Paint Along with Jerry Yarnell Volume Two - Painting Inspirations

PBS painting star Jerry Yarnell follows the success of his beginner's lessons in Painting Basics with intermediate painting projects in Painting Inspirations. Yarnell reviews some basic terms and techniques; presents his materials list (as in volume one, he uses a limited but effective palette); explains glazing, an important skill for acrylic artists; and speaks to his mixing technique. The bulk of the book contains 10 complete paintings presented in Yarnell's popular step-by-step method. The compositions feature several landscapes in predominantly cool tones, such as a squirrel perched on a gnarled tree in a purplish, fantastic winter storm; a lonesome fence jutting across a cloudy lavender sky and soft green foliage after a rain; and a solitary lighthouse emitting a hazy beacon of yellow light against the deep blues of a crashing ocean and evening sky. Some of the techniques Yarnell explores include back lighting, the use of negative space, monochromatic effects, and discovering the exhilaration of fearlessly employing pure color. As usual, Yarnell intersperses his straightforward instructions with friendly advice: "You will want to do some experimenting with both brushes and different consistencies of paint. Each of us handles this kind of detail work very differently. The secret, however, is the consistency of the paint and the pressure applied to the brush." --Mary Ribesky