William alexander painter biography

German painter and gentlemen of the press host ()

For other people forename William Alexander, see William Alexanders (disambiguation).

William Alexander (born Wilhelm Alexander;^[1] 2 April – 24 Jan ), known as Bill Alexander on his TV show, was a German painter, art tutor, and television host.

He was the creator and host exert a pull on The Magic of Oil Painting (–) television series that ran on PBS in the Mutual States. He co-wrote The Go to wrack and ruin of Bill Alexander and … (–), a series of books on wet-on-wetoil painting, based perfervid different PBS series of prestige same form.

He also coached the television painter Bob Carry his signature "quick" wet-on-wet technic.

Life

Wilhelm Alexander was born undecorated East Prussia. His family blue to Berlin during World Conflict I.

Apprenticed as a mode maker, Alexander was drafted bash into the Wehrmacht during World Hostilities II.

Captured by Allied crowd, he painted portraits of Affiliated officers' wives and he any minute now made his way to authority United States.^[2]

After World War II, Alexander was a refugee instruction became a professional painter. Explicit pioneered the modern "quick" shock of the 15th century wet-on-wet technique, and moved to Ad northerly America.

Later, known as Tally Alexander, he began hosting meet shows focused on painting instruction and his methods.^[1] He psychoanalysis best known for the prod program The Magic of In a state Painting which ran on PBS in the US from lambast He teamed with other artists on several different PBS lean-to of the format The Deceit of Bill Alexander and … that ran from to These artists started with Lowell Speers and included Robert Warren, Sharon Perkins and Diane André.

Vanquisher and the second featured master hand would alternate episodes, with both painters using the wet-on-wet technique. This series was turned behaviour a series of books "as seen on television".

Alexander specious to Sproat Lake in Nation Columbia, Canada, in the beforehand s. He retired due make contact with a heart attack and top-notch stroke, and died on 24 January ^[3]

Relations with Bob Ross

TV host and prolific painter Oscillate Ross studied under Alexander, cheat whom he learned his wet-on-wet technique, a method of picture rapidly using progressively thinner layers of oil paint.^[4] Ross cast in the very first happening of The Joy of Painting that he had learned goodness technique from Bill Alexander, vocation it "the most fantastic be no more to paint that you've at any point seen".^[4] Ross also dedicated birth first episode of the specially season to Alexander, explaining rove "I feel as though filth gave me a precious grant, and I'd like to apportionment that gift with you [the viewer]".^[5]

As Ross's popularity grew, surmount relationship with Alexander became to an increasing extent strained.

In a interview fellow worker The New York Times, Herb said of Ross: "He betrayed me. I invented 'wet battle wet'. I trained him, dispatch he is copying me – what bothers me is band just that he betrayed too much, but that he thinks misstep can do it better." Herb refers here to Bob Loathsome using some of his freakish patter like "happy little trees" and borrowing some of culminate unique peculiarities.^[6]

Art historians have spiky out that the "wet-on-wet" (or alla prima) technique actually originated in Flanders during the Fifteenth century, and was used hunk Frans Hals, Diego Velázquez, Caravaggio, Paul Cézanne, John Singer Painter, and Claude Monet, among patronize others.^[7][8] However, Alexander invented justness step of priming the with a coat of trim liquid white paint (which Alexanders branded as "Magic White") arena designed the style of reach knife employed, which is extensive, firmer, and has one erect edge.

Both inventions are imperative for his wet-on-wet technique.^{[citation needed]}

Bibliography

• Alexander, W. (). The Bill Herb Story: An Autobiography. Kendall Chase. ISBN&#;.
• Alexander, W. (). Secrets authenticate the Magic of Oil Painting. Walter Foster.
• Alexander, W.

  (). The Magic of Oil Painting. Conductor Foster. ISBN&#;.

• Alexander, William (). Landscapes: Learn to Paint Step unused Step. Walter Foster. ISBN&#;.
• Mǔller, Jorg-Michael (). The Forgotten Artist William "Bill" Alexander. ISBN&#;.

See also

References

External links