Terry's Top Tips for Acrylic Artists

Mar 10

The subtitle of this book is 115 essential tips to improve your painting and this is pretty much what you get. Whether you are a beginner (which this book is also suitable for) or have been painting for some time knowing some of these tricks of the trade can make all the difference. These tips cover a vast range of topics, from what to buy and how to look after it to capturing your chosen subject on canvas. Short, snappy captions to photographs tell the reader quickly and simply what to do (or not to do) to enhance your work. A typical chapter has some essential facts beneath the heading and several photographs, each with some useful information. Subjects covered include working from photographs, using additives to achieve texture, painting various things realistically and what you actually need to own (and what you don't). It doesn't take long to read the book but what it says tends to stay in the mind, mainly due I think to its clever layout and lack of pages filled with just words; it is a book on art, after all. Acrylics are not like other paints, and lack the long pedigree of oils or watercolors so a whole book on how to use them is a useful purchase. Obviously there is more to it all than can be covered in one small book but you can learn a lot of useful things in here. The spiral spine that enables the book to lay open flat while you work is a plus as well.

Apr 10

Terry Harrison is among the best there is at explaining the technical process of painting and he's also a very generous teacher, unafraid to share his many personal secrets. This series from Search Press is developing nicely and they've done well to be selective about who they get to contribute to it, because it's an easy format to do, but a hard one to get right. You get a good range of topics here, including painting from photographs, the use of additives. skies, foregrounds, trees, mountains, water and coastal scenes. There are plenty of illustrations with the text confined to simple captions that give you just the essential information so that you know what you're looking at.

Terry Harrison grew up in Norfolk, UK. His early art education was basic and he never dreamed that he would one day become an artist. At fifteen, Terry moved to Hampshire and, inspired by his brilliant art teacher, won a place at Farnham Art School at the age of sixteen. After graduating he became a graphic artist but continued to paint in his spare time. In 1984 Terry gave up his job to paint full time and never looked back, teaching and demonstrating his watercolour techniques throughout the world, developing his own range of brushes and paints and writing over 20 best-selling books that have been translated into many languages. Sadly, Terry passed away in 2017 but his legacy lives on. His gift for explaining his methods in an easy and accessible way has encouraged countless people to take up painting, and his beautiful works of art, inspired by the English countryside that he loved, will continue to be enjoyed by people all over the world.