The Bible of Art & Painting
One free online book for painters: the great movements from the Renaissance to abstraction, real anatomy for artists, every major genre and medium — illustrated with zoomable public-domain masterpieces, plus step-by-step lessons, games and studio tools.
◎ notesThe Book
Three parts, 31 chapters. Tap a part to start reading.
Part I · Art movements
Renaissance to abstraction: context, artists, techniques and how to paint in each style.
Part II · Anatomy
Skeleton, muscles, head, torso, hands, feet and movement, with diagrams and historic plates.
Part III · Craft and media
Colour, value, perspective, drawing media, oil, watercolour, acrylic, tempera, portrait, landscape, still life.
Learning tracks
Five tracks, 25 lessons. Each lesson has numbered steps, common mistakes and a practice exercise.
Sketching basics
Line, shape, value, shading and perspective — the foundation every other skill sits on.
5 lessons
Anatomy
Proportions, the head and face, hands and the gesture of the whole figure.
4 lessons
Colour
The colour wheel, value, temperature, matching and mixing — with practical paint recipes.
5 lessons
Painting techniques
Watercolour, acrylic, oil, gouache and digital — materials, methods and safe practice.
5 lessons
Genres
Portrait, landscape, cartoon and manga, classical and realism, still life and abstract.
6 lessons