Solutions: Exploring Mixed Media Layer by Layer Have you seen this book, Acrylic Solutions: Exploring Mixed Media Layer by Layer, yet? I’ve just finished reading it and I want to recommend you to check it out. To paint with acrylics you don’t need a tutorial or how-to book, that’s for sure. You just get out a paint brush and start to smudge and mess around with some paint… But once you have a couple of bottles of paint, you might want to get this book to learn a few new tricks! There is a lot to learn!

Disclaimer: I got this book from the publisher North Light Books, and they’ve given me an extra copy to send to one of you. Read on my dear friends, and I’ll let you know how to enter in a bit.

The book is written by my blogging friend Julie Prichard, who I got to know through the online crusades, and her artistic partner in crime Chris Cozen. Together they teach a lot of classes online, and now they’ve made this step-by-step tutorial book about how to use acrylics and mediums in your mixed media paintings!

Acrylic solution spiral binding

From amazon:

Acrylic Solutions provides the “hows” behind a multitude of effects you’ve admired in other artists’ works – and then some! Based on the popular online teaching collaboration of Chris Cozen and Julie Prichard, this book illustrates a wealth of layering methods and techniques. Mix and match to achieve countless variations, building layer upon layer to create unique and wonderfully complex abstract art.

This book is spiral bound but has a hard cover for protection (that looks so much nicer in the bookshelf because I don’t want to see the spiral binding). It contains about 30 step-by-step techniques for developing texture and visual interest by using acrylic paint, sometimes in combination with collage, using stencils, printing and mark making into wet paint!

Spread in Acrylic Solutions Finessing the Details

I’ve got an older book in my bookshelf, called Acrylic Revolution, also spiral bound, by Nancy Reyner. These are quite similar, booth in look and content. I don’t think that if you’ve got the first one you’ll need this one too, but at least one book about acrylics is a must if you’re into mixed media and painting. Just knowing how the different mediums can be used is very helpful.

Acrylic Solutions book spread about wood prep

In any multi-layered painting you can make so many fun choices, if only you know where to start and what to do next. Playing is fun, but creating something that looks like your idea might not be as easy. This book covers everything from surface preparation to adding structure, developing complexity and adding finishing touches. There are a lot of abstract artworks by both Julie and Chris inside the book.

Spread in Acrylic Solutions

Chris style is colourful and full of flowers. Julie’s style is darker, abstract with lots of brown and black areas. I think they complement each other well, and as I look through this book I feel very inspired to try painting again. My abstract trial still makes me happy.

Giveaway: to be entered into the giveaway of this book, simply leave a comment below about your favorite painting tool or technique! You will get bonus points if you tweet out the giveaway to your friends, just mention me @ihanna and I will be notified (or @ihannas if you tweet in Swedish)! Thanks!

Spread in Acrylic Solutions

Update: The giveaway is now closed, and the book will soon be on it’s way to the winner! Thanks everyone who participated!

Further exploring to do:

* Acrylic Solutions: Exploring Mixed Media Layer by Layer – buy it on Amazon
* The Land of Lost Luggage – Julie’s blog (where you also can find all their mixed media workshops)!
* Artful Thinking – Chris Cozen’s blog
* More book reviews – by yours truly