Designed to help the beginner start painting immediately without overwhelming them with theory, the books in this series contain a mixture of projects and inspirational "gallery" examples, encouraging readers to move on to build up a range of skills and techniques. This title covers oils. Topics include: basic techniques; storing pastels; toning papers and boards; fixing and squaring up; and information on types of paints, paper and brushes to use. Ten projects aim to develop skills such as expressive strokes, blending, layering, broken colour, scumbling, feathering, hatching and mixing pastels with other media.