So me and my buddy are writing a book entitled 52 artifices and we would dig some feed back on what yall think about this first part. Critcism much appreciated.
52 Artifices:
First off, I would like to say this book is not for beginners. We want to include a wide content of material so that you as the reader can choose which effects you want to use, if any. So, in lieu of that, we have eliminated the explanations of a lot of basic sleights used to achieve a high level of subterfuge some magicians call “magic”. It is not magic, rather a visual performing art used to charm the eye and deceive the brain. We will not explain simple sleights as such if you consider yourself a modern day card man like: double lifts, the Aaron Fisher one hand pop out, Louie Siminoff’s flippant, and a host of other sleights we will tell you about as we come across them.
This book does not stand alone, as you can see from the first paragraph. Our style of magic is one incorporating a flourishy style of magic, so we would recommend the Trilogy by DnD. We would also recommend Totally Out of Control, and if you are an advanced magician, CardMagic and By Forces Unseen. These books have helped us to achieve a creative nirvana. Another great book is Smooth Operations. This manuscript should be seen strictly as inspiration, because the tricks and flourishes are not polished enough BUT the creativity in the use of sleights is just great. We hope you will also take a look at T.G. Murphy’s Imagication. This book teaches what questions to entertain the thought of creativity in your mind.
Close-up magic is superior to Stage magic in finesse, in detail, and the simple fact that you don’t need a fancy box to create this illusion of twisting impermeable laws. A deck of cards, some coins, and that’s IT. At least for us. You can add a few other props, but not anything like a rope or one of the many packet tricks with weird printed faces. It arouses suspicion and is not normal to the close up worker. You can do a lot of things “stage like” up close with a bit of thinking and effort.
Our thoughts in the purpose of creating this book were to make you not dependant on the few good creators (or bad) in this world to come up with the next great trick. We want you to break the mold, like so many other magicians haven’t. Magic is dead in the hands of many, but in a few, I mean a very ****ing few, magic is alive. It’s not the magic, it’s the artist.
- Andy Glass, Eric Walling
Andy:
My art (or magic, as we will soon break you from) is the style in which is impromptu card work. This form is especially pleasing to me because I have done all of the work myself. It may not be as clean in the middle, but you can examine the cards at the end, and what kind of true spectator is going to see the other version anyways, I mean, you only use the super gaffed, super clean versions for other artists or wannabe artists. In the real world, you are not going to have that much space to do any of that ****.
In your patter, keep it real. Seriously, cards posing as dragons encircling the deck, otherwise known as a castle? That’s asking for wedgies and ridicule. My patter is stuff you really could have heard of, stuff that actually might just scratch the realm of weirdiness. Stuff they can possibly relate to, in which they can enjoy more.
God, how many books on our art say practice? Well, I’m here to say this. Don’t practice, and see where that will get you. This art is ****ING HARD. If you want to get good, you will have to suck it up, sit down for an hour or 3 each night, and practice the pass, practice the roadrunner cull, practice the one hand top palm. You will get far.
But, its not only about the practice of sleights, but they are a means to an end. Ergo, do the sleight to make the illusion of magical effect. In saying, card sleights, to me, are more impressive then the trick, but this is an artists point of view, the layman being more interested in the trick then the actual sleight behind the trick.
If you don’t practice, you will end up like one of the many twelve year old magicians who cant double lift if you paid a full nights tips too. It’s the result of people wanting Instant Gratification. In the art of close-up, you cant practice for five minutes and expect t actually be good it. To improve the art, you have to improve yourself.
This is why our art is dying. But we, the few artists who practice, are the ones who will revive the art into a new, profound, image. This image, an underground art that can’t be described with but only one word: revolution. I am not saying my material is revolutionary, but I hope that these effects make you sit and think what can I do with the existing routines I perform?
Enjoy the ramblings of myself throughout the book.
- Andy Glass
52 Artifices:
First off, I would like to say this book is not for beginners. We want to include a wide content of material so that you as the reader can choose which effects you want to use, if any. So, in lieu of that, we have eliminated the explanations of a lot of basic sleights used to achieve a high level of subterfuge some magicians call “magic”. It is not magic, rather a visual performing art used to charm the eye and deceive the brain. We will not explain simple sleights as such if you consider yourself a modern day card man like: double lifts, the Aaron Fisher one hand pop out, Louie Siminoff’s flippant, and a host of other sleights we will tell you about as we come across them.
This book does not stand alone, as you can see from the first paragraph. Our style of magic is one incorporating a flourishy style of magic, so we would recommend the Trilogy by DnD. We would also recommend Totally Out of Control, and if you are an advanced magician, CardMagic and By Forces Unseen. These books have helped us to achieve a creative nirvana. Another great book is Smooth Operations. This manuscript should be seen strictly as inspiration, because the tricks and flourishes are not polished enough BUT the creativity in the use of sleights is just great. We hope you will also take a look at T.G. Murphy’s Imagication. This book teaches what questions to entertain the thought of creativity in your mind.
Close-up magic is superior to Stage magic in finesse, in detail, and the simple fact that you don’t need a fancy box to create this illusion of twisting impermeable laws. A deck of cards, some coins, and that’s IT. At least for us. You can add a few other props, but not anything like a rope or one of the many packet tricks with weird printed faces. It arouses suspicion and is not normal to the close up worker. You can do a lot of things “stage like” up close with a bit of thinking and effort.
Our thoughts in the purpose of creating this book were to make you not dependant on the few good creators (or bad) in this world to come up with the next great trick. We want you to break the mold, like so many other magicians haven’t. Magic is dead in the hands of many, but in a few, I mean a very ****ing few, magic is alive. It’s not the magic, it’s the artist.
- Andy Glass, Eric Walling
Andy:
My art (or magic, as we will soon break you from) is the style in which is impromptu card work. This form is especially pleasing to me because I have done all of the work myself. It may not be as clean in the middle, but you can examine the cards at the end, and what kind of true spectator is going to see the other version anyways, I mean, you only use the super gaffed, super clean versions for other artists or wannabe artists. In the real world, you are not going to have that much space to do any of that ****.
In your patter, keep it real. Seriously, cards posing as dragons encircling the deck, otherwise known as a castle? That’s asking for wedgies and ridicule. My patter is stuff you really could have heard of, stuff that actually might just scratch the realm of weirdiness. Stuff they can possibly relate to, in which they can enjoy more.
God, how many books on our art say practice? Well, I’m here to say this. Don’t practice, and see where that will get you. This art is ****ING HARD. If you want to get good, you will have to suck it up, sit down for an hour or 3 each night, and practice the pass, practice the roadrunner cull, practice the one hand top palm. You will get far.
But, its not only about the practice of sleights, but they are a means to an end. Ergo, do the sleight to make the illusion of magical effect. In saying, card sleights, to me, are more impressive then the trick, but this is an artists point of view, the layman being more interested in the trick then the actual sleight behind the trick.
If you don’t practice, you will end up like one of the many twelve year old magicians who cant double lift if you paid a full nights tips too. It’s the result of people wanting Instant Gratification. In the art of close-up, you cant practice for five minutes and expect t actually be good it. To improve the art, you have to improve yourself.
This is why our art is dying. But we, the few artists who practice, are the ones who will revive the art into a new, profound, image. This image, an underground art that can’t be described with but only one word: revolution. I am not saying my material is revolutionary, but I hope that these effects make you sit and think what can I do with the existing routines I perform?
Enjoy the ramblings of myself throughout the book.
- Andy Glass
