Abstracts: Techniques & Textures

With all the different books out there on art and Abstract are it was difficult to choose but I am glad I settled on this one. A life saver of a book that I am so pleased I bought BEFORE going on my abstract art course. I was in the dark and was unfamiliar with many of the techniques but this book has helped me so much. The examples in the book are easy to follow and not difficult at all. I have looked on YouTube for tutorials for Abstract Art and many of the examples are not on YouTube. The book is nicely laid out and the photographs in the book are so accurate and clear with easy to follow instructions on how to recreate a similar design.This book is very inspiring and has motivated me a lot to paint more. Very well put together book.

Great book. I'd recommend this to get you to try out different techniques. This isn't a book to teach you how to paint like the masters and I you don't need to be technically proficient. In fact you could be a complete beginner. You could even use this book to get ideas to possibly teach a class or get kids/adults painting for fun. That said I am a professional artist and I also found the book useful. Sometimes you can become a victim to yourself creatively. I had stagnated in what I was doing and just needed to let go and try new directions. I found this book really helped me to experiment with various approaches, whether it was in composition, colour, texture or even materials. Some of the ideas are obvious and others I hadn't thought of before. The emphasis of this book is letting go and allowing your own creativity to come through. It may ask you to paint a certain composition but then suggest trying alternative colours. This may seem like an obvious approach but often I feel we can become creatures of habit. I use this book as a warm up or relaxation exercise.

Not really for the complete beginner like me, but this is full of inspiring ideas and photographs. The book could have done with just a couple of pages devoted to the basic techniques of dry-brushing and blending in a step-by- step with photos format, and the instructions for each project would have been easier to follow if put in a less off-hand and cursory manner, but all in all a great reference book to keep in the bathroom for a more relaxed perusal thereof!

Full of fantastic artwork to illustrate different concepts, techniques and use of colour described in the book. Brought it into my Abstract Art Class a couple of times, and we all enjoyed looking through it. If I wasn't attending a class, I would have followed some of the projects in the book at home. Keep going back to it for fresh ideas, or just the pleasure of the pictures.

Even though I am an experienced artist (and been at it for 50 years) I found this book most enjoyable and helpful.It helps remind one of things you take for granted or may have forgotten. Superb for anyone at the beginning of their painting career or for the hobby painter

If you ever thought that abstract painting consisted only of throwing paint at canvas, think again! There is enough in this book to keep you working at producing eloquent abstracts. There is much to think about - composition, colour balance, texture, the ability to "see" abstractly and to extract abstract shapes and forms from what you see. Highly recommended.

Handy helpful book for any artist

A great addition to Painting Abstracts by Rolina Van Vliet.Contains lots of inspiring ideas and advice on creating textures in paintings.Perfect for artists wanting to learn more about abstract painting.