Lee Hammond's Big Book of Acrylic Painting: Fast, easy techniques for painting your favorite subjects

390 Pages·2011·11.91 MB·English

Lee Hammond’s
big book of
ACRYLIC
P A I N T I N G
Fast and easy techniques for painting your favorite subjects
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Contents
Title Page
Special Offers
Introduction
CHAPTER 1
Getting Started:
Paints, Tools and Supplies
CHAPTER 2
Understanding Color
CHAPTER 3
Basic Techniques
CHAPTER 4
Still Life
CHAPTER 5
Landscape
CHAPTER 6
Animals
CHAPTER 7
People
Index

Introduction
I have been writing art technique books for more than a decade. Some
publications have dubbed me the “Queen of Drawing.” As flattering as
that title is, I want people to know that I do more than just draw.
I love to paint, and the more I write about painting in acrylic, the
more I’ve come to love it. This medium is extremely versatile and user-
friendly.
In this book you’ll find a collection of colorful projects designed to
help you learn to paint with acrylics. The step-by-step projects will also
give you a wide range of subject matter—still lifes, animals, people and
landscapes—to enjoy.
Some of the projects may look complex, but remember that painting
with acrylic is all about painting in layers. Since acrylics dry rapidly, it’s
easy to keep adding details or to cover up previous applications a little
at a time. You’re never “stuck” when you work with acrylic paint; it’s a
very forgiving medium.
It’s also important to remember that every painting goes through what
I call “the awkward stage.” The initial layers of a painting, applied when
you’re essentially creating a “color map,” will be sloppy, and the
watered-down pigments will look weak. Don’t become discouraged and
stop too soon! By adding more layers and details with thicker paint,
you’ll achieve the realistic look you’re after.
Bowl of Fruit
9″ × 12″ (23cm × 30cm)
PATIENCE HAS ITS REWARDS
This is an example of what you can do if you keep practicing. If you look
closely, you will see places where colors are placed on top of other
colors. After you have painted some of the projects in this book, you
may want to come back to this painting and try to paint it yourself.
THE AWKWARD STAGE
This example shows the typical stopping point for most beginning acrylic
painters. The paint looks watercolor-like, the colors look weak and the
canvas shows through. However, this painting looks unfinished because
it is. This important “awkward stage” is merely a color map for the more
detailed layers to come.