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Pooling together my notes, thoughts, and observations into an initial draft, I sought the opinion of a fellow writer and friend whose judgment I value highly.

Whilst he found the work interesting, technically sound, and enlightening, he urged me to reveal more about myself, my artistic upbringing, and the influences that led to my discoveries. "Readers like to connect with the person behind the words," he said.

As a result, the prologue - entitled 'One Man - One Life' delves into one or two of my life experiences and recollections, aiming to offer readers an insight into how I may have inadvertently acquired my artistic education from the 'university of life.'

In fact, I enjoyed recounting these experiences so much that the prologue turned out somewhat lengthier than intended. So, should this personal introduction, 'One man - one life' not appeal, please feel free to skip forward to chapter 1.

Chapters 1 to 10 provide an unconventional and concise insight into the fundamental roots and history of art, as well as development curiosities, diverging from conventional teachings. It is definitely not simply a regurgitation of what has gone before.

This narrative draws substantially from original thought, offering a simplified interpretation of the art world, and one that cautions against over intellectualisation - that often clouds more than it clarifies.

Whilst reading this, you may also notice a distinct absence of academic rigour in my proposals.

Primarily, this is because I have little interest in proving each statement by cross referencing against existing claims and theories (it presents my personal take on the subject of art). Also, that many of my conclusions are diametrically opposed to much of the 'created' or even imaginary abstracts of experts making harder work than necessary of understanding the subject.

For me, getting to grips with understanding the realities of art presented greater difficulty than producing it. It certainly took a lot longer, but I hope you will enjoy sharing my thoughts and perspective.

Chapters 11 – 19 then serve as a tutorial (Click for more) to enable you to get better results than you ever thought possible by being made aware of the cheats, techniques and processes I have learnt over the years since my initial foray into painting.

Undoubtedly, I've encountered one significant realisation since beginning this book—an immense 'fact of art' that I initially overlooked: writing a book about art is no easy feat! Especially when you prioritise accuracy and clarity of the conveyed message.

My primary aim is to impart valuable knowledge to the reader using plain and understandable language, and my great concern is to avoid creating a book filled with superficial artistic jargon or subpar content.

For me, achieving a balance between depth and accessibility is crucial, ensuring that the book is free of artistic froth and mediocrity.