Customer Reviews

Alphabetica: An A-Z Creativity Guide for Collage and Book Artists (Quarry Book S.)

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I like the images and they are very inspiring, but I found this book to be a big let-down for me. I was hoping for more insight on how the processes are done, not what the finished projects looked like.

Great if you're looking for inspiration; horrible if you're looking for instruction.

Your Muse will love you for putting Alphabetica on your creative plate! It is a book to be savored slowly, and many times. Featuring a delightful array of works done as part of a collaborative journal project undertaken by fourteen artists, it features page after page of rich color, sweet ideas, and delicious details and tidbits about the project itself, the artists' inspirations for their individual journals and work in each others' journals, and plenty of eye candy to satisfy your artistic sweet tooth.

The fun part is that all the artists have such widely varying styles--I love seeing how they interpreted themes for various letters of the alphabet. Not every artist's style appealed to me but I can appreciate their processes, their techniques, and the way their individual works fit into the whole.

Not a how-to book, but full of ideas. Highly recommended for those who are inspired by the work of others to find new possibilities, direction, and adventure in their own artistic endeavors.

There is not as much useful information in this book as I was expecting. The photos are good and I like the overall quality of the book, but the subtitle is misleading, as it is an artist showcase more than it is an "A-Z guide". When I got to the "Workshop" section at the back, I thought I finally got to the meat of the book, but it wasn't much better. For example, there are sidebar lists of Studio Essentials for the workshops, which list items such as "a retro Genie telephone" and "music, music, music." Cute, but not terribly helpful.

Quoting the book:

"Where do ideas come from? Everywhere.......It is comforting to remember that the next great idea is right around the corner."

I have no shortage of ideas. I buy books to learn some new techniques that I may not have tried before.

Alphabetica, Lynne Perrella's second book is a collaborative effort between Ms. Perrella and 13 other extraordinary artists. In all honesty, it was NOT what I was expecting it to be. I actually am not sure what I was expecting. It almost seems like a sequel or follow up to "True Colors"-a "color themed" round robin collaboration of artists across the U.S. I was quite surprised when I actually as holding the book in my hands.
In this tome, there are tons of color photos, detailed instructions, prompts, extras, tid bits, tons of techniques and one of the best 'gallery' sections (they call it "workshop"-featuring profiles, tid bits and more of the artists that collaborated and created "Alphabetica" with Lynne.
It's a visual delight for both "newbies" and advanced artists.
This volume is well worth the money and the wait! I will be recommending it to my students and friends.

You know what I love the most about this book?
The large format photos of the art, standing alone on every page - you really can delve into the intricacies and details of each and every piece shown.
The "Telling Detail" sidebars are fabulous - they add further layers of exploration to the text and photos.
If you think you liked picture books before now, you will surely see the ante upped remarkably by Alphabetica!

I had my local library order a copy of Alphabetica. I am still waiting for my own personal copy to show up but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to have a sneak peek when the library's copy arrived. I am telling you, this book made me want to run straight home and MAKE ART! It's phenomenal! If you are looking for a book that will inspire you over and over again, this is it!

The pictures are beautiful, the artwork is gorgeous and you will find yourself pouring over each page to take in the tiniest of details. There are also really great instructions and ideas shared throughout. I know when I get my copy, I am going to be tabbing it and making notes and all that artsy good stuff.

Lynn Perrella, wherever you are, I adore you! You write the most amazing books and I am so incredibly glad you do! My new rule is that if it has your name on it, I am buying it!

RUN, don't walk to your nearest bookstore and get this book! You won't be disappointed!

Alphabetica is based on a collaborative art journal exchange among fourteen artists who live all over the United States It is an incredible show-and-tell, but much more. Practical stuff is evident at every turn of the page. I especially like the Try This sidebars with ideas to jumpstart a project or breakthrough a block. Perrella also details at least a dozen techniques to transfer both black &white and color images in a way that's clear and concise. I was fascinated with the studio exercise on color and the chapter on surfaces and materials. The emphasis is on using what you have. The section profiling the studio essentials and influences of each artist is another piece to savor, it's like a personal studio tour and a chat with the artist. Each chapter is filled with inspiring quotations and there is a starting place for everyone, whatever your artistic background. You may wonder how you could create anything as wonderful, but Lynne Perrella shows and tells you how! Beware, you'll want to start off on your own "creative journey" whatever form that may take.

What happens when you ask a seasoned group of artists to swap journals? Alphabetica! I must admit I am prejudiced - I am one of the artists in Lynne's new book. I just got my copy today and was blown away by what is inside. It is chock full of inspiration and beautiful photography - lots of unique ideas from the same gang that brought you True Colors (and a couple of us new to the group).

Lynne's eye for detail makes sure that nothing is left out. There are several "Try This" sidebars with juicy info, pages where the artists share their inspiration and specialities, a mixed media alphabet exemplar....well you'll have to see for yourself.

This is not a how-to book, but I dare you to get through it without running off to make art. A must-have for anyone who ever sang her ABCs.

This book is chock full of gorgeous photos of altered book pages. It's one of my favorites to just browse through and be inspired and amazed at the creativity of these artists. Not a how-to book. But if you love looking at altered books, here's a chance to see the works of fourteen talented artists in one place.

I also heard about the book from The Gleaner Zine and preordered it right away. Once I got it, I recommended it in a lot of the art related Yahoo groups that I run or belong to actively. I have all of her books and have not been disappointed yet. I steer away from technique books now, but this one is more than a technique book. Even though some technique is given, I liked it for its variety and creativity. I was able to glean a lot of ideas from it for me to try with future projects. I love to use metals in my art and there was a lot of that in there. I also liked that it did not cater to the ever popular distress/vintage winged fairy theme. You could tell each artist's style come through the pages. I especially liked that there were so many different mediums shown throughout the book. I enjoyed the little stories that went with each piece of art. This is definitely not a newbie technique book. This is a book where even experienced artists well entrenched in their style can get a few ideas.