Customer Reviews

Foundations in Polymer Clay Design

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a great polymer clay book for beginners. It is in full color & packed with many unique & inspirational artwork examples. With a wide variety of easy projects & techniques, you are sure to find one that suits your taste.

One of the great things about this book is that beginning artists get a crash course in the elements of design while creating beautiful artwork. Projects teach basic principles such as color, shape, line, texture, pattern, movement, contrast, & unity.

Step-by-step examples with b/w illustrations guide you through each of 22 different projects. Some of my favorites include blended shell beads, barrettes, an egg with flower millefiori, & a stamped wall hanging.

The section on materials & supplies is very complete including many options for surface finishing. The resource & artist lists are a great bonus. This is a wonderful look at the detail, variety & creativity possible in polymer clay.

Barbara E.McGuire's 'Foundations in Polymer Clay Design' is a great addition to both a beginner's and a more advanced artist's library, however, note that it is not a project book. The technical aspects of the clay are briefly discussed in the first chapter. The rest of the book focuses on the aspects and elements of design. Invaluable discussions on color, line, form, movement, etc., are contained within its chapters; as well as a stunning array of polymer clay artwork captured in beautifully executed photograpy.

While you will find plenty of inspiration gazing at the gallery of work in 'Foundations', you'll find little if any discussion of the techniques used in making them. The information offered is to be used as a guideline for refining your own unique style.

Working in polymer clay is more rewarding now that I've read (and reread) this book; it has served as a muse and a mentor. My work is more professional, more diverse and visually pleasing; my practice far more organized. The absense of step-by-step instruction does not limit the reader but helps them to expand by calling upon them to apply what they have learned to their own ideas.

This title is a perfect complement to Donna Kato's 'The Art of Polymer Clay', which is overflowing with technical instruction made beginner-friendly. I highly recommend a newcomer to the medium purchase both titles.

Barbara McGuire's Foundations in Polymer Clay Design is a must have for every polymer clay artist. It has exceptional information to enhance one's design knowledge and how to apply this knowledge to polymer clay artwork. The photos are stunning and best of all, show evidence of today's talented pc artists. Barbara's examples of each design concept and how they apply to working in polymer clay are valuable to the serious artist.

This book has several wonderful easy-to-try projects that demonstrate the chapter's concept. These lessons help to satisfy the reader who is looking for practice, but may not be 'enough' for the person who is simply looking for a book of how-to projects.

McGuire's book will remain an excellent reference for the artist and one where new lessons can be learned each time the book is taken off the shelf to reread. Five Stars!!!!

I pre-ordered this book and was surprised to find how much I really enjoy it. The author has collected many new artists work and approached this subject in a refreshing manner. I especially appreciate her focus using art and design terms to discribe the work and the possibilities of this medium. An inspirational book that makes sense to the artist in us all.

This introduction to design principles for artists working in polymer clay is a useful book, and I learned a lot from it. McGuire discusses the elements of design, including value, color, form, shape, line, space and texture, and addresses more briefly design principles like balance, pattern, rhythm, emphasis, and unity. McGuire follows each section of the book with an exercise designed to allow the reader to experiment with the element or principle being discussed, and illustrates each section with excellent photographs of polymer clay art that uses that element or principle particularly effectively. Between the exercises and the photographs, I was able, as a design newbie, to gain some understanding of McGuire's topics. However, McGuire's writing is so muddy and vague that I learned almost nothing from the text itself. Indeed, some of the paragraphs--especially those defining the key concepts--were so unclear and confusing that I was completely unable to discern what McGuire was talking about. The editor of this book really fell down on the job!

So, while this book did help me get started thinking about the elements and principles of design, I will have to turn to other authors to gain a richer understanding of these ideas.

I was disapointed by this book. The cover is great and drew me to buy it but the contents is a bit all over the place and I'm not sure what the purpose of the book is. There aren't really any projects and the design foundation information is a bit hard to follow. I must admit that I haven't picked it up again since looking at it the first time.

Polymer clay is such a versatile medium that it's hard to know if you're really creating a piece of art or something your kids are going to hide in the attic. This book goes a long way toward answering questions about color, balance, and good design principles, all illustrated in enjoyable projects. For those of us who love the medium but didn't happen to study art, this book truly provides the foundation we should have been looking for.

I loved this book! It was a great beginning course in color, design, balance and how to make it "look" right. I highly recommend this book

This has some of the most wonderful artists. And good examples of their work. Just lovely a favorite.