Anyone who has ever found themselves intimidated by a full-sized canvas or at loss as to what to fill a large painting surface with will be relieved to encounter this guide by artist Nelson. Fifty short exercises walk the reader through creating tiny five-inch square paintings of lots of different subject matter using a wide range of techniques. The small format can foster experimentation and learning, while the medium of acrylics is more immediate and easy to use than oils or watercolors. Most of the projects will take an hour or less to execute, and by the end of the book, a handsome body of work will have been produced. After an introductory chapter on tools, materials, and basic techniques, subsequent chapters present exercises to familiarize the reader with acrylics, show how to represent space realistically, how to construct abstract compositions, and how to render form and surfaces. Each two-page project features a handy sidebar, which details the specific materials used, the exact shades included in the color palette, and notes other similar projects in the book. VERDICT There is something here for beginning and experienced artists alike.
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