37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Plaster Studio, May 11, 2011
This review is from: Plaster Studio: Mixed-Media Techniques for Painting, Casting and Carving (Paperback)
After waiting for five months on the pre-release list, Plaster Studio by Stephanie Lee and Judy Wise is finally in my hands. It's the perfect book for mixed media artists who loved to play in the mud as little girls (or boys) and who -- as grownups -- love to explore media with tactile qualities. The book is beautifully written (I knew Stephanie and Judy were talented artists, but they can write, too). It's beautifully photographed and laid out, as well.
There's a technical intro about what plaster is and what tools can be used -- both short and sweet. After that, it jumps right in to the meat of things. It covers painting on plaster, going back in and adding more plaster to a plaster painting, adding imagery via tissue paper prints or image transfers. It presents a step-by-step method to do "faux frescoes," use stencils, or add metal foil for highlights. Each new technique has a materials list and goes through process with both words and images.
Some of the more unusual techniques include cracked burlap, casting and carving, and combining plaster (or joint compound) with assemblage -- including assemblage using items you've cast yourself from plaster. Who knew you could take one little Frozen Charlotte and clone her to infinity?
There's also some basic info on combining plaster painting with the use of encaustic medium and since I am a new encaustic convert, that was appealing. There are also some intriguing 3-D sculptural projects, including my favorite -- a foam Santo. Those of you into book arts will find some options you might never have considered.
So if you're a mixed media artist who loves tactile media with lots of exploratory potential, Stephanie and Judy's book will be a great resource.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE BEST., May 19, 2011
This review is from: Plaster Studio: Mixed-Media Techniques for Painting, Casting and Carving (Paperback)
OK, I buy more art books than I am willing to admit... but this one, is a keeper, really if you want to create, this book will give you tools to do so... VERY WELL DONE Stephanie and Judy... this book has an incredible variety of projects that can be tweaked to your own style, truly worth every single penny... this book is extremely inspirational and I can say that it would be very hard to criticize this book... in fact if I were to write a book, I couldn't imagine what I would change about it... NICE JOB STEPHANIE AND JUDY! (and whoever helped you!!!)
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unique work from ordinary objects!, May 16, 2011
This review is from: Plaster Studio: Mixed-Media Techniques for Painting, Casting and Carving (Paperback)
This book is very exciting. Being a former potter, I'm well acquainted with plaster, which I have used for mold-making and some cast 3D pieces. I've also admired the frescoes and encaustics in cities in Italy. Imagine combining all of this together in a beautifully laid out, informative book that can easily be met with sighs of "Wow!" The projects in this book are diverse ... from those with color, to white on white ethereal images, 3D and 2D work, figurative and non-representational pieces ... and lots of texture. The approach is to use what you have at your disposal and to buy only what's necessary. Most of the materials are easy to find either at your hardware store or online and are not expensive. Stephanie's bowl is the bomb! I think there's a potter hiding in there somewhere! I look forward to working through this book with the ladies during their online workshop.
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