Collage Methods; Creating Abstract Art; Collage Methods; Discover Art: Wow! That's Colored Pencil? Getting Started With Colored Pencils

Budding artistes will enjoy trying new mediums and techniques in three new video programs. From the "Art Is..." series, Creating Abstract Art and Collage Methods, both taught by artist Gerald Brommer, take viewers through a handful of fun and creative projects. Creating Abstract Art demonstrates five different methods for creating abstract art from representational images. Viewers will be introduced to the concepts of simplifying shapes, distortion (such as an elongated face), overlapping, fracturing, vertical displacement, and contour continuation. Collage Methods leads viewers through four easy-to-make collage projects, using tissue paper, construction paper, magazine pictures, a silhouette, and even some mixed media work with watercolors. Not half as foreboding as they sound, the techniques Brommer shares on these programs are both fun and accessible to most ages and proficiency levels, and the price is right (both are available for $45). Recommended.For those whose artistic weapon of choice is le pencil, the Discover Art: Wow! That's Colored Pencil? Getting Started With Colored Pencils, taught by artist Sandra Angelo, is an excellent introduction to creating fine art with colored (and well-sharpened) pencils. Opening with a brief discussion of professional grade pencils, papers, and must-have accessories (such as the battery-operated eraser "which erases everything except for cellulite and wrinkles"), Angelo goes on to demonstrate transparent layering, burnishing, underpainting with a blender (not to be confused with what you make your strawberry daiquiris in), and coloring over graphite. The results, as evidenced by Angelo and her students' work, are quite impressive. Viewers are able to order many of the art supplies and a sample paper book from Angelo directly, but the wares aren't heavily hawked. Two additional tapes in the series are Special Effects With Colored Pencils ($49.98) and How to Draw Animals the Easy Way ($29.98). Purchasers of all three titles receive a 10% discount. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)