Problem Solving for Oil Painters

Finally - a book to help you solve all your painting problems!
Inside you'll learn how to study a painting and correct problematic areas. Study topics include: Ideas - Is there a good abstract idea underlying the picture? - What details could be eliminated to strengthen the composition? - Does the painting have a focus? - Are the unessential parts subbordinated? - Does the painting read ? - Could you finish any part of the painting?
Shapes - Are the dominant shapes as strong and simple as possible? - Are the shapes too similiar?
Value - Could the value range be increased? - Could the number of values be reduced?
Light - Is the subject effectively lit? - Is the light area big enough? - Would the light look stronger with a suggestion of burnout? - Do the lights have a continuous flow? - Is the light gradiated?
Shadows - Do the shadow shapes describe the form? - Are the shadows warm enough?
Depth - Would the addition of foreground material deepen the space? - Does the background recede far enough? - Are the halftones properly related to the background?
Solidity - Is the underlying form being communicated? - Is the symmetry in perspective?
Color - Is there a color strategy? - Could a purer color be used? - Do the whites have enough color in them? - Are the colors overbended on the canvas? - would the color look brighter if it were saturated into its adjacent area?
Paint - Is your palette efficiently organized? - Is the painting surface too absorbent? - Are you using the palette knife as much as you could? - Are you painting lines when you should be painting masses? - Are the edges dynamic enough? - Is there enough variation in the texture of the paint?