Customer Reviews

Collage Discovery Workshop

5 star:		(59)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Feast your eyes on Claudine Hellmuth's collage style!

Not only does this book include beautiful (and instructive) photographs of Claudine's collage work, but the reader is also treated to many versatile techniques, all presented in Claudine's engaging and thoughtful conversational style, along with very helpful discussions of design issues.

The first part of the book focuses on adding several techniques to your artist "toolbox". For example, Claudine offers explanation and instruction for several different types of image transfer techniques, from transfers using common tape or laminate to more unusual transfers using heat or even Elmer's clear caulk material. And forget about messy glues and decoupage mediums -- Claudine suggests an interesting way of using beeswax in assembling and even coloring your collage. Several other techniques i.e. peeling paint, will lend themselves to applications in many other media. There is also an interesting lesson in assembling a "frame" for your finished pieces that is both simple and effective. I found all of her instructions to be exceptionally clear and easy to follow.

Finally, I found Claudine's collage style to be refreshing. These days it seems that collage means seeing how many interesting or artsy things you can pile onto a canvas or paper. Yet Claudine's style is refereshingly spare, proving that it isn't quantity that counts, but quality. And there is plenty of quality in this wonderful and inspiring book!

When I first started playing with Altered books I was also brand new to collage. The neat thing about this book is that it has two parts - it has a techniques part and then the second half is the collage part. There are techniques for doing transfers, glazing paint, peeling paper, stamping in wax, and creating textured paint. Then in the collage part she steps us through how to build a collage - add a picture, then some words, etc. She shows us how to do those altoid tins too which is fun. Wonderful images throughout the book to inspire and the instructions are really clear and step by step. I'm looking forward to Claudine's next book and her DVD!! She's such a terrific teacher.

I ordered my copy of this book from the prepublication site. I have anticipated the arrival of it and was thrilled when my copy arrived. I have read and reread the pages and am more than excited at the instructions within.
Rarely do you find an artist of Claudine's talent who is willing to generously share the knowledge of her particular craft and tell us her secrets. She has done exactly that. The book is written in excellent step-by-step concise and very understandable instruction with complete lists of what is needed in order to achieve the looks for the collages. All of the items needed are easily obtainable, not items that are impossible to find, most at our local craft and art supply stores. This is the very best workbook on collage I have had the priveledge to read. I can hardly wait to try every single technique.

If you are a hobbyist, into crafts, and/or enjoy making collages for fun this is the book for you. This book's strengths are through the illustrations, clear and easy to follow, loaded with lots of great ideas and practical techniques. However, if you are a serious fine artist you will find this work to be lacking, because you will find little information on creating ARCHIVAL collages. Following Claudine Hellmuth's ideas too closely will have your creations rotting and discoloring within your lifetime. I suggest Jonathan Talbot's COLLAGE: A NEW APPROACH, as he addresses these concerns more in depth. Another weakness I find here from a serious fine art point of view is Claudine Hellmuth's STYLE for collages. Normally this shouldn't be addressed since this is a personal issue, but her style is key for the purpose of this book, which is to show you how to create collages with vintage photos and found objects. I would like to see pictures of other people's work using vintage photos and found objects. Again, following her methods, and now her STYLE, too closely will yield a watered down, mainstream ILLUSTRATIVE approach to collage. These collages themselves say almost nothing, they just produce a hazy, quaint effect, the same effect so rampant now in almost every blasted politically correct magazine you read. Yes, this book is not really meant to trod this avenue, but I still want to issue a warning so you can go beyond any guidelines. Use this book as a guide toward technique only, and meanwhile go research Schwitters, Rauschenberg, Ernst, Heartfield, etc.--and get your collages to invoke emotion in people.

I have been eagerly awaiting the publication of this book from this extremely talented artist and a much sought after collage workshop instructor. It is everything I thought it would be and more. I feel like I am back in Claudine's workshop again seeing some of the innovative techniques she taught us and then seeing more that are new! Everything is so clear in the step-by-step directions and accompanying step-by-step photos. She is truly a generous and wonderful teacher in the book. It is just like she is at home with you right there guiding you through the techniqes. There is so much information packed in here. I love her composition chapter. With photos and step-by-step examples of how she creates her art it will make it easy to say "I get it". If anyone is interested in collage, assemblage or wonderul art techniques then this is a great book for your collection that I am sure you will refer to again and again for inspiration.

Since I had signed up for a workshop by Claudine Hellmuth, I was eager to have her book beforehand. I was so delighted with the book(and later with her class)....the book is filled to the brim with great ideas and illustrations for making collages. I have been an artist for over 25 years, and have seen about everything, so this book was a revelation, impressing someone who is hard to impress at this stage. Her instructions and suggestions are so clear to read, that one who had not taken the workshop could do as well as one who had. I recommend it most highly and would give it more than 5 stars if that were an option!

This is my first book on collage, and I am impressed! (Believe me, I am NOT easily impressed! :)) Collage Discovery Workshop goes through the ABC's of collage clearly and gives equally clear advice on the equipment needed to get started. I will now be able to go to my local craft store or Internet site well armed for what I need. As important, the book discusses theory of collage, helps to train a potential-collage artist's eye on scale, color, and what (should) look good. I am just thrilled with this book, and appreciate that the authors were willing to share their years of knowledge and trials and errors with the public. There are a lot of collage books out there that I have flipped through....this is one of the really good ones!

I really love this book a lot because it's so easy for a non-artist student to learn collage easily. Each steps is clear and could be easy made.It's really a big help for me cause I always want to do my own collage but feel it's too hard to do. With the direction of this book, I feel that collage could be an interest, an exercise for relaxing. It's really a great one.

I have many books on collage, altered art and visual journalling, but I always seem to return to this book, which I have owned for several years. The clear instructions make this book great for a beginner, while the innovative artwork will hold the attention of even the most experienced artists. I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in collaging or visual journalling.

i got this book before i started making collage, and i am so glad that i did. it offers so many different techniques i wouldn't have known about otherwise. this book is a great resource for anyone interested in the art of collage.