Description
Book SynopsisReplete with detailed step-by-step technical demonstrations and a catalogue of inspiring works by notable past and contemporary artists, as well as James Van Patten and his students, The Acrylic Painter provides a classic art instruction manual for painters of all abilities.
Trade Review"This beautifully illustrated and clearly written book is destined to become the Bible for acrylic painters. Based on a lifetime of experience as a painter, Van Patten walks the reader through the various properties of competing brands and products of acrylic paint, brushes, additives and supports. He describes and demonstrates a wide variety of techniques including blending, layering, feathering, rewetting, glazing, stippling, wet-into-wet and much more besides. Van Patten also discusses a broad swath of artistic endeavors ranging from hyper-real rendering to painterly abstraction. He introduces basic color theory and shows how knowledge of it can be used in practical situations. Along the way the book is peppered with tips on studio practice, demonstrations, analysis of paintings, solutions for framing and a great deal of sheer enthusiasm for both the medium and the art of painting in general. It's hard to imagine a book that could be more useful, practical, informative and inspiring for an acrylic painter."
—JOHN PARKS, painter and faculty member at the School of Visual Arts in New York, author of
Universal Principles of Art
“ James Van Patten shares his world of painterly know-how as a masterchef communicates a lifetime of kitchen savvy. This book is redolent withthe taste of color, the sound of paint, the smell of canvas . . . and repletewith visual spectacle. It’s easy to consume, just follow the recipes.”
—MARILYNN GELFMAN KARP, author of
In Flagrante Collecto, professor of art at New York University
“James Van Patten is an innovative and gifted technical painter whobrings decades of insight into the making of this book.”
—JAMES KIRK and MARK R. SMITH, artists and educators
Table of ContentsCONTENTS
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 01
Chapter 01 ACRYLIC PAINTS AND ADDITIVES 03
Types of Acrylic Paint 04
Additives 21
Chapter 02 PALETTES, BRUSHES & OTHER PAINTING TOOLS 31
The Palette: Dry or Wet? 32
Brushes 34
Other Studio Supplies 41
Keeping Clean and Cleaning Up 42
Chapter 03 SURFACES FOR PAINTING 45
Prestretched Canvases 46
Stretching Your Own Canvas 47
Gesso 50
Panels 54
Paper and Board Grounds 56
Chapter 04 VISUAL EXPERIENCE 59
Really Seeing What You’re Looking At 60
The Elements of Visual Experience 61
Chapter 05 COLOR 75
Color Theory Basics 76
Mixing Colors 91
Chapter 06 YOUR VISION AS A PAINTER 97
Choosing a Style 98
Choosing a Subject 109
Chapter 07 ACRYLIC PAINTING TECHNIQUES 121
Underpainting 122
Using Photographs 127
Overpainting 132
Painting Hard Edges 136
Blending 138
Glazing 139
Impasto Painting 143
Letting the Painting Communicate with You 147
Chapter 08 FINISHING AND PRESENTING A PAINTING 151
Protecting the Surface 152
Matting, Mounting, and Framing Under Glass 153
Framing Works on Canvas or Board 156
The Next Painting 159
About the Author 162
Index 163
