue Raisonne. I returned them.

And im with you on the monitor. Thats how I do 90 percent of of my research.

:thumbsup:

I have 5 vols of Ormond’s Sargent catalogue raisonne, and I agree with you, some repros are horrible. The watercolors are better for natural reasons (smaller and easier to photograph correctly). 4 of the vols were gifts, so I’ve obviously kept them. I’m still debating whether I should get the other vols. Maybe as gifts…

I have the Carter Ratcliffe tome on Sargent and the reproductions are larger and better. The darks are completley lost in many of the Ormond raisonne. No detail at all. But they had access to all the paintings and there is no excuse for poor photography. The writing is imeasurably great though.

Bought the first book from another artist at a reasonable price, he was glad to get rid of it.
Having only read parts of it because most of it doesn’t interest me, I can’t give you an overall view.
It’s weakness to me and probably to some it’s strength is that it’s a very structured way of painting.
For the price I paid for it I’m glad to have it on the shelf but haven’t looked at it for years.
It’s not worth silly money.

Dave.

*Waving back!*