Altered Surfaces: Using Acrylic Paints With Gels, Mediums, Grounds and Pastes for Paper, Canvas, Board and Plastic (Design Originals)

Lots of great ideas,, and product knowledge. Not so much on How To's but enough ideas to keep you busy while learning.I've been a faux artist for over 20 years - and learning new products (on canvas) compared to WALLS! haha is helpingme figure out what I can use in my inventory. I've done it all from crackle to texturing - my business is The Faux Chateau - but when I bring it downto a small area 8 x 10's...somehow it's another mindset. But I am finding out as I go - the similarities are the same.Only instead of an Old World look to a Bathroom (for example)...I bring an old world look to a mixed media canvas.

This short pamphlet read like a product catalog with some short blurbs like “if you want this effect, add this product ...” No instruction. One of the very few books I’ve just put right in recycling after a read. I’m glad the “publisher” uses the same style for all their covers so I can stay away. Sorry, but disappointing.

Every page of Ms. Cozen's short book has techniques and tips that I find applicable to my art. Additionally they could be applied to any number of arts and crafts. For me, her explanation for color theory is clear and understandable especially combined with the names of the specific colors demonstrated. Tool lists include standard ones as well as suggestions for non standard ones I hadn't considered. In practical ways Ms. Cozen explains and expands on the many uses of Golden products and interesting variations for them.Although aimed at artists who are just beginning, more advanced artists should find techniques and tips to incorporate into their works.

I have a big assortment of acrylic gels and mediums for my paintings and don't always know how to get the look I'm after with them so I got this book. It meets me expectations and explains how to use about three dozen gels and mediums plus give ideas for projects and experiments with them along with detailed instructions and illustrations.This book has served as inspiration for some intersting projects. Things I've never thought of are shown here. Ways of using different types of acrylic paints, oil colors, colored pencils, water colors and airbrush acrylics are shown. Use of stencils, mediums, fiber pastes and other such mediums are explained. This is very thourough as far as showing different ways of using a variety of mediums and types of paint all one a single canvas.This is an excellent reference book for an abstract artist.

... another Chris Cozen hit. Packed full of beautifully illustrated examples of her work. She explains what each medium is and how it is used. In the chapter, "Implied & Applied"... she provides suggestions and visual examples on incorporating texture, like using "fluid acrylics through a word stencil", "heavy body Titan Buff through a stencil", using a "stamp with fluid iridescent gold" and much more. Invaluable instruction here. Highly recommend

Dotting art.Excellent - gorgeous paint—would like a new invention with paints already mixed by the company.

This book is a really useful guide for incorporating different mediums, gels, grounds and pastes to create some really interesting textured effects using brushes, stencils, stamps and many other easy to obtain tools. It mentions only Golden products but there is nothing stopping anyone from testing with other competing products to see what works best for them. There are only 51 pages but they are all jam-packed with glorious examples, instructions and information. From my perspective it is well-written and worth every penny. If you enjoy working with acrylics this is a must-have book.

Great little book for artists and wanna-bee's. Lots of information presented in a concise manner. Pictures helped a lot.

Great book even if layout is a bit too arty but filled with valuable info for anyone

Great book with lots of ideas for future projects.

Although I found this book to be bright & colorful, it leans more to being a glorified information 'pamphlet' showcasing GOLDEN paints & mediums rather than an insight into the artist, and lacks any kind of painting 'instruction' or inspiration---if that's what a person is looking for.It has many snapshots of completed examples using said medims (which can pretty much be be reviewed on gloden's own intensive website if you are unsure of what certain mediums can do)This book is very elementary, great for basic beginners. If you're looking for a little more advanced 'instruction' or inspiration, maybe start with something by patti brady, which at least demonstrates neat new techniques, etc.I love this artist's work but found this book disappointing, and hope her dvd's (which I pre-ordered from amazon)will not follow the same agenda.

As a beginner abstract artist, I find this book full of creative ideas and information about products that I have seen on the shelf but never tried. Using her instructions, it is easy to try something new....with great results. Practical and fun! Thanks Chris Cozen for bringing fun back into art.......

Arrived in excellent condition as described.