The Acrylics Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artist Review

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The Acrylics Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artist ReviewThis is an excellent guide to acrylic painting. It offers in depth background information as well as numerous step-by-step technique demonstrations. There are also many great example paintings throughout the book.
The book starts out with an overview of nine different paint brands including their characteristics, strengths and weaknesses. It then covers mediums, varnishes, modeling paste and gesso as well as supports, grounds, brushes, knives and other tools. Other background information such as selecting a color pallet, protecting finished works and caring for tools is here as well. There are even demonstrations on stretching and priming a canvas as well as preparing panels.
Basic concepts such as mixing paint, blending with both soft and hard edges, layering, scraping and spraying are covered next. Demonstrations include mixing paints on the pallet and creating a hard edge with masking tape. Color characteristics and relationships are also discussed.
Acrylic painting techniques follow, starting with a discussion of how to plan a painting and draw a preliminary sketch. You will find out how to use acrylics to mimic other styles of painting such as watercolor, opaque watercolor, oil painting and egg tempera. There is further instruction on how to combine techniques, paint on a wet canvas, create a collage, work with a gel medium and make a relief painting. Using acrylics with other media and in craft applications is also explored. Brief demonstrations show how they can be used with pencil and wash, colored pencil, lithography crayon, pastels and oil pastels.
There is a good list of suppliers and a detailed index. I recommend this book for acrylic painter of all levels because of its excellent coverage of both materials and a wide range of techniques.The Acrylics Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artist Overview

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Painting Do-It-Yourself For Dummies Review

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Painting Do-It-Yourself For Dummies ReviewPainting Do-It-Yourself For Dummies by Katharine Kay McMillan, PhD and Patricia Hart McMillan is one of those books that you probably look at and say, "I already know how to paint a wall!." But if you're anything like me (and I hope not for your sake), your skill in doing more than slopping paint around is not all it could be. This book uses the traditional Dummies style to show both the basics and a number of techniques you may never have considered in your decorating plans. My wife and I will be trying some of these out this summer as we gear up for some bigger redecorating chores.
Contents:
Part 1 - Preparing for Your Painting Project: Gathering What You Need; Readying Your Room and Surface; Making Necessary Wall Repairs; Brushing Up on Painting Basics
Part 2 - Painting Walls Like a Pro: Faux Finishes with Shapes and Patterns; Faux Finishes Using Glaze; More Fun Decorative Techniques
Part 3 - Covering Other Areas of Your Home: Coating Ceilings and Floors; Turning Your Brush to Trim, Windows, and Doors
Part 4 - The Part of Tens: Ten Tips for a Practically Perfect Paint Job; Ten Tips for Picking the Best Color
Index
The first part covers all those things about painting that seems to take all the time and are no fun at all... the prep work. Tools are explained, as well as how to properly prepare the surfaces for painting and how to make the necessary repairs involving those gouges and cracks that tend to occur over time. Even though you've done all these things before if you've painted, it's a good refresher on just why it's important and what you gain by doing it correctly. Then it's on to the fun stuff... actually putting paint on the wall! The authors show you, complete with plenty of pictures, how to try some of the things that you usually only see in houses that have decorators on hand. There's horizontal and vertical striping, clouds, color blocking, and tone-on-tone checkerboarding. They are very striking techniques, and obviously would not work in every room in every house. Still, it'll give you ideas you may have never had the courage to contemplate before. Personally, I was most excited about the glaze and texture ideas. If I can talk my wife into it, I'd really like to try the painted tissue wallpaper. Texture for the wall, coverage for the lathe/plaster cracks and irregularities, and something really "different". The part on covering other surfaces is not quite as long or perhaps exciting, but again you'll get the proper technique for doing things so that the results come out looking professional.
This is one of the few books I sat my wife down and went through with her. While we might not agree on actual colors and styles, we at least had a shared perspective that was more than her giving ideas and me saying "whatever". I look forward to actually painting a room or two this year (did I actually write that?), and this book will help me improve the outcome dramatically.Painting Do-It-Yourself For Dummies Overview

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New Acrylics Essential Sourcebook: Materials, Techniques, and Contemporary Applications for Today's Artist Review

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New Acrylics Essential Sourcebook: Materials, Techniques, and Contemporary Applications for Today's Artist ReviewFirst let me caution, this book is in no way for beginners. In fact, its overly technical slant is enough to scare people away from acrylics. I'm only partially kidding. As a well seasoned painter and someone fairly knowledgeable in the field, I found the author's vocabulary a bit daunting at times. Flocculation anybody? Does anyone besides the author of this book know what this word means? Flocculation is when your paint curdles, OK?
That said, this book offers wonderful suggestions on how to achieve some stunning effects in the acrylic arena. But in no way is this book a how to. You'll see a picture with something you want to know more about, and you get one sentence without any further explanation. I found this and other things about this book frustrating. The other kink in the works is that many of the "new generation" of acrylics this author is championing are solely manufactured by Tri Art Acrylics, a company the author consults for.
That being said, the book is beautifully presented and definitely has influenced my artistic approach.
Siouxie, Bronx, NYNew Acrylics Essential Sourcebook: Materials, Techniques, and Contemporary Applications for Today's Artist Overview

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Acrylic Painting Techniques Review

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Acrylic Painting Techniques ReviewDespite what other reviewers apparently think, this is a book about techniques: applying watercolor techniques or oil techniques to acrylics, making use of gels, using metallics, painting transparently or opaquely, and so on. And as such, the book succeeds quite well. Quiller's style has nothing at all to do with the techniques themselves; he isn't saying "paint like me!" He is simply showing his own examples -- lots of great examples -- of the techniques he presents. If you want a book that tells you how to paint in a particular style, this isn't the book for you. But if you want a good source of techniques that can be applied to acrylics -- using your own style of painting -- this book delivers.Acrylic Painting Techniques Overview

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Painting with Acrylics (Beginner Art Guides) Review

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Painting with Acrylics (Beginner Art Guides) ReviewThis is by far the very best acrylics book for a beginner!!(I have about six other ones.) It explains and illustrates all of the facets of acrylic painting in a very organized way; it answers any question of what acrylics is, and how it may be used with its different mediums from plain to exotic. It takes you step by step with thorough examples and illustrations. Excellent book!!Painting with Acrylics (Beginner Art Guides) Overview

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The Acrylic Painter's Book of Styles and Techniques Review

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The Acrylic Painter's Book of Styles and Techniques ReviewThe painting techniques of seven master artists, whose styles are quite diverse, are highlighted in as many chapters of this book. Textural techniques, flat opaque colors, ultra-realism, impasto, luminosity through thin glazes and experimental abstracts are all carefully described and illustrated on the pages. Not only do the artists take the reader through step-by-step demonstrations on one representative work, but they also showcase a gallery selection of other work that has been created through the same technique. My favorites were the incredibly dramatic, ultra realistic studies of still-life flowers by Barbara Buer. The technique of Michael Nevin, in his urban paintings shows an intense atmosphere of light and dark, reminiscent of Hopper. Although these are basic techniques, there is much to learn from the examples and the demonstrations are clearly described. Now, after reading the book, I am anxious to try this out for myself.The Acrylic Painter's Book of Styles and Techniques Overview

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The Creative Edge: Exercises to Celebrate Your Creative Self Review

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The Creative Edge: Exercises to Celebrate Your Creative Self ReviewMary Todd Beam's follow-up to her first book expands both creative repertoire and creative experience. I have seen books on creativity that, while fun to explore, have little application for serious works of art. "The Creative Edge" does both. Many of the techniques are new, not just a rehash of all the old ones. Each technique can be used as the focus of a single art work, but the same technique can be combined with others in the book, or with techniques learned elsewhere. For example, it is possible to use her "sparkling ice" technique to create a fascinating abstract, or use it as part of a larger, more representational work.
The section titled "Have a Look: Observe" opens our eyes to looking at familiar objects in a different way, for example the interior of a derelict car, to create interpretive abstracts. I particularly like the section "Finding Figures in a Foil Print" as it not only shows a unique way of using black gesso and foil (the result looks almost like a lithograph) it could also be developed in so many ways - as an abstract, like the examples, or to add texture to a landscape or even a still life. Examples of other artists' use of the techniques provide inspiration as well as additional ideas.
Most of the artwork is done on illustration board. If this is difficult to obtain, or if you do not like the shiny surface, it is possible to use matt board, although this is a little lighter. It does need to be gessoed on both sides and the edges sealed with wax. For a more matte working surface, I find a thin coat of fibre paste on top of the gesso works nicely. (Golden produces an excellent one)
As usual, Mary Todd Beam uses her famed palette of only three colours with amazing success: Quinacridone Crimson, Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold and Turquoise (Pthalo) These create wonderful secondaries, as well as interesting tints and shades when mixed with black or white. It is worthwhile setting aside the old pallette you are comfortable with, and trying something entirely different. The results can be quite exciting.The Creative Edge: Exercises to Celebrate Your Creative Self Overview

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Watermedia Painting with Stephen Quiller: The Complete Guide to Working in Watercolor, Acrylics, Gouache, and Casein Review

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Watermedia Painting with Stephen Quiller: The Complete Guide to Working in Watercolor, Acrylics, Gouache, and Casein ReviewI have been waiting for this book for over a year. I heard about it at Stephen Quiller's Summer workshop in Creede, Colorado, June 2007. I have been painting watercolors for a lot of years and have studied, read, drawn, and painted fairly consistently through those years. I have concluded that all aspects of doing art are important to learn--drawing, composition, materials, equipment, and so on. But, once you have gained some competence in these areas, it all comes down to color. Now I have learned about color too, but during the latter part of those years, Quiller's books "Color Choices" and "Painter's Guide to Color" really helped me achieve a quantum leap forward in my use and understanding of color.
Stephen Quiller is an expert and master at painting with watermedia, all kinds, and at mixed watermedia, plein air painting, and color. And these subjects are covered in this book. But I always had a wish, and that was that he would explain his compositional approach. How does he put together his paintings onsite and elsewhere? And here it is. And what a treasure it is!
What I also appreciate is that this book was written by an accomplished and dedicated teacher, who genuinely desires to pass on those valuable lessons he has learned to us struggling artists. And it is written well. I have followed his work and writing for a number of years, and he just keeps getting better. Stephen Quiller is the real thing. He works hard at his art. He knows what he is talking about, big time. His helper at his gallery in Creede (matter, framer, researcher, manager, etc.) Chere Waters told me, during a conversation at the gallery, that every day he is at home and can, Quiller is out painting. That's what it takes, folks. I tell my students, "You want to get good, do it everyday!"
If you want to learn more about watermedia painting from one of the best, whether watercolor, gouache, acrylics, casein, and how they can be combined to advantage; if you want to learn how to plan and develop your paintings well from sketchbook to finished work; if you want to follow the thinking of a master artist--get this book.
Highest recommendation.Watermedia Painting with Stephen Quiller: The Complete Guide to Working in Watercolor, Acrylics, Gouache, and Casein Overview

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The New Acrylics: Complete Guide to the New Generation of Acrylic Paints Review

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The New Acrylics: Complete Guide to the New Generation of Acrylic Paints ReviewJust wanted to write a review because the title doesn't give you much info as to what's in the book- I bought it just because I love acrylics and there aren't many books on the subject compared with other mediums. Much of the book is about textural acrylics- acrylics made thick with mediums. They really get into showing you many photos of obscure working methods like cutting up sheets of tinted (dry) acrylic gel into squares to make a mosaic or how to make a stained glass panel with transparent acrylics. This is a very good book for learning about the paint itself, what it's made of, what effects can be achieved by manipulating it, how to do silkscreening, monoprinting, and acrylic transfers. You won't find any paintings of flowers in this book! If you love acrylics this is the book to broaden your horizons. :)The New Acrylics: Complete Guide to the New Generation of Acrylic Paints Overview

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Lee Hammond's Big Book of Acrylic Painting: Fast, easy techniques for painting your favorite subjects Review

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Lee Hammond's Big Book of Acrylic Painting: Fast, easy techniques for painting your favorite subjects ReviewI like all of Lee Hammond's books. They are laid out very well and do a good job explaining techniques. It's very good to get you started, but I found information in other places after reading her book, that I wish had been included...such as do you underpaint or not and why. But it's a good starting point to learn acrylic.Lee Hammond's Big Book of Acrylic Painting: Fast, easy techniques for painting your favorite subjects Overview

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Painting Abstracts: Ideas, Projects and Techniques Review

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Painting Abstracts: Ideas, Projects and Techniques ReviewFor me, this book is too formulaic; it is more about "getting it right" than about awakening creative inspiration. While it is true that the abstract artist needs a good grasp of design, this is not the essence of abstract art; it is a medium for expressing intangibles visually.
If you believe a 'paint by numbers' kind of approach will give you confidence to begin, by all means start with Painting Abstracts. But if you want your abstracts to sing, I would recommend working from Mary Todd Beam's book, "Celebrate Your Creative Self." (She also has a new book coming out in March of 2009.)
For me, all the examples in "Painting Abstracts" have the same emotional temperature and use exactly the same visual metaphors. To get the idea of different visual metaphors, I would recommend looking at works by artists using other mediums, especially fibre artists and ceramic artists.
What I most find missing in this book is help with awakening inspiration: in the texture of rocks and leaves and trees for example, in different moods of water. Have you ever looked at a sunset that made you gasp? No doubt we cannot all aspire to creating the same emotional impact, but it is possible to put some of that feeling into an abtract painting.
Look further than this book if you want to do more than know how to handle your medium or how to create a pleasant design.
Postscript April 20th 2009:
It is worthwhile to read Pamela Blunt's rebuttal of my review in the comments, as well as my reply. (Incidently, I gave her a 'yes' vote, even though she completely disagrees with me.) Both our comments encapsulate the two different ways of approaching abstract art. I am sure folks are more than capable of deciding which way they want to go.Painting Abstracts: Ideas, Projects and Techniques Overview

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The Encyclopedia of Acrylic Techniques: A Unique A-Z Directory of Acrylic Techniques with Step-by-Step Guidance on Their Use Review

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The Encyclopedia of Acrylic Techniques: A Unique A-Z Directory of Acrylic Techniques with Step-by-Step Guidance on Their Use ReviewI havebeen panting with Acrylics for many years, having switched from oils because ofthe chemicals. This book provides information about all techniques in theuse of Acrylics in a very clear, understandable manner. It has proved tobe a great help to my painting efforts. I recently painted a 'Superman' for my great-grandaughter using information about glazing from the book. I would recomend it toall acrylic painters.The Encyclopedia of Acrylic Techniques: A Unique A-Z Directory of Acrylic Techniques with Step-by-Step Guidance on Their Use Overview

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DK Art School: An Introduction to Acrylics Review

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DK Art School: An Introduction to Acrylics ReviewWhen I decided that I wanted to start painting, I bought five "How To" books. This one is my favorite, hands down. The book is well organized, well written, and contains a lot of beautifully detailed photographs. The author has kept the text to a minimum, letting the photographs do much of the talking, which works far better for me than other books that have more emphasis on written instruction.
In only 72 pages, every topic is covered, and no question is left unanswered. It begins with a brief history of the medium, then moves on to cover color, paint types, brushes, painting surfaces, tools, and techniques, as well as galleries of different painting styles. There's even a section on experimental approaches, such as stenciling and inventive scraping. Rather than presenting a series of exercises (as many books do), this author encourages experimentation and discovering your own personal style, an approach that really inspired me to pick up a brush and get started.
Also worth mentioning is that every photograph and illustration is in color . . . really GOOD color. This may sound like a no-brainer, but a few of the other books I purchased contained a lot of black-and-white photos. Hey, you can't learn to paint in black and white!
Experienced artists may find the material here a bit too rudimentary, but for the true novice, like myself, this book is a winner. If you're looking for that ONE book to get you started, this is it!DK Art School: An Introduction to Acrylics Overview

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Painting for the Absolute and Utter Beginner Review

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Painting for the Absolute and Utter Beginner ReviewPainting for the Absolute and Utter Beginner! Well, I will be honest. I do not fall into that category. I have been actively painting for about...well, let's say that I can remember my parents arguing over the prospects of Truman Beating Dewey at the dinner table. I took courses and courses and courses in college; art courses of which most involved painting in a misguided attempt to increase my GPA so that I would not be thrown out on my ear. Since that time I have attended countless workshops and seminars.
Now you would think that I would be a pretty good artist, huh! Well, sadly I am not. While I receive a great amount of pure joy and personal satisfaction from my hobby, I fear to tell you that I am horrible. The only creatures on earth that appreciate my art work, and come to think of it, my poetry, are my dogs. They are nonjudgmental in all things and quite encouraging...as a matter of fact.
But that does not mean I don't enjoy painting...no, no, no! It is a very important part of my life! I am so much richer for it!
Now the reason I shared the above, other than simply wanting to rant a bit, was to assure you that I know "about" art; I know the mechanics. What I don't have is talent. Now that being said, I can most certainly verify for you that this is one fine book that I am reviewing here, and if you have never painted before, then you certainly cannot go wrong with this thing.
I went through this work page by page. Despite it all, I learned much! The author's methodology is absolutely workable and she is obviously one of those individuals who in a natural born teacher. She knows her subject! She has the rare ability to pass her knowledge on, in an understandable fashion, via the written word.
Step by baby-step she takes you through the entire process even to the point of choosing and caring for our fist brushes. Her approach to explaining color; mixing, shading, values, properties, mixing and blending are worth much, even to those that know there way around a palette. Still life, portrait, landscape, figure...it is all here.
Now please take note. This is not one of those little arts and crafts books that teach you how to paint one or two "purty pictures." No, this is a full blown art course with a certain degree of sophistication. This is not a children's book, although it could well be used by a skilled teacher to teach children with.
About the only subject I could find that the author did not spend all that much time on was creativity and inspiration; but hey, that is something you sort of have to work out on our own...when you really think about it...it is not something you can get from a book; trust me!
I also liked the way that Ms. Garcia has used the work of her students to illustrate her teaching points rather than her own work. So often when the author uses their own work it is hard to separate the teaching from the "showing off." I liked that.
Other than taking one on one lessons; or group lessons, with a real life teacher...a good teacher, this work is about as good a teacher you are likely to find.
Good book. If are in the least bit interested in taking this art form up, then you really need to check this one out.
Don Blankenship
The OzarksPainting for the Absolute and Utter Beginner Overview

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Acrylic Painting: A Step-by-Step Instruction Book (His the Artist's Painting Library) Review

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Acrylic Painting: A Step-by-Step Instruction Book (His the Artist's Painting Library) ReviewI have to say that I was a bit disappointed in this one. For a book that is geared towards the beginner, there was surprisingly little information about actually getting started, with the main focus being on exercises and demonstrations. Speaking as a novice, if this had been the only book I had purchased, I would have been totally lost.
I don't want to say that this book is completely useless, however. The basic information about paints, supports, brushes etc. is good, as are the glossary terms. But beyond that, in comparison to other "How To" books that I've purchased, this one just doesn't measure up. To be fair, some of that can be attributed to personal taste. As someone who is interested in abstract art, the lessons (all still life and landscape) simply didn't interest me. Furthermore, almost half of the photos are black-and-white, including some of the demonstration pages. It's a stretch to expect the reader to understand the difference between opaque and transparent painting techniques by looking at rather poor quality black-and-white images. It just didn't work for me. For the novice painter, there are much better books out there.Acrylic Painting: A Step-by-Step Instruction Book (His the Artist's Painting Library) Overview

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Acrylic Revolution: New Tricks and Techniques for Working with the World's Most Versatile Medium Review

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Acrylic Revolution: New Tricks and Techniques for Working with the World's Most Versatile Medium ReviewAs a watercolor painter for 20 years and now trying to learn to paint with acrylics, I'd read every book I could find but they often contradicted each other or had out of date information or demonstrated really ugly painting. This book is THE acrylic bible, written by a master artist and teacher. It's full of helpful tips and specific detailed information about how to achieve any technique that can be done with oil or watercolor in acrylic, along with things that you can only do with acrylics.
My goal is to be able to use acrylics more like oils and this book explains how it's done. Each technique includes "recipes" for how much of what mediums or additives to use to achieve the goals. The sample art work is superb and the writing is better and more clear than any art how to book I've read (and I have a huge library of them). I just can't say enough about how happy I am with this book and how much I appreciate the author's generous sharing of detailed, specific information.Acrylic Revolution: New Tricks and Techniques for Working with the World's Most Versatile Medium Overview

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Painting Acrylic Landscapes the Easy Way (Brush With Acrylics) Review

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Painting Acrylic Landscapes the Easy Way (Brush With Acrylics) ReviewI personally think this is Terry Harrison's best book. I believe that I own all of Terry's books, purchased from Amazon and his brushes. I also have purchased his own brand of watercolor paints, greens and shadow. I teach both watercolor and acrylic painting, shying away from oils where possible.
I have been pleased and excited with every purchase as well as the speed in shipment.
I have been a painting instructor for over 30 years and when I decide to 'branch out' to teaching a different medium I don't want to 're-invent the wheel'. I liked what I saw in his books, tried it with my other brushes and saw nothing 'new' in the finished practice pieces. I saw just what I had been able to do before seeing Terry's books....alright work but not the fresh technique I enjoyed seeing in the books.
When the supplies came to my shop I got excited all over again because the 'strange haired' brushes did exactly as he demonstrated and are a joy to use. I use the brushes for both my watercolor painting and my acrylic paintings just making certain that I keep the acrylic cleaned out of the bristles continually to prevent any buildup.
There are 127 pages filled with wonderful landscape paintings as well as many different kinds of structure, waterfront scenes, how to add life to paintings and it is filled with step by step photos of how to use his brushes and he explains why the brush was made like it is. An example would be the "Golden Leaf" brush. He writes:"When this brush is new, dip it in hot water so that the hair curls, as this will keep the hairs separate, making the brush ideal for creating texture. As it's name suggests, it is perfectly suited for stippling foliage in landscapes......" etc.
Terry also goes into so much more detail such as how to use texture paste,glaze medium, painting knives and so much more.
If you will be using the book with different brushes you will still get a lot of great ideas and instructions covering a wide range of topics. Keep your brushes wet.Painting Acrylic Landscapes the Easy Way (Brush With Acrylics) Overview

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Brush with Acrylics: Painting the Easy Way Review

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Brush with Acrylics: Painting the Easy Way ReviewI am a beginning artist who started off using the Bob Ross method of oil painting. I enjoyed the fairly simple ways that Bob had for making landscape effects. The only problem for me was in the wet on wet method, you pick up the wet paint from below. I worked through his methods to create some convincing mountains and tress and lakes, but then I wanted to try acrylic painting since acrylic paint dries faster. I researched quite a few books to find one or two that gave step by step beginner instructions and were close to the Bob Ross style of creating illusions of effects - as opposed to highly detailed or photographic style of painting. This book covers all of the basics and shows how to do things in a simple manner. The beginning talks about specific effects and then ends with putting these effects together in an entire painting. For what is there I would give it 5 stars. The reason I gave it 4 stars was the description of brushes are the author's own creations - i.e. for some of the affects you must buy his brushes. Most of the effects can be made with other brushes, but I would have appreciated the author using standard brushes that anyone can find. I have only been able to find his brushes from internet sites from the UK. If you look at this author's style and the style of those similar to his, you will get a lot of good information from this book. I bought this with the first in the series of the Jerry Yarnell books. Yarnell is slightly more detail oriented than Harrison or Ross for that matter, but still has some good techniques.Brush with Acrylics: Painting the Easy Way Overview

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