Digital Collage and Painting: Using Photoshop and Painter to Create Fine Art [Paperback]

Susan Ruddick Bloom (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 27, 2010 | ISBN-10: 0240811755 | ISBN-13: 978-0240811758 | Edition: 2

If you already know your way around Photoshop and Painter and want to use these amazing programs to take your skills further, this book is for you! Much more than a simple "how-to" guide, Susan Ruddick Bloom takes you on a full-fledged journey of the imagination and shows you how to create incredible works of fine art. Supplemented by the work of 20+ world renowned artists in addition to Sue's own masterpieces, you'll learn how to create watercolors, black and white pencil sketches, texture collages, stunning realistic and fantastical collages, and so much more, all from your original photographs. If you are eager to dive into the world of digital art but need a refresher on the basics, flip to Sue's essential techniques chapter to brush up on your Photoshop and Painter skills, and you'll be on your way in no time. Whether you're a novice or an established digital artist, you'll find more creative ideas in this book than you could ever imagine. Fully updated for new versions of Painter and Photoshop and including brand new work from contemporary artists, Digital Collage and Painting provides all the inspiration you need to bring your artistic vision to light.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Bloom's Digital Collage and Painting giveaway on AdvancedPhotoshop.com

About the Author

Susan Ruddick Bloom is a Professor of Art and Chair of the Department of Art and Art History at McDaniel College in Maryland. She has a BFA and an MFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art and is well known for both her traditional wet darkroom alternative processes and her digital darkroom work. Sue has been teaching digital classes since the beginning of Photoshop and has used a Mac from the very first one on the market (128K, with a screen the size of an index card). Trained in drawing, painting, and printmaking, she was at one time a courtroom artist for television and newspapers. Her painterly skills enhance her photographic ones, and her images frequently combine techniques. Sue's work has been exhibited and collected widely.

Product Details

• Paperback: 600 pages
• Publisher: Focal Press; 2 edition (October 27, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0240811755
• ISBN-13: 978-0240811758
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 1.4 x 9.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #308,867 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond my wildest expectations. January 4, 2011

By tachi1 TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I am both impressed and overwhelmed by the amount of pertinent and useful information in this book. Every topic, chapter, and section is important--no filler, no repetition, nothing necessary left out, nothing unnecessary thrown in.

How my opinion dovetails with yours depends on the commonality of our experience and our intended purposes for getting this book. I am, primarily, a photographer both for business and pleasure. I am very competent in the use of Photoshop, and just got Painter as a Christmas gift (two weeks ago). I wish to start turning some photos into illustrations (line drawings, soft images, collages) but for my own use and pleasure, not for commercial purposes or public display. After seeing the book, I might (later) be seriously tempted to go beyond that, but there are so many options, so many styles, so many directions I would want to take that I'm overwhelmed by the choices.

However, while the book is not intended for beginners, a beginner who is familiar with at least one of the programs isn't going to find it difficult to wade right in and tackle a project. It's just a question of finding a simple one that applies to the type of photography you have in your collection.

I have to add that having a certain amount of artistic eye, skill, and background would be a big help because these projects cannot be approached in a purely mechanical way, regardless of how well you use Photoshop, Painter, or the additional programs, plug-ins, filter and action packs mentioned. The book merely provides the techniques, methodology, and inspiration.

Every step is amazingly well explained and illustrated. (Although it isn't done in the usual tutorial style so common for software users: numbered steps, captioned screen shots, the "recipe" laid out in sequence.) There are some more structured sections but, by and large, this is a purely narrative style in long blocks of paragraphs, as if you were learning with the teacher seated next to you and explaining as you go. This requires reading the entire section before you start, wrapping your head around the general theory, adding post-it tabs and highlighting the parts you need to pay attention to, and starting your project. I think that, for this type of photographic project, it's actually the ideal teaching method to use because it explains what you absolutely need to know, then lets you implement the idea your way.

I see absolutely no negatives in this book. It is clearly and intelligently written and well edited and organized. The content is fascinating, from the detailed and informative artist interviews to the full spectrum of styles and options offered to create art and collage based on photographs. I would have enjoyed reading it and learning from it just for the pleasure of it.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What this Book Is and What it Isn't! December 30, 2010

By V. Hutson TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I have both the first and second edition of this book and I would recommend this book if you are interested in the following:

1. You want to learn how to use your digital photographs and turn them into works that look more like paintings.
2. You want to learn how to take parts from your photos and combine them together into one digital image that looks more like a painting or collage than a photo.
3. You are interested in seeing a nice variety of images created by other contemporary digital artists.
4. You want a book that covers both Photoshop and Painter.
5. You are interested in learning more about the filters in Photoshop.

I would NOT recommend it for anyone who is primarily interested in learning how to paint digitally from scratch since almost every project in this book starts from a digital photograph with the exception of some of the artists in the "Inspiration" chapter.

Basically it gives directions on how to use a variety of different filters, brushes, etc., to convert and paint over a photograph to give it a more painterly appearance. Many of the finished examples are very beautiful--but if you are hoping to learn how to paint a painting from scratch--this book will not show you how.

The chapter on painting in Photoshop is actually titled "Painting in Photoshop with Your Photos." The chapter on Painting in Painter shows you how to use a variety of clone brushes to take a photo and turn it into a painting.

Bottomline: If you want to learn how to change photographs into paintings--get this book! I will give it 5 stars because it does that well.

(P.S. If you already have the first edition I don't think it is necessary to get this one since it is primary only the "Inspiration" chapter that changes very much.)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars nice resource January 24, 2011

By Shala Kerrigan TOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

This is one of the nicest books I've seen on the topic of creating digital paintings and collages from photographs and stock art. Many artists are interviewed and featured with their techniques. Instead of being a step by step guide to create the exact same effect, this book has suggestions for layers and tools to use. It's also not program specific which I really like. So if you're more comfortable in Painter than Photoshop, the techniques shown can be used.
Lots of photos show the progression of the images from photos and sketches to finished collages and paintings which makes it very easy to understand what effects the layers, tools and filters have.
While it's primarily written for people who already have a strong interest in these techniques, the book would also be a great inspiration to people who scrapbook in graphics programs as well. The collage ideas and tips are just wonderful.
If you want to get the most out of this, you should have a graphic tablet, a good camera and of course Photoshop or Painter.