Leading painter, teacher and writer Soraya French has distilled her art teaching into the things that matter most and can be digested in a short period of time - in just one afternoon you can start acrylic painting. Learning to paint is one of the life-long aspirations of many of us, and painting with today's acrylics paints has never been easier or more accessible. Acrylics are becoming increasingly popular, especially for beginners because of their versatility and strength of colour. Acrylics can be used thickly like oils, but they dry much more quickly, or they can be watered down to look like watercolour.

The author, known for her own vibrant and colourful acrylic paintings, covers equipment and the best colours to buy and shows the different ways of using acrylic to create a range of effects with simple instruction and easy-to-follow exercises. She shows how to use acrylics to paint a range of subjects: flowers and trees, landscapes, cityscapes and people.