FM, I am glad to hear you are interested in decorative painting, it is a lot of fun and can be learned. You can choose to use patterns or not, the patterns are meant to be guides. I too am a self-taught painter and for the record the book you have is a very good one because it covers everything you need to know about any project from start to finish with loads of other info on tools, techniques, and finishes. The projects in that book would be a very good place to start. I have so many brands of paint but like Luvs said I choose the paint for the project I am working on. But as far as none being like oils....There are mediums you can add to acrylic to make them act like oils and FolkArts HD paint works very much like oils without using any mediums. I started painting with oils back in the day and switched to acrylics over the years. The beauty of acrylics is that they can be acrylics but can also act as watercolors or oils...very versatile. Besides the links that Belle gave there are lots of other painting sites with free patterns, projects, video tutorials and more, way too many to list here but you might enjoy the projects on the following sites... http://www.paintingonjars.com/freepat.html http://www.loew-cornell.com/decorative-painting-pages-53.php?page=0 And my favorite link to various artists who will sometimes have a project or two on their site: http://links.tolefriends.com/acrylart.html I buy the majority of my books on-line and very rarely pay more than $2-$3 a book. My favorite sources are... http://www.viking-publications.com/ (they change their sale about every other month) http://www.decorativepaintingstore.com//store_tole_decorative_painting/index.php?cPath=1&osCsid=763625bd590fb27b54187aa78c9c3f74 http://www.painting-books.com/ and artist club, in that order. Have fun painting! Don't forget to show us pics.

I don't know how, but obviously I missed this post. :) Hi Susan! I love primitives and I LOVE your tables. I wouldn't change them either. Even if they are repros, nobody else knows right? ha Is it really tall enough for a table?, because I swear it looks like what my g-ma used as a milking stool. It's wonderful. I love the way you painted your pin boxes. Very cute and something I'm sure GD will cherish. I will reinterate on the sealing. I just started using the Thompsons Waterseal in the spray can for outdoor things myself. Haven't used it long enough for a true test, but I use a clear acrylic spray sealer on every project I finish. You can buy it in glossy or matte. If you continue to paint please keep sharing your projects with us. We love anything painted. ~Anj

Welcome to our great group! The nicest part is that we all do our own things and still love all of art. Everyone has given you great advice, so here is mine, hope it is as good. Depending on the size of the city where you live, thrift store are a great source for not only surfaces but books and patterns as well. I even found a Kolinski brush that I bought for a buck,a little cleaning and I now have a brush that would have cost me in excess of $50.00 One very good place to go dreaming is in any crafter's mall or shops. Not only can you find samples of finished projects, you can also get in touch with other artists in your area. Most are more than willing to share with you. I hope you come back often and don't be afraid to ask questions.....we all have questions!!!!! Belle

artist Carol Forsyth offering free downloadable pattern packets at www.carolforsyth.ca