Start Here: Paint—50 Ways To Be an Artist Without Trying

by Moira Clinch

If you’ve always wished you could paint but have no idea where to begin, get a head start with more than 50 progressive art activities that develop skill and confidence as you go.

Start Here: Paint gives you exciting prompts for kick-starting an artistic practice centered on painting. By exploring how simple brushstrokes and splashes can be repeated to create more intricate images and patterns, Start Here: Paint builds up your understanding of shape, color, and technique without intimidating jargon or theory.

Paint Play. Experiment with fearless mark-making ideas that can be achieved in a few minutes to an hour or so using a variety of mediums, including watercolor, gouache, and acrylic.
Colorworks. Understand and master choosing and using colors, from putting together a palette to mixing the colors you want.
Shapes and Shadows. Learn how to observe these important visual elements, then translate them into paint using ideas that will help you hone your skills.
Make It Your Own. Building on the techniques learned in the first three chapters, develop your own creative path by exploring a range of styles, from painting patterns with simple motifs to trying a more realistic approach. In addition to creating original wall art, apply your newfound skills to the many Takeaway ideas offered throughout for gifts and home décor items.

With Start Here: Paint as your fresh, fun creative companion, you’ll learn how to paint and never want to stop.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

Published October 8, 2024

Reviews

[Michelle Smith]

Good beginner’s guide with exercises to experiment with, for watercolor and acrylics. It didn’t overly appeal to me, but it may be just the thing for other readers,



Thank you to Quarry Books and NetGalley for the PDF

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a ton of information and project inspiration. I think it’s misnamed because it definitely involves trying and it requires some artistic experience and materials. I was hoping for more beginner level stuff and projects that inspired me a bit more. There are lots of them but somehow they missed the mark for me. I think the book will appeal to others a lot though.

I read a temporary digital copy of this book for review.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a great amount of detail and variety in this book. I enjoyed how much it covered seasonal themes and nature and animals. I am in a bit of a painting slump right now and reading this book made me feel more excite to play with my watercolors! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Jacqueline Nyathi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, which has some handy tips and nice ideas for beginners. It does rather try to cover too much ground—watercolour, gouache and acrylic—which means it has to stay in the shallows, some; but, again, useful for beginners who just want to get started with paint.

Thanks to Quarry Books and Edelweiss.

[Danielle Mccoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this eBook from netGalley for a honest review.

What a great starting to paint book! The ideas and the techniques are wonderfully shown and leave lots of room for creativity.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good primer on mark-making and the use of color. It's not so much a "how to" as a "here are the possibilities" lesson. My favorite section was on florals and the different patterns of leaves. There's a huge section on butterflies and how to use washes to get transparency in the wings. There is also a cool little section on how to make Day of the Dead Masks (sugar skulls).

One of the most valuable sections is the resources, specifically the "medium chart at a glance". It tells you what the main ingredient is in the medium, the transparency or opacity of it, whether or not it's easy to make corrections using it, how stable it is, and what the drying time is. I don't think I've ever seen that all in one place!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Quarry for an advance reader's review ACSM file.