A lively instructional guide to painting still-life food subjects, packed with tips, tricks and step-by-step demonstrations.

Food is something that artists have always painted, but the subject is reaching a peak of popularity, with a special ‘EAT’ section included in a recent Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Show. And it’s an easily accessible subject for any painter: all you need to do is set up a satisfying composition of your favourite foods on your table and start painting!

Renowned oil painter Lotta Teale, who considers food as one of her favourite subjects, takes you through everything you need to know, in the following chapters:

• Background: the history and philosophy of food painting

• Set-up: practical considerations for choosing food and gathering equipment and media

• Composition: how to arrange food pleasingly for painting

• Light: capturing the effects of light in your work

• The Painting Process: how to best represent the subject in paint

• Subjects: a deep dive into painting specific foods and tableware, including fruit, vegetables, bread, glass, ceramics and even food in plastic packets.

From lusciously ripe peaches on a sunlit table to cocktails laid out in the evening, from a delicate bunch of garlic bulbs to a jar of jam and a tempting croissant, the paintings in this book showcase the very best of food painting and make it the perfect companion for any artist who wants to learn how to paint food beautifully. As Lotta says: ‘Painting food is a pleasure. It affords the opportunity to look, in minute detail, at something you love, and most likely want to devour. If you love the subject, you’ll dedicate yourself to looking at it carefully, to putting the time into making it perfect.’