Painting with System3

Charles Evans is one of the UK's leading painters, well-known from his long-running TV series and for his art classes, which are held all over the UK. After a conventional school education Charles entered and spent many years in the catering trade, eventually taking a break to study at Lincoln College of Art. He then joined the Royal Air Force. Following several years in the military, Charles resumed his civilian life in catering, owning bistros and contract catering companies, before turning back to art around 30 years ago. Charles made over 200 television programmes on art for the Tyne Tees television company, then for the Discovery Channel.Charles has written several books for Search Press, and now also represents Daler-Rowney as their main demonstrator. His exuberant and informal personality is reflected in his paintings, which have a lightness and simplicity that many artists aspire to.Charles lives in Morpeth, Northumberland, UK. www.charlesevansart.com

• Foreword 6, Introduction 8, Introducing System3 10, Acrylic inks 12, Fluid acrylics 16, Normal System3 17, Heavy Body 18, Brushes 20, Palette knives 22, Surfaces 25, Additional tools and materials 28, Techniques 30, Setting up 30, Colours and mixes 36, Inks 37, Fluid acrylics 38, Normal System3 40, Heavy Body 44, Making your mark 46, System3 in action 52, Woodland Walk 52, A Calming Lake 56, Comparing the surfaces 58, Highland Scene 62, Cumbrian Landscape 70, Comparing the surfaces 72, Leading Him Home 74, On the Beach 88, Crashing Waves 96, Fox in the Woods 106, Shoebill Stork 112, Seasons 118, The Old Bath House 126, The Beauty of Summer 140, Index 144

System 3 from Daler-Rowney is a range of acrylic colours that fulfils all the requirements of the acrylic painter and provides consistent results across the board. There are four types of medium: heavy and soft body tube colours as well as inks and liquid paint. These are complemented by a selection of brushes and surfaces - papers and canvases.Created with the fine - rather than the graphic artist in mind, the range includes more subtle colours that acrylics sometimes have a reputation for and mixes are always reliable and consistent. Charles is a relatable tutor with considerable experience of demonstrating and his is justly and understandably popular as a result. In this thorough but eminently approachable guide, he aims to show you what you can achieve with acrylics in general and with System 3 in particular, making use of its flexibility across the range. After an introduction to all the parts of the system, where he shows you its properties and capabilities, Charles embarks on a series of demonstrations that showcase its use in practice. All of the constituent parts are used and subjects range from landscapes, seas and skies, to animals, boats and buildings. There are both simple and complex scenes that allow you to build up your skills progressively, while also exploring the capabilities of a fascinating but forgiving medium. System 3 is an exciting addition to the acrylic armoury and Charles - as you'd expect - provides a complete guide that will never leave you stuck for either ideas or information.