50 Ways to Break the Rules in Oils : Practical Techniques to Unlock Your Creativity

Stop following the rules and start writing your own.

Packed with 50 rule-breaking practical hacks and painting techniques to unlock your creativity, this is the maverick’s guide to creating truly innovative art.

‘Don’t use black.’
 ‘You mustn’t lead the eye out of the painting.’
 ‘Never put your subject slap-bang in the middle!’

Maybe you’ve heard one, two or all of these ‘golden rules’… But why? As Picasso put it, you should: ‘learn the rules like a pro so that you can break them like an artist.’ 

• Paint outside the box: 50 fun, rule-breaking exercises, each with an inspiring finished painting, practical techniques and handy tips.
• Lose the fear of getting it wrong: Learn to reconnect with your creativity, develop an eye for innovation, and never feel afraid of a blank canvas again.
• Perfect for artists of all abilities: Discover inspiration for your next project – dip in and out if you find a rule you want to challenge, or work through them in order.
• Reinvigorate your painting practice: the practical exercises are worked in oils, but the principles apply across different artistic mediums. 

This book, from best-selling and award-winning author Haidee-Jo Summers, is the perfect gift for artists of all abilities. It contains 50 fresh, lively ideas for challenging conventional artistic wisdom – showing that you can create something really, really right, even when you do everything wrong!

Haidee-Jo Summers is an award-winning artist whose work has appeared in exhibitions worldwide. Oils are her preferred medium, though she has taught in many different media, on subjects ranging from gardens to portraits. Hooked on painting and exploring, Haidee-Jo paints anywhere, no matter how busy or crowded the setting, how complex the scene or how difficult the weather.

Since graduating in 1994, Haidee-Jo has received many awards for her work and been elected to membership of the prestigious Royal Institute of Oil Painters and Royal Society of Marine Artists. Her work, which features fresh and vibrant brushwork coupled with keen drawing and observational skills, has an international following. She is an editorial consultant for The Artist magazine and has published two bestselling books on oil painting, Vibrant Oils and Plein Air Painting in Oils, in 2017 and 2022 respectively.
www.haideejo.com