What do you think?
Rate this book
Paint It: The Art of Acrylics, Oils, Pastels, and Watercolors
Any master starts at the beginning. Dip your brush into oil, acrylic, and watercolor paints, and sharpen your pastels. Develop essential techniques that will propel your art from scribbles to masterpieces.
- GenresArtNonfiction
144 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2013
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 24, 2013
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
Paint It is a hybrid reference and project book introducing all kinds of painting techniques. Although it it intended for kids of all ages, I think 90% of it will go over the heads of kids over 12. It introduces all kinds of terms very specific to the types of painting presented in its chapters: watercolors, acrylics, pastels, oil paints, mosaics.
Each chapter starts out with a discussion of the tools and how to care for them. Then short discussions of techniques and exercises/projects on achieving those techniques. There is a huge range discussed: from mixed media to gouache, perspective and mayan art, batik heat, scratch off, picasso to mosaics. As such, there is great long term value here to slowly progress across the mediums and techniques.
The book is surprisingly technical. My 10 year old's eyes started to glaze over in the very first chapter, discussing palettes, papers, weights, cadmium, pigments, binders.... And although brightly presented, the design is very scattershot, with items thrown everywhere across all the pages. It made it difficult to tell what chapter we were on, which were discussions and which were projects, and tying in concepts to be learned with the projects. I appreciate how graphical this is but it really is a LOT to be throwing at a child in terms of sensory and technical. That's why I feel it is a great book for older children but the younger ones may try an exercise or two and then move on. As well, I am adding up the cost of all the various tools and it is getting hefty.
This is definitely a very serious and not loose book on the subject. It's not finger painting - it's to give children a basis for understanding fine art and build a foundation upon which they can develop their own talent and vision. As such, this really isn't a quick and fun time killer type book. It's a dedicated course to be used over several months and help build an artistic dialogue.
Received as an ARC from the publisher.
March 28, 2017
This book was great for projects. It has so many to choose from. They all are just go with the flow projects. I especially like the ones where they take a picture from real life and choose four colors to paint it all. It also taught me a lot about paints and brushes and tons of tips on things I didn't even know about.
October 10, 2013
Paint It is a great reference and project book focused on kids ages 8 - 12. I wish I had it when I was making lesson plans in college for Art classes! It has a lot of fun projects and ideas, like the Glow-In-The-Dark acrylic Scream recreation, that I aren't overused or cliche like many other art books geared towards this age group.
The book itself was great to look at, well organized, and bold. Each section started off with a brief overview of the medium, with a bit of history, related materials, and techniques and tips. Every page had great examples, such textures or brush types. There were multiple projects in each section, with pictures during the process, which was helpful. Little tips and blurbs appeared along with these projects, giving relevant information and explanations. It was a smart way to get a long of information into the book without it all being thrown at the reader at once.
However, the book seems a bit above the reading level of 8-year-olds and ever 12-year-olds, and would best suit parents or teachers. The projects themselves would be great for any age, but the instructions and terms were sometimes a bit too wordy and art jargon-y. A vocabulary section might be helpful, to provide readers with a glossary of unfamiliar terms.
It's a great reference book I'd be happy to have in my collection, for personal reference and for future art projects with kids.
I received a free ecopy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The book itself was great to look at, well organized, and bold. Each section started off with a brief overview of the medium, with a bit of history, related materials, and techniques and tips. Every page had great examples, such textures or brush types. There were multiple projects in each section, with pictures during the process, which was helpful. Little tips and blurbs appeared along with these projects, giving relevant information and explanations. It was a smart way to get a long of information into the book without it all being thrown at the reader at once.
However, the book seems a bit above the reading level of 8-year-olds and ever 12-year-olds, and would best suit parents or teachers. The projects themselves would be great for any age, but the instructions and terms were sometimes a bit too wordy and art jargon-y. A vocabulary section might be helpful, to provide readers with a glossary of unfamiliar terms.
It's a great reference book I'd be happy to have in my collection, for personal reference and for future art projects with kids.
I received a free ecopy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 1, 2018
I liked this book very much. Great examples that I will try out.
September 14, 2019
Really thorough beginners guide to oil, acrylic, watercolor and pastel with tons of photos.
September 7, 2021
A little repetitive in some spots but super fun all around.
July 27, 2025
This is a user-friendly introduction to different paint mediums, featuring step-by-step projects to try out the various approaches. As a non-artist, I found this interesting and engaging.
July 25, 2015
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.5 of 5
I've reviewed a number of art-related books on this blog, and for good reason ... I began my education as an art student and haven't fully abandoned it, so I have a keen interest in the fine arts. This book, Paint It, by Mari Bolte, has been in my to-read queue for over a year and I think that the main reason I didn't get to it sooner was that I was thinking that this was intended for elementary school children, and I didn't think I was ready to review such a book (I like to practice what the book teaches in a case like this).
What I discovered is that this is for the advanced student or the beginner adult. There are terms and practices here that I highly suspect would go over most students' heads. The opening paragraphs, describing pigments and binders alone might be more than most would want from an art book. Children want to dig in. As an adult, I really appreciated the refreshers on some of the information, as well as learning some new things about some of the mediums that I haven't worked in.
The photos here, and the paintings themselves, are colorful and extremely attractive. I greatly appreciated Bolte's playfulness. For instance, she writes: "There are many ways to paint the same object. Pick one object and challenge yourself to paint it in three styles—realistic, stylized, and abstract. Can you do it?" And then she proceeds to paint a simple fox in realistic, stylized, and abstract form. This is such an important lesson and shows the budding artist that there is no one, right way to create art.
As someone who has often painted pictures from photos I've taken, I really appreciated her comments: "It’s easy to paint your favorite photo with watercolors. But why make an exact copy? Instead, focus on the space’s lights and darks (values), shades (tones), and basic shapes." And again, she provides examples from her own work, and she explains the process of how to create something similar (in this case through an eight-step process).
While this book is possibly geared toward a younger readership, I found this to be such a valuable resource that I've ordered a physical copy to be used as a resource for my own purposes. It is packed full of useful information, tips, and techniques. This is highly recommended.
Looking for a good book? If you, or someone you know is at all interested in painting, this book, Paint It, by Mari Bolte, is an extremely valuable resource and should be within arms reach for every artist.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
I've reviewed a number of art-related books on this blog, and for good reason ... I began my education as an art student and haven't fully abandoned it, so I have a keen interest in the fine arts. This book, Paint It, by Mari Bolte, has been in my to-read queue for over a year and I think that the main reason I didn't get to it sooner was that I was thinking that this was intended for elementary school children, and I didn't think I was ready to review such a book (I like to practice what the book teaches in a case like this).
What I discovered is that this is for the advanced student or the beginner adult. There are terms and practices here that I highly suspect would go over most students' heads. The opening paragraphs, describing pigments and binders alone might be more than most would want from an art book. Children want to dig in. As an adult, I really appreciated the refreshers on some of the information, as well as learning some new things about some of the mediums that I haven't worked in.
The photos here, and the paintings themselves, are colorful and extremely attractive. I greatly appreciated Bolte's playfulness. For instance, she writes: "There are many ways to paint the same object. Pick one object and challenge yourself to paint it in three styles—realistic, stylized, and abstract. Can you do it?" And then she proceeds to paint a simple fox in realistic, stylized, and abstract form. This is such an important lesson and shows the budding artist that there is no one, right way to create art.
As someone who has often painted pictures from photos I've taken, I really appreciated her comments: "It’s easy to paint your favorite photo with watercolors. But why make an exact copy? Instead, focus on the space’s lights and darks (values), shades (tones), and basic shapes." And again, she provides examples from her own work, and she explains the process of how to create something similar (in this case through an eight-step process).
While this book is possibly geared toward a younger readership, I found this to be such a valuable resource that I've ordered a physical copy to be used as a resource for my own purposes. It is packed full of useful information, tips, and techniques. This is highly recommended.
Looking for a good book? If you, or someone you know is at all interested in painting, this book, Paint It, by Mari Bolte, is an extremely valuable resource and should be within arms reach for every artist.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
October 16, 2013
Colorful and interesting introduction for kids / beginners to painting. The book covers watercolors, acrylics, oils, and pastels. I only use acrylics and pastels at the moment, but the book made watercolors look like something I'd like to try someday.
The techniques and projects in the books are such that even an absolute beginner can produce a very nice bit of work. I am interested in trying the window project and the four seasons tree project from the acrylic section.
I read a digital copy from Net Galley, so I can't comment on the quality of the print version, but in digital the pictures were very lovely and the book is colorful, cheerful, and illustrative of the various techniques. I would give it five stars, but I think it is somewhat incorrectly marketed - I would say that this would be more appropriate to young adults / adults than children because of the complexity of some of the directions and techniques. A younger child could likely do it with adult guidance, howver.
The techniques and projects in the books are such that even an absolute beginner can produce a very nice bit of work. I am interested in trying the window project and the four seasons tree project from the acrylic section.
I read a digital copy from Net Galley, so I can't comment on the quality of the print version, but in digital the pictures were very lovely and the book is colorful, cheerful, and illustrative of the various techniques. I would give it five stars, but I think it is somewhat incorrectly marketed - I would say that this would be more appropriate to young adults / adults than children because of the complexity of some of the directions and techniques. A younger child could likely do it with adult guidance, howver.
November 19, 2013
American painting tutorial. Numerous basic tips. Simple explanations of styles and techniques with full-page colour illustrations. Gently informs the reader about styles of painting.
Painting projects with step-by-step illustrated instructions. Subjects include food and cakes; nature scenes and fantasy; people, cute animals, birds and fish; patterns and decorative art. Read through the steps to find out what tools and materials are required. Details are repeated so you can pick projects you like without reading all of them in order. There are examples of how to use a photograph as a reference. I read a review copy from the publisher.
Painting projects with step-by-step illustrated instructions. Subjects include food and cakes; nature scenes and fantasy; people, cute animals, birds and fish; patterns and decorative art. Read through the steps to find out what tools and materials are required. Details are repeated so you can pick projects you like without reading all of them in order. There are examples of how to use a photograph as a reference. I read a review copy from the publisher.
March 29, 2014
Paint It is a great book full of all kinds of information about a variety of painting techniques. Over 45 painting projects are shown step-by-step. The cover says these projects are for kids of all ages, but I think kids 12 and over will be the best audience on their own. Younger kids will have fun with some of the projects with adult assistance. I think this book would be a great resource for art teachers as well as students.
November 16, 2013
gr 4 and up for reading, all ages for experimenting
This is a beautiful, cool book packed with ideas for using different medium to experiment and also do specific projects. Love the texture of the pages, too. More hefty and informative than the drawing book I just posted as well. Can't wait to try some of the techniques in here - best I've seen.
This is a beautiful, cool book packed with ideas for using different medium to experiment and also do specific projects. Love the texture of the pages, too. More hefty and informative than the drawing book I just posted as well. Can't wait to try some of the techniques in here - best I've seen.
April 8, 2014
Inspiring and fun, very informative for beginner painters. Like me!
January 18, 2016
Fun. Good for kids.
Read
April 28, 2016Good instruction book. Lots of info for beginners.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews