The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery : Mixed-Media Techniques for Collage, Altered Books, Artist Journals, and More (Paperback)

by Karen Michel (Author)
Key Phrases: altered imagery, using gel medium, using gel pens, The Complete Guide, Project Gallery, Liquid Drano (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Altered art is hot. It's a current term that encapsulates all the layered, complex imagery used by artists who make altered books, keep artist journals, and do collage. The concept is even crossing into the scrapbooking world. This is the most comprehensive technique book published to date for creating altered imagery and covers a range from traditional art techniques to digital art techniques, showing how to blend and merge the two successfully. The technique section is followed by a project gallery that shows how to use your finished imagery in collage, journal, and altered book projects. There is significant crossover among artists who work in the areas of collage, artist journals and altered books and although there are books on each of these distinct areas of art, there is not a good comprehensive book that thoroughly covers all of the methods of visual imagery and manipulation that can be applied when creating collage, altered books, journals or even for framed art, until now. Techniques include: I. Altered Imagery using Photography Altering 35mm prints (3 techniques, Altering digital photography Altering Polaroid photography II. Altered Imagery using your Computer Working with printers Working with scanner

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Quarry Books (September 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592531776
• ISBN-13: 978-1592531776
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #32,410 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

128 of 130 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The next wave....., August 22, 2005

By	Gwyneth Calvetti (West Salem, WI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I first encountered some of Karen Michel's ideas for altering photos for use in art within the pages of the magazine "Cloth Paper Scissors." As one of the legion who have photos that are less than spectacular, but that still have some sentimental value, I could see the possibilities open up. So I was thrilled to discover she has written an entire book of her ideas, and picked up my own copy as soon as I could find one.

I am not disappointed.

Filled with examples of complete works, including the works of other artists such as Lynne Perella, Nina Bagley and Carlo Thertus, the book shows a multitude of ideas for altering not only real photographs, but images from other sources, such as magazines and postage stamps. Techniques are numerous, ranging from those that are easily done with tools around the house, such as scratching designs in the photos, to more complex techniques, such as the gum dichromate process.

My only wish might have been to have some step-out photos to demonstrate the some of the image transfer processes, but the text gives detailed directions.

Of special interest is a section on using your computer and photoediting software to alter your images. Anyone who has ventured into this area will have tried some of the ideas she suggests, but there's lots more to explore.

I've already played with scraping and sanding, using watercolor markers and messing around with some of the artistic filters in my Photoshop program. I look forward to trying many more approaches, especially ways to make use of substandard photos in some of my scrapbook designs. Thank you, Karen, for helping push me into the next wave!

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The one book you'll keep going back to, October 18, 2005

By	Edie "Weechella" (Boulder, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This book is full to the brim with inspiration, eye-candy, and how-to's for the artist who knows how to take an idea and run with it.

If you want a book that lets you precisely duplicate someone else's results, this might not be right for you. But if you want a book that kick-starts your imagination and makes you want to grab some supplies and try new things with your own spin, this is it. It's definitely a well you can return to again and again.

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I Like This Book, March 6, 2006

By	Caren Goodrich "caren" (Montana) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I liked this book, it covers a number of altering techniques I was interested in. Although the instructions are brief, it is enough to get you started. I am particularly interested in image transfer, and I tried some ink jet transfers after reading this book.

I have found it takes quite a bit of experimenting to find the right combination of type of paper, to gesso or not gesso the paper beforehand, and the amount of gel medium to use to get good results. I had the best luck printing on ink jet transparencies and transferring to watercolor paper. You can get ink jet transparency sheets at Staples or Office Depot, I found it near the transparency projectors rather than in the paper section.