Frederick Palmer, Encyclopaedia of Oil Painting Materials and Techniques, Batsford, 1984
God knows how many ‘How To’ books there are on the market. In relation to the visual arts, I’ve no doubt that there are thousands. Trying to find good ones, especially ones that are good for reference, is difficult. You might mutter to yourself that yours truly is only an art critic, so what does he know about the practicalities? Perfectly reasonable comment.
My first response would be that, when I was very young, I tried to be a painter but soon realised that I was never going to be anything other than ordinary. One learns the hard way. My second response would be that I have spent a lifetime going in and out of artists’ studios, observing them work, and observing what they read or look at. The third would be that I have looked at a great many ‘How To’ books over the years, so I know what is useful.
A major problem with many manuals, especially those written by artists, is that often the artist has no idea how to teach. So when you find a professional painter who is also a printmaker and set designer, and who also has considerable experience as a teacher and educator, you can be reasonably sure, as in this case, that you are looking at a good book.
(l-r) Cover of 'Encyclopaedia of Oil Painting';
In the first section entitled Equipment and Materials, Palmer not only deals with all the main pieces of equipment that you would need, be it easels, palettes, supports or brushes, but he also discusses everything from the cleaning of your brushes, the stretching of canvases and the drying times of oils and varnishes. You will find detailed information on pigments, and on all aspects of colour (warm and cool, complementary, local etc.).
In the second section on techniques, he deals with glazes, underpainting, impasto, scumbling and encaustic on the one hand, as well as ‘wet into wet,’ spraying, stencilling, photography, and collage, amongst others. A nice touch is the discussion of various artists’ techniques (Van Eyck, Rembrandt, Rubens, The Impressionists) as well as clear information on everything from the Golden Section, Linear and Aerial perspective, scale, squaring up, multiple viewpoints, and even projection systems.
If you want an accessible primer, this should work for you. It is straightforwardly written, is packed with illustrations, and has a general index as well as an index of artists. Worth a look.
Brian McAvera, November 2025
A copy of ‘Encyclopaedia of Oil Painting’ is available in the NI Visual Art Research Library & Archive at the Golden Thread Gallery. NIVARLA items in the rare and special collection will be available to view by appointment. We will share more information on how to access and use NIVARLA soon!
The Northern Ireland Visual Art Research Library & Archive is supported by the Ampersand Foundation, with many books and archive items donated and on loan from the McAvera & Walker Library.
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