Customer Reviews

Polymer - The Chameleon Clay: ArtRanch Techniques for Re-creating the Look of Ivory, Jade, Turquoise, and Other Natural Materials

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've got quite a little library of polymer clay books, but as soon as this book crossed my threshold, it immediately became one of my favorite three books of the bunch.

Firstly, maybe because of Tory's expression of her gentle and encouraging philosophy about making art - and her personality seems to come through on every page. Then, too, I love trying to mimic natural things and of course, she's a master. The agate technique is complicated, but the finished results certainly appear to be worth every step. Incredibly beautiful and convincing imitatives for a variety of natural materials. And all along the way, she's telling you little things about the material that you're making - such as how ancient peoples would further decorate a precious cracked amber bead by filling the crack with pitch and embedding pieces of turquoise or other stone in the pitch. Very cool stuff.

Very clear photos and the finished jewelry objects are shown on a beautiful model. Lots of variations and options are sprinkled throughout the instructions. Everything is well illustrated with tons of pictures and Tory's hand-drawn diagrams.

The finished items displayed in the book all have an antique, usually ethnic look, even if the theme of the ethnicity for a piece might seem to be "urban relic modern." Everything fits beautifully into a cohesive gallery that's distributed from the first page to the last.

The instructions are very clear and detailed and there is sufficient basic information at the beginning of the book that a new polymer artist or crafter could feel successful with the projects provided here.

In my opinion, a beginner would be able to work with this book and I would certainly recommend it to *anyone* who loves the medium, but I think the people that this will most appeal to are those with some experience with the clay, as the projects are a little more advanced than what you normally see in an instructional book.

I like most all of the polymer instruction books, but this one is a real standout!

I have gotten frustrated by books that only show a person how to make product "X". This book teaches the reader several techniques and how to apply them. From the beginning of the book the reader is encouraged to consider the creative process and experiment with their own techniques and designs. While you are learning specific techniques, Tori Hughes also points out that changes in color and style will also work well. Through this she is teaching the reader, not just showing them how to do a project. That alone makes this book a valuable asset to a book shelf. I highly recommend this book.

I am new to polymer clay and have never taken classes, or even heard of this author prior to the purchase of this book. May be on my way to an addict. I have gotten a pasta maker. So provided you are into things that far, I think even beginners with a reasonable amount of intelligence can deal with this book. The author is very specific in explaining how to imitate different natural mediums with polymer clays (some premo, some fimo, some combinations of the 2). I don't have a great deal of inventory of clay, but was able to emulate most of the techniques, represented with what I had - even if the colors were off a bit. I have gotten a couple other books, and polymer can really get outrageous, complicated, time consuming,and just plain dissapointing when the end result is not perfect enough. This book seems to take things slow and specifically enough to follow and enjoy. And, the nice thing about simulating stones, and natural things is that they are inherently defective, cracked, uneven, and irregular. Even when you mess something up a bit, it can look like it was done on purpose. For the price, I considered this book a good buy for my money.

I just received this today, and have read quite a bit of
it. I'm thrilled to see that the author has elaborated her
approach to art as well as provided "projects" to practice
with. I have taken her live classes and used alot of her
videos and appreciate her whole life attitude to art. Besides
sharing the tiniest details of what makes simulation so
wonderful, she expounds on the thought process and role your
mind and body plays in art. There are no errors, just ways
to collect information. Well done, great photos, nice
collection of work in the gallery portion of the book.

Polymer: The Chameleon Clay was the first polymer clay book I bought. It's not really geared toward beginners, but I've never been afraid to jump in with both feet. I'm glad I did! Victoria Hughes is a pioneer in making polymer clay look like just about anything. While I've since seen alternate techniques that make creating faux bone or stones simpler, I've never seen an technique that does it more realistically than hers. I regret I've never had a chance to take one of her classes.

In addition to the wonderful techniques for mimicking other materials, this book is inspirational. It showcases wonderful art or Hughes and a number of other talented artists. Exciting techniques, a wide variety of projects and beautiful photography combine to make this book remain one of my favorite books on polymer clay--and I now have quite a library of them!

This book consolidates the information from a number of her videos... and is a cost-effective way to explore these techniques. And you don't have to watch Ms. Hughes roll her eyes and practice alternative pronunciation of words in an attempt at humor. Her alternative vocabulary takes a bit of getting used to but once you figure out what she's referring to, there is quite a bit of great info in this book. Thanks, Ms. Hughes, for this alternative!...

I have been working with polymer since last summer, my only teachers being books, of which I had about 10 before buying this one. As it was published in 2002, I hesitated to get it, but am I glad I did! Most of my previous books were inspiring and/or useful in one way or another, but this one and the two I bought that were written by Donna Kato have made me feel the caring of true teachers. They know how to put themselves in the student's place and explain in an understandable way.

Here are a few of the many things I learned from Ms. Hughes:
-TLS is so resilient that it can be used as the spine of a book.
-How to use Cernit clay together with Fimo to get the best out of both.(There is a lot here on the different properties of the different clays, though nothing, alas, on Kato polyclay, which I gather was not yet on the market. I did learn why my Premo pieces often chip when I drill them and what to do to prevent it.)
-Use a drop of mineral oil in the metallic wax Treasure Gold when it begins to get too stiff to control well (This is a problem I had been having lately, so the advice was doubly welcome.).
-The name of a quick cyanoacrylate glue that allows 10 seconds during which you can reposition delicate objects; this is longer than you get with Zap-a-Gap.
-That it is generally best not to varnish imitative pieces, which would spoil the aged effect that develops over time in real ivory, turquoise, etc. Instead, polish and buff.

I could go on and on just listing things I have learned about general technique, materials, tools, and the care of tools, but I urge anyone who is serious about polymer to get this book, because it is really wonderful in almost every way. I found almost all of the numerous pictures of polymer art thrilling and inspiring, and needless to say, the explanations of how to imitate a number of natural materials very helpful. I can't wait to try the amber!

If I could have asked more of this book, I would have liked a more comprehensive list of suppliers for the various materials and tools, but it does have a longish list of books ranging from polymer clay to various art books, including some great resource books for ethnic art.

As others have mentioned, this book may be a bit too much for complete beginners, but I think it would be an important addition to the book collection of anyone who seriously wants to develop his/her polymer claying abilities.

Polymer Clay Creative Traditions: Techniques and Projects Inspired by the Fine and Decorative Arts, The Art of Polymer Clay Creative Surface Effects: Techniques and Projects Featuring Transfers, Stamps, Stencils, Inks, Paints, Mediums, and More, The Art of Polymer Clay Millefiori Techniques: Projects and Inspiration for Creative Canework, The Polymer Clay Techniques Book, Creative Ways with Polymer Clay, Creative Techniques for Polymer Clay Jewelry, Stamping Effects in Polymer Clay With Sandra McCall, The Art of Jewelry: Polymer Clay: Techniques, Projects, Inspiration (Lark Jewelry Book), Polymer Clay Surface Design Recipes: 100 Mixed-Media Techniques Plus Project Ideas, Polymer Clay Inspirations

Victoria Hughes is clearly well experienced at polymer techniques and a master teacher. Her book is organized well, good pictures, excellent instructions, beautifully written. My favorite part, however, is the beginning chapters in which she discusses the creative process and how to approach your experience with the the clay as a true artist, regardless of your experience level. Her book is my favorite on this subject.

This book shows a whale of a lot of timeless information about how to work with polymer clay. Topics include: clay itself; fundamentals, procedures, techniques for working with clay; the nature of color; color mixing; tools and molds; materials commonly (and not commonly) used with clay; aspects of design; more. Ms Hughes gives clay recipes and gives projects. Directions tell the `how' and include the `why' for details so that I can catch the principle and remember it.

Having spent hours and hours and hours reading on line at the major polymer clay sites, there are a couple of names that stand out. One is Judith Skinner for the now ubiquitous skinner blend. The other is Victoria Hughes for these "imitative" techniques that produce wonders of translucence and style.

I originally got this book when it was first published. I lent it to a friend who didn't return it. I got another one; ditto. Several copies later, I gave my copy-of-the-moment to my grandson. I forgot that I'd given it to him, and so looked all over the house for it... repeatedly. At last, I've gotten another copy. This is a classic that I refer back to time and time again. To say this book is `good', would be like saying that Obama is a `pleasant' man.

I can't understand why this book has such rave reviews. This is the reason I purchased it but was very disappointed and sent it back. I think it is a waste of money and maybe my view is based upon the fact that there are so many good polymer clay books that followed this one. If I hadn't sampled these newer books maybe I would be like the other consumers here, giving it five stars. In all honesty, save your money for something better.