141 of 143 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The next wave....., August 22, 2005
This review is from: The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery : Mixed-Media Techniques for Collage, Altered Books, Artist Journals, and More (Paperback)
I first encountered some of Karen Michel's ideas for altering photos for use in art within the pages of the magazine "Cloth Paper Scissors." As one of the legion who have photos that are less than spectacular, but that still have some sentimental value, I could see the possibilities open up. So I was thrilled to discover she has written an entire book of her ideas, and picked up my own copy as soon as I could find one.
I am not disappointed.
Filled with examples of complete works, including the works of other artists such as Lynne Perella, Nina Bagley and Carlo Thertus, the book shows a multitude of ideas for altering not only real photographs, but images from other sources, such as magazines and postage stamps. Techniques are numerous, ranging from those that are easily done with tools around the house, such as scratching designs in the photos, to more complex techniques, such as the gum dichromate process.
My only wish might have been to have some step-out photos to demonstrate the some of the image transfer processes, but the text gives detailed directions.
Of special interest is a section on using your computer and photoediting software to alter your images. Anyone who has ventured into this area will have tried some of the ideas she suggests, but there's lots more to explore.
I've already played with scraping and sanding, using watercolor markers and messing around with some of the artistic filters in my Photoshop program. I look forward to trying many more approaches, especially ways to make use of substandard photos in some of my scrapbook designs. Thank you, Karen, for helping push me into the next wave!
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43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The one book you'll keep going back to, October 18, 2005
This review is from: The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery : Mixed-Media Techniques for Collage, Altered Books, Artist Journals, and More (Paperback)
This book is full to the brim with inspiration, eye-candy, and how-to's for the artist who knows how to take an idea and run with it.
If you want a book that lets you precisely duplicate someone else's results, this might not be right for you. But if you want a book that kick-starts your imagination and makes you want to grab some supplies and try new things with your own spin, this is it. It's definitely a well you can return to again and again.
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54 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
I Like This Book, March 6, 2006
This review is from: The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery : Mixed-Media Techniques for Collage, Altered Books, Artist Journals, and More (Paperback)
I liked this book, it covers a number of altering techniques I was interested in. Although the instructions are brief, it is enough to get you started. I am particularly interested in image transfer, and I tried some ink jet transfers after reading this book.
I have found it takes quite a bit of experimenting to find the right combination of type of paper, to gesso or not gesso the paper beforehand, and the amount of gel medium to use to get good results. I had the best luck printing on ink jet transparencies and transferring to watercolor paper. You can get ink jet transparency sheets at Staples or Office Depot, I found it near the transparency projectors rather than in the paper section.
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