3 comments about Fill Your Watercolors With Light and Color.

1. Wow! Where was THIS watercolor book hiding? The techniques Roland Roycraft shares here are seemingly easy; splashing or flowing paint onto paper, masking and more. He also gives some very good hints for composition with clear details. Also value sketches (black and white, showing the density of darks and lights. This is a valuable technique for painters.)

   I may not choose to imitate Roycraft's style, but I sure will be incorporating these techniques into my next paintings. If you want to improve your watercolor, I can't recommend this book and his other book on nature enough. They are just great.




2. This is a good book for seeing what effective use of masking can do for a painting. Mr. Roycraft's use of masking is an integral (if not THE prime) technique for creating the numerous paintings demonstrated in this book. The other technique he uses is pouring the watercolors onto the surface rather than painting most of it with a brush.

   This is not a painting method for anyone not willing or able to know precisely all the places to mask. The sparkling waves of an ocean in one of his paintings must have taken quite some time to mask and most likely needed a detailed pencil sketch beforehand. While the pouring is imprecise the masking is not.

   The book has 1 chapter that gives a step-by-step demonstration of his pouring method. One can tell from some paintings produced that this can be a time-consuming method of producing watercolor paintings if the subject matter is intricate or detailed although the results are breathtaking.

   I would like to see more demonstrations from Mr. Roycraft and perhaps more details about the masking as part of the process. Statements such as "I masked only the light areas before beginning the painting. This is negative painting in reverse and makes a beautiful abstract pattern." show the thought that guides the final results.

   Most of the book shows paintings in a semi-finished state with the final result and some comments on the process and thoughts in creating it. I liked this book very much and would recommend it to any watermedia painter because it helps thinking in terms of positive and negative shapes and light. It also introduces a unique way of painting with watercolors which I suspect would work with fluid acrylics as well.




3. The book amazes me a lot. I particularly like the effect of the pouring. It seems difficult to learn, how to control the color flowing smoothly across the desired area? Is it time-consuming to prepare the masking(questions for Mr. Roland Rycraft) I would like to know some details of the procedure.

4 comments about The Quick & Easy Guide to Photographing Your Artwork.

1. The author recommend using halogen work lamps that produce extremely uneven lighting with a stripe of strong horizontal light right in the middle of the works photographed. Even if using 4 of these lamps, there is no way to get even lighting on the works.
   
   Also the digital photography discussed is totally outdated and useless.The Quick & Easy Guide to Photographing Your Artwork



2. Although the information given was essentially correct, it was not up to date regarding use of digital cameras.
   
   This book should have been thoroughly updated before being reprinted.
   
   Regards,
   
   Gregg Puckett



3. This is a decent book on photographing artwork -- but not the the most comprehensive. The strengths of this book are that Mr. Saddington (1) discusses the use digital media, and (2) makes the process of photographing artwork very user-friendly by providing great visual references throughout. The user-friendly aspect is the book's strongest selling point, especially for artists who are new or novices at photography, or visually oriented (i.e., no patience for reading instructions that come with few or no pictures). Mr. Saddington's book provides pictures of what makes a bad negative exposure/photograph, and provides a concise explanation for these results, and does the same for an example of a good negative exposure/photograph. He also provides illustrations of setting up equipment and artwork for photographing. The weakness of this book lies in the general details provided ... unfortunately, Mr. Saddington provides a limited amount of helpful hints and leaves out specific details for for problem shooting ... I base this opinion on my comparison of this book with a book called "Photographing Your Artwork" by Russell Hart. If you buy Mr. Saddington's book, I'd recommend supplementing it with the purchase of Mr. Hart's book. The two books complement each other. Where Mr. Saddington's book lacks in details, Mr. Hart's book fills in the information gaps. On the other hand, Mr. Hart's book is very text heavy and has very few illustrations ... so if you're a visually-oriented person, Mr. Saddington's book would easily compensate in the area of illustrating this very important process. Again, Mr. Saddington's book is decent, but it should be used as a supplemental reference, especially for the visually-oriented person.



4. Actually I give this book zero stars. It is one of those books that pads the pocket of the author but is stingy with the information it gives. It is too general and does not really deal with problem solving the technicalities involved with taking slides of your own art. I wanted to know on which side of a slide to place a mask. The book failed to give this important piece of information. I found that I had already bought a more comprehensive book, so I feel that I wasted my money buying this book.

5 comments about Architectural Graphic Standards, Student Edition, 8th Edition.

1. Through 3 years I had this book while in school, it was an invaluable resource. As many of you know, the work done in arch. school is very design/idea based, and not necessarily rooted in a feasible final product. However, I strived to include as many true-to-life elements in my design, and this book got it done for me. Many standards and sizes, etc. that had my classmates scrambling around on the internet or looking through dozens of books to find were easily found in the index of this book. It eventually became a class resource for a couple semesters until people bought their own.
   
   As a professional, many people's firms have a specialty or three. For instance, I work for a healthcare firm at the moment. However, as a student, you can run the whole gamut of different building types. Despite how far-out some of my designs were, the fact that they were rooted in current, workable building methods and systems that were detailed out helped me immensely when applying for jobs. Knowing the details and showing them in your design is not only good for your reputation, but good for ability as an architect.
   
   I'd recommend this to many arch students if the price is right for you. I happened upon it at a time with the book (no CD) was around $80 or $90. Of the dozens of textbooks I still have, this is one resource book I know I'll be consulting for a while.



2. Great book. Really Highlights the shortcomings of the modern addition of this book. I highly recomend this book for students and practicing architects.



3. For over 70 years, architects have been using a valuable reference book, "Architectural Graphic Standards."
   
   "Architectural Graphic Standards" is organized roughly per the CSI Masterformat divisions, including general planning and design data, sitework, concrete, masonry, metals, wood, thermal and moisture protection, doors and windows, finishes, specialties, equipment, furnishings, special construction, conveying systems, mechanical, electrical, sports, energy, history preservation, etc.
   
   "Architectural Graphic Standards" has 1072 pages (9.6 x 11.8 inches large format) and numerous line drawings. This new edition has expanded and new content covering contemporary issues. It is a must-have for architects, landscape architects and urban planners, interior designers, engineers or any other building-related design professionals.



4. I got this book for my cousin who just became an Architect in Ecuador. The cover was a bit damaged, but he was able to fix it my "making" a new cover. He is very pleased with the book. For the price paid, it was worth it.



5. The reprsentation was not clear this is a reproduction of a 1935 published book. This is not usefull in todays building enviroment.

5 comments about One Thousand New York Buildings.

1. This just might be the most awesome book about my hometown of NYC. The artwork is fabulous and this book is put together so well. Its shown me things I never saw. I think being a tourist in your own town is great.



2. I'll disregard the book's one glaring omission--Saarinen's TWA Terminal at JFK is not included--and give it a five. Well written.



3. The title might have been 1,000 of the BEST buildings in New York City. No city in America, and few the world over, contain the mind-boggling ensemble of outstanding urban architecture, both historic and modern, as does New York City. This city is a national and world treasure, and all of Manhattan SHOULD be a UNESCO World Heritage site, but, alas... There's simply no comparison possible. This book is a survey of 1,000 outstanding structures in the city, properly chosen in my opinion, each including a black & white photograph and short descriptive essay. With so much wonderful material from which to choose, the book is a real feast of architectural goodness! Because it isn't as exhaustive as White & Willensky, it is more thorough in coverage of the selected buildings. It's well put together. Good buildings. Nice photography. Well written short essays. Covers the five boroughs well.
   
   America's peninsular cities; San Francisco, New York, Charleston and Boston also happen to contain the best architecture. Hmm...



4. and come back and sit and look at this book.
   
   Bet you missed a lot on each street.
   
   Then go out again and do it all over.
   
   A real treat.



5. Every once in a while I'll walk down a street of my busy city and spot a building that I'd never seen before, or, if I had seen it, never paid it much mind. But something about it--its age or its architecture--tells me that there's a story to be told about it. Judith Dupre, Bill Harris, and photographer Jorg Brockmann in their monumental book, "One Thousand New York Buildings", fill in the gaps left behind in the AIA books.
   
   There are hundreds of buildings that, for whatever reason, have escaped landmark status and/or the attention of New Yorkers. Although "One Thousand New York Buildings" does discuss the familiar structures, like the Empire State Building, the Woolworth Building, and Grand Central Station, it also devotes equal time to those that have been ignored or overlooked. What are those tiny, Colonial style houses on Harrison and Greenwich Streets? How old is that building at 2 White Street? Who lived in those somber buildings at 130-132 MacDougal Street? "One Thousand New York Buildings" answers these and hundreds of other questions. In this sense, this book is much like "New York Streetscapes: Tales of Manhattan's Significant Buidlings and Landmarks" by Christopher Gray and Suzanne Braley, in as much as it pays equal tribute to the famous and not so famous structures.
   
   One last note, this is a solidly put together book. The binding is sturdy, the paper thick and glossy, and the photos are clear and intriguing. It as well constructed as the buildings they pay homage to.

1 comments about The Shingle Style and the Stick Style: Architectural Theory and Design from Downing to the Origins of Wright; Revised Edition (Yale Publications in the History of Art).

1. An historical treasure, this book, The Shingle and the Stick Style: form Richardson to the Orgins of Wright, by Vincent Scully is a chest of Architectual masterpieces. Detailed descriptions, interior and exterior photos, and floor plans make this book a wealth of knowledge for anyone interested in Architecture. The book is laid out as most contempory Architecture books. It describes the perticular building, then has the number that corralates to the photo. There are so many historical photographs in this book, and it is all well explained. It takes you step though step from the beginning of the stick stlye to the evoloution to the shingle to the metamorphis of Wright. Ths book is so detailed it even has the architectual sketches of many houses build in Manchester-by-the-Sea at Cape Ann, Mass. For the price this book is a definate buy!

3 comments about The Art of Rockefeller Center.

1. Rockefeller Center is one of the great Art Deco set pieces. It was conceived and built at the depths of the Great Depression, at the height of Art Deco and it's importance to the nation at the time is impossible to quantify. The art of the complex is arguably the most important assemblage of Art Deco artwork in the world. This book is a fantastic tribute to Rockefeller Center and all the artists and craftsman that built it. The text is highly informative, without feeling like an academic dissertation and the images are very well presented, though frankly there could have been more. I highly recommend this book to anyone with any interest in Rockefeller Center or Art Deco.



2. The publishers, in a neat marketing move, issued this book in two editions. The 320 page version and a much smaller pocket-sized paperback that was invaluable when I visited the Center in 2006. Without it I don't think it would have been possible to find all the exterior treasures on the twenty-two acre site or read Roussel's text about them.
   
   This Art book is a vastly expanded comprehensive look at all the exterior and interior public art contained in the fourteen buildings and spaces. It originated with Christine Roussel when her company was commissioned by the Rockefeller Center to restore all the artwork and the excellent contemporary color photos (after any restoration) are by Christine or her designer daughter Dianne. What I particularly like about the book are the historic photos of artists creating the works that you can see today. There are so many of these that I assume the Rockefeller's saw the PR potential of Fine Art in progress and arranged for as much of this as possible to be photographed.
   
   There are more than a hundred pieces of art from forty artists presented in color and the very comprehensive text puts their work in context and in case you are wondering there is a full explanation about the destruction of Diego Rivera's fresco: Man at the Crossroads, which was to be in a prominent place on the main lobby wall of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Lee Lawrie contributed most to the Center with fourteen pieces and his Wisdom (Rockefeller Plaza) and Atlas (International Building) are now world famous. There are seven interesting historical photos about the making and positioning of Atlas in the book. Missing, I thought (and maybe as an Appendix) were a few photos showing the various stages of construction of the Center, it take nine years after all and a page or two, with photos, of the various roof gardens.
   
   Rousell's book celebrates the public art of these remarkable New York buildings which are now registered as a National Historic Landmark. The book's production is first class (though unfortunately not sumptuous) with the photos in 175dpi on reasonable art paper. There is a slight editorial annoyance with a back page listing of the artists and technical details of their work, these really should have been presented on the relevant pages so the reader could avoid having to keep flipping back and forth to find out a bit of information.
   
   The perfect complement to this book is Daniel Okrent's Great Fortune: The Epic of Rockefeller Center telling in great detail how the Rockefeller Center was built.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.



3. Built in the middle of the depression, Rockefeller Center became a part of and a symbol of America. The buildings of Rockefeller Center were not designed as the steel and glass monoliths of today. Art from some of the best artists of the day was incorporated into virtually all aspects of the building. The most famous is the statue of Prometheus delivering fire to the mortals of the earth amidst the waters of the Plaza. But there is much much more. There are the bas-relief stone carvings on the facade, there are murals, statues, even specially designed patterns for the carpets.
   
   This book is the first comprehensive study of the art in the center. It is a large format, beautifully printed edition of the art as it is now, and in many cases historical photographs of the artists as it was being produced in the 1930's.
   
   Ms. Roussel is the Archivist of Rockefeller center. To produce the book she had unprecedented access to the records and files of the center.

No comments about Children's Spaces.

No comments about Ancient Greek Architects at Work: Problems of Structure and Design.

No comments about The Essential Frank Lloyd Wright: Critical Writings on Architecture.

1 comments about Geoffrey Bawa: The Complete Works.

1. The book is excellent in detailing G. Bawa's works. The illustrations and pictures are also very elaborate and are a great credit to the author. I love the book.