An Introduction to Acrylics (DK Art School) [Hardcover]

Ray Campbell Smith (Author)

Book Description

Series: DK Art School | Publication Date: September 15, 1993

Whether you've taken art classes or never held a brush before, An Introduction to Acrylics will show you everything you need to know about working in this challenging-- but rewarding -- medium. Easy-to-follow projects, shown as they were created, teach the essentials while inspiring the student to tackle increasingly complex techniques. Each volume of the DK Art School series focuses on a specific medium and subject, so you can choose precisely what you want to learn. When complete, the DK Art School will offer the widest choice of specific subjects -- from acrylic figure to oil portrait, and from pastel still life to watercolor landscape. Build your own private Art School in your home library.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 72 pages
• Publisher: DK ADULT (September 15, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564583732
• ISBN-13: 978-1564583734
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #874,517 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

101 of 101 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable for the Beginner, August 15, 2006

By 

Kathy V. (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: DK Art School: An Introduction to Acrylics (Paperback)

When 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!

104 of 106 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book That Is Better Than Most, January 18, 2002

By 

"noy_noynoynoy" (Ukiah, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: DK Art School: An Introduction to Acrylics (Paperback)

This book is great. Not only does it start out with the basics, it then takes you deeper, showing you supplies that are really worth gettting. After they show you the basics, they talk about different brush strokes, and color mixing. They show you why acrylic is such a great medium, and the different effects you can achieve using it. Then they begin to talk about light, and have an example painting that you can paint along with. They cover many different forms. Get this book if you want to know about acrylics.

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just The Basics, March 22, 2005

By 

A. Hubbard "Myz" (Winchester VA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: DK Art School: An Introduction to Acrylics (Paperback)

For someone just starting out in the painting feild, acrylic or otherwise, this book is gold. It has all the basic information one needs to create an image. If you want to paint, but don't know where to start, this will definately be the book for you.