Digital Photo Art: Transform Your Images with Traditional & Contemporary Art Techniques [Paperback]

Theresa Airey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2005

With its inventive blend of classic art and contemporary digital techniques, this fresh, exciting guide offers photographers and visual artists an array of creative concepts and projects found nowhere else.

Go beyond the boundaries of the simple digital photograph with these exciting mixed-media art techniques that employ both computer software and traditional hands-on materials. This unique blend of the classic and the new results in eye-catching images that incorporate painting, printmaking, photography, and digital art. Every magnificent page displays exciting and groundbreaking ways to utilize today's digital tools. Use programs such as nik Color Efex Pro! and Adobe Photoshop to reproduce the effects of an old bromoil print or a watercolor painting. With Lazertran inkjet paper, varnish, and turpentine, create a pseudo Polaroid transfer that looks just like an original. Hand color photographs with pastel pencils, or try encaustic wax for an otherworldly effect. With these time-honored artist's tools and modern computer effects, the sky's the limit on creativity.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Lark Books (May 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579905803
• ISBN-13: 978-1579905804
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #751,501 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a wonderful compendium, January 19, 2006

By 

John Stevenson (Colorado Springs, CO U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Digital Photo Art: Transform Your Images with Traditional & Contemporary Art Techniques (Paperback)

In summary, this is a very insightful book, which works well on several different levels. First, it is clearly intended to be inspirational - to draw its readers into new avenues of image making and creativity. In this respect the book is wonderful, since it not only contains many intriguing and appealing images (and sets of ideas) worked through by the author herself, but also showcases work from other artists (many of whom have established high and worthy reputations in their own right). It's a digital visual feast! Secondly, the book is also intended to be instructional; to deal - essentially - with artist toolkit issues and specific project guidelines. Here the biggest depth of detail is centered on what will likely be the most unconventional of approaches to the majority of readers. For example, more information is provided on alternative physical media involved in many of the projects and categories of work - covering "non-standard" print media, materials for image transfers, pencils, fixatives, paints (including encaustic forms), etc. Photographic technique and imaging software procedures are covered less comprehensively (in any event, and despite the comments of an earlier reviewer, this is not a book about Photoshop expertise). Finally, the book is also a little bit of a memoir. The author describes herself as an image maker rather than a photographer; but, nevertheless, she includes little pieces of information on the context of the original photography - what she was trying simply to record in that place on that day. So, altogether, a splendid book - highly recommended.

77 of 94 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Loaded With Gimmickry & Gadgets, September 22, 2005

By 

Big Pete Osco "Pietro Orsaia" (Upstate, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Digital Photo Art: Transform Your Images with Traditional & Contemporary Art Techniques (Paperback)

Contrary to the previous review, I don't find Ms.Airey that proficient in Photoshop. Much of her artistic successes come from "Happy Surprises" in experimenting with various software and hardware. Which brings me to my next point. Be prepared to spend $1,000+ on such things as Nik Color Effects, AutoFX Photographic Edges, Wacom tablets and last but not least Studio Artist, which is only made for a Mac. So you'll need a Mac too if you want to try any of her "experiments". Nearly half the book is devoted to "Studio Artist" Inserts written by her compatriate artists use photoshop more than Ms. Airey. Some of her techniques are "way out there". I may as well bought a book written by Rembrandt on "How to Paint Pictures"

38 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Far Beyond Digital Photography, July 21, 2005

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Digital Photo Art: Transform Your Images with Traditional & Contemporary Art Techniques (Paperback)

Ms. Airey says that she isn't an artist but an image maker. She has definitely made the switch to digital photography, and is a master at Photoshop. But she goes far beyond this. She sometimes uses traditional art techniques to take the basic photographic digital prints to a new level of creative expression. For instance she may decide to color the image herself using traditional paints and a brush. Perhaps she prints the image on canvas and uses this only as an outline for the painting she wants to do. Perhaps she wants an old fashioned appearance, complete with aging caused discoloration or a sepia tone.

There are a lot of books on using Photoshop to produce special effects. And what you can do with Photoshop is truly amazing. But what you can do with some special attachments such as infrared filters is far more.

This book adds an entirely new dimension because when you get right down to it, the whole world doesn't have to be handled digitally.