Painting in Acrylic: An essential guide for mastering how to paint beautiful works of art in acrylic

by Varvara Harmon

Ideal for beginning and intermediate artists seeking to develop their acrylic painting skills, Painting in Acrylic features a range of techniques and valuable instruction for working with this classic medium and painting a variety of subjects. Beginning with detailed information for using acrylic tools and materials, Painting in Acrylic introduces artists to the basics, including brushes, supports, acrylic mediums, color palettes, and other essentials for using this fast-drying paint. Artists will learn about color theory, the color wheel, and such basic techniques as impasto, stippling, glazing, drybrushing, washes, and creating an underpainting. Aspiring artists will explore value, perspective, light, shadow, and form, as well as how to effectively render a variety of textures, including wood, foliage, glass, metal, water, rock, and more. Engaging, approachable step-by-step projects appeal to artists of all skill levels and cover a range of subject matter, including still lifes, animals, tabletop compositions, landscapes, flowers, trees, and more, from start to finish. A professional acrylic painter provides easy-to-follow, comprehensive instruction and inspiration so artists can put their newfound skills to practical use as they discover the secrets to mastering this lightweight, versatile, and easy-to-use medium. Perfect for first-time acrylic painters, as well as experienced artists looking to refine their technique, Painting in Acrylic inspires creativity, provides suggestions for overcoming technical obstacles, and includes plenty of useful tips and encouragement. With comprehensive, valuable information; stunning artwork; and a fresh take on a traditional medium, Painting in Acrylic is the perfect addition to any artist’s library.

Genres: Nonfiction

64 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2013

Reviews

[David H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recently, I have discovered that I enjoy painting. I began this hobby as the result of the Covid lock down plus having ended a long term romantic relationship. So far, I have completed two "paint by number" paintings (and am working on the third) and one "from scratch" on a 9 x 12 canvas board.
From my free style project, I learned that I need instruction. I purchased this book from Hobby Lobby for $ 9.95. I learned much from these 64 pages. Included are ten painting exercises; I have yet to done those yet but plan to. I am awarding "Painting in Acrylic" by Varvara Harmon four stars.

My advice to any inspiring "paint by numbers" enthusiast would be to trust your own eyes instead of blindly following instructions (I have been horrible at following directions my whole life). All of these kits seem much more complicated than they should be. Begin by working on the largest object first and then move to closer items. Ignore the tiny details that confuse you. Once your project frustrates you, paint the background any color you desire, and call it finished. I added white flowers on my parrot painting just because I wanted too. I omitted many of the tiny fish (the background fish) in my shark painting (it would of made things too busy in my opinion). If you plan to keep your art, invest $ 8.99 on Varnish (either matte or gloss, I chose gloss because my taste runs toward gawky).

By the way, I received my first Covid-19 shot today. Mine was Moderna.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple guide for anyone interested in painting with acrylics, regardless of whether or not they have any experience with painting. Experienced painters can also learn new techniques from this book as well. Varvara Harmon uses various plein air and still life projects to recreate the techniques she teaches, along with the basics of what materials to use, and a little bit of color theory as well.

As a painting newbie, the medium always intimidated me, until I decided to conquer that fear and buy this book. Now I'm excited to start experimenting and painting beautiful scenes!