Customer Reviews

The Art of Paper Collage

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Although this book does have some good ideas, it was disappointing. It might be called "The Art Of Paper Collage," but clearly the author comes from the world of scrapbooking and rubber stamping, not from the world of collage as a fine art. The examples she includes of her own work tend either toward Biblical themes or toward family memorabilia (ex: one collage is called "My Dad").

The writing style is oddly stilted. For example, instead of saying "You will find..." she chooses "It will be found that..." That kind of writing gets old very quickly, and should have been edited out.

Explanations tend to be sparse. In the section about doing an acrylic underpainting,for example, there is very little information about how to do one, or about how to mesh the underpainting with the collage elements. There is also a strange lack of information about some tried-and-true elements of collage art, such as archival tissue and the many types of acrylic medium and acrylic modeling paste, and only a cursory look at Oriental papers, while an entire section is devoted to some new products that are of dubious value, such as glitter spray. I was dismayed, furthermore, to find that most of the products featured in that section just happen to be sold by a company the author is associated with. I ended up feeling like I had just spent a lot of money on an elaborate ad. Not only that, there is some misinformation: she claims that water-soluble polymer glues are considered archival "because they are reversible." That is NOT what makes a product archival--if that were the case, kindergarten paste would be considered archival.

There are other, much better, books about the art of collage out there, if you are serious about the artistic aspects of it. Look for the ones by Nita Leland and Virginia Williams, and Gerald Brommer. Both are far better written, represent a much broader range of styles, and are not nearly as commercially self-serving.

I was so inspired by the beautiful art in The Art of Paper Collage that I not only read Susan Pickering Rothamel's book cover-to-cover twice but I studied her stunning work and technique and then used them as guides to do my very first paper collage. The result was spectacular and I give Ms. Rothamel all the credit. She gave just enough direction and instruction so that I could actually construct my collage but more than that she gave me plenty of samples so that I could take a little from here and there and create something I am proud to own. I've had her book now for some months and it still sits on my artwork table so that I can wander through it when I need ideas and inspiration. I was really pleased that she included other artist's work - it gave me the opportunity to see a wide variety of styles and techniques. This book stands alone but now that I've also seen her terrific video on collage I'm even more confident of what I'm doing and am ready to tackle a more intricate piece. Wonderful book. Just wonderful.

I bought this book last Saturday on my way to a housewarming party. I was very rude and spent the whole evening holed up reading this wonderful book. I hardly talked to anyone at the party! It is a wonderful collection of collage. As a beginning collage artist, the first section about materials will really help me correct some of the mistakes I've made. The examples of Rothamel's collages sparked my creative juices so much I spent the next day (at work!) brainstorming and sketching out ideas for future collages. I loved this book; not just for the great information and the beautiful photos, but because it reinforced my desire to create beautiful collages. The gallery section was great, all the different artists with all their different styles are great examples of the diversity of art and collage. Gotta go...need to start tearing up paper.....

This book reminds me very much of Somerset Studio, a magazinewith which Ms. Rothamel has been associated - slick, beautifulpictures with very little explanation. Some sections have the mostbasic of descriptions, aimed at a collage newbie, while other areas lack almost any instruction at all and assume that you know some advanced art techniques. Who is her target market? I also found that many of the techniques lacked appropriate pictures, leaving you wondering exactly how the pictured piece was really put together.

There are many of us who are not interested in the recurring Bible themes and the poor punctuation should have been immediately caught by the editor.

I was not disappointed to find it a crafts book, rather than an art book, as I knew of Ms. Rothamel and her area of expertise, so was not expecting anything else.

There are far better books on the market for somebody who wants to venture into the area of collage. Try Collage Art by Jennifer Atkinson, Creative Collage Techniques by Nita Leland or Collage Techniques by Gerald Brommer. You will get much more for your money and not have to read the instructions 8 times trying to figure out what to do.

It has been my pleasure to follow the work of Susan Pickering Rothamel for some time now, first in Somerset Studio then as an instructor in various videos. I anxiously awaited the release of her book, The Art of Paper Collage and I was not disappointed. The book is filled with page after page of full-color, glorious collage images of various types and styles. Every page made my artist's mind spin off in wild directions and it whet my appetite to try all the various techniques presented.

I am not a newbie to collage but there are ideas and creations here that I've never tried before. There is even an Artists' Gallery at the back of the book that is totally delightful and if there is only one thing bad to say about this book it is that the few pages given to each artist were not enough to satisfy my longing to see more of their work.

If you are a collage artist, beginner or advanced, this book will have something to teach you, to show and to tempt you.

P.S. It's worth the price just to see the full-page Sue Pickering Rothamel collages up close and personal.

I love bold use of color and texture and this book has ample examples of artwork using plenty of both. The collage techniques covered include deckling paper edges, paper layering, assemblage, making handmade rubber stamps, using dry pigments, the use of color in composition, montage, nonobjective collage, figurative collage (using collage to create portraits), photo transfer collage, faux paste paper, faux lace embellishment, paper casting found objects, and recycling paintings in collage. Under unique collage making materials she covers webbing spray, mica flakes and granules, crackle medium, mica-based dry powdered pigments, glitter spray, crystal gel, and mica tiles. The last section of the book is dedicated to showcasing the artwork of 11 other artists (although examples of each method and collage technique are hightlighted by her own artwork throughout the book). This is a great book and I thoroughly recommend it!

I enjoyed this book, because I am new to collage and loved the samples. Since I read Somerset Magazine, I don't usually see these types of collage there and I found them very nice. I did wish she would have explained the underpainting more, but I have seen her videos and they are very helpful. I was inspired by her art, don't care that she used Biblical themes or family themes. I have read a lot of older collage books and they didn't help me at all, I am glad I got them at the library. This book helped me look at papers in a different way and I appreciate that. I wish she did show more step-by-step pictures. Especially when she is assembling collages. That is what is truly missing. Maybe she put too much in the book with out enough instructions. But all-in-all I don't regret buying it and plan to try her style soon.

This book is better than I had ever dreamed! The pictures and explanations were SUPERB, and written for both beginners and the experienced. Susan did a wonderful job, and the artists gallery was especially beautiful. This book is a great addition to anyone interested in art, collage and great writing. Highly recommeded!

Collaging is a soothing form of self-expression. It doesn't have to be a perfect work of art, because as with any craft or art you create, it's meaning is personal. If you are interested in finding out about collage, this book is a good place to start. Though the instructions are vague in places, the general intent is clear enough to allow anyone to express themselves through this art-form.

Susan Pickering Rothamel's personal style leans toward the biblical, but that doesn't mean it's something that you must incorporate in to your work. Her collages are beautiful to look at and hold meaning for her! As a bonus, there is a gallery of other collage artists at the end of the book so that you can see for yourself the difference in styles.

The photographs are great and the supplies are things that you can pick up in any art supply store, even Michael's or Hobby Lobby. Don't pass up this book as a novice guide to collaging. The art presented here will inspire and delight you.

Since I first saw Susan's work in Somerset Studio I have been a fan of her amazing work!! This book was far beyond my expectations! Not only is it tremendously inspirational, but she covers so very many areas of arting! Then to top it off she is so ever generous to have a gallery of fine artists works that are so diverse & charming. I will be up late tonight pouring over all the information contained in this book that is sooo remarkable! Thanks,Susan for this gift!!