Incredible Acrylics

Local Description

2010. First english edition. A fine copy.

Reviews

This is a pleasant guide for those who want to understand the properties of acrylic paint and how it can be used. The paintings and workshops further enhance that knowledge by putting it into practice. Exploring a medium is always a good way to stat and this book gives you a thorough grounding. There is enough information here for you to develop your own style.-KarenPlatt.co.uk Rather than a conventional instruction manual, this is more of a celebration of the medium of acrylics that reads like one of those good enough to eatA" cookery books. It's not often than an art book features pictures of swirls of paint, but the author started out as a photographer and he captures some startling images. Even in his paintings, the paint itself becomes part of the composition and there's something somehow luscious about the results. It's all intriguing and sometimes a little disturbing, too. This certainly isn't a book for anyone looking to learn how to paint but, as an immersion in the medium, it's really rather beautiful.-Artbookreview.net If anyone were in any doubt about the versatility of acrylic paint and the endless opportunities the medium offers, then this book should put paid to them. Far from being purely instructional, it's more of a manual for anyone hoping to use acrylics. Author Jean-Paul van Boxtel gets right down to the nitty-gritty, kicking off with a history of this relatively new medium. Next up, it's the science of acrylic paint and all of its properties. Types of paints, additives and varnishes useful to the budding acrylic painter are all investigated at length, and you're halfway through the volume before any suggestion of actually getting down to work has been made. This is both refreshing and valuable; far too many how-to books launch straight into practical instruction without providing readers enough information on the materials they are using. Van Boxtel dedicates a chapter to a gallery of his work, which demonstrates the range of styles that can be achieved by the medium, before embarking on his first of 16 workshops. Here, the text is minimal and less instructional than you might expect. In fact, it serves as more of a running-commentary to step-by-step displays of van Boxtel's work. In theory, this is to make artists appreciate what can be achieved with the colours and materials suggested at the start of each task, and to let them follow using their own initiative. However, it is likely that beginners would need more support, despite the book being a bible for new ways and means to use acrylics.-Artists & Illustrators Incredible Acrylics is unusual amongst art instruction books. Although its author shows 12 paintings and provides 16 short demonstrations, the focus is more on the properties of the medium than guiding readers through motivations for painting, or the process of composing an image. It is an attractive book, and those who enjoy experimenting with the whole spectrum of media available to the acrylic artist will benefit from the extensive coverage of this. For those who need more general guidance on creating full compositions, the lack of commentary would be an issue.-Theodora Philcox, Leisure Painter

Author description

Jean-Paul van Boxtel has loved drawing and painting since he was a child, though he began his working life in photography and graphic design. He later added painting to his portfolio, and attended courses at the Academy of Fine Arts in Belgium to develop his painting skills. Besides being an artist Jean-Paul also teaches. He has his own small art school at home, where a number of students have been attending his classes since 1991. Jean-Paul was also a contributor to the arts magazine Atelier for several years. His wide expertise means he is very much in demand, travelling the length and breadth of the Netherlands and Belgium to lead workshops in art shops, cultural centres and art schools, including the Free Academy in The Hague. Jean-Paul also organises courses in photography and digital image manipulation, and regularly arranges study tours abroad, for example to Venice, Tuscany and Umbria.

Table of contents

Who is Jean-Paul Boxtel? Preface Things to bear in mind 1 Introduction and origins 2 Essential information 3 Products 4 Applications 5 Frequently asked questions 6 Health and safety 7 Colour cards 8 Painting accessories Index