Acrylics for the Absolute Beginner

I've just started to learn to paint with acrylics and highly recommend this book by Charles Evans. Charles provides excellent step by step instructions to get you through basic painting with acrylics. I've progressed through painting up to outline 5 (I think there are 11 included traceable outlines), followed his recommendations closely, and was very surprised how good my initial attempts at his landscape examples came out. Of course, you need patience as a beginner, not be afraid to make mistakes, and some basic perspective ability. Take the time to research materials (brushes, paints, canvas, wet palette, etc.) as making some good material selections made life easier for me. Also you will need to understand how to mix colors. There are many books out there on how to do this and a good inexpensive color wheel is useful. All in all, Charles' step by step approach, with lots of side-bar insights along the way has kept me inspired to paint, almost daily. I've purchased several landscape painting essentials books, but none come close to the hand holding of the beginner artist in a friendly informative way as Acrylics for the Absolute Beginner. This should be the only method and techniques book you will need to get you started and focused.

If you are at the "paint by numbers" skill level, looking for a step up, this book is for you (especially if you are into nature scenes). Charles doesn't spend much time on technical theory, he shows you some practical basics and then you jump right in and start painting trees. Roughly half of the book is step by step instructions for painting the included scenes. The book includes 12, 11x17 inch outline sketches, which you can trace onto watercolor paper. Charles shows you how to mix the color, what brush to use, and walks you through the painting techniques. I was surprised at how not-too-bad some of my paintings turned out. My only criticism is that the book abruptly ends after finishing the final scene, with no closing words or suggestions of where to go from here. Still, highly recommended for the absolute beginner.

I purchased this book along with Jerry Yarnell's "Landscape Painting Secrets." Jerry's book is outstanding; this one, not so much. The best information I have learned from this book would be simplification techniques to transition from photo-realism to more artistic illusion. Charles Evans is definitely more abstract in his art form than Jerry! Many complain that this book is too advanced, but I feel that you have to be patient. Charles leads the reader through some very advanced painting to show key concepts. He then gets quickly back to basics, which is good, but at least a third of the book later! I appreciate what he shows, but it is not the style I prefer to use.

Good book

I received this product, and it was fine. Is it something else I ordered?

Not really for a beginner maybe for someone with light experience

This book is really good for beginners. I love his paintings and explanations. He is easy to follow. I recommend this book for beginners as well as not so beginners!

This book really demystified acrylic painting for me and inspired me to do when more. An artsy friend came over and thumbed through it, and in about two minutes decided she needed her own copy!

This book is for sure for the absolute beginner when it comes to painting with acrylics. Great overview of necessary materials, easy to follow instructions on how to get started and achieve beautiful paintings. The included sketches will help you to start and complete your painting. The book is very well structured. This was a great find.

L'artista affronta la pittura acrilica con un approccio molto "acquerellistico". Preferendo uno stile più deciso, che tende più all'olio, con pennellate corpose e sfumature elaborate, sono rimasta un po' delusa. Ovviamente la mia è un'opinione dettata puramente dai gusti personali e pertanto non toglie assolutamente nulla al valore delle opere inserite nel libro e dell'artista. Detto questo avendo tanta strada da fare prima di arrivare al livello dell'autore, posso solo imparare dalle lezioni che presenta nel libro, a prescindere dalla stile utilizzato, e consiglio sicuramente l'acquisto perché è comunque importante avere nozioni, conoscenze e vedute più ampie possibili. All'interno sono presenti degli esercizi, disegni da rimuovere da poter dipingere.

The author is good at his work and he explains the craft to the reader quite comprehensively. I managed to learn some really good techniques. See pics. However, the book delivery was delayed by weeks by the supplier and hence i have not given a full rating.

In English

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