The Organic Artist: Make Your Own Paint, Paper, Pigments, Prints and More from Nature

I am a mixed media artist who works a lot with ink and watercolor, but I am also an avid gardener, thrifter, antique lover... One of the things I love is the sustainable aspect of buying as many "preloved" things as I can. With art, I have baskets of pencils and paints from estate sales of artists now passed over, but I really love the idea of being hands on with making some mediums- my entire palette as it is tends to be earth tones, just what I naturally gravitate to, so this book is PERFECT on so many levels!I love the color of the products shown in the book, the diversity of paint, ink, vessels, paper, etc... I just today started prepping my garden and the woods behind them for the summer growing season, and already my eye is noticing things I could use for pigments, or to grind into paper... I cannot wait to have fun with these methods, and love the in-depth explanations for each! 100% happy with my purchase.

I bought this for a friend who loves dying cloth with plants and making her own paper - this is the perfect compliment to her current hobbies!I did look/read some sections because I couldn’t help myself. There’s lovely full color pictures of steps to make things and examples of what you can use things for. The instructions are clear and seem easy to follow.My friend loved it and we are excited to go foraging again just to find materials to make inks and pens! A truly excellent book for creative people looking to get back to nature or for nature lovers wondering about what you can use the beauty that is around them for. Either way, this book will guide you.

I first heard about this book through an email link and being artist and jack of all trades I decided to pick it up on a pre-order. I have purchased books on making various things from nature in the past and some of them are either too simplistic, to boring, or are nothing but pictures. Of course some of the books are great and I have to say this falls into that category. It has enough information on the basics to grab your interest without being boring and it allows you to be creative with your variations. It also has enough pictures to get the information across correctly and show what you can do with the techniques, without being a coffee table book.I do have a couple of small things I can see as being problems for others. First, this book isn't really for city dwellers, urbanites, third story apartment renters, or those unacquainted with dirt. Not saying that people who live in cities won't gain anything from this book, but many of the processes are smelly, or require the ability to light fires without going to jail. Also since the book suggests, as do I, that the reader acquire materials from nature, in a humane and eco-minded manner, living in a city would make this difficult and ordering too many materials in sort of defeats the point. Second, I found some of the topics covered to be rudimentary, although I believe that is more from my preexisting knowledge on the subject rather than an issue wit the book. It is only for a couple of things, however, and even though I dabble in this sort of art (for example I make my own charcoal all the time) I still found a great number of useful things.If you are an artist or know an artist who has access to the outdoor wonders of nature, then I recommend this book for you, or for you to purchase for them. Also anyone who likes the book "Back to Basics" by Abigail R. Gehring will love this book as well. If you like to take hikes and long nature walks you will be amazed by all of the materials you can find in just a couple of minutes of looking. I can see this book getting ragged edges and a worn cover, not because of the quality of the bookbinding, but because I will look at it so often. BUY THIS BOOK.

This book is chock-full of wisdom and information about using natural products for my art process. It arrived in great condition and has plenty of pictures to help with the information. The only down-side - it wasn't available in spiral bound so it would lay flat when open. My local printer fixed that for me for $5. If not for that, this book would have 5 stars.

If you are interested in creating art supplies from nature then this book is for you. I purchased it because I was looking for inspiration and education. This book has both! The images are gorgeous and the process is explained well. So much so that I’ve begun my collection of pigments with stones straight out of my backyard!Pros (beautiful book, great step by step explanation, excellent educational resource, easy to follow)Cons (I have not encountered any)Overall I highly recommend The Organic Artist for anyone (beginner or expert level) interested in making their own art supplies with items found in nature.

As an artist and lover of nature and stone age art and technology, and someone familiar with the enthusiasm and discipline of Nick Neddo, I was thrilled when I saw this book come out. My copy has arrived, and I am not disappointed. There are easy to follow, beautifully illustrated chapters on making different types of charcoal, pens, inks, inkwells and paint dishes (including instructions on making a primitive kiln for clay vessels), paintbrushes, pigments and paints, crayons, paper, prints, and sketchbooks and journals. I'm happy to report that almost all of the projects are things I'll actually be able to try- the materials will be easy to get my hands on, the instructions are clear, and although I suspect a few of these projects will take some trial to perfect, others are simple enough that I can get good results right away. This book is stuffed full of information and beautiful illustrations. It's a joy to work from and a joy just to sit and look through, although I've been getting it a little too dirty to use a coffee table book.

Useful information, and extremely excited to learn how to craft everything

Absolutely brilliant book, it's a real treasure

Artists who love nature, using their hands and experimenting will love this book. Instructions are fairly simple, but I wish it had included a lot of projects to make, since a lot of the ingredients required are not available in a lot of countries. There could have been a little more information on alternatives.Otherwise it's a great book to have when you feel inspired to make art supplies naturally.

Très bel ouvrage. Belles photos et bien détaillé. Complet .Intéressera les amoureux du Diy en lien avec la nature et l’artistique .Livre En anglais .

Muy feliz de haber hecho esta compra, viene toda la información muy bien explicada, ya hice unas plumas y me funcionaron bien, lo recomiendo ampliamente