Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part I: Getting Acquainted with Acrylics 5

Chapter 1: Acrylics Are Awesome! 7

Chapter 2: Setting Up Supplies: Brushes, Surfaces, and Palettes 17

Chapter 3: All About Paints and Mediums 35

Part II: Exploring Tricks and Techniques 47

Chapter 4: Basic Painting and Finishing Techniques 49

Chapter 5: Building Your Repertoire with Quick Tricks and Techniques 71

Chapter 6: Drawn to Paint — Even if Your Drawing Skills Need Work 85

Part III: Finding the Fun in Fundamentals 101

Chapter 7: Taking a Quick Color Tour 103

Chapter 8: Design of the Times: Design Elements and Principles 123

Chapter 9: Putting the Pieces Together: Composition 143

Part IV: Acrylic’s Versatile Styles 157

Chapter 10: Letting It Flow: Creating a Watercolor-like Landscape 159

Chapter 11: Laying It On Thick: Painting Like the Oil Masters 179

Chapter 12: Thinking and Painting Abstractly 205

Part V: Projects for Different Surfaces 235

Chapter 13: Creating Collages and Transfers 237

Chapter 14: Cool Projects for All Types of Surfaces 255

Part VI: The Part of Tens 281

Chapter 15: Ten (Plus One) Genres: Figuring Out What You Want to Paint 283

Chapter 16: Ten Ways to Get the Creative Juices Flowing 291

Index 295

About the Author

Colette Pitcher is a painter and sculptor who exhibits her artwork throughout the country. She is the owner of the Showcase Art Center in Greeley, Colorado, where she offers adult instruction in numerous painting mediums. Pitcher is also the author of Watercolor Painting For Dummies and is a contributor to PaintWorks magazine.