Artists' Materials: The Complete Source book of Methods and Media

Which canvas fabric is best for oil paints? When should you use colored inks? How can you avoid the darkening of acrylics over time?

Choosing the right materials for your artwork can be tricky. Artist's Materials is a compact, indispensable and comprehensive guide to help you with these dilemmas, useful for both experienced and aspiring artists. Full of detailed advice on an array of materials and techniques, topics include:

• How to pick your paints, be it oils, acrylics, watercolors or tempera
• Painting techniques, including encaustic painting and gesso grounds
• How to use fixatives, primers and varnishes
• Making your own materials, such as canvases, paints and glues
• Information on drawing materials, color mixing and brushes

With a pigment color index, a glossary of key terms and information on caring for and storing your finished artwork, this book will equip you with all the tools you need to become a confident and versatile artist.

A useful source book for both new and established artists. Illustrated throughout with full colour photos and diagrams.

A graduate of the Slade School of Fine Art, Emma Pearce has had an interest in the mechanics of artists' materials since first painting. On graduation, she taught methods and materials at a number of leading art colleges colleges for nine years, including the Slade, UCL; the Ruskin School of Drawing, Oxford; and the Tate Gallery, Millbank, while also writing for Artists' Newsletter and The Artists' and Illustrators magazines on her subject. 1992 saw the publication of her handbook, Artists' Materials: Which, Why and How. She also joined Winsor & Newton that year as a technical advisor. Maintaining product ranges, developing new colors and products, answering technical inquiries, contributing to lecture programs, writing Winsor & Newton literature and articles for the art press, acting consultant on art books, working on the Internet, maintaining the museum and archive, giving factory tours, and helping conservation projects are just some of the areas that constantly expand her working knowledge of artists' materials and techniques.