Painting Still Lifes: Step by Step

Now decorative painters can learn to paint still life objects that look so real you can reach out and touch them! Mary McLean makes it easy with this complete, yet basic, course in the techniques of painting realistic trompe l'oeil still lifes, florals and fruit. McLean, acknowledged by decorative painters as a master of realistic painting, takes a unique approach to this painting style, basecoating in acrylics, then highlighting and shading in oils to create rounded, three-dimensional forms with subtle value changes. The results are dramatically realistic! Chapters and projects are arranged in skill-building order, enabling readers to learn and practice new skills while they are having fun painting. Subject matter includes old-time crockery, glass jelly jars, colorful enameled tinware, tulips, daffodils, roses, shiny red apples and more, on a variety of different surfaces.

This volume presents a complete course in painting realistic still lifes, florals and fruit. The author's technique involves basecoating in acrylics, then highlighting and shading in oils. Ten projects include painting textures such as glass, enameled tinware, flowers, fabric and wood.