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Summary: Lost of Pretty Pictures, but...
Review: ...very few helpful tips. Griffel's paintings are good, and so are the works of the other painters she has chosen. That's what this book is about, the works by griffel et al; do not expect much instruction.
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Summary: Griffel Makes Colors "Sing"!
Review: A friend suggested I purchase "Painting the Impressionist Landscape, etc." by Lois Griffel, when I was having difficulty with painting values. Griffel had the answer, as she describes how to make colors "sing". My paintings are coming "alive" and I am sincerely appreciative for this guide. It has been a valuable aid, as well helping me enjoy painting in the imprssionistic style. Thank you. Pat Hrivnak
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Summary: Griffel Makes Colors "Sing"!
Review: A friend suggested I purchase "Painting the Impressionist Landscape, etc." by Lois Griffel, when I was having difficulty with painting values. Griffel had the answer, as she describes how to make colors "sing". My paintings are coming "alive" and I am sincerely appreciative for this guide. It has been a valuable aid, as well helping me enjoy painting in the imprssionistic style. Thank you. Pat Hrivnak
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Summary: Seeing the Light
Review: Any painter who wishes to see the light through the eyes of the impressionist masters will most certainly want to purchase this outstanding book. Written by Lois Griffel, Director of the Cape Cod School of Art, founded by Charles Hawthorne and continued by his disciple, Henry Hensche, PAINTING THE IMPRESSIONIST LANDSCAPE will gratify both the beginner and the advanced student. In her book, Lois Griffel, herself a master teacher, provides a theoretical framework for simple, practical exercises designed to develop in the student an understanding of how light affects the world of color around him. Of special interest are the block studies from where the artist begins his journey, first observing the effects of light on simple rectangular forms on sunny and cloudy days; then on to the rounded half tones of still life; on to the nuances of the portrait; and, finally, to painting out of doors where the artist is gradually empowered to see and understand the dazzling effects of light on the landscape. PAINTING THE IMPRESSIONIST LANDSCAPE is an outstanding book, profusely illustrated with Lois Griffel's own beautiful work as well as the work of other fine painters of this school. I treasure this book and am grateful to Lois Griffel for having written it. Bernice Ruth Winston
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Summary: Closer to Seeing the Light
Review: Artists are always striving to increase their understanding of light and the way it affects color.In her book, Lois Griffel presents straightforward and concise ways to do this. Following her directions for painting studies of colored blocks in different lighting conditions, I learned more about seeing color than I ever possibly could have on my own. Seeing the way she and others who studied with Henry Hensche at the Cape Cod School of Art bring their work to brilliant life helps me to see more and more of the light possibilities in my own work.As I go outdoors to paint the landscape now, I think back to my studies from this book, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to absorb these teachings. Thank you, Ms. Griffel!!!!!!
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Summary: Great instruction for the impressionistic painter
Review: Griffel's book has opened up a new world of painting for me. Returning from a trip to Paris I was inspired by the works of the great French impressionists and wanted to learn the basics of their style of painting. This book is a two part course in painting - the first section covers basic color theory and the second walks you through step-by-step excersises to learn to apply the techniques. My landscapes have taken on a whole new look and I'm looking forward to a workshop with Griffel in the coming year.
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Summary: Best Educational Book
Review: I am always looking for oil painting books that will help to develop my skill level. I have been so disappointed in the past. This book is extraordinary. The author gets down to complete basics to really teach someone the fundamentals of painting in the Impressionist style. There are a series of exercises in the book where you learn to paint simple colored blocks. The rationale for this process is that you need to start with very simple shapes and master the color on those before you move to complex landscapes and such. The exercises seem a bit tedious, but I followed along with the book, and was amazed at how much I learned. The book gets very nitty gritty in its instruction....down to the level of what exact colors were used and why. And it really works. I have a whole library of art books, and I can easily say that this is my most educational book of all. I have learned more from this book then all of the others combined. Too often artists write books strictly for the money and fame, but they really don't want to tell you their methods. This woman is a true teacher. She is quite unafraid to share everything that she knows. I would love to meet her and tell her what a great influence she has been for me.
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Summary: Very good book but lots of room for improvements
Review: I both loved this book and hated it. It could have been a 5 star book, but unfortunately it's not. The biggest drawback for me is the "step-by-step" instructions are very vague. If you're a beginner like me, you'll find them very difficult. There are not enough photos of the step-by-step exercises, sometimes there will be one photo for 10 steps and it's hard to see exactly what happened. The book is full of oil paintings, mostly from the author. There's almost one on every page. Why couldn't she leave out a few of her paintings and put in more pictures for her examples?? The book seemed just as much of an exposition of her work as a book on learning impressionist techniques. Having more pictures of the exercises would have made them so much easier. Her instructions are very vague, for example in between layers she doesn't say if you should let the painting dry or not. I've discussed this with people who have used her book and some tell me let it dry and some tell me not to let it dry, so obviously it wasn't clear for them either. Why couldn't she just be more precise? Sometimes she'll say "cool the violet with its complement", well what is the complement of voilet? Sometimes she'll say "I look at the white block and see a bit of pink." Well I look at it and I see white! I think this book would be OK for an advanced artist who's experienced with mixing colors and color theory, but for a beginner it's tough. She does have videos that cover the material form the book, but unfortunately they cost $200. Finally, be sure you like her paintings (search Google to find some). Some of them I really like but the majority I don't particularly care for. One in particular was a house with snow on it. She painted it with the snow being yellow because it was in the sun. Most of her paintings are very heavy on reds. They just seem unbalanced to me. Some of them are downright unrecognizable. Overall if you are an advanced painter and want to create paintings like hers, this book is a good place to start. But it might not get you all the way there. If you are a beginner, I suggest some other books first.
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Summary: Best Of The Best
Review: I feel so very fortunate that I happened upon this wonderful book by Lois Griffel! I am an experienced artist, but new to oil painting, and this one book has taught me more than all of the art classes, workshops, and books ever could. And the lessons in this book apply to any medium you wish to use. If you want to achieve clean, clear, bright, impressionistic paintings, this is the book for you. It is a delight to read, with very direct, step-by-step instructions, and lots of examples. An added bonus is viewing so many of Ms. Griffel's fantastic paintings! I would give this one ten stars if I could!
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Summary: If you want to learn impressionism, this is the book for you
Review: I have always wanted to loosen up my oil painting style and follow the impressionists' techniques, but didn't know how. This book was invaluable to me. Because of it, I now have a much better approach to color, light and shadows, and plein air painting. If you follow her suggestions, you can actually make your colors vibrate. With Monet as my favorite artist, this is just what I wanted to learn. Now when I am outdoors, I see colors I never before discerned. I have this book and its author to thank for that.
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