Painting in oil or acrylics is one of the most popular of the fine arts, with an enormous body of lore for the aspiring painter to master. Diane Edison offers a new approach that explains traditional techniques and materials, but also emphasizes expression and creativity. Edison wants the new painter to feel fearless and free to experiment. Her method, honed though years of teaching painting and drawing, quickly overcomes the stiff, forced feeling experienced by most beginning painters. She believes that the dynamic use of color is the key to unlocking and understanding the possibilities in painting, and she offers a practical introduction to color theory and design to point the way.

Her book includes inspiring art, much of it contemporary, along with clear instructional illustrations; her step-by-step exercises have been tested on hundreds of students with no prior painting experience. A successful artist herself, with an unmistakable personal style, Edison shares not only knowledge and experience, but also a strong sense of what it means to be an artist.