Handmade Collage with Seiko Kato: 15 Stunning Designs to Cut and Assemble

I'm a self-collage artist, so I when i hear/read about a book of collage materials, in this case i believe i read about the artist/book thru "Scrapbooking Magazine".I thought the artist & her thought process. Plus she shared some tips & examples of her art. fro I'm a big fan of books combining materials& how too's, cause as I mentioned I'm self taught.Unfortunately; the images are few and seemed almost over inked, or i guess they look blurry & random.Seiko K. gives you the all the imagery she uses in the examples she gives to you, so if you are looking to recreate an example of her art, this might be perfect for you.If you want to hopefully use the book as a source book, and maybe learn something, not so much.

The sort of collage I’m accustomed to is usually comprised of cutting out bunches of different sorts of images to create a rather disparate look; by using a variety of sources, my finished piece may not be exactly chaotic, but is rarely “matchy-matchy”. However, Seiko Kato’s work is far more harmonious than typical collage and has lots and lots of complementary layers; it’s always in the same, exacting sort of style...more like a deconstructed puzzle, just built right back up, than what a lot of us consider typical collage. Hers is a highly refined, finished look. Lovely and precise. Very precise. She works with mainly Victorian-era images and has created a distinct signature. Fans of her work may want to collect this even if they don’t intended to collage themselves.The book is generously sized and printed on quality paper. (As of 11/17/18, Amazon’s image of the cover is out of date; this is not a square shaped orange cover but rather a large green paperback that has the same cover art/font as the European release).“Homemade Collage” is divided into 15 projects for you to cut out/recreate. Each project contains approx 8 pages, 4 of them for your cutting-out pleasure. (The reverse sides are all a damask-like identical print, just in different colors). The pages are not perforated but nothing is printed near the binding so removal is painless. We’re offered a few shots of Kato at work/her studio and there’s a handful of pages at the beginning that cover Techniques, Tools, and Materials. It’s somewhat instructional but not terribly intensive and takes up less than 1/4 of the book. (Though collage is ultimately ‘just’ clipping and gluing, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this for first-timers). The page on how Kato cuts her images won’t intimidate you if you happen to own more than one pair of surgical scissors or needle point tweezers. If you prefer imperfection and ‘anything goes’ methods, you may feel a tad overwhelmed and opt to use the book very differently, rather than merely mimic Kato’s guided projects.Some of the photography throughout the book, in both the finished examples and the bits you’re meant to cut out, looks a tad muted and blurry; the level of luxurious detail would lend itself better to sharp glossy closeups than what matte stock can provide. But there’s a high “oooh and awwww” factor and whether you like tropical birds against foliage or prefer more edgy animals in ruffs (there’s a skull project here too), it’s great eye candy.I can’t vouch if your finished piece will satisfy you or appear as how Kato intended; I’ve not chosen to lovingly replicate the step by step layering technique she offers. I’ll raid the butterfly wings and queen’s crowns and dozens of greenery images to make the work my own. And I’m happy to have this is in my collection as all the other artists papers and collage books I own don’t feel anything like this. But there is a kind of sameness here that you’ll gladly embrace or opt to rebel against. Either way, I’ve picked up a couple of tips and tricks and now have oodles of ready to use ephemera. BONUS: there’s a web address for free image downloads on the last page! As long as you understand what you’re getting, I’d imagine most amateur artists, as myself, will feel inspired. And that’s half the battle.

Love how she has her own work in there to inspire you .. love seeing another artist's work .. love the paper and love the image's

I first ordered Extraordinary Things to Cut Out and Collage by Maria Rivans, by comparison, Handmade Collage doesn't stand up. Firstly, you're not so much getting a book of art for collages of your choice, but rather recreating the collages the author has created. All of the photographs are matte paper, not shiny, and I'm not sure if I love it or hate it as I've not used a single piece in this book. While one can cut the objects out and use them for their own creations, it is rather limited, and weirdly themed. I haven't found it useful for what I'm working on. Secondly, I have absolutely no intentions or interest in recreating someone else's art! I find that aspect incredibly odd. This book could be so much better. I wish it was a book of collage pieces usable for one's own creations. I honestly wouldn't buy this again. I think I'm going to give it to my 11 year old so she can recreate these peices.

This is such a fun idea! I️ included Pictures of some of my favorite artworks to make, as well as some of the extras in the back to use for your own ideas (not extras of all). It also gives you a little breakdown on the best tools to use as well as some general ideas of where to source other images for collage use!

Love it!

This whole book is simply gorgeous, and crowded with beautiful and useful imagery. I'm just exploring collage as part of mixed-media art form self-expression (with a side step into crewel embroidery) and this book blew me away visually. Looks pretty straight forward to execute, as soon as I'm done embroidering my octopus, and the author makes plenty of helpful suggestions.