Here is the first entry in a brand new series from the people who brought you the
revolutionary (and award winning) Ready To Paint series. Now you can learn to paint like
the masters, and discover how they painted their world famous masterpieces.
I own an excellent book on Chinese painting that describes the traditional way of
learning how to paint in China—copying masterpieces. I confess to doing quite a bit
of that myself when I learned how to draw and paint, and of course this is part of what
makes the original Ready To Paint series so good. This goes a step further, and gives you
the skills to make your own copies of famous paintings, learning as you do what makes them
so special. There is also a brief history of Van Gogh in here, and a list of what you will
need and how to transfer the tracings. As with the others in the series there are six
projects, and five of these are staged projects. Of course Van Gogh did not paint in acrylics
as they had not been invented back then, but here is how to use these versatile paints which
are like oils but quicker drying and more forgiving.
Pictures here include the famous Sunflowers, as well as three landscapes, Chair
With Pipe and another floral study as the final unstaged project. I love the way each
project lists all the paints you need and the exact brushes, so you can go and buy them with
minimal fuss, and all those stages with their clear photographs and short, user-friendly
captions. Unlike paint by numbers you get to think about what you are doing every step of
the way, and before you know it a completed painting sits before you—magic! I hope
this series runs and runs.