The opening sentence of this intriguing book is promising, 'The best tool for learning how to paint is to paint'. It presages something which is about the process of painting rather than the mechanics of applying paint, and is a promise that's amply fulfilled. Hashim Akib paints in a heavy impasto style and makes full use of the range of colours and mediums available and there's an immediacy and urgency to his work that fully justifies the title. Although the structure and approach of the book are ostensibly aimed at the beginner, the author's style and his concentration on the creative as well as the technical process make it something that even the most accomplished artist should find interesting - even an exercise as simple as 'paint a flower in 50 brushstrokes'. With subjects including animals, people, buildings, still life and abstracts, there's something for everyone.-The Artist

Hashim Akib was encouraged to paint as a child. He attended art collage and has worked as an illustrator for newspapers and design firms. In 2009 he won the SAA Artist of the Year competition and has produced DVDs in partnership with Daler Rowney.