If you are a habitual reader of this section you will know that Search Press has an excellent new concept in art books.  These are the Ready To Paint books, a series of unique books designed for beginning artists who want to paint, but whose lack of drawing ability prevents them having a go.  Each book concentrates on a different popular subject for paintings, and contains six reusable tracings plus full instructions on how to paint the pictures.  First there were several titles about mastering watercolors, now the series has progressed to that most modern medium, acrylics.

You don’t need many items to take up acrylic painting and the suggestion of buying a basic set to start is an excellent one.  It is certainly how I began.  Four basic brushes and a range of other easy-to-source items complete your kit, and I like the way certain colors are suggested.   There is quite a good choice of pictures to paint too, ranging from a flower-laden balcony in Venice through poppies in a cornfield, butterflies on cow parsley and individual flower studies.   Each of the five projects (you are on your own for the sixth as always) is explained in up to thirty stages, taking you through quite a range of different skills needed to master acrylics.   These show their vast versatility from watercolour style washes to thick, textured oil effects and everything in between, including the mysteries of masking fluid.  I also like the way in which different types of floral picture are covered, from massed flowers to individual close ups. This series continues to impress me.

If you cannot find a good range of acrylics and other art materials locally try  SearchPress.com for a list of suppliers.