Wen Redmond has been experimenting with different styles and techniques for many years, and this book distils her work with digital images and various materials. The book is only 127 pages, but is jam packed with information―you will find much of what you need to know here. Wen covers topics including taking photos, manipulating them through cropping filters and colours, printing and transferring them, layering and blending. She also writes about fabric preparation, using paper and other substrates, and the various paint and other substrates, and the various paint and other layers than can be added. There are any examples shown, with full and detailed visuals and written explanations. This is a perfect book to have on the bookshelf to refer to when you are looking to create a particular effect. Alternatively, use it as a guided series of exercises to extend your repertoire of techniques.
For those of you enjoying Wen Redmond's Holographic Pictures technique in this issue, you can find the application of digital photography to textiles and mixed media expanded upon in this book. It looks at many different ways of using photography with different substrates and mediums to create a wholly unique approach to your art. It is a very user-friendly book with a lot of tips on how to make your own life easier (you can use photos taken on your phone as the techniques here will make allowances for a lower resolution in the pictures) and there are apps suggested, such as Grungetastic, that will make the whole process of jazzing up your photo much easier if you aren't able to slave over Photoshop or another Photo Editing programme. The latter will provide you with more complex images to play with but this allows anyone with basic technology to have a go. The book is helpfully divided up into sections such as using fabric or paper as substrates, using Pre-Coats (such as InkAid) and basic Digital Photography printing before moving onto more experimental chapter, using acrylic mediums, overlays, creating textured surfaces for blending or printing over and using nonporous substrates. Each section is fully illustrated and clearly explained in stages and each chapter contains its own Process and Example sections so you can get to grips with how to achieve an effect and then see some finished pieces.
Inkjet printers can be used to print on a variety of substrates, and mixed-media artist Redmond shares how best to combine printed fabric or paper with paint, photographs, and art supplies such as gel medium to create one-of-a-kind works of art.
If you have a love for textiles and photography and want to combine them to create fabulous art you will enjoy the wealth of information in this book. I was a little doubtful at first at my own abilities to utilize software such as Photoshop to create layered images. However, the availability of photo apps such as "grungetastic", as Ms. Redmond suggests, and others like "Fused", make this quite easy for the not-so-tech oriented artist who is fairly handy with an iPhone. The book covers many techniques such as creating backgrounds for digital layering, preparing and printing on fabric, using various mediums and materials on paper or fabric, and how to mount your finished piece. What I especially like is that there are LOADS of visual examples to help you execute the techniques. What you will create are beautiful, layered collage images on fabric that can be quilted, stitched and/or mounted. I think this book is good for every level of expertise, from beginner to advanced.
This book is a wealth of information presented in a useful and intelligent way. I particularly like the way Wen effectively describes the results she is looking for when digitally enhancing/modifying her photos and that her instructions are not product specific. The variety of substrates presented, the use of acrylic mediums to create 'skins', the mounting of work were all subjects are seldom presented in the same pages as fabric. I am particularly grateful for that. Here in one book I can get information that I previously had to go to three of four and muddle my way through. Thanks so much for this Wen Redmond and C&T Publishing.
and the beat goes on,...More ARTifacts!