ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Henry Gasser, N.A. studied at the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art, the Grand Central School of Art and the Art Students' League.

His paintings have been exhibited throughout the United States and abroad, winning a number of important awards. He is represented in over twenty-six museum collections including the Boston, Philadelphia and New­ark museums.

Mr. Gasser has lectured and demonstrated painting tech­niques for art groups and schools throughout the coun­try. From 1946-1954 he was Director of the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art.

INTRODUCTION - "Do it yourself!" Every day new thousands of Amer­icans, men and women alike, are discovering the fun, the deep and lasting satisfaction they can derive from making things themselves, with their own hands.

This book is addressed to the aristocrat of all "do-it-yourselfers"—to you, the beginning artist. Whatever your goal in art—whether you hope to become another Rem­brandt, a top-flight commercial artist, or just a happy amateur—How to Draw and Paint should help smooth the way for you.

01. OIL PAINTING - Oil painting is the ideal medium for the novice. It is an excellent way to study, because changes and corrections are easily made. Unwanted passages of color can be scraped off the canvas any number of times without injury to the surface. One color can be painted over another, drawing and proportions can be corrected, and all the nuances of light and shadow can be studied experimentally. The painting can be put aside at any time, to be picked up and continued at a later date.

02. DRAWING - Drawing has been likened to writing in that it is neces­sary for the student to master it in order to convey his ideas.

There is no doubt that the student who draws well is free to concentrate on the problem of paint and color, and that poor drawing is a constant stumbling block at every stage of painting. We all hear of artists who, although mediocre draftsmen, are able to hide their lack of that abil­ity with beautiful color, but unfortunately, few of us are gifted with such an eye for color!

03. STILL-LIFE PAINTING - Still-life painting is a complete and fascinating subject in itself, but it is also an excellent exercise for the inexpe­rienced student preparatory to painting outdoors.

Many of the problems that arise when painting land­scapes can be solved by still-life practice. Along with im­proving your knowledge of drawing, you learn the mixing and handling of your paint and brushes. Every type of texture can be studied by a careful selection of the objects to be painted. Silk, with its hard, shining lights, and the heavy, dull, absorbent quality of velvet can be observed as they form the draped background of your subject.

04. PAINTING OUTDOORS - Make certain that all the colors you will need are in your paint box. There is nothing worse than finally find­ing an ideal subject after a long trip and discovering that the white paint is missing! Check your brushes, too, and make sure you have enough paint rags.

Paint boxes are designed to carry two to three panels. Carry at least one extra panel even though you intend to limit yourself to a single painting. If you get off to a poor start it is better to discard the canvas for the moment, since reworking into a wet canvas generally produces muddy color.

05. WATERCOLOR - Although water-color painting is many centuries old, its application as we know it today is fairly recent. Used in the past by the Egyptians on papyrus and by the Chinese on silk, it gradually evolved to become an important me­dium on paper. Its original use on paper was to elaborate upon line drawings with monochromatic washes. Color followed, with the line still used for drawing and modeling of form.

06. TECH INFO - If you purchase expensive sable brushes for future use, put them in a tightly closed box or envelope, but not be­fore you place a few moth balls or some similar repellent in the container. Moths love sable.

At one time it was considered both fashionable and good protection to use glass when framing an oil painting, but it is seldom done today. If you should have occasion to use glass, make certain that it does not touch the surface of the painting.

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