Oil Painting for the Serious Beginner

I had been thinking about taking some formal painting lessons lately. To warm up, I checked out a few painting books from the local library. They seemed well-written but could not hold my interest for long as they seem to cover a vast topic in just one book, an attempt that leaves many key issued unattended. Such as covering all media reflects author's wide knowledge-base but was of little practical use for me as I am seeking help in getting the fundamentals of oil painting in terms of the role of value and composition. I am a beginner who seem to have a grasp on drawing the correct proportions effortlessly. So, I read and returned a few without having much impact until I found this one by Steve Allrich.

It has pretty much everything I was looking for. And I am not even finished with the first chapter! I am sure this book would be an excellent resource for all my art-questions.

Here is his blog.

And here is the Artist's Statement from his blog.