Customer Reviews

Rethinking Acrylic: Radical Solutions For Exploiting The World's Most Versatile Medium

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have long been an admirer of Patti's work and waited for this book to come out. It does not disappoint!

Patti so freely shares her techniques for creating those lovely layers of depth and color that I love in her paintings and have always wondered how she does it. Not only does she share techniques, there are many other talented artists sharing techniques I would never have dreamed of trying.

At last, I know what all those GACs and TARS and GELS will do! The use of all compounds from Golden are covered, as well as beautiful samples of how it looks in a finished piece. (Patti is a teacher for Golden so you can expect that she uses their products to create her pieces.)

A few of the techniques covered are:

Watermedia effects
subtractive techniques
pours
acrylic encaustic
acrylic image transfers...and more. Each chapter features an artist whose are is well versed in the subject, and each artist shares his/her technique in achieving the look.

I can't wait to go the art supply store this afternoon to buy some gels and start playing. If you are looking for an acrylic technique book, this one covers many techniques, as well as how to use all those gels that I have not seen in other books, including Acrylic Revolution which is also a great book. If you are an acrylic painter then this is a valuable book for your library!

Patti Brady's "Rethinking Acrylics" has proved to be even better than my (previously reviewed) favourite, Nancy Reyner's "Acrylic Revolution, and that's saying a lot. As an artist, I have changed from pastel work to painting abstracts in acrylics, and I could not have developed the unique textural and reflective effects I wanted without the help of Patti Brady's book.

One comment claims that most artists use only acrylic pigments and water. Maybe hobby artists do, but to create finishes that professionally replicate the beautiful effects of traditional mediums like oils and encaustics, it is necessary to go further than pigment and water alone. For example, there are artists like myself who do not have the correct ventilation for using encaustics. Patty Brady demonstrates an exciting "faux encaustic" using acrylic pigments and mediums that solves the problem and looks very like the real thing.

Another challenge is in creating vibrancy and light. It is not possible to use ten to twenty glazes to achieve light refraction and depth without using the unique effects of acrylic mediums. And if you want to "float" objects in successive transparent layers, the use of an acrylic medium is essential. Brady covers all these techniques and more.

Regardless of whether you like Patti Brady's style of art or not, she has the use of acrylic mediums down to a fine art. If you want to learn to exploit acrylics to the full, this is definitely the book. And it does show work in progress from other artists who demonstrate creative uses of acrylic pigments and mediums in very different styles.

While the book does focus exclusively on Golden Artists Colours, it is possible to adapt the techniques to other quality brands. The emphasis is on quality. It is impossible to achieve the same effects (as Brady does) by using cheap substitutes. I have also found Golden Paints much more user friendly than other brands in regard to toxicity. Despite initial price, they are economical because they have a high chroma and so go a long way. No, it does not cost $50 dollars to complete a painting with Golden Paints" as one commenter claims. My most recent work was 39 inches x 45 inches and the Golden Products I used would have cost me less than $15 (and some were specialty products.)

There are no "cheap gimmicks" in this book as one critic has claimed. It is the ability to achieve the visual statement you want that determines choice of paint medium. "Rethinking Acrylics" has helped me achieve results well beyond what I had initially hoped.

Finally a book that is at least more comprehensive than other modern acrylic painting books...Great photographs and explanations.
I only wish there were more step by step techniques and maybe a more in depth look at the other artists featured in the book. For instance, Ulysses Jackson's work is featured and barely explained....Its a tease!!
Having met and talked to some of Golden's artists gives me a one up on their processes, but im sure others would like more info....That being said, i realize this is a first book and only so much can go into it.
But big thumbs up to Patti Brady for bringing some really underexploited techniques to the public!

FYI, it seems all techniques use exclusively Golden products...not a problem for me, its my favorite paint! Just be aware that some of these gels will set you back some money, can be a tad hard to find(i believe the garnet gel is discontinued)and they are used unsparingly.
I can tell you that judging from what patti uses in several projects that the cost of supply alone can run upwards of 50 dollars for one painting.
I highly reccomend this book as a new standard in acrylic painting, just be prepared to spend some money!!

All I have to say is, "Thank God for reviews." When this book first came out, I viewed the available pages here on Amazon. As most of the artwork shown in the book is not the type of artwork I particularly want to do, I found myself not interested in purchasing the book. Then I saw the book in a store, and flipped through it with the same reaction. Something made me come back and read the reviews again on Amazon, and I'm glad I did.

The information in this book is unbeatable for information about acrylics/mediums and how to use and experiment with them. I agree with so many other reviews: it is a perfect companion piece to "Acrylic Revolution" because it does discuss the mediums but shows uses in other ways; the work has been done for you -- Ms. Brady is a pioneer, explorer, scientist and artist -- this woman has done a LOT of experimentation to come up with some of the methods and uses described in this book. She really knows these mediums and what they will do themselves and in use with other mediums. I could not put this book down once I started to read it and am blown away by the technical and practical information contained therein, described in easy-to-understand terms. It is a wealth of information.

I took this book yesterday to show some painting colleagues of mine; not their kind of artwork either, but I bet a few are going to go out and get this book after taking a few minutes to explore its contents. I told them you MUST get this book if you are going to work or experiment in acrylics -- you just gotta have it. Great find! My thanks to all the folks who read and reviewed this book before I.

When I got wind of this book, I thought, I had to have it. I met Patti a few years ago at a local workshop and was impressed with her personality and creativity. I have been using Golden paints for over 10 years and love the flexibility, uniqueness, and character of the product.

The book is beautifully printed and assembled in a ring bound hard cover that is slightly oversized as to not get paint on the pages while using it in the studio. The unique design allows the cover to be opened and lie flat while reading or using it for reference while in the studio.

What a value for so much content crammed into 160 pages. My head was swimming with ideas after reading this book. A "must have" for anyone looking to expand their creative horizons.

Actually sat down Sunday and read the book from cover to cover.(I never do that) Excellent and thorough. This is a great manual for the experienced acrylic painters who want to know more than what's normally out there. It already has me thinking about how to incorporate the techniques into my work.

"Rethinking Acrylic" is a very good book for its price. Patti Brady, the author, defines acrylic in great detail and shows step-by-step how to use acrylic paints in a many different ways.

Please note, this book is not for the beginner painter, as it goes beyond painting by showing how to create forms with acrylics with many different methods that Patti shows throughout the book.

If you wish to complete a painting in a day, then this book is not for you because the methods of this painting are time consuming.

This book is for the more experience painter who has lots of time, space, and money to buy the supplies needed to create this type of art work.

In addition, the process of creating a painting, as Patti has done, takes lots of time, patience, and like stated before, space.

If you like challenges, then this book is for you.

If you bored with just applying several layers to your canvas and want lots more, then this book is for you.

I suggest this book because like stated before, Patti goes beyond painting and creating works of arts that will last many lifetimes.

Personally, I have created layered works like Patti; however, I have yet gone where Patti has gone. For her works are advance pieces, and it takes a person, similar to a jeweler, to create the masterpieces that she has created in her book, "Rethinking Acrylics".

Sincerely, Pamela Carvajal Drapala

I already own "Acrylic Revolution", but this is a perfect companion piece. Some of the same techniques, but presented in a different way, and some techniques not covered in the other book.
Nice big pictures to illustrate techniques.

This book shows that acrylic is an entirely different medium than oils, can be used to do many techniques that would be impossible with other mediums, and along with "Acrylic Revolution", brings acrylics into their own.

"Rethinking Acrylic" opens the door to new ways to use acrylic paints. There is a very good variety of techniques from different artists who present an excellent range of ways to approach this medium. I particularly liked the sections on acrylic skins, transfers, and acrylic encaustic. The book has very good illustrations and is spiral bound so that is lies nice and flat.

Most of my painting has been with watercolors with a focus on traditional themes. I purchased artist/author Patti Brady's "Rethinking Acrylic" along with "Acrylic . . . for Dummies" in order to learn more about the physical properties, benefits, limitations, and current uses of acrylic paint in art works. Ms. Brady's book primarily uses her own work to illustrate the flexibility of acrylic paints. Her works are far from the traditional themes I focus on, but her works have encouraged me to try new directions in WC as well as to play more with acrylics. Persons who need info on basic techniques of acrylic painting might find her book a little intimidating, but persons who feel comfortable with their efforts in other drawing and painting media probably will enjoy seeing how versatile acrylics are and, like me, probably will be encouraged to try some new things with their regular media while trying out acrylics. So, don't feel intimidated; just step on in.