The Acrylic Paint Colour Wheel Book
This is the sister volume to the previous one on watercolour and, if it follows the success of that, it's a fair bet we'll be raising quite a family. Most of what I said previously applies here. It's a gimmick, but sometimes gimmicks make you sit up and suddenly understand what has previously been a problem subject. I still think that the illustrations are a bit flat, even though the trick paper has gone. Nevertheless, there's a good variety of subject matter and the medium is used in both impasto and as a wash, so you get to see most of the techniques you'll want.-Artbookreview.net What a clever idea this book is with its colour wheel that you can turn incorporated into the front cover. I found the book useful. It takes you through the basic - equipment, techniques and so on. I found some of the step-by-step subjects a little flat and uninteresting, especially given that John is an accomplished painter, but that is usually the case in books of this kind. There are eight projects and the furry raccoon is good. Remember that the techniques can be used for your own paintings and that the idea is not necessarily to reproduce the paintings here. There is plenty of information for the painter and you should gather confidence in using acrylics if you follow the book through. It's a great price and makes a superb gift for the budding artist.-KarenPlatt.co.uk John Barber discusses the medium and shows his readers how to produce required colours using the unique colour mixing wheel on the book's jacket. He begins by describing and offering advice on acrylic equipment and obtaining the basic principles for mixing and applying colour. The book contains eight step-by-step projects covering a wide range of subjects including farm buildings, boats, landscapes, seascapes, flowers, the human figure, animals and a still life featuring vegetables. For each project John lists the colours used and demonstrates how he builds up his acrylic paintings in numerous stages. There is an attractive gallery featuring the author's work alongside that of several other talented artists, which cover a diversity of styles and demonstrate the impressive versatility of the medium. The numerous colour illustrations are well produced and the text throughout is both informative and helpful. Altogether a useful introduction to the acrylic medium. (Ray Campbell Smith)-Leisure Painter This practical guide to colour selection and mixing cuts through much of the mystique that surrounds the subject. There is an inbuilt colour wheel on the front cover and readers are able to locate the tones they want then turn to the appropriate project in the body of the book to find demonstrations, hints and exercises.-Leisure Painter