Digital Art Studio: Techniques for Combining Inkjet Printing with Traditional Art Materials [Paperback]

Karin Schminke (Author), Dorothy Simpson Krause (Author), Bonny Pierce Lhotka (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0823013421 | ISBN-13: 978-0823013425 | Publication Date: August 1, 2004

Utilizing the combined experience of three traditional artists turned digital imaging pioneers, Digital Art Studio champions combining traditional art techniques with digital media. From their unique position as artists, educators, and technology consultants, the authors provide a wide range of ways to integrate digital processes, using them in unusual and challenging ways to reinvent traditional art techniques. The computer is profiled as the ultimate mixed-media machine, allowing the artist to readily combine an unbelievable array of media. The book covers the basic processes for preparing commercially available surfaces (canvas and watercolor and printmaking papers) and custom surfaces (handmade papers, wood, leather, and antique fabrics). More advanced methods are covered, including transferring digital images to absorbent surfaces and transferring digital images to three-dimensional surfaces. A showcase of the work of artists who have combined digital and traditional materials to produce outstanding work will inspire all artists, new and seasoned alike, to explore the new world of mixing traditional art with digital media.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bonny Lhotka, Dorothy Simpson Krause, and Karin Schminke are the founders of Digital Atelier, a printmaking studio. Their art is in more than 200 corporate and museum collections. Lhotka lives in Boulder, CO. Drause lives in Marshfield Hills, MA. Schminke lives in Kenmore, WA.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill (August 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823013421
• ISBN-13: 978-0823013425
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.5 x 10.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #82,230 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #33 in Books > Computers & Technology > Graphic Design > Printing
  • #51 in Books > Arts & Photography > Other Media > Mixed Media

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

123 of 134 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not for Average Printers/Artists, November 11, 2006

By 

Picfactory (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Digital Art Studio: Techniques for Combining Inkjet Printing with Traditional Art Materials (Paperback)

I'm a professional artist and consider myself a reasonably knowledgeable user of Photoshop. I was glad I was able to borrow this before buying it, since, as someone without a specialized printmaking studio, it was useless to me. It is assumed that you have a large scale printer, and that you'd be willing to put all kinds of esoteric and potentially damaging coatings and materials through it.

To give you an idea of the specialized nature of this book, there is a little craft section in back with a section on how to print on fabric. The materials list includes "reactive textile dyes for inkjet printers" and "precautionary fire extinguisher." Sure, I just happen to stock my Epson here at home with reactive textile dyes and keep a fire extinguisher handy! Almost all of the other techniques are of this sort of nature.

If you are a very specialized printmaker with the right equipment, this will be helpful to you. If you are a regular artist with an inkjet printer who wants to explore new ways of working with your computer that are reasonably do-able, this probably will be less of a help.

50 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Digital Art Studio, February 26, 2005

By 

Sarah A. Kerslake "Kenneth A. Kerslake" (Gainesville, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Digital Art Studio: Techniques for Combining Inkjet Printing with Traditional Art Materials (Paperback)

For anyone, especially printmakers, attempting to deal with technology and combining technological with traditional processes; like etching , lithography, etc., the book "Digital Art Studio"by Karin Schminke, Dorothy Simpson Krause and Bonnie Lhotka is a comprehensive masterpiece. Explanations are thorough and understandable and beautifully illustrated with masterful works of art by the three authors. Perhaps best of all there is an excellent index, glossary, and resources section listing specific companies, addresses, phone numbers and websites for finding materials. It is in my opinion, one of the very best books of it's kind that I have ever seen in a long career as a printmaker.

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Digital output for multimedia artists, July 8, 2004

By 

"abacada" (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Digital Art Studio: Techniques for Combining Inkjet Printing with Traditional Art Materials (Paperback)

I just received my copy in the mail and I'm overwhelmed with the outstanding imagery and techniques that the three artists of Digital Atelier offer in this book by Karin Schminke, Dorothy Simpson Krause and Bonny Lhotka. 

These are the three artists of Digital Atelier, and their website is mindblowing (www.digitalatelier.com). Don't forget to check the links to the individual artist websites. They started with professional, expensive inkjet printers through corporate sponsorships and grants, and it took ten years since the time these artists started experimenting and exhibiting for the technology to catch up with consumer inkjet printers.

This book is process oriented and is recommended for intermediate to advanced mixed-media artists and photographers who want to explore digital artmaking. They show you how to use your inkjet printer, albeit more expensive and professional models, to print on practically any material: fabrics, plastics, metals, papers, etc.  The past few weeks, I've been studying the techniques and I've ordered the InkAid product so I can create my own substrates for the low-end desktop printer, the Epson C84 with Durabright inks.  InkAid is a special precoat and it was developed by the Digital Atelier artists (www.inkaid.com).  I've been able to create interesting prints with my printer that neither the artists nor InkAid support - but I'm happy to report that they've both been very responsive and helpful with my questions.

You'll still need to know the basics of digital design and composition, but if you ever wanted to make your artwork explode onto textures, layers, collage and 3-D surfaces - this book is it. This is a process-oriented book so you will still have to develop your own digital imagery, compose the layers, and prepare the surfaces before you can print. You will need to have some experience with image editing techniques such as Photoshop, and how to scan, capture or upload images to your computer. This book is concerned with output - and intimate knowledge with the capabilities of your desktop and wide- or large-format printers is necessary. This is not a quick artmaking process. Precoating to prepare various materials for printing on requires time to dry the layers but the effort is worth it.

You will learn various image transfer and "emulsion" transfer (similar to Polaroid) techniques as well as some unusual printmaking and layering ideas: gelatin transfers, frescos, digital overprinting and underprinting, and collage. There's a whole chapter on transferring or printing images onto fabrics for both wearable and non-wearable art. The three artists offer numerous options to pursue and don't promise that their techniques will do everything. Amazingly, they do offer a lot.

You can also work on your printed images with traditional art media - such as pastels, colored pencils, acrylics, even encaustics, but those techniques are not detailed too much. This book assumes you have your own expertise but it offers more possibilities for traditional and digital artists. They position the inkjet printer as a well-placed tool in the mixed-media studio. All the techniques build in complexity and they are demonstrated very well in step-by-step photographs and text. Examples of artwork is numerous and varied and so the art gallery is outstanding.

As a new, self-taught collage artist, I am inspired to rework my best images and create new versions on various "canvases." This book as a great addition to my reference library. The only con to the book, and it's minor at that is some confusion I have with the materials needed for printing on or using as "carriers." Specifically, the list of polycarbonate, plastic sheets, polyester films. I have to take notes to keep track of which technique to try first as I shop for more materials but I am excited to start.

This book has been long-awaited by digital artists and I congratulate Digital Atelier on the launch and applaud the three artists for their generosity.