100 Best Acrylic Painting Books of All Time
We've ranked the best acrylic painting books using expert recommendations, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. At Shortform, we know books. Our book guides are the best in the world. Learn why.
2Rock Art Handbook: Techniques and Projects for Painting, Coloring, and Transforming Stones
Sea & Sky in Acrylics: Techniques & Inspiration
4Daily Painting: Paint Small and Often To Become a More Creative, Productive, and Successful Artist
Too many artists find themselves in a frustrating rut: unable to sell paintings hanging in galleries, bogged down by projects they can't finish "or "abandon, and using any excuse to avoid working in the studio. Author Carol Marine was herself suffering from painter's block--until she discovered "daily painting." The idea is simple: do art (usually small) often (how often is up to the individual) and, if you desire, post it and sell it online. Today Marine is among the best and most celebrated daily painters, and the curator of the popular online gallery dailypaintworks.com. In her debut, "Daily Painting," Marine reveals the tips and tricks that helped her and other daily painters pick up the paintbrush and start creating beautiful, bountiful, marketable work.
5Acrylic Revolution: New Tricks and Techniques for Working with the World's Most Versatile Medium
* The first book to address the most popular applications of acrylics and the accompanying mediums
* With 101 tricks and techniques there is literally something for everyone-from artists, to crafters, to weekend enthusiasts, to students of all levels
* Features a contemporary design that reflects the applications and current trends surrounding the medium
Acrylic Revolution will show readers everything they need to know to be successful in their acrylic painting projects. With over 101 of the most popular, interesting, and indispensable tricks for working with acrylic-each with its own step-by-step demonstration-there is literally page after page of acrylic instruction and inspiration for readers to discover. A gallery of finished art at the back of the book will show readers how to combine different tricks to use in their artwork offering them real-life applications for acrylic techniques.
Learn to Paint in Acrylics with 50 Small Paintings: Pick up the skills * Put on the paint * Hang up your art
This unique book is a complete course in acrylic painting, built up from key techniques. As you progress through the sections of the book, the author demonstrates each technique with the creation of a mini painting, measuring 5-inches squared. So by the time you have worked right through to the end, you will have an amazing collection of 50 mini paintings—on board, paper, or canvas—that will be a testament to your skill and creativity.
The subject matter for these squares varies from abstracts and simple color-mixing exercises, through to figurative subjects: a flower, a sunset, a busy street scene—and many more. These can be mounted, exhibited, or simply collected in a portfolio, or given away as gifts for friends to cherish.
If you are coming to acrylics for the first time, or keen to improve your skills and sometimes daunted by the thought of filling a large empty canvas or blank piece of board, this is your ideal guide. Instead, it will free you from creative hang-ups and replace them with an addictive desire to create that next 5-inch square!
7Acrylics for the Absolute Beginner
8The Art of Stone Painting: 30 Designs to Spark Your Creativity
"A fantastic book!" — The Classy Chics
"This is a gorgeous book and I found so much inspiration reading through it." — The Gingerbread House
Transform ordinary stones into colorful works of art with this easy-to-follow guide. Popular stone artist F. Sehnaz Bac, a seasoned archaeologist who markets her painted Sassi dell’Adriatico (Stones of the Adriatic) on Etsy, presents step-by-step instructions for creating 30 fantastic designs. Full-color photographs accompany directions for painting themes that range from trees, flowers, and animals to mandalas, geometric patterns, holiday motifs, and more.
Starting with the basics — including finding and choosing stones as well as tools and materials — the guide offers a variety of techniques, including painting stones with colors or inks, painting on natural stone, and sealing the finished work. Projects range from simple to advanced and include suggestions for indoor and outdoor display, as well as instructions on how to style wearable objects such as pendants. A complete selection of templates provides motifs for every project as well as ample inspiration for developing your own designs.
"The instructions are clear and engaging, while the photos are lovely and inspiring. Rock painting has become a really fun family activity for us all." — Sharing Craft Ideas
"This is brilliant, fun, and truly inspirational! Highly recommend it." — splashesintobooks
How to Paint Fast, Loose and Bold: Simple Techniques for Expressive Painting
Exciting
Powerful
A new level of artistic expression!
Every artist strives to achieve the kind of painting that commands attention from across the room and delights the eye up close. In this book, artist and workshop teacher Patti Mollica walks you through surprisingly simple and efficient strategies for achieving that kind of powerful composition, whatever your subject.
Complete with timed exercises and start-to-finish painting demonstrations, this book is for any artist who feels overwhelmed by where to start or daunted by the urge to paint everything in sight. Patti Mollica's mindful approach will lead you to better, bolder results, as well as greater confidence and joy in the process. So load your palette with ample paint, grab some fat brushes and get ready to paint fast, paint loose, paint bold.
Start with a strong, simple value statement
Get expressive with color
Be brave with your brushwork
5 technique exercises
5 start-to-finish painting demonstrations
Paint fearlessly!
10The Acrylic Flower Painter's A-Z: An Illustrated Directory of Techniques for Painting 40 Popular Flowers
11Drawing and Painting Beautiful Faces: A Mixed-Media Portrait Workshop
Author Jane Davenport is a beloved artist and international workshop instructor known by her thousands of students and fans for her over-the-top, enthusiastic, happy, and encouraging style. In Drawing and Painting Beautiful Faces, Davenport guides you, step by step, through the foundations of drawing a face, developing successful features, creating skin tones, playing with bright colors, shading, highlighting, and much more as you learn to create amazing mixed-media portraits.
With this elegantly designed guidebook, you will quickly master a variety of techniques in a variety ofmediums, including:
Pencil
Marker
Pen
Watercolor
Acrylic paint
Ink
Pastel
Ephemera
Drawing and Painting Beautiful Faces will have you dancing your way through the exercises. In no time at all, you will have a selection of beautifully faced portraits ready to view, display, or even sell to a fashion designer.
12Wildlife Scenes in Acrylic
Bring landscapes to life with popular workshop instructor, best-selling author and television personality Jerry Yarnell! Jerry has made painting a pleasure--and a success--for thousands of artists, both beginner and experienced alike. In this book, he delivers eight new, fun-to-create wildlife scenes in his signature teaching style. Following Yarnell's clear and friendly instructions, readers will learn how to pant a variety of animals, landscapes and seasons--from horses in a spring pasture, to tropical ocean sunsets, to winter birds nestled amid snow-laden pines.
These heartfelt paintings capture not only nature's awesome beauty, but also a feeling of peace and well-being. Yarnell helps readers channel that same sense of ease by guiding them confidently every step and stroke of the way. These are the kinds of paintings--and the kind of teacher--that will keep artists smiling from start to finish.
- 8 easy-to-follow, start-to-finish painting projects
- Instructions for painting rivers, waterfalls, trees, deserts, flowers, nightscapes and more
- How to bring scenes to life with elk, rabbits, owls and other animal subjects
- Expert tips, tricks and tools for better results and more enjoyable painting
13Painting Portraits in Acrylic: A practical guide to contemporary portraiture
14Acrylic Solutions: Exploring Mixed Media Layer by Layer
Acrylic Solutions provides the "hows" behind a multitude of effects you've admired in other artists' works--and then some! Based on the popular online teaching collaboration of Chris Cozen and Julie Prichard, this book illustrates a wealth of layering methods and techniques. Mix and match to achieve countless variations, building layer upon layer to create unique and wonderfully complex abstract art.
- Learn more than 30 step-by-step techniques for developing texture and visual interest, including collage, monoprinting, carving, color blocking, paint skins, raised stencils, glazing and so much more.
- Chapters explore the phases of a multi-layered painting, from surface preparation through adding structure, developing complexity and adding finishing touches.
- Follow the development of two paintings as each layer adds to the finished result, with tons of additional artwork throughout.
- Gain insight on how to make paints, mediums and grounds work for you.
Embracing a spirit of freedom and spontaneity, Acrylic Solutions is a stimulating guide for contemporary artists of any skill level. Beginners will learn how to make visually compelling paintings from start to finish, while more experienced artists will find the tools and inspiration to take their work to the next level.
Country Scenes in Acrylic
- Tips on choosing supplies and setting up your painting studio
- Techniques for painting the sky, rivers, meadows, flowers, cottages, barns and many other elements of country landscapes
- Easy-to-follow step-by-step instruction walks you through 8 complete painting demonstrations
16The New Acrylics
Traditional technique based books on acrylics cover traditional methods of painting. However, The New Acrylics is geared toward more nonconventional ways in which to manipulate modern-day acrylics, and demonstrates new applications such as glazing, textured effects, soft sculpture effects, or staining, thus reinventing the old way of handling acrylics, and revealing a fabulous new artistic medium.
The underlying theme of this dazzling and sophisticated book is to encourage artists to interpret and handle acrylic paints in a vibrant, fresh, and above all, individualistic style.
17The Paint Pouring Workshop: Learn to Create Dazzling Abstract Art with Acrylic Pouring
Paint pouring—which involves using a free-flowing acrylic paint mixture created with a pouring medium, such as glue and water—is the hottest trend for making abstract art. In this fun, colorful guide, Marcy Ferro explains everything about working in this popular form. Learn how to create eye-catching color combos, set up a dedicated (or a paint-proof) workspace, control your pours, and much more. Along with the essentials, Ferro demonstrates a wide range of techniques, from familiar favorites such as the dirty pour and flip cup to novel ways of manipulating paint with a hair dryer or string. With Marcy’s guidance, mesmerizing paintings are just a pour away!
1,500 Color Mixing Recipes for Oil, Acrylic & Watercolor: Achieve precise color when painting landscapes, portraits, still lifes, and more
This collection of Walter Foster's bestselling Color Mixing Recipes books, including Color Mixing Recipes for Oil and Acrylic, Color Mixing Recipes for Portraits, Color Mixing Recipes for Watercolor, and the most recent addition, Color Mixing Recipes for Landscapes.
This incredible collection comes in a user-friendly concealed spiral-bound format that is tabbed for quick and easy reference. Aspiring artists will also find two removable color mixing grids--one for oil or acrylic, and one for watercolor.
19Acrylic Painting Step-By-Step: 22 Easy Modern Designs
20Finger Painting Weekend Workshop: A Beginner's Guide to Creating Brush-Free Works of Art
Leave your brushes behind! Iris Scott's revolutionary finger-painting courses are designed for everyone, especially beginners. Watch your paintings flourish with life when you follow Iris's simple techniques that let the paint do the work. Complete with five masterpieces and clear, step-by-step instructions for recreating each one, this book makes you feel like you are sitting right in one of Iris's best-selling finger painting classes. Featuring beautiful artworks like Koi Fish, Wet Road, Clouds, Red Floral, and Lady in Leaves, you can create a mistake-free piece in a single day to hang on the wall or give as the ideal handmade gift for a loved one. Perfect for fans of adult coloring books and other forms of art relaxation, finger painting is a classic form of meditative "play" therapy. The concise instructions encourage artists to complete a painting in a single day, making finger painting an ideal project and hobby for novice artists. Take the weekend off and get your hands dirty!
Abstract Explorations in Acrylic Painting: Fun, Creative and Innovative Techniques
"If you approach your art with a playful attitude you will be more apt to keep making art, and the more art you make, the better your art will be." --pg. 10
Like a diving board for creativity, Abstract Explorations in Acrylic Painting will help you plunge joyfully into artmaking. With the belief that an attitude of playfulness is key to artistic growth, award-winning acrylic artist Jo Toye leads you on an engaging workshop-style adventure filled with innovative techniques, inventive approaches and breakthrough results.
- Work Small. Start by discovering how working on a small canvas yields big payoffs. When you don't have anything to lose but a few minutes and a little piece of paper, you'll find that you paint more fearlessly, absorb new concepts faster and enjoy yourself more.
- Step-by-Step Instruction. Learn what tools Toye finds most useful in making art, along with 17 step-by-step demonstrations showing how to use them to best effect.
- Start-to-Finish Painting Projects. At the heart of the book, 8 start-to-finish painting projects put it all together. Discover fresh takes on stenciling, sponging, making and working with gesso. Use razor blades and applicator bottles to create distinctive linework. Achieve wonderfully original patterns using resist pens, mouth atomizers and India ink. Experiment with Clear Tar Gel, pour paint with pipettes, work over top a "failed" painting...all yielding brilliantly original results.
Heavily illustrated and filled with exciting ideas you won't find anywhere else, Abstract Explorations in Acrylic Painting will inspire you to paint, experiment, play...and come away with some of your best work yet!
22Color Mixing Recipes for Portraits: More Than 500 Color Cominations for Skin, Eyes, Lips, and Hair: Featuring Oil and Acrylic - Plus a Special Section for Watercolor
Watercolour for the Absolute Beginner
24Because I Can: Fluid Acrylic Pouring & Abstract Art
25Lee Hammond's Big Book of Acrylic Painting: Fast, Easy Techniques for Painting Your Favorite Subjects
This resource is packed with the best of Lee Hammond's lessons and tips on working with acrylics, including more than 80 step-by-step exercises and demonstrations that will have you creating amazing paintings in no time flat.
Success is easy--just follow along with Lee!
With just seven to nine pigments, you can paint anything. You'll learn how to add layers and details, one stroke at a time. Along the way, Lee 's friendly encouragement and quick tips will help you work past what she calls "the awkward stage," so you can complete your paintings with confidence.
In addition to detailed information on selecting materials and mixing colors, you'll also get complete visual instruction for painting subjects of all kinds, including:
- Still Life: Get proper proportions every time, using easy graphing techniques. You'll also find demonstrations for painting the tricky parts, such as glossy textures and reflective surfaces.
- Landscapes: Lee shares proven tips for creating depth and realism in subjects ranging from forests and mountains to prairies and seascapes. She also shows how to paint realistic clouds, trees, water and more.
- Animals: This chapter provides step-by-step guidance for painting all your favorite creatures. There's even extra instruction for getting the eyes, noses, fur and feathers just right.
- People: Painting people can be especially challenging, but success is easy with basic steps and practical guidance. One feature at a time, you'll learn simple techniques for painting faces of all kinds--male or female, young or old. You'll also find in-depth guidance for creating realistic fleshtones, eye color, hair and more.
This is a complete acrylic painting course right on your bookshelf. Follow along from beginning to end or refer to this guide when you need a quick lesson. Either way, after learning from a master like Lee Hammond, you won't be a beginner for long. Get started today!
26Paint Pouring: Mastering Fluid Art
Paint Pouring is a form of abstract art that uses acrylic paints with a runny (fluid) consistency. By following the techniques outlined in this book, you will have enough knowledge to start making poured paintings of your own. As you know, nobody can guarantee your success in this field, but the methods revealed in this book will work for you if you apply them correctly. The acrylic paints react with each other when combined to make interesting and visually organic motifs. Fluid acrylics can be used on many types of substrates through various techniques such as pouring, dripping, swirling, glazing, dipping, and more to create dazzling and masterful effects.
This book provides everything you will need to become a paint pouring artist. Learn to:
Set up your paint pouring studio on a budget
Complete your supply list
Discover a variety of techniques
Properly handle and care for your art
Establish appropriate mixing ratios
Achieve correct paint density
And many other lessons crucial to the craft
This new art form is fun for all ages. Become a fluid art master today.
27The Art of Painting in Acrylic: Master Techniques for Painting Stunning Works of Art in Acrylic Step by Step
28Painting in Acrylics: The Indispensable Guide
Painting in Acrylics: The Indispensable Guide provides comprehensive guidance for painters of all experience. Realist painter Lorena Kloosterboer, known for her exceptional technical skill, starts with the basics and progresses to advanced techniques and professional practice.
The topics include:
About Acrylic Paint -- Types of acrylics, comparative advantages, how to read a paint label, using mediums and additives, gesso and varnish
Materials and Equipment -- Art supply shopping, palettes, masking, special effects tools, brushes, knives and shapers, airbrush, supports, surface preparation, the studio
The Foundation -- Color theory, mixing colors, size and dimensions, order of work, using references, transferring images, painting whites, grays and blacks
Techniques -- Underpainting, washes, wet in wet, adding salt and alcohol, blending, dry brush and scumbling, pouring, masking and stenciling, grisaille, glazing, impasto, sgraffito, spattering, sponging, stamping, decalcomania, airbrushing
Surface and Form -- Still life, wood, glass, metals, fabric, paper, flowers and leaves, portrait, skin, hair, animals, feathers, landscape, water, clouds, shrubs and trees, stone and brick
Be a Pro -- Ethical behavior, competitions/exhibits, art community, consistency, painting titles, keeping records, recording your work, framing, shipping, reproductions, social media, tuition. A navigator sidebar refers readers to related sections for more information or problem solving. Appendices include a list of recommended brands and where to buy them, a glossary of art terms, how to fix common problems, and health and safety.
Beyond its outstanding content, this book's size makes it an exceptional value. Other titles on this topic rarely exceed 200 pages, even the so-called "big" books. An affordable volume by a world-renowned, widely exhibited artist, Painting in Acrylics: The Indispensable Guide is a superb value that will provide years of expert guidance and inspiration. It is an essential choice for retailers and libraries.
29Painting Dog Portraits in Acrylics: Creating Paintings with Character and Life
This book by best-selling author and animal portrait artist Dave White is the definitive guide to painting portraits of dogs in acrylics. His passion for animals is evident throughout the book, offering basic advice for beginners and explaining more advanced techniques suitable for experienced artists who wish to capture the spirit and character of dogs in their portraits.
The book begins with detailed guidance on composition, deciding on the size of your painting, the background colour, and so on. There is also advice on using reference material, comparing painting from life with painting from photographs, and a detailed section on essential techniques. Here you will learn about creating an outline, underpainting, how to paint realistic hair and whiskers, how to get shine on a nose and a glint in an eye, and whether to show ears up or down or the tongues in or out. This section will be followed by three step-by-step projects, including a short-haired dog, a long-haired dog and a group portrait, and the book ends with a short section providing practical advice on setting up and running your own pet portrait business.
30The Ultimate Fluid Pouring & Painting Project Book: Inspiration and Techniques for using Alcohol Inks, Acrylics, Resin, and more; Create colorful paintings, resin coasters, agate slices, vases, vessels & more
Fluid pouring and painting can result in beautiful, organic, and abstract designs that can be captured on special papers, canvas and board substrates, used to make gorgeous lampshades, poured into molds or dishes to create coasters, geodes, and agate slices, and can even be formed into vases, vessels, and bowls. Join mixed-media artist and international instructor Jane Monteith, a master of the fluid artforms and creator of the stunningly beautiful and popular paintings called MOD Minis, in this wildly popular new art form.
For both novice and experienced artists, this expressive book shares detailed, comprehensive techniques for working with high flow inks and acrylic paints. The Ultimate Fluid Pouring & Painting Project Book guides you through a variety of different fluid projects, from fluid-painted collage to resin-poured paints on different substrates. You will:
Learn to use various tools and solutions to create beautiful colors and textures on paper.
Learn how to work with resin and avoid common mistakes to produce a flawless finish.
Gain an understanding of basic color theory and which color combinations go hand in hand to create elegant designs.
Become knowledgeable on what types of products to use to create various effects.
Understand how to seal and protect your work for years to come.
With these creative projects, you'll be making your own beautiful fluid artwork in no time!
31Rock Painting for Beginners: Simple Step-By-Step Techniques
32Paint Landscapes in Acrylic with Lee Hammond
33Paint Charming Seaside Scenes With Acrylics
34The Art of Painting Flowers in Oil & Acrylic: Discover simple step-by-step techniques for painting an array of flowers and plants
This comprehensive book opens with a guide to essential information on the necessary tools and materials for both sketching and painting, including pencils, paints and brushes, palettes, supports, and mediums. In addition to learning about basic drawing and painting techniques and color theory, readers will learn how to create compelling compositions, achieve depth, and render realistic textures. In The Art of Painting Flowersin Oil & Acrylic, several talented and experienced artists guide readers through easy-to-follow lessons covering a variety of floral and plant life, including tulips, dahlias, hibiscus, roses, daisies, freesia, water lilies, bird of paradise, and more. With sections devoted to both mediums, readers will learn everything they need to know to create beautiful floral works of art in oil and acrylic. Along the way, aspiring artists will discover helpful tips and tricks for mixing vibrant colors, working from photographs, working outdoors, and creating volume and dimension.
35The New Color Mixing Companion: Explore and Create Fresh and Vibrant Color Palettes with Paint, Collage, and Mixed Media--With Templates for Painting Your Own Color Patterns
Uncover new ideas and easy methods of working with color from artist and popular Instagrammer Josie Lewis (@josielewisart), who offers fun lessons that will help you understand color in new ways, opening fresh avenues for your own artwork.
This comprehensive guide begins with an introduction to color that includes the color wheel, basic color terminology, and essential supplies. Starter projects help you get comfortable with color while learning how to work with watercolor, acrylic paint, and collage. Next-level projects take your skills even further, with more innovative techniques.
The book also includes easy-to-use templates with modern geometric layouts that you can use to create your own stunning color patterns. You’ll also discover how to:
Make gorgeous rainbow effects using a variety of materials and methods.
Work and play with scraps, shapes and swatches in an array of hues that will help build your color confidence.
Create beautiful texture in watercolor and acrylic paint using simple supplies and techniques.
Mix colors to produce shades ranging from calming neutrals to blazing brights.
Use color effectively to take your imagination to new heights.
Open yourself to incredible creative possibilities with The New Color Mixing Companion!
36Jerry Yarnell's Landscape Painting Secrets
You can master landscape painting with the help of popular painter Jerry Yarnell. In Landscape Painting Secrets, Jerry explores the different areas of landscape painting that often create problems for beginning and intermediate artists. All of the major landscape elements are covered--from rocks, dirt roads and grass to still and moving water to atmospheric conditions like rainbows, falling snow, storm clouds and lightning.
Dozens of thumbnail studies break each element down step by step with clear instructions and photographs so no stroke is uncertain. These individual studies let you practice and explore new techniques without the worry of ruining a complete painting. Once you've mastered the techniques, Jerry will help you apply what you've learned in three complete landscape scenes that include detailed instructions and photographs. Grab your paints and brushes and get started today!
37I Just Want to Paint: Mixing the Colors You Want!
What if the hit-and-miss approach to mixing color, and the frustration, disappeared?
What if you could express yourself more freely with color and take your painting to the next level?
Visualize:
~ Learning the three key concepts for mixing colors
~ Understanding color theory and how it applies to mixing color
~ Eliminating the feeling of overwhelm when buying your next tube of paint
~ Learning how to mix green
~ Developing your own working palette
You will love the way you mix color...
10X8 hardcover, sewn stitched which makes it easy to lay flat while following the 10 color chart exercises.
38Color Mixing Recipes for Oil & Acrylic: Mixing recipes for more than 450 color combinations
How to Paint: A Complete Beginners Guide to Watercolor, Acrylics, and Oils
40Landscape Painting Essentials with Johannes Vloothuis: Lessons in Acrylic, Oil, Pastel and Watercolor
Painting the landscape can be fun and rewarding--if you make the right decisions as you paint. After all, it is the artist's greatest challenge to somehow capture a sense of it all--the grandness, the majesty, the splendor of nature--with just a few strokes of paint on a canvas. Popular art instructor Johannes Vloothuis makes the process a whole lot easier with the essential techniques, key concepts and expert advice he shares in this book.
- Learn straightforward strategies to make your paintings more interesting and dramatic, such as simplifying the foreground, composing with abstract shapes and harmonizing colors.
- Discover speci?c techniques for painting landscape elements including mountains, water, foliage, snow and more.
- 9 step-by-step demonstrations walk you through all the techniques necessary to create successful landscape paintings.
Landscape Painting Essentials is packed with practical information. You'll make the critical shift from painting what you see to painting as an artist sees. You'll learn to strategically edit shapes, rearrange elements and enhance color. You'll gain a better understanding of what to include in your painting, what to change and what to leave out. Most importantly, you'll gain the skills necessary to turn nature's bounty of inspiration into original, stunning landscape paintings.
41Brushstrokes: Acrylic: Effortless painting with minimal tools and materials
Designed for absolute beginners, Brushstrokes: Acrylic uses large brushstrokes and thick, creamy paint to help budding artists create bright, dynamic paintings in practically no time at all. After a quick overview of the basic tools and materials—including surfaces, brushes, and paints—and a brief introduction to choosing and mixing colors, Brushstrokes: Acrylic demonstrates how to use just a few thick brushstrokes to create works of art in a bold, effortless style. From vibrant birds and florals to charming animal portraits and still life, follow along with these step-by-step projects to create quick-and-easy masterpieces—a perfect formula for artists just getting started.
Brushstrokes: Acrylic provides a unique introduction to acrylic painting, from choosing the right brushes and paints to creating inspired works of art using easy painting techniques—no experience required.
42Colorways: Acrylic Animals: Tips, techniques, and step-by-step lessons for learning to paint whimsical artwork in vibrant acrylic
Grab your paints, canvas, and imagination because it's time to paint pointillistic pandas, tetradic llamas, vibrant flamingos, and complementary cows...and that's just the beginning! Each step-by-step project in Colorways: Acrylic Animals shows you not only how to capture an animal’s likeness, but also how touse color to create magical, other-worldly, and whimsical paintings. You'll also learn how to use acrylic paint to add texture and fanciful flourishes, like florals and collage, to your glorious animal subjects.
The Colorways series from Walter Foster teaches artists of all skill levels how to create innovative, inspired artwork that's full of color and imagination. Focusing on creating expressive pieces over realistic scenes, Colorways shows artists how to break the "rules" of color and let their imaginations and artwork soar to new heights. In the Colorways series, flamingos are green, giraffes boast multicolored spots, and raccoons feature blue undertones. For more fun books in the Colorways series, check out Watercolor Flowers and Watercolor Animals.
43Intuitive Painting Workshop: Techniques, Prompts and Inspiration for a Year of Painting
Stay inspired to create art throughout every season! In Intuitive Painting Workshop, you'll find a timely expressive exercise for each month, along with seasonal check-ins. In discovering how to paint intuitively, you will learn to surrender to your true visual voice as your personal process of making marks emerges. Using acrylic paint, ink, collage papers, stencils, watercolor, gel pens, paint markers and more, you'll be gently guided by twelve exercises, taking cues from the process, but carrying each in your own direction.
- Explore monthly exercises, each offering you a new area of growth from setting intentions, to painting wildly, to getting know your animal totems and much more.
- Receive suggestions for painting with a "beginner's mind" and a glossary of art terms will make following the step-by-step demonstrations clear and easy to understand.
- Get further ideas from a monthly gallery of contributing artists who were students of this process, just like you!
- Have a chance to assimilate your creative focus every few months with seasonal Check-In journaling prompts and ideas for reflection.
Stay inspired month-by-month and season-to-season with Intuitive Painting Workshop!
44Painting Acrylic Flowers A to Z
45Abstracts in Acrylic and Ink: A Playful Painting Workshop
46Acrylic Illuminations: Reflective and Luminous Acrylic Painting Techniques
From the author of the best-selling books Acrylic Revolution and Acrylic Innovation, this book blazes new creative territory with 50 techniques that harness the artistic power of light. Ranging from subtle glazing on metal leaf, to pearly sheens, to boldly colored optical effects and glossy surfboard finishes, these approaches represent the most requested aspects of Nancy Reyner's popular workshops.
- 50 eye-catching techniques feature metal leaf, reflective paints, pouring, fluorescent and phosphorescent paints, refractive layering and optical color effects.
- Possibilities are vividly illustrated with diverse work from 44 artists.
- A "Crash Course on Acrylic" chapter offers an overview of how to use these versatile paints and products to their fullest potential.
This hands-on guide provides clear step-by-step directions to successfully execute these new and exciting techniques. Explore matte skin construction, sheen shifting, embedding objects, patinas and polished stone effects. Use these approaches for organic, abstract or realistic styles...as backgrounds, top layers, or accents layered in between...combine, experiment, and let your paintings shine.
47No Shenanigans! Mixed Media Painting: No-nonsense tutorials from start to finish to release the artist in you!
With over 450 colour photos and explanations, combined with Mimi's fun and light hearted teaching style, you will be in safe hands, ready to get your fingers covered in paint!
If you...
- Are a beginner artist who wants clear instructions
- Feel stuck creatively and would like to try a new style
- Don't want to, or can't, buy a huge amount of art supplies
- Think that painting is hard or you are not the creative type
- Feel overwhelmed by the amount of information out there
- Want to really learn how an artist creates her paintings, with genuine tutorials - no fluffy or distracting content...
Then this book is for you!
Mimi will show you how to create six completely different paintings, all colourful and fun, from start to finish with:
- Highly detailed photos and explanations for each one, explaining what to do and how, step by step,
- Limited supplies so you can start learning fun and interesting techniques straight away and
- Zero painting experience needed!
So, what are you waiting for?
Start your journey as an artist today, with Mimi Bondi's help!
Visit mimibondi.com for more inspiration!
48Color Mixing Recipes for Landscapes: Mixing recipes for more than 400 color combinations
49Acrylic Painting with Lee Hammond
You can learn to paint with skill and confidence. Lee Hammond makes painting with acrylics accessible and fun with sound guidance, practical tips and encouraging advice.
As Lee explains, the magic of acrylic painting is in the layers. Painting in layers makes it easy to block out shapes, add details and cover mistakes. Just follow along step by step, and in no time you'll be painting a variety of beautiful subjects so realistic and detailed no one will believe you're just a beginner.
Starting with the basics, Lee's masterful instruction includes:
Help with choosing brushes, paints and other materials
Easy methods for thinning paint, mixing colors and preparing surfaces
Visual explanations of color and composition
Close-up instruction for getting the details just right, including textures, shading, reflections, highlights and skin tones
40 step-by-step painting demonstrations for painting still-lifes, landscapes, portraits, flowers, animals and more
Try Lee's proven techniques and start achieving the paintings of your dreams!
50Creative Revolution: Personal Transformation through Brave Intuitive Painting
Artistic pursuits such as painting have the power to soothe, heal, and connect a person to their truest self. For author Flora Bowley, making art and expressing herself creatively have always served as potent forms of personal evolution and holistic healing. Creative Revolution is the reader's key to unlocking the door to their own personal journey while making beautiful art.
Creative Revolution is the culmination of Flora's life's work as an artist, offering guidance for others to embrace their authentic selves through paint. She has taught more than sixty workshops since she wrote her first book, Brave Intuitive Painting, and has witnessed miraculous things when people engage with the intuitive painting process. Creative Revolution is the next best thing to taking a course from Flora. Many readers and students can't help but exclaim, "This was about so much more than painting!" After reading Creative Revolution, readers will have a deeper connection to their intuition, increased confidence to make bolder choices, freedom to let go and explore various options, an understanding that everything is transformable, the trust that it will all work out in the end, and a renewed sense that creating can be fun and playful. All of this powerful transformation begins with paint. Flora has been writing and reflecting on these transformational aspects of the creative process for years. Creative Revolution is an insightful and practical guide for realizing the transformational power of fully embracing your creativity.
51Keys to Painting Fur & Feathers
52Fluid Art Mastery: 8 Steps To Being A Paint Pouring Artist
53The Art of Paint Pouring: Tips, techniques, and step-by-step instructions for creating colorful poured art in acrylic
There are many techniques for making poured art, and this book details them all. You will learn to swipe, pour, and more using the manyhow-to projects provided in this book. Also included are chapters on the following: tools and materials, including affordable options for items that will help you create poured art; basic color theory and how to choose paint colors that will create pleasing mixtures; eye-catching full-page artwork; tips for creating the paint consistency that you want; and instructions for keeping your work area clean, even while working with a potentially messy technique.
Written and illustrated by a well-recognized paint-pouring artist, The Art of Paint Pouring is a comprehensive reference that eliminates the need to search online for multiple videos that you would continually have to pause and re-watch. If you are new to paint pouring, you will love the beginners’ tips and instructions that allow anyone to master this contemporary craft.
Start creating stunning works of poured art with The Art of Paint Pouring, and then check out The Art of Paint Pouring: Swipe, Swirl & Spin, publishing in May 2020, to refresh your paint-pouring skills and learn new techniques!
54An Introduction to Acrylics (DK Art School)
55Color Mixing Bible: All You'll Ever Need to Know About Mixing Pigments in Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor, Gouache, Soft Pastel, Pencil, and Ink
This invaluable guide features scores of tips and techniques for color mixing with oils, acrylics, watercolors, inks, pastels, and virtually every other art medium. It also includes in-depth information on how to determine the opacity and strength of a color, choose a color palette, mix whites, arrange and organize colors prior to mixing, use optical and physical mixing techniques, and much more! Plus, hundreds of color illustrations make everything simple. Whether one is an aspiring artist or working professional, Color Mixing Bible is an essential addition to every bookshelf.
56Portfolio: Beginning Composition: Tips and techniques for creating well-composed works of art in acrylic, watercolor, and oil
The Portfolio series covers essential art techniques, core concepts, and media with an approach and format that’s perfect for aspiring, beginning, and intermediate artists. From this concept- and technique-driven series comes Beginning Composition, which details how to compose a work of art so that it draws in—and then holds—the viewer’s attention.
Written and illustrated by Kimberly Adams, an experienced author and professional artist with years of experience in creating versatile, stunning works of art, Beginning Composition teaches you how to create successful compositions in acrylic, oil, and watercolor paints. After an introduction to the essentials of composition and some examples of composition in action, you are then invited to create your own artwork on a range of subjects, including landscapes, florals, animals, and more. The painting projects encourage personalization and creativity. Other topics covered include conveying mood and emotion through composition, the Golden Ratio, focal points, and more.
With Portfolio: Beginning Composition, artists of all skill levels can learn to create engaging compositions in a range of art media.
57Absolute Beginner's Guide to Acrylic Pouring: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started
Abstract Painting: The Elements of Visual Language
59Painting More Animals on Rocks
60Secrets of Acrylic: Landscapes Start to Finish
You can master landscape painting with the help of popular painter Jerry Yarnell. Jerry starts by exploring different areas of landscape painting that often create problems for beginning and intermediate artists. He'll walk you through individual studies, so you can practice and explore new techniques without worrying about ruining a complete painting, then he'll show you how to apply those techniques to create finished works of art.
Learn how to:
- Work with the right materials
- Master all essential techniques
- Choose, mix and apply color
61Painting Basics
Whether you're a beginning, intermediate or advanced painter, Jerry Yarnell's 28 years of art experience will inspire and enrich your painting journeya lifelong learning process full of discovery and wonder.
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62Lifelike Heads: Discover your "inner artist" as you learn to draw portraits in graphite
63Get Started In Paint Pouring: Easy Techniques, Awesome Ideas, & Inspiration for the Absolute Beginners
64Wildlife Painting Basics: Small Animals
65Glyn Macey's World of Acrylics: How to Paint Sea, Sky, Land and Life
Split into four broad sections that cover everything from deserted seascapes to bustling urban life, this book is packed full of techniques that give maximum results for minimum effort. Dozens upon dozens of finished paintings provide you with a lifetime's worth of inspiration.
66Acrylics: Techniques and Tutorials for the Complete Beginner
67Color Mixing for Artists: Minimum Colors for Maximum Effect, Using Watercolors, Acrylics, and Oils
68The Art of Paint Pouring: Swipe, Swirl & Spin: 50+ tips, techniques, and step-by-step exercises for creating colorful fluid art
In The Art of Paint Pouring, you learned the basics of creating fluid art—from the essential tools and materials to the most popular techniques. Now with The Art of Paint Pouring: Swipe, Swirl & Spin, you can build on your existing knowledge of paintpouring by learning many new techniques and variations on your favorites to create your own art.
Written and illustrated by Amanda VanEver, author of Walter Foster’s much-anticipated The Art of Paint Pouring, The Art of Paint Pouring: Swipe, Swirl & Spin includes everything you need to take your skills to the next level, whether you are a beginning or an established paint pouring artist. From learning variations on several popular techniques—including flip cup, dip, swirling, spinning, and swiping—as well as more intermediate and advanced pouring techniques, you'll soon be creating colorful, textured fluid art on a variety of surfaces.
Amanda VanEver's YouTube channel, Amanda's Designs, has a huge following of subscribers who watch her weekly videos featuring simple instructions for creating various types of fluid art, from pieces done on canvases and other traditional surfaces, like wood, to objects such as jewelry, bookmarks, coasters, clocks, and vases. With her expertise, you'll learn about the tools and materials needed for paint pouring, how to mix paint to the right consistency required for pouring, tips for creating complementary color palettes, how to finish a painting so that it lasts, and much more.
The Art of Paint Pouring features beginning as well as advanced pouring techniques for a well-rounded, appealing approach to fluid art.
69Painting with Acrylics
70The Joy of Acrylic Painting: Expressive Painting Techniques for Beginners
Annie O'Brien Gonzales felt a passion for art from an early age. But not until 30 years later--after raising a family and working "a real job"--did she get serious about painting. Along the way, she experienced the pleasures and the pitfalls of learning to paint. In these pages, she channels it all to help others discover (or re-discover) The Joy of Acrylic Painting. This guide offers an engaging, streamlined approach for any beginner, but especially those who--due to life detours or lack of time--had previously postponed their artistic aspirations.
In a fun, instantly gratifying style, Gonzales combines the forgiveness of acrylics with the approachability of expressive painting. With special emphasis on the elements of color, pattern and texture, these lessons give you a jump-start on painting with feeling. If now is your time to pursue creative fulfillment, then this is the book to ease your way.
- Strategies for gathering resonant ideas and inspiration
- Practical advice, such as when to splurge and where to save on painting supplies
- Mixed-media techniques for creating character in your paintings
- Inspiration from Expressionist masters, including ways to use their work as a jumping-off point for your own original paintings
- PLUS 8 fabulous start-to-finish painting projects--landscapes, still life, figures and abstracts
71Acrylic Painting: Landscapes: Learn to paint landscapes in acrylic step by step
Landscapes teaches aspiring artists everything they need to know to get started painting beautiful landscapes in acrylic. From choosing paper and brushes to painting techniques, composition, and development, Landscapesis bursting with valuable skills and lessons to help beginning artists master this approachable medium. Talented artist Tom Shropshire guides readers through an exploration of painting classic landscapes in acrylic, covering basic painting concepts and techniques, including rendering realistic textures. Building on these basic techniques, artists can practice their craft with step-by-step projects that cover a variety of landscapes, including a waterfall, a spring storm, and a classic winter scene. With comprehensive instruction and artist tips and tricks, Landscapesis the perfect resource for beginning acrylic artists.
72Painting Party: Acrylic Painting for Beginners
Simply follow the steps to fun, beautiful paintings!
Anna Bartlett has led hundreds of enthusiastic new painters through paint-alongs in her studio. It's a fun, stress-free way to experience the joy of painting while completing an original work of art in a single sitting.
Now you are invited to attend Anna's Painting Party in the comfort of your own home. Inside, you'll find 12 of Anna's favorite paint-along projects--from butterflies and owls to flowers and Monet's bridge--all featuring her signature sense of whimsy and color. Each painting is broken down into easy-to-follow, fail-safe steps that guarantee great results, yet with plenty of built-in opportunities for you to add your personal touch.
There are no complicated theories or tricky techniques. Materials lists tell you exactly what you need. Step-by-step instructions tell you precisely what to do. Simply follow along, sign your name and display with pride! Like any good party, the most important thing is to have fun. Your skills and confidence will grow with every stroke!
- 12 whimsical paint-along projects spanning a variety of favorite subjects such as princesses, peacocks, and tulips
- Advice on selecting materials and setting up your painting space
- A variety of fun techniques including painted collage, stenciling, "beginner's Impressionism" and negative painting
73Wildlife Landscapes You Can Paint: 10 Acrylic Projects Using Just 5 Colors
Projects feature a variety of beloved animals including deer, black bears, blue herons, loons, ducks, swans and woodpeckers
Learn to paint a range of breathtaking settings - sparkling lakes, majestic mountains, forest retreats and even atmospheric effects like hazy sunsets, snow-laden pines and rippling water.
Includes mini-demonstrations that focus on key landscape elements such as trees, rocks, water and clouds.
Each project includes color swatches showing which mix is used where and easy-to-follow directions.Simpler is always better when you're just starting out. These projects require minimal equipment, only five colors and absolutely no previous experience. Wilson loves to paint them - and with his friendly, straightforward approach, you will, too!
74En Plein Air: Acrylic: Expert techniques and simple step-by-step projects for creating dynamic landscapes in the open air with acrylic
En Plein Air: Acrylic introduces beginning artists and fine-art lovers alike to the core concepts of painting on location. This hardworking guide features everything you'll need to get started, including expert tips on what to pack and how to maximize your time outdoors. You'll also learn how to choose a subject once you're on-site and then interpret it for a complex and pleasing composition.
Painting on location in the open air is a unique challenge, but with En Plein Air: Acrylic, you will learn to deal with the challenges of shadows and natural light and hone your skills in a fun, refreshing way. Perfect for artists looking to grow beyond the studio, this one-stop guide is an excellent resource for expanding upon the peace and joy that comes with painting.
75101 Textures in Oil and Acrylic: Practical techniques for rendering a variety of surfaces
Half the battle of achieving precise, realistic results in oil and acrylic painting comes down to one’s ability to accurately render surfaces and textures—a challenging feat for even experienced artists. Although many art instruction books focus on learning to paint specific subjects, many fall short when it comes to offering instruction on techniques that help one capture textures adequately.
In 101 Textures in Oil & Acrylic, experienced and talented artist Mia Tavonatti provides artists with the essential skills required to render realistic surfaces in oil and acrylic. Artists will discover tips and tricks for working with both mediums, as well as a variety of techniques, including blending, layering, working with oil and acrylic mediums, creating an underpainting, and more. In addition to valuable step-by-step instructions, general color recommendations offer a quick start guide. This helpful guide includes an index for fast and easy reference, while a short gallery at the end of the book represents various textures in finished works of art.
With its broad range of coverage, easy-to-follow instruction, and helpful tips, 101 Textures in Oil & Acrylic is a must-have art instruction book for artists of all skill levels, sure to be referenced time and again.
76Acrylic Painting for Dummies
Acrylic paint is easy to use, quick to dry, a cinch to clean up, and relatively inexpensive-which makes it a great medium for amateur artists. Following a simple step-by-step approach, Acrylic Painting For Dummies provides hands-on instruction and easy-to-follow exercises in acrylic painting techniques and styles, making the medium accessible to would-be artists at all levels. Featuring large-scale projects at the end of most chapters and ample additional opportunities for readers to paint along, this friendly guide will help anyone discover the artist within.
77Painting for the Absolute and Utter Beginner
The chapters follow a progressive sequence that teaches basic skills through practical, accessible exercises–how to handle a brush, achieve the right paint consistency, mix color, and create dimension–building a solid foundation that readers can rely on as painting projects grow more challenging.
A special feature is the artwork and commentary of real students, which helps beginners set realistic goals and shows them how other artists at the same level of experience have worked through inevitable setbacks to achieve success.
78Abstracts: 50 Inspirational Projects
79Acrylic Painting with Passion: Explorations for Creating Art That Nourishes the Soul
Acrylic Painting With Passion easily answers the question: What should I paint now? Tesia Blackburn comes to the rescue by introducing exercises and techniques that make the painting process fun and every bit as cherished as the finished works of art. Finding time to create art can be a challenge, and Tesia helps with this, too, by suggesting ways to help you find manageable chunks of time to feed your painting passion.
Experiment with over 20 exercises for using acrylic paint and mediums including collage, color mixing, simple offset printing, creating layers of texture and a lot more.
Learn how to add play to your studio time through sections such as Leaving Perfection Behind, Speed Painting, Embracing Basic Forms and Letting the Brain Play.
Load up on additional inspiration with additional versions of many techniques throughout the book's 10 Explorations.
Allow yourself the time to play. Let Acrylic Painting With Passion provide you with the basic tools and inspiration you need to break out of your creative rut and embrace the acrylic painting process. Your work will grow and your spirit will thrive.
80Creative Workshop - Watercolor & Acrylic: Challenge Your Artistic Boundaries with 25 Fun Painting Exercises
This book is chock-full of hands-on projects, techniques and strategies to get you thinking beyond your self-imposed creative boundaries. Mark Mehaffey, an experience, friendly teacher, begins with the basics of designing a strong painting with shape, value and color. Once you've mastered these keys to any successful painting--regardless of style--you will have the confidence to be more creative! Mehaffey will show you practical techniques and lead you in experiments with color, composition, painting surfaces, methods of applying paint, and more.
This book offers creative exercises for every skill level and comfort level, as well as demonstrations, painting critiques, weak/strong comparisons and examples by Mehaffey and a variety of other accomplished artists. With this book in your studio, you'll be encouraged to have fun while creating wonderful art. In no time, you will have a variety of tools for jump-starting your creativity and painting with confidence!
Includes bonus DVD on watercolor painting on Yupo(R)!
81The Art of Drawing & Painting Portraits: Create realistic heads, faces & features in pencil, pastel, watercolor, oil & acrylic
8260 Minutes to Better Painting: Sharpen Your Skills in Oil and Acrylic
83Colour Mixing Guides: Watercolour
84Oil & Acrylic: Oceans & Seascapes: Discover the secrets to painting waves, open seas, and coastal scenes step by step
85Abstract Nature
86Acrylic Secrets: 300 Tips and Techniques for Painting the Easy Way
Learn how to: R> *Achieve clarity, contrast, and depth by determining color characteristics
*Create subtle and dramatic effects by mixing acrylics with various media and additives
*Pick the right paints, brushes, and equipment to suit your project
*Shop for cheap alternative products that still perform at high quality
*Choose a proper subject and make that subject look their best
Each topic, self-contained in a one or two-page spread, is fully explained and illustrated with photographs and more detailed diagrams where required. Advance your artistic understanding, dexterity, and ingenuity with 200 tips and techniques.
87The Complete Book of Textures for Artists: Step-by-step instructions for mastering more than 275 textures in graphite, charcoal, colored pencil, acrylic, and oil
Whether you're an experienced artist or just starting out, The Complete Book of Textures for Artists features a wide variety of both traditional and contemporary techniques. After an introduction to the basic tools and materials, discover a variety of drawing and painting techniques, such as hatching, crosshatching, shading, blending, layering, burnishing, and more. Organized into sections based on subject matter and media, each page features easy-to-follow steps demonstrating how to create each specific texture. Not only will you learn a variety of techniques, but you’ll also discover new ideas and inspiration for using the techniques in your own projects.
Packed with easy-to-follow instructions and plenty of helpful artist tips, The Complete Book of Textures for Artists is the perfect resource for beginning and established artists who are ready to master the intricacies of rendering realistic texture in their artwork.
88Acrylic Painting for Encaustic Effects: 45 Wax Free Techniques
Discover 45 innovative ways to use acrylic paints, mediums and a variety of mixed-media art supplies to achieve the look of encaustic without the wax or the heat usually required. Compose and create intriguing works of art with fun techniques that include creating crackles, carving with stencils, making wax-like elements, adding image transfers and so much more!
Explore new mixed-media territory!
- 45 techniques for making art that looks like encaustic painting--but isn't!
- Follow step-by-step instructions on how to add image transfers, incorporate collage, add alcohol inks, play with resin and more.
- Achieve the dreamy, layered look of wax without the extra tools, time and space required of encaustic.
- With 85+ imaginative tips for taking your art to the next level, the possibilities are endless!
89Acrylic School: A Practical Guide to Painting with Acrylic
90Don's Airbrush Tips
91Classic Still Life Painting: A Contemporary Master Shows How to Achieve Old Master Effects Using Today's Art Materials
- The only source available that covers how to create mixed-media artworks with an extensive range of mediums
- Finished examples provide creative inspiration
- A valuable reference that includes technical information and demonstrations
92Landscapes in Bloom: 10 Flower-Filled Scenes You Can Paint in Acrylics
"Landscapes in Bloom" teaches you how to create ten beautiful, flower-filled scenes using acrylic paints. Not only will you learn how to paint garden scenes lush with flowers, but ten mini-demonstrations show, in detail, how to paint the architectural elements found in landscapes such as an old stone bridge, a Victorian gazebo, a rustic garden gate, a rose arbor, a birdbath and more. Advanced painters will enjoy creating romantic landscapes while traceable patterns, color swatches and materials lists will give beginning painters the extra instruction they need to build their confidence and skills.
Offers 10 full step-by-step demonstrations on painting vibrant landscapes in addition to 10 mini-demos covering man-made elements such as gazebos and bridges.
Projects are painted in popular, easy-to-use acrylics that feature a soft, layered look.
93Fluid Art Recipes and Art Journal: Over 100 Paint Pouring Mixtures
94Getting Started: Master the basic theories and techniques of painting in acrylic
95Abstract Acrylics: New approaches to painting nature using acrylics with mixed media
96All about Techniques in Acrylics: An Indispensable Manual for Artists
97Oil & Acrylic: Clouds & Skyscapes: Explore techniques for creating splendid skies
98One Stroke Painting - Basics I (One Stroke Painting Basics Book 1)
99Mix Your Own Acrylics: An Artist's Guide to Successful Color Mixing
100