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The Organic Artist by Nick Neddo | Book Review



The Organic Artist: Make Your Own Paint, Paper, Pigments, Prints and More from Nature is a great book for anyone who loves exploring new methods of creating art from nature, found objects and up cycled items.  Nick Neddo has organized this book in an interesting manner; each section is separated in a manner similar to a cookbook.  Within that section, the author has information, tips and step-by-step instructions.  They are well written and easy to follow.  If you are wondering what type of information is covered in this book, then take a peek at the video.



Organic Artist Table of Contents:
1.     Charcoal
a.     Simple Charcoal
b.     Charcoal Sticks
c.      Charcoal Holders
d.     Blending Stumps (Tortillion)
2.     Pens
a.     Simple Pens
b.     Bamboo (reed) pens
c.      Quill Pens
d.     Felt Tipped/Camp Tipped Pens
3.     Inks
a.     Ink Basics
b.     Ink History
c.      Simple Inks
                                               i.     Coffee Ink
                                              ii.     Beet Ink
                                            iii.     Berry Inks
d.     Less-Simple Inks
                                               i.     Acorn Ink
                                              ii.     Black Walnut Ink
                                            iii.     Soot Ink
4.     Inkwells and Paint Dishes
a.     Clay Vessels
b.     Bone Inkwells
5.     Paintbrushes
a.     Gnawed Twig Brushes
b.     Tied Bundle Brushes
c.      Brushes with Ferrules
6.     Pigments and Paints
a.     Paints and Binders
b.     Mineral Pigments and Paints
7.     Crayons
a.     Crayon Molds
b.     Waxy Drawing Sticks
8.     Paper
a.     Make a Simple Mold
b.     Make a Pulp
c.      The Paper-Making Process
d.     Sizing Paper
9.     Printmaking
a.     Tools and Materials for the Old Woodblock Printing Process
b.     The Rustic Brayer
c.      Options for Printing
10. Sketchbooks and Journals
a.     The Coptic Stitch
b.     Book Cover Options
11. Gallery
12. Bibliography
13. Index
14. Acknowledgements
15. About the Author


In the pen making section of The Organic Artist, the author shows various ways to make pens like Bamboo Reed Pens, Quill Pens, Felt Tipped/Clamp Tipped Pens, and other related items.  The photos are easy to follow and the projects can be reproduced with locally found items.   The ink making projects are even easier to do and offer some great ideas for making one’s own ink. 

I really love the illustrations and photos in this book.  They are clear and well placed to make it easy to follow the projects.  My daughter and I tried the “Tied Bundle Brushes” which came out great and were so interesting to use.  This book is great for anyone seeking to create art with upcycled or found items. 


If you want to check out one of the projects from the book, just go the Craftside Blog at: http://bit.ly/1wNwYAr



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