5.0 out of 5 based on 3 reviews. – Customer review on 25/01/2007

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!

4.0 out of 5 based on 3 reviews. – Customer review on 26/11/2008

This is a good beginners' book, and gives a lot of information on brushes, colours and techniques. I was hoping for some ideas and tips on things like shading on faces, painting hair and ways to paint clouds, but they are not covered. The book is value for money apart from those things.

5.0 out of 5 based on 3 reviews. – Customer review on 17/10/2006

An excellent basic book for beginners. It covers everything from what is acrylic paint, to the different types of brushes used, to how to compose a painting. It is clearly written, has plenty of illustrations - from high art as well as step by step pictures. It is a concise and inspirational guide for those new to this medium. A very good cost effective book.