Abstract Painting

Create 20 beautiful abstract works of art in acrylic and mixed media using exciting new techniques and materials.

Discover your creativity

Create abstract paintings in acrylic and mixed media using exciting new techniques and materials. Petra Thölken’s practical and inspiring book brings you 20 beautiful abstract works of art explained step by step, including variations and tips for your own compositions, as well as links to her popular video instructions.

Petra covers all the basic techniques, materials and tools you need to get started on your painting journey, then introduces you to innovative and often unconventional methods that will allow you to be adventurous with your art. Learn how to use spatulas to create soft transitions or high contrast; how to add texture using texture paste, crumpled paper or foil; sponging; drawing with markers and pastels; and using gold leaf to add accents.

Get your ideas flowing with Petra’s inspirational advice and achieve the self-expression that leads to visually exciting and technically innovative work.

Petra Thölken’s practical and inspiring book examines what it means to make an abstract work of art. She encourages the reader to consider the subjects of composition, planes, and subject and expression, while also examining the more practical topics of colour theory and colour mixing, how to work with pigment, canvas and priming, spatula techniques and working with unconventional backgrounds. All these elements build up into a vocabulary of visual pointers from which the reader can begin to explore their own adventurousness and creativity.

Through the 20 beautiful projects that Petra demonstrates, step by step, readers will learn how to create texture, work with unusual tools and create soft transitions or high contrast. Her clarity of thought and inspirational advice will open your eyes to a whole new way of seeing your paintings and achieving the self-expression that leads to visually exciting and technically innovative work. For some of the projects, there are links to Petra's popular YouTube videos, demonstrating how she created the individual paintings.