Expressive Abstracts in Acrylic: 55 innovative projects, inspiration and mixed-media techniques

by Anita Horskens

Overview

55 expressive abstract projects to paint with tons of inspirational ideas and techniques to use.

Discover the joys of painting abstracts in acrylics with experienced artist and tutor Anita Horskens. In this visually exciting, inspirational book, Anita teaches you about the method of abstraction, and the paints, paper and other materials you need to create stunning paintings. There is detailed guidance on the techniques for adding texture, collage, composition, colour, line, shape and pattern to your work, and 55 clear and accessible projects to put your skills and ideas into practice. This highly practical book will build confidence in your painting and allow you to express yourself through the visual language and style of abstract painting.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781782218470
Publisher:	Search Press
Publication date:	03/16/2021
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Anita Hörskens lives and works as a freelance artist and runs her own painting school in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm in Bavaria. She has worked as a trainer and speaker in the field of artists' supplies since 1994. She leads seminars in all standard painting and drawing techniques, and offers painting holidays, portfolio preparation courses and creative seminars for companies. As the author of numerous acrylic textbooks, she has also lectured at various specialist academies since 2004, with a focus on Experimental Mixed Techniques with Acrylic. In her blog, she regularly reports on News from the Studio: www.hoerskens.blogspot.de

Her website can be visited at www.hoerskens.de

Table of Contents

Foreword 7

Abstraction 8

Abstraction of Real Objects 8

Art Informel 10

Lessons and exercises 11

Underpainting 11

Materials 12

Paints 13

Pastes and Gels 13

Painting Surfaces 13

Tools 13

Texture 14

Manually Designing the Surface 15

Additives and Fillers 16

Practice 16

Techniques for Applying Colour on a Dry Texture 17

Glaze on a Coarse, Sandy Texture 18

Texture on Paper Collage 20

Tactile and Engraved Lines on Texture 22

Engraving on Texture 24

Bronze Gilding on Texture 26

Multi-layers of Texture 28

Collage 30

Practice 31

Stimuli 32

Practice 33

Chinese Paper on Paint Texture 34

Collage on Crackle Paste 36

Glaze on Different Papers 38

Chinese Paper on Layers of Colour 40

Glaze on Paper Collage 42

Twine under Chinese Paper 44

Picture Composition 46

Choice of format 47

Rules of composition 48

Golden Section 48

Diagonal Composition 49

Points of Entry and Exit 50

Practice 51

Instructions 51

Vertical Thirds 52

Joining Spaces through Engraving 54

Joining Spaces through Pattern 56

Joining Spaces through Drawing 58

Loose Division of Space through Outlines 60

Colour 62

The colour wheel 63

Definition of Terms 63

Primary Colours 63

Secondary Colours 63

Tertiary Colours 63

Further Gradations of Colour 63

Practice 64

Interaction 64

Variations 65

Practice 65

Red-Orange-White Gradation 66

Blue-Green-White Textures with the Spatula 68

Subtle Complementary Contrast 70

Accented Complementary Contrast 72

Complementary Contrast in the Golden Section 74

Vibrant Complementary Contrast 76

Monochrome Painting with Cyan 78

Space 80

Definition of Terms 81

Practice 81

Variations 81

Painting techniques 81

Pastose Painting Styles 81

Glaze 83

Wet-in-Wet Technique 84

Splatter or Spray Technique 84

Granulation Technique 85

Lifting-off Technique 85

Impasto with a Brush and a Hard Rubber Roller 86

Pouring on Underpainting 88

Pouring on Collage and Texture 90

Pouring on Texture 92

Pouring on Opaque Underpainting 94

Glaze and Impasto on Texture 96

Impasto with a Spatula on a Glazed Underpainting 98

Rolled Textural Application 100

Line 102

The art of drawing lines 103

Practice 103

Exercises 104

Functionality 105

Variations 105

Tactility 106

Variations 106

Sgraffito 106

Extrusion Technique 107

Linear Overlays 108

Splattered Line on Collage 110

Shining Silver Contours 112

Charcoal Drawing on Rolled Paint 114

Combining Engraving and Tactility 116

Stylized Pencil Drawing 118

Narrative Pencil Scribblings 120

Block Stripes versus Free Line 122

Form 124

Definition of Terms 125

Variations 125

Overlapping Free Forms 126

Impasto and Glaze on an Underpainting 128

Positive and Negative Stencil 130

Negative Form through Glazing 132

Free Forms in the Golden Section 134

Large and Small Forms 136

Freely Poured Forms 138

Circles in a Negative Stencil 140

Pattern 142

Stimuli 143

Practice 143

Stamps 144

Stimuli 144

Practice 144

Stencils 145

Linear Pattern on Collage 146

Circular Pattern 148

Sprayed Stencils Pattern 150

Freehand Pattern with a Spatula 152

Pattern on Texture 154

Collage of a Paper Stencil 156

Reflecting 158

Composition 158

Colour Philosophy 158

Visual Depth 158

Suggestions 158

About the author 159

Editorial Reviews

The Artist  - March 2021

Abstract painting is as much a state of mind as a technique. It’s an invented language, which the viewer is invited to interpret in order to understand both what the artist saw and we ourselves feel. To write a book about it is, therefore, something of a tall order and it is perhaps not surprising that most authors shy away from the creative and concentrate on the technical. This is not an invalid approach, but does run the risk of doing something equivalent to musical noodling, where outcomes can be unpredictable, albeit they might produce worthwhile results. If you fancy a noodle, this is no bad place to start. The 55 projects explore an impressive range of tools and application techniques and the results are really not too shabby. Actually, if you just want to explore the possibilities of acrylic media and mediums, you should find plenty to enjoy here.

From the Publisher