The Acrylic Painter: Tools and Techniques for the Most Versatile Medium

James Van Patten

A complete course on acrylic painting for beginners and experienced artists that covers classic approaches and new innovations Embraced for versatility, quick-drying properties, and non-toxicity, no medium offers a wider range of effects forcreating highly expressive art than acrylics. With its flexibility and ease of use, acrylic paint is a must-try for painters-no matter your skill level. Here noted artist and School of Visual Arts instructor James Van Patten draws from years of experience to show you how to use acrylics to achieve a variety of results-from watercolor-like transparency and the flatness of tempera and gouache to the buttery quality of oils. He presents an insider's look at the most up-to-date tools, materials, and techniques used by top painters in the medium to produce highly expressive art. Van Patten offers guidance on materials, processes, balance, and composition, and focuses on effectively using color in painting. Replete with detailed step-by-step technical demonstrations and a catalog of inspiring works by notable past and contemporary artists, as well as the author himself and his students, The Acrylic Painter provides a complete, classic art instruction manual for painters of all abilities in one of today's most popular types of paint.

CONTENTSAcknowledgments ixIntroduction 01Chapter 01 ACRYLIC PAINTS AND ADDITIVES 03 Types of Acrylic Paint 04 Additives 21Chapter 02 PALETTES, BRUSHES & OTHER PAINTING TOOLS 31The Palette: Dry or Wet? 32Brushes 34Other Studio Supplies 41Keeping Clean and Cleaning Up 42Chapter 03 SURFACES FOR PAINTING 45Prestretched Canvases 46Stretching Your Own Canvas 47Gesso 50Panels 54Paper and Board Grounds 56Chapter 04 VISUAL EXPERIENCE 59Really Seeing What You’re Looking At 60The Elements of Visual Experience 61Chapter 05 COLOR 75Color Theory Basics 76Mixing Colors 91Chapter 06 YOUR VISION AS A PAINTER 97Choosing a Style 98Choosing a Subject 109Chapter 07 ACRYLIC PAINTING TECHNIQUES 121Underpainting 122Using Photographs 127Overpainting 132Painting Hard Edges 136Blending 138Glazing 139Impasto Painting 143Letting the Painting Communicate with You 147Chapter 08 FINISHING AND PRESENTING A PAINTING 151Protecting the Surface 152Matting, Mounting, and Framing Under Glass 153Framing Works on Canvas or Board 156The Next Painting 159About the Author 162Index 163