Creative Collage Techniques
by Nita Leland, Virginia Lee Williams
List Price:
Our Price: $9.90
You Save: $13.09 (57%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $5.87 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Nita Leland, Virginia Lee WilliamsEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2000-09-15
ISBN: 1581800983
Number of pages: 144
Publisher: North Light Books
Book Reviews of Creative Collage Techniques
Book Review: Unique and Invaluable Collage How-To
Summary: 5 Stars
I had been making collages for eight or nine years when I stumbled on this book in a secondhand book store. Paging through it, I was amazed and fascinated by its clear, practical, thoroughgoing presentation of contemporary collage fundamentals, illustrated by clear and appropriate photos which complemented and enriched the text. As noted elsewhere, the book showcases the work of a number of different artists, with each finished collage illustrating the particular technique or materials being discussed. It also features numerous photos of the steps involved in specific types of collage. As promised on the cover, the book is "a step-by-step guide including 52 demonstrations and the work of over 60 artists."
This book gets the reader started almost immediately on several highly doable beginning-level projects: initiating a "treasure hunt" for materials you are likely to have around your house or apartment, making rubbings from readily available textured materials, using simple colored shapes to produce "your own Matisse." Its tone is lively and encouraging: "Collage can be as simple or as complicated as you like. Anyone can do it. Take this fascinating medium as far as you want to go with it. Reach for the stars from the top of the Ferris wheel! It won't cost much if you start with simple, discarded materials. Don't think about making art...play for a while."
Even while nudging the reader into hands-on collage-making, authors Nita Leland and Virginia Lee Williams manage to slip in a succinct and informative history of collage. On page 2, they also provide a handy boxed summary of major collage terms, with the phonetic pronunciation of each term in parentheses. I loved this feature because, for all the time I had been actively and enjoyably making all kinds of collages, I had no idea I was engaged in "bricolage" "froissage," or even "frottage"-- and I had just begun to branch out into mixed-media assemblage, but without knowing I was grossly mispronouncing the word "assemblage"!
Besides my failure to sign up for French 101 when I had the chance, I failed to consider going to art school during my prime-time years. So in the area of collage and the "paper arts" in general, I suppose I could describe myself as self-taught -- meaning I bumbled around with my papers and paints for some time, quizzing art store employees about basic supplies, producing a series of disastrous messes interspersed by a few really gratifying creations, devouring every vaguely relevant book or magazine I could find. I now think I might have gotten a better grip on the fundamentals from the outset, and maybe made faster and steadier progress, if only I had known about this book.
*Creative Collage Techniques* may technically be classifiable as a textbook -- and both authors, besides being working artists themselves, are clearly experienced workshop instructors -- but please don't interpret this to mean that the book is in any way dry, "academic," or overly theoretical. From start to finish, it is great fun. It keeps on grabbing your interest with new ideas and techniques that build on the basics the authors have already taught you while communicating their personal enthusiasm and joy in creating. I went back to some of the things I was already doing myself and tried "doing it their way" instead, since they offered so many helpful new tips I had not found elsewhere. These covered essentials (protecting non-archival papers) as well as electives (speeding up drying time by hanging two hair dryers above your work table). I also picked up some new information about working with acrylic paints and mediums, which is covered in some detail. Refreshingly, however -- unlike the growing number of acrylics books with barely concealed corporate sponsorship -- Leland and Williams do NOT use this as an opportunity to promote a particular line or to urge purchase of specialized and costly products such as specific unusual hues or "gourmet" gel mediums (e.g., self-leveling, resinous and stringy, pumice-containing). Under "Acknowledgments," they thank personnel at multiple companies, including Liquitex, Golden, and Dr. Ph. Martin.
No other collage resource, to my knowledge, covers such a wide range of topics in such clear and complete detail -- everything from principles of color selection and design to multiple ways of creating customized collage papers. Regarding the many collages presented as examples, I personally did not find these all that intimidating -- possibly because I had already perused so much other intimidating art in other books! In this regard, the book that comes most readily to mind is *Collage Sourcebook: Exploring the Art and Techniques of Collage*, which to me is a portable paperback gallery of gorgeous and often wildly unattainable creations, some of which took months if not years to complete. Realistically, I am just not going to be whipping up complex fabric collages incorporating vintage materials and lots of fancy machine-stitching any time soon; nor am I likely to invest in a printing press for a little avocational collography. I am much more likely to try the majority of the many interesting and far more accessible methods presented in *Creative Collage Techniques*. (Some of the collages in the Leland and Williams book do show a high level of drawing ability which not all of us have yet attained -- but one of the big pluses of collage, for many of us, is that skill and experience in representational drawing are purely optional.)
Admittedly -- though this is not a deficit at all from my perspective -- the Leland and Williams book is light on some of the trendiest current topics: complex (and sometimes costly) methods of image transfer, advanced manipulation of photographs using $300 professional software, etc. Information on such topics is readily available elsewhere. Also look elsewhere for the particulars of scrapbooking, book arts and altered-book "journaling," or any method that relies heavily on what Gwen Diehn calls highly determined materials: other artists' prefab rubber stamp images, manufactured stickers or stencils, fancy die-cutting machines, and the like. In the spirit of the most timeless and classic principles of making purely original art, these authors describe a large variety of strictly DIY methods for creative transformation of the most basic generic materials -- everything from distressing collage supports to embedding your own leaves and grasses in your own rice paper. When they do suggest a slightly more exotic material, they always describe just what it is and provide the name of a source.
The one project I found a tiny bit far-out -- albeit very attractive and intriguing -- involved "peeled paper." I wish the authors had suggested one or two alternatives to the kind of paper they advocate using for the technique, which they describe as "300 lb. rough Indian handmade paper." But this is really the most minuscule of gripes, as well as being my sole criticism of an otherwise wonderful book.
In all the ways that matter most, *Creative Collage Techniques* is the most practical and purely delightful guide to collage I have ever encountered anywhere. It offers endless learning and something for everyone, from the tentative beginner to the seasoned pro. Assuming you love making collages or would love to start, please do yourself a tremendous favor and get your hands on a copy of this book. If you are like me, you will soon be wondering what you ever did without it.
Summary of Creative Collage Techniques
This liberating guide teaches artists how to begin, design and apply collage techniques in exciting new ways. It features fascinating work from 50 leading collage artists who explain their techniques in easy-to-follow, step-by-step demonstrations. Seven different sections encourage artists to stretch the relationships between color, texture, shape and paper. Following 100 innovative demonstrations, artists will achieve amazing results from mixing collage with other mediums, including watercolor, acrylics, unique papers and more. Those who work in watercolor or acrylic will find that this book can help them boost creativity and add a new kind of excitement to their work.Mixed Media Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Mixed Media Books
The Mosaic Artist's Handbook (Artist's Handbook Series)Barron's Educational Series; Published: 2006-03-01; Spiral-bound; Book
Best price: $1.09
Price in other shops:
Light and Shade (Barron's Art Handbooks)by Parramon's Editorial Team
Barron's Educational Series; Published: 2000-09; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $12.95
Cynthia Hart's Victoriana Calendar 2010by Cynthia Hart
Workman Publishing Company; Published: 2009-07-30; Calendar; Book
Best price: $13.59
Price in other shops:
Roman Signer (Contemporary Artists (Phaidon))by Gerhard Mack, Paula van den Bosch, Jeremy Millar
Phaidon Press; Published: 2006-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $27.67
Price in other shops:
Egon Schieleby Simon Wilson
Phaidon Press; Published: 1993-09-13; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.98
Price in other shops:
Dyeing and Screen-Printing on Textiles (Printmaking Handbook S.)by Joanna Kinnersly-Taylor
A&C Black; Published: 2003-04-30; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops:
Teach Yourself VISUALLY Collage and Altered Art (Teach Yourself VISUALLY Consumer)by Roni Johnson
Visual; Published: 2009-07-27; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.99
Price in other shops:
Understanding Alternative Media (Issues in Cultural and Media Studies)by Olga Bailey, Bart Cammaerts, Nico Carpentier
Open University Press; Published: 2007-12-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $33.13
Price in other shops:
Postsecret: Anonymous Confessions of Ordinary Lives (Vintage)Vintage Books USA; Published: 2006-02-14; Paperback; Book
From Margin to Center: The Spaces of Installation Artby Julie H. Reiss
The MIT Press; Published: 2001-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $14.82
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
The New Creative Artistby Nita Leland
North Light Books; Published: 2006-07-17; Spiral-bound; Book
Best price: $17.99
Price in other shops:
Collage Unleashedby Traci Bautista
North Light Books; Published: 2006-05-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.94
Price in other shops:
Collage Lab: Experiments, Investigations, and Exploratory Projects (Lab Series)by Bee Shay
Quarry Books; Quarry Books; Published: 2010-02-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.96
Price in other shops:
Image Transfer Workshop: Mixed-Media Techniques for Successful Transfersby Darlene Olivia McElroy, Sandra Duran Wilson
North Light Books; Published: 2009-07-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.99
Price in other shops:
Masters: Collage: Major Works by Leading Artistsby Lark Books
Lark Crafts; Published: 2010-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.47
Price in other shops:
Collage Journeys: A Practical Guide to Creating Personal Artworkby Jane Davies
Potter Craft; Published: 2008-11-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.49
Price in other shops:
Collage Techniques: A Guide for Artists and Illustratorsby Gerald Brommer
Watson-Guptill; Published: 1994-08-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.99
Price in other shops:
Surface Treatment Workshop: Explore 45 Mixed-Media Techniquesby Darlene Olivia McElroy, Sandra Duran-Wilson
North Light Books; North Light Books; Published: 2011-05-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $15.84
Price in other shops:
Collage Discovery Workshopby Claudine Hellmuth
North Light; North Light Books; Published: 2003-12-08; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.66
Price in other shops:
New Creative Collage Techniques: How to Make Original Art Using Paper, Color and Textureby Nita Leland
North Light Books; Published: 2011-10-21; Hardcover-spiral; Book
Best price: $18.44
Price in other shops: