Blakely Little - Modern Acrylic: A Playful and Contemporary Exploration of Acrylic Painting

BLAKELY LITTLE

2018 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.

Artwork and text 2018 Blakely Little, except: Photos on pages (top) Brenda Swenson.

First published in 2018 by Walter Foster Publishing, an imprint of The Quarto Group.

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Digital edition: 978-1-63322-619-7

Softcover edition: 978-1-63322-618-0

Digital edition published in 2018

Acquiring & Project Editor: Stephanie Carbajal

Page Layout: Erin Fahringer

Have you ever been in a moment and felt the desire to capture it? I dont mean just a quick photo to freeze what it looks like; I mean you want to capture the feeling of it all: the warmth of sand beneath your feet on your first trip to the beach after a long winter, the wind blowing through your car window as your drive through the mountains, the silence in a single, fragile flower. This is painting. Painting is about seeing and feeling, and pushing all those emotions onto a canvas.

Acrylic paints are versatile and can mimic other paints easily, without the hassle of special products. They are tough and permanent and will hold true to their color for years. They dont have any odor and are safe for all ages. You can water down acrylic paint and layer washes of color over and over to build up opaque shades to create new colors. You can lay acrylic paint thickly on a panelit will dry quicklyand then paint on top of that color without the two mixing and getting muddy.

In this book, well explore everything you need to know to get started in acrylic painting, whether youre brand new to art or an experienced artist who just wants to explore a new medium. Well go over the basic tools and materials, how to handle brushes to achieve certain strokes and textures, how to use color to express yourself, and so much more.

After youve learned these basics, dive into the easy-to-follow step-by-step tutorials, which cover a wide range of subject matter. You can follow along with my projects exactly, or you can put your own personal spin on things by choosing a different color palette, tweaking the subject matter, or simply painting it in your own styletheres no wrong way!

Acrylic paint is simple to work with and has a breadth of uses. Allow your creativity to flow, and keep an open mind while you let the paint do its thing!

Its important to prep your space and materials before you begin painting. This way, once you dive in, you can really get creative without trying to find all the things you might need. First clear the space where you will be painting. Put away anything that may get paint on it, and lay down a drop cloth to protect the area. You can work on an easel, a wall, or a flat surface. Think through the way you work best and set it all up. Do you need snacks? Ice water? Comfy clothes? Music? Set a great environment that enables you to be creative yet focused.

Youll want to grab a big cup of water for your dirty brushes, and then lay them out. Many types of brushes can be used for different paint strokes. Shown here are the brushes I use most. Synthetic-hair brushes are best for acrylics, because the strong filaments can withstand the caustic nature of the paint.

WIDE Wide brushes cover large spaces and are great for blocking in colors; they can also be used to apply washes of color with watered-down paint.

PALETTE KNIFE This tool creates thick layers of paint in a smooth texture.

LARGE ROUND Round brushes are good for sketching, outlining, detailed work, and controlled washes. You can create thick or thin lines, depending on the pressure you apply.

MOP This brush holds a lot of liquid and is great to wash colors over each other with watered-down paint.

FLAT Flat brushes are ideal for creating straight edges and uniform strokes.

FILBERT A flat brush with a rounded tip, a filbert can make a variety of marks and works well for blending.

RIGGER This long, skinny brush is perfect for fluid line work, fine lines, and details.

SMALL ROUND A small round brush is essential for details.