The Art and Craft of Collage

These days 'collage' materials can be found at most craft stores. And many, many books are being churned out with the main goal of making money. Most of these books are so-so and some are a waste of paper. I feel this book takes a step away from the 'recipe' type collage books. It comes from a design perspective with emphasis. It's about choosing images and manipulating them to create a new meaning. If your interest is in images and type I'd also like to recommend It Is Beautiful...Then Gone by Martin Venezky.

This book is one I bought a while back when I had some money burning a hole in my pocket and it has stood the test of time. The focus is not on specific projects (like decoupaging your wastebasket) but on an overview of collage history and techniques. The book doesn't give step-by-step information- what it does give is specific information on the processes used to create the numerous collages beautifully depicted in the book. Between the collages shown and the techniques described, I get fired up every time I look at this book. It has inspired me in photography, collage and digital imaging. Collage is definitely something that can be created through a multiplicity of methods and Larbalestier's numerous examples and technique tidbits illustrate the point well. This is a book that works well in conjunction with more specific technique oriented books, specific classes (like photography), or as a visual boost when looking for a new approach or inspiration. Books of this calibre aren't easily found on the typical Arts and Crafts bookshelf at the store. I almost wish that I hadn't seen this book so I could have the pleasure of discovering it all over again.

I own several books on collage and I found this one to be completely different from the rest. Rather than step-by-step projects it focuses on explaining a wide variety of techniques you can use in your artwork. There are lots of new ideas here that are not discussed in the other collage books. The book starts out a brief history of collage and an overview of art styles such cubism and pop art. Then various collage assembly methods and approaches are discussed. Some include using different adhesives, varnishes and paints. There are some great tips on three-dimensional construction. Many mechanical methods that use computers and copiers are next. Some techniques include blurring, distorting and altering the color of images. This is great for those unfamiliar with computers who would like to use them to make fantastic pieces of art. My favorite section focuses on manipulating photographs. It starts out with basic information on cameras & films. Then it a reviews photographic editing techniques including bleaching, toning, lith-printing, film sandwiching, creating multiple exposures, making photograms and using liquid light to transfer your image to a variety of surfaces. There are also many inspiring full-color artwork examples throughout the book. I found the artwork here to have a different tone than the other collage books I own. You won't find lots of flowers of butterflies here. It tends to be more eclectic or modern than pretty. The accompanying captions in combination with a listing in the back tell the title, size and artist's name as well a bit about the piece and how it was made. Each of the artist's (most are British) addresses are listed as well. A glossary, index and a small list of suppliers are also included. If you are looking for some fresh ideas and new techniques to use in your next collage, this is the book for you.

Larbalestier provides and excellent mix of photographic examples and explanatory text. The wide variety of themes and methods stimulates creativity. Just skimming through the pages may cause you to run for your scissors. (of course, you should never run WITH scissors.) This is a great book to have, whether it's your only collage book or part of a collection.

The pictures are amazing. if you need inspiration get this boo