How to Paint with Oils, Acrylics and Gouache

Learn to build confidence and skill levels with 30 practical exercises. Oil, acrylic and gouache painting made easy in a comprehensive, fully illustrated step-by-step guide. It includes an introduction to artists' materials, including canvases, papers, paint, brushes, additives, gels, pastes, supports, varnish, easels and more. Learn basic techniques such as scaling up photographs, making an underdrawing, blending, brush strokes, and special effects, such as sgrafitto, impasto, and drybrush. Covers popular subject areas from landscapes and nature to still lives - paint an Italian country scene, anemones in alla prima style, and studies of autumn leaves, pumpkins, a teapot and seashells. Packed with expert advice and beautifully illustrated with more than 400 photographs. This is the ideal introductory book for anyone with an interest in learning how to paint with oils, acrylics and gouache. All you need to do is follow the simple instructions and basic techniques shown in the clear step-by-step photography. There is comprehensive information on the range and characteristics of the different types of paint, and a suggested starter palette. Advice is given on choosing and using paintbrushes, palettes, papers and canvas, and on working with paint additives and sealing work with different types of varnish. There then follows thirty practice exercises and techniques, which teach through example and include many popular subject areas to help you begin to produce your own art works. Concisely written and richly illustrated, this book contains everything you need to advance quickly to an excellent standard.

Ian Sidaway originally trained as a graphic designer and has been working as a freelance artist since 1970. He is the author of 20 art techniques books, including The Instant Artist, which has won the Artist's Choice Art Instruction Book of the Year award.