Mastery of Alla Prima Painting

by Frederic Taubes

Book Overview

Hardcover: no underlining, no scuffs, no bumped corners, Excellent copy . This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0891340297
• ISBN13: 9780891340294
• Release Date: January 1980
• Publisher: F & W Media Inc
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 1.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.7" x 11.4"

Customer Reviews

The Mastery of Alla Prima Painting

Here is a complete account of the painting method that originated in Flanders in the 15th century. The detailed instructions allow the contemporary artist to express himself along the prerogatives of our times, while employing traditional technical means. The historic term alla prima refers to painting on an imprimatura without preliminary underpainting, while aiming from the start at achieving the final effects. This implies the work has to be finished while the initially applied colors are still wet. The technique is easily adapted to simlifications and spontaneous rendition of nearly all subject matter. Bosch, Brueghel and later Rubens were among the first who initiated the method, and they all worked on panels. The 17th and 18th century work in alla prima was usually done on canvas. Here, instead of the imprimatura a tone ground was used which, applied on top of the white priming, minimized the rough texture of the canvas, allowing the alla prima operation to proceed unimpeded. Every artist from amateur to professional will benefit from knowing the details and procedures of this classic method of painting. --- from book's dustjacket