The Art Forger's Handbook

Who better to write about the techniques of the Old Masters and how to reproduce them than a successful art forger? The English artist Eric Hebborn had many drawings authenticated by experts as being by artists such as Breughel and Corot when they were in fact modern versions! Reading his Art Forger's Handbook is like taking a masterclass in the art of creating Old Masters, covering everything from obtaining old materials to what modern-day supplies can be used.

Even if you've no intention of ever trying to pass off a painting of yours as an Old Master's, or even to copy an Old Master painting, you should read The Art Forger's Handbook for its technical information. Not only will you learn a lot about art materials that will help you when you're painting, but it'll also increase your art history knowledge and your appreciation for paintings when you're in a gallery.

The book is packed with useful information, such as the pigments used by particular artists, where to find suitable old paper and how to age paper, recipes for preparing art materials and painting panels, how to stretch a canvas so it looks old, the list goes on and on. There are also charts listing the dates when particular drawing and painting materials were introduced (after all, you can't have an Old Master using something in a painting that wasn't available in their time!).

There are three sections: Old Master Drawings and Old Master Paintings look at the techniques and materials in drawing and painting. The third section, Marketing, looks at how the author managed to get his fakes authenticated, and the difference between making a fake (not illegal in the UK) and trying to pass a fake off as an original (definitely illegal).

The book is written in an easily accessible style, with a sense of humour, which means you'll sit down and read it like a novel rather than a textbook. Read it with a pencil in hand to make notes, like you would in any other masterclass.

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