The Acrylic Painter's Book of Styles & Techniques [Hardcover]

Rachel Rubin Wolf (Author), Rachel Wolf (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1997

New techniques from the masters of the medium show artists how to experiment with acrylics and create better paintings. Famous for their versatility, acrylics can be used right from the tube to look like oils, be thinned with water and used like traditional watercolors, and enhanced with unique techniques for dramatic results. Readers will benefit from the step-by-step versatile techniques of these seven outstanding acrylic painters. Joesph Orr's textural techniques for enhancing country scenes; Mary Sweet's formula for painting colorful outdoor scenes; Barbara Buer's dramatic still lifes, as transparent as watercolors; William Hook's breathtaking vistas achieve pulsating color; Lisa Buck-Goldstein's careful planning produces lively results; Michael Nevin's multiple thin glazes build luminosity in scenes; Louise Cadillac's experimental techniques for creating expressive abstracts; In 28 step-by-step demonstrations, they show new techniques for mastering acrylic's many faces - from the look of highly controlled transparent watercolor to abstract expressionism, and everything in between.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Acrylic paints are the chameleons of media. Straight from the tube, acrylics can look like oils; thinned with water, they are used like traditional watercolors. To illustrate her point, editor Wolf wisely chooses seven master artists, each of whom uses a different technique to portray everything from still lifes to outdoor scenes to expressive abstracts. This approach is uniquely appropriate to the medium and makes this work even more useful than Earl and Leah Killeen's The North Light Book of Acrylic Painting Techniques (North Light, 1995).
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Rachel Rubin Wolf is a freelance writer, editor and artist. She is the author of more than 20 books including The Acrylic Painter's Book of Styles and Techniques and The Best of Flower Painting. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: North Light Books; 1st edition (August 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0891347445
• ISBN-13: 978-0891347446
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,140,324 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rachel Rubin Wolf is a freelance writer, editor and artist. She has edited and authored fine art books for North Light Books including all 10 books in the Splash series. Rachel has also written for the magazines Wildlife Art and Fine Art Connoisseur.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

100 of 103 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a "must" for the acrylic painter's library!, May 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Acrylic Painter's Book of Styles & Techniques (Hardcover)

The 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.

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Now that you've learned the basics...., April 16, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Acrylic Painter's Book of Styles and Techniques (Paperback)

and your staring at the canvas waiting for something, anything to inspire you...

This book is excellent for taking your painting to the next level. Although the styles represented in the book are not my own, i took away several techniques after reading this book. The best thing about this book is it shows you HOW, so many books show the effect without the steps. Not this one, it's all laid out in an easy to understand and non-intimidating fashion.

48 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars conprehensive, interseting, well worth the purchase, May 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Acrylic Painter's Book of Styles & Techniques (Hardcover)

The book covers everything a beginner or intermediate artist would want to know about a variety of styles, techniques, and media.The illustrations are excellent and the text is easy to understand and well written.I found this book to be an outstanding learning tool.