34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Extending creative repertoire, August 16, 2009
This review is from: The Creative Edge: Exercises to Celebrate Your Creative Self (Spiral-bound)
Mary Todd Beam's follow-up to her first book expands both creative repertoire and creative experience. I have seen books on creativity that, while fun to explore, have little application for serious works of art. "The Creative Edge" does both. Many of the techniques are new, not just a rehash of all the old ones. Each technique can be used as the focus of a single art work, but the same technique can be combined with others in the book, or with techniques learned elsewhere. For example, it is possible to use her "sparkling ice" technique to create a fascinating abstract, or use it as part of a larger, more representational work.
The section titled "Have a Look: Observe" opens our eyes to looking at familiar objects in a different way, for example the interior of a derelict car, to create interpretive abstracts. I particularly like the section "Finding Figures in a Foil Print" as it not only shows a unique way of using black gesso and foil (the result looks almost like a lithograph) it could also be developed in so many ways - as an abstract, like the examples, or to add texture to a landscape or even a still life. Examples of other artists' use of the techniques provide inspiration as well as additional ideas.
Most of the artwork is done on illustration board. If this is difficult to obtain, or if you do not like the shiny surface, it is possible to use matt board, although this is a little lighter. It does need to be gessoed on both sides and the edges sealed with wax. For a more matte working surface, I find a thin coat of fibre paste on top of the gesso works nicely. (Golden produces an excellent one)
As usual, Mary Todd Beam uses her famed palette of only three colours with amazing success: Quinacridone Crimson, Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold and Turquoise (Pthalo) These create wonderful secondaries, as well as interesting tints and shades when mixed with black or white. It is worthwhile setting aside the old pallette you are comfortable with, and trying something entirely different. The results can be quite exciting.
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30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Creative inspiration, May 13, 2009
This review is from: The Creative Edge: Exercises to Celebrate Your Creative Self (Spiral-bound)
I have many shelves full of art books, mostly "how to" sorts of books on various painting techniques. Never have I read one cover to cover as I did with this book. Not only did I read it once, but I bought many of the recommended supplies and I read parts again as I experimented with the many techniques described. It's been great fun to have Mary as my guide through several experiments so far (more to come). Some I'd call successful; others beg to be covered up and tried again. I'd recommend this book for anyone stuck in a not-so-creative rut.
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jump-starting Creativity, July 7, 2009
This review is from: The Creative Edge: Exercises to Celebrate Your Creative Self (Spiral-bound)
The Creative Edge: Exercises to Celebrate Your Creative Self
In this book Mary Todd Beam picks up where she left off in her first book "Celebrate Your Creative Self."
At one time or another every artist runs into a block or comes to a standstill in their creativity. Using this new book you can become "unstuck" and at the same time explore new approaches to once again becoming the artist you are and have been and want to be.
The new exercises presented in this book give you more opportunities to explore your artist within and have fun doing it.
Beginning and experienced artists will find a lot of exercises that will be springboards to new creativity. I'd recommend the book to all artists who want to become the artist they'd like to be. Mary Todd Beam shows the way with the exercises in this book
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