Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Enthusiastically written and covering a comprehensive range of topics, ideas and projects, this is an engaging book. I found the structure to be interesting, with a lot of material intended to inspire the reader at the front (including twenty-one individual "chapterettes", each involving a single artwork project, from invited contributors). The only purely instructional chapter comes right at the end, offering more detailed insight into some of the key steps and procedures used throughout the balance of the tome. And, in total, a bulky tome this is - 583 pages and 3 pounds plus a little (to be almost exact). A lot of the material presented is very inventive; for example, I do not recall seeing any of the techniques used as the basis of the worked (and finely artistic) examples within the `Painting in Photoshop ...' chapter included within any other of the now growing number of contemporary photo-art texts. Collage is taken to include the building of panoramic photographs and a whole chapter is devoted to these. However, arguably the best software for actually doing such constructions - NHIS' PTgui - isn't included (presumably because it doesn't fall directly into the Photoshop or Painter bucket). It's a shame, I think, that the urge to put the names of the two super-heavyweight software packages on the cover of the book lead to exclusions like this .... Fo2PiX' ArtMasterPro application would have been very worthy of some coverage in this case also. There are a couple of other omissions which are really too obvious to go unremarked. First, there's almost no material in the book on portraiture - for example, just two of those "chapterettes" involve using and developing full-facial images, while a large proportion of the author's own fine art work involves just landscape and still life subject matter. Secondly, there are some clear encouragements given at the outset (that is; within Chapter 1, titled `Concept') on pre- and post-visualization of the fine art. Post-visualization almost always needs to include some planning on a target size for the output/finished printed work. Again, a few of the "chapterettes" include some details on this, but it is a topic which remains pretty much absent from the remainder of the text. Overall, the careful reader will undoubtedly find a whole slew of new ideas from within this worthy book; but, may have to work independently - and/or pioneeringly - to execute some of them in detail.

This book was like reading a great novel, I couldn't put it down! The inspiration was excellent. The incorrect assumption of some that "digital" means "computer generated" is debunked in this excellent work which has lots of beautiful examples of many kinds of digital art (not just collage). There are lots of step by step tutorials that are helpful and tips for using the tools of PS and Painter to their best advantage.

It is not a beginners book however as Bloom assumes that the reader is familiar with PS and Painter. Still this might be the work that makes one REALLY want to do the work needed to become proficient in these programs.

Loved it more than any other work on this subject and I already have a shelf full!!!

Suni R

Ok, firstly if you want a hands-on plenty of action book stay away from this one. Sure you get to see how other artist have created their work but if you read carefully there are gaps between getting from one stage to the next in some cases. Also a MAJOR dissapointment is you get no images to play with so you can attempt to emulate what the artist is doing as you read. Using the same techniques on different images can obviously give you totally different results.

There is a small hands-on section (26 pages) at the back where you have to download the images to work with. Come on guys how about a CD..? You also have to download a total of 49 files off the web if you want all of them AND they are all largish TIFFS instead of jpgs so be prepared for a long download session.

Basically if you want to be a digital vouyer and have a perve at how others do it without having fun yourself buy this book. If you want to get down and dirty and have heaps of fun then look elswhere. I have read many good PS and Painter books but for me this is not one of them. I might add I am a very experienced PS user and more than a fair Painter user and while the author certainly knows her stuff the book for me is a major letdown and certainly not for a new user looking for a good start to take them to an intermediate level.

Susan Bloom has utilized her talents as a gifted teacher, photographer and artist to produce a book that should be kept within easy reach of those aspiring to take their photography to the fine arts level. The book presents a rich palette of ideas to enhance images and to develop the digital artist. Through clear instruction and illustration she shows the extensive range of possibilities available for digital art production. The artist case studies and "instructional" sections provide inspiration, clarify procedures and highlight software capabilities.

Your assumed basic knowledge of Photoshop and Painter is extended and enhanced in the practical sections with interesting and challenging projects involving the gamut of software tools, options and materials. For those needing a revision of basic procedures - there is a section for you.

This book will have you thinking differently about the photographs you take and their final form as you set out to create panoramas, collages or simply to give a photograph an artistic interpretation using Painter. The book is a triumph!

This book on Digital Collage and Painting is abundant in creative and technical know-how. Susan is both generous and thorough and because of that she will inspire you to see potential in each new process. This is the only book you will ever need on digital art. Each step is detailed, photographed and beautifully illustrated. Each chapter will reveal a trick or tip necessary to making your image your own. The techniques you hoped to learn from previous books on digital art only to find that they fell short will not be the case with this great new book! This artist and author shares her own work along with other digital gurus, 21 to be exact. Other tutorials detailed in this book include how to make your own ink jet papers, creating panoramic images, the effects of combining drawing and photography and much, much more. Kudos to Susan Ruddick Bloom!

This is a great book for the curious and creative artist who wants to use Photoshop and Painter as their tools for expression. The author provides plenty of information, step-by-step instructions and illustrations to help the reader go through the process and create his/her images. The book is not an introduction to basic Photoshop or Painter. The book is for the artist who wants to improve his techniques and learn new skills using these programs. You can practice, and apply the new skills and I'm sure that you will notice immediately the improvement on your technical skills.

The chapters on Collage are excellent and the author provides a step-by-step guide in the creative process of a diversity of images. She inspires you to use the newly learned techniques to create stunning collages. The chapter devoted to creating panoramic images is superb. You will enjoy this chapter because you can use any digital camera to create great panoramas and you don't need to invest in expensive equipment.

You will love the chapter on filters; you can practice and create new versions of some of your favorite old images. The chapter on Essential Photoshop and Painter techniques is a must for everyone who wants to be proficient with the tools of both programs. This chapter has a step-by-step approach to the method and you'll have plenty of illustrations and instructions to learn how to master the tools. The book provides five projects for you to practice some of your newly acquired skills. I'm sure that this book will help you find inspiration and will motivate you to go out and create great images with this wonderful programs. This book is a must in the library of every photographer and artists who uses digital technology.

Whether you are new to digital collage or a seasoned professional,
Susan Bloom's book is a wonderful new resource available through Focal
Press. Ms. Bloom, a digital artist, painter, art historian and
educator has poured artistic passion and technical know-how into this
600+ page book. Using her own work as examples, the book covers
everything you need to know from concept to techniques. She provides
the reader with clear, step-by-step instructions in making digital
collage work using Photoshop and Painter, alone or in tandem.
Demonstrating the depth and variety of creative and technical options,
she also provides the work of 21 other artists with details on how they
created them.
"Digital Collage and Painting" works as a tutorial, a reference or a
source of inspiration.

I may not be much of a photographer, and I'm not yet proficient at image editing programs, but I love art, and this book helps me combine my passions, with lots of advice on creating collages and original paintings using the two most sophisticated image manipulation programs. I hope to learn a lot!

Artists create by combining and extracting elements, often employing diverse techniques, to express ideas. Sue Bloom's new book brings her background as a teacher and digital artist and painter to the reader by showing how different artistic methods can be combined to create a work richer than any single medium alone could provide. She does this, not just by describing her own work, but by inviting 21 other major digital artists to share their eyes and techniques. Of course, she provides some excellent chapters on the "basics" of digital creation in Photoshop and Painter, but her book's unique strength, I think, lies in going beyond all of the usual "How to" books. It is a book which bridges these different digital disciplines. It covers collage and panorama creation, along with artistic tools in Photoshop and Painter while at the same time has a large section on "Artistic Considerations" (which includes "Experimentation" ideas). Bloom's first sentence begins with the question: "Where does that kernel of inspiration come from?" She brings us many tools to use. Along the way, she offers inspiring and thoughtful quotations from artists throughout history. I took great comfort from her quote from Emerson that "Every artist was first an amateur." An inspiring and truly unique book. BRAVO.

I read the book cover to cover and its definitely a keeper.....save for your bookshelf.

This book is a wonderful reference....highly informative.....lots of detailed instructions for creating some incredible artwork using Photoshop and Painter. Unlike other instructional textbooks, the author features 21 digital artist's mini-chapters in the FRONT of the book for inspiration......instead of relegating them to the appendix in the back. She highlights a variety of talented artists, each different in methodology, with full explainations about their artwork.

Once you are inspired, she jumps right in and covers a wealth of techniques, step by step, and MOST importantly using laymen's terms. Although many of the exercises require working knowledge of Photoshop, her prose is simple and easy to read. She covers many areas ranging from compositing montages to using customs brushes, to creating panoramas, exploring plug-ins, and applying special filters.

I have never been so engrossed in an instructional book....which are usually as monotonous as reading a dictionary. This book was a pleasure to read. Furthermore the author is accessable, friendly, and encouraging. I was delighted to find out that she is local to me and holds Photoshop workshops in my area.

I look forward to her second edition.