Book Review. Traditional Oil Painting: Advanced Techniques and Concepts from the Renaissance to the Present

Virgil Elliott's book Traditional Oil Painting: Advanced Techniques and Concepts from the Renaissance to the Present is a thoroughly researched work containing vast amounts of information and excellent advice.  It is written by an obsessed representational painter for the obsessed representational painter.  Elliot provides interesting discussions of the history of materials and techniques.  Techniques discussed include the Flemish technique, the Venetian technique, and the direct painting method.  The author also devotes a section to the techniques of Rembrandt, and William Adolph Bouguereau, though I must say I found Bouguereau's application of paint to be very counter-intuitive.  The author provides in depth writing on the importance of drawing, selective focus, color, the failures of photography, and an extremely in depth discussion of geometric perspective.  Points discussed in writing are reinforced through examples found in works of masters including John Singer Sargent, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Fredrick Church, Pieter Claesz, Rubens and many, many more.  I especially enjoyed the sections on drawing, direct painting, and portraiture.  Easily the best $22 I've ever spent.  This book is a must have for any serious student of traditional painting.