4 comments about Children And Painting.

1. Every elementary art teacher I know has this book. I have taught for 9 years, and I learned things from this book! It has great tips and ideas for running a creative, yet organized, art class. The projects look great. Her clay book is also helpful!



2. I am professional artist and my primary medium is painting. I also hold an MFA in Painting and Drawing and I have been teaching art to adults and children for 20 years now. This book is the best resource I have seen on teaching painting to children. I have actually used one of the exercises on texture with my adult students and adapted it to charcoal and acrylics. I want to encourage any elementary classroom teacher who wants to teach painting to students to buy this book! Please don't be afraid of paint and the mess as the benefits far outweigh the effort. The author understands the process and techniques of painting and her easy-to-follow her exercises will ensure satisfaction, fun and success.
   
   The book will give detailed information on setting up your classroom for painting, specific suggestions on which paints and brushes and papers will work best, materials to gather for study observation and motivation. In my years of training classroom teachers to build an art curriculum and I came to understand the frustrations of classroom teachers not knowing which brushes to use for which type of paint, not understanding how to build and layer a painting, how to guide students through the difficult parts and motivate them to keep working. This book demystifies all that and more. It is full of specific lesson plans to help you plan a sequential curriculum and teach your students basic visual literacy and the deep satisfaction of creating and expressing.



3. I teach children in South Oxnard in California K-6 holding an MFA and art certification(but I am a regular classroom teacher) and teaching from WV to LA in South Central, to Salinas Valley and at Warner in the San Diego Mountains servicing an Indian community for 22 years of my life. I provide this as basis for insisting that children fundamentally need to paint as early as you can get them going and well into their teens. It really should be a fundamental part of their program. That said, this book is extremely useful to all parents and teachers that need starting places. It discusses painting with copious illustrations and child works to open you to application within your own environment. As much as I use art, which is daily, I still respected very much the professional content, samples and unraveling of building a successful painting experience. Right now I'm on summer break anticipating a new year. Usually this means starting my first grade in the painting center and thinking of those first of year "self-portraits"...sure enough I open the beginning of the text to a rich variety of work that is self portrait related and is also figurative.You know,m we always start with self... So I read this section and I come upon a photo of a 20 month old with her brush on newspapers putting blue paint all over the floor. One day 15 years ago I came home to much the same scene when my mom had my 9 month old exploring line with black paint in her high chair. She was so involved my arrival was unnoticed. This book captures these kinds of connections paint makes. Myself as artist I think paint is a Holy experience. It is so connected to thought, emotion, viseral primordial places....if only we could bottle it and sell it. Oh, we can and we can use this text to guide a way of using painting with children. The vocabulary of painting, line,contour, training our looking, seeing, texture, shape(form), color, composition, vision aesthetics...more are described, made visual, broken down in reasonable ways. I really was so delighted to find the book and this next year it will be an very major part of what I do in the classroom painting with the children and in my dialogs with other instructors at my site.



4. This is one of the most practical and teacher-friendly books I have ever purchased. I teach art at an elementary school and my students have loved using the techniques and projects from this book!

   Topal provides excellent examples throughout including lovely color reproductions of both children's and professional artwork. Her explanations are clear and the materials list is not extravagant for most of the projects.

   Every regular classroom teacher would benefit from the beautifully layed out art elements and principles in this book. At the very least it would be worth having as a resource in a school library. This book is a keeper!

5 comments about Arts and Ideas.

1. For anyone who wants to delve into the world of art history and the fine arts, this book is a beautiful introduction. Very extensive, and even rivalling other fine arts books specializing in specific areas of the arts. I've had the good pleasure of being taught by William Fleming in college, and it was truly a life enrichening experience. This book will offer the same. I particularly enjoyed the use of psychological/sociological aspects of the arts through history to show common themes of the human psyche, however common, rare and mundane. All the art reproduced is rich with extemely good DPI, color quality, being printed on high quality paper. This book is well worth its expensive price.



2. I used this book as a Music Major and now am using it for a Humanities course that I am teaching. It's great to see that the book is still as popular as it was in the eighties!



3. Well-illustrated and organized. I use it as a reference ALL the time. The only downside is that, like most textbooks, it denigrates (i.e. ignores) the validity of other traditions than Western/Euro-American.



4. Fleming does an excellent job encompassing thousands of years of art in this consummate book. He does, however, make a less than valorous attempt at including the contributions of women in the realm. This is the 1990s, not the 1890s -- it's time for a revision, Bill!



5. Arts & Ideas was recommended reading when I studied History of Art. I never owned the book myself (having borrowed it from a friend at the time), but in the past ten years, I have constantly wished that I did. Fleming gives one a taste of the Zeitgeist of various eras, showing how the various arts (visual, music, literary) expressed the philosophy of each age. I can REALLY recommend the chapter on Romanticism. It is wonderfully amusing.

5 comments about Secrets to Realistic Drawing.

1. This book is fantastic and one of my favorites. Carrie has a wonderful style and if she could teach me to go from stick figures to commissions in under a year, well, that says it all. Even the tips on the proper tools to use will be an improvement in your work, let alone shading and blending techniques and such. If you're more interested in drawing people, purchase her other 2 books, but I don't see how you can not have this one as well. I'm that big of a fan. Thank you Carrie. I appreciate your candidness and your inspiration. I will look forward to each and every one of your books and purchase them all.



2. This is a great book! Once I get all I can out of this book I am going to purchase her other books. I am amazed at the improvement in my own drawing from just a little interaction with her book and techniques. This is for anyone who is interested in improving their drawing! Don't think you can't draw...you can!!



3. I was able to dramatically improve my drawing. Nice writing style too. Also recommend her older book on faces.



4. I have been drawing for years, most friends and family know me for my Artistic Drawings. I always thought How could anyone teach me More or Even Better ways to Draw Realistic. I was wrong, this Book was Great, it showed me new ways to look at things and see how it should be on Paper. Even when i am just playing around my Sketches Look Real. The Book explains in very easy directions, and a great step by step. I would get for a kid wanting to learn how to draw, or Even an Adult just wanting to Improve there Artistic abilites.



5. I love this book and it is probably the best book I have ever read on drawing instruction.
   
   This book truly helped me define relistic drawing and truly improved my skills. Wanting to get into 3D art I needed to have a good foundation of drawing and this book took me from drawing kindergarden pictures to drawing incredible pieces of art.

5 comments about The Ghosts of Berlin: Confronting German History in the Urban Landscape.

1. 'The Ghosts of Berlin' was a great overview of the urban history of Berlin. The main argument of the author is that German history is apparent in the urban landscape of Berlin. The book was easy to understand and had a lot of relevant photos and maps to show Berlin throughout the ages. A turnoff about this book for me was that Ladd was repetitive on some points and really drove home his opinions on the many roles the Berlin Wall served (a whole chapter doesnt seem like much on such an important subject, but most of the chapter seemed to repeat and restate the same information). However, in general the book provided a great start for researching the complex history of architecture, city planning, and urban spaces in Berlin. I chose to read this book as research for an architecture project I am designing in Berlin & it proved to be a very good decision. It is especially helpful if you have been to the city and have seen first hand some of the spaces he describes. I would recommend it to anyone with interest in Berlin, architecture, history, or urban design.



2. I read The Ghosts of Berlin for a college course. When Americans say "this place has such a rich history," it brings a chuckle from me and is reinforced by books such as this.
   
   The book focuses on the last 125 years or so of Berlin's extremely diverse and chaotic past. Ladd writes in a very detailed, yet concise manner. Berlin has had virtually every type of government known to man rule over it and an entire chapter is devoted to the most vital eras in the city's history; namely, the Imperial City from the late 19th century until the end of WWI, the Weimar republic in the '20s, Nazi Germany from 1933-1945, the divided city during the Cold War (with an entire separate chapter dedicated to the the Berlin Wall), and the capital of a reunified Germany. The focus is as much on the changing architectural styles as well as the social and political outlooks of the day. There is much symbolism in the buildings Ladd writes about and we get a great interpretation of what they mean. Ladd illustrates his work with some nice black and white photos, so we do not have to rely on his descriptions alone.
   
   While this book isn't quite a tour book reagarding which restaurants to visit or tourist attractions to avoid, it is a great book to learn about one of the most prominent European cities. So why only four stars instead of five? Well, I did have a deadline to meet and had to rush through this book in about 2 days. Maybe I didn't appreciate as much as I should have.



3. This book was required reading for my university geography module "Geographies of the European City". I thought it would be long, dull and confusing. I was very wrong! It is one of the first academic books that i just couldn't put down!

   Intresing, mind opening and detailed, yet written in a simple and accessible manner. I learnt not only a lot about the history of Germany and Europe and the Second World War but also about how we view cities, how they are formed and their role in the world today.




4. This book was on the short list of texts my German language/culture study abroad course required. As far as the architectural culture went, this book was all you needed to taste the essence of the capital. It was better than any guide book out there, especially relating the tulmultuous past with what you were seeing with your own eyes as an urban landscape.

   Berlin is complex, historically and culturally - from its imperialist days to Hitler's capital to the scarred divided city just now seaming together. Germany is the embodiment of ambiguity - which is made abundantly evident by its very structures throughout the wide city. Brian Ladd's photography is unobtrusive and tasteful, illustrating his thoroughly researched work. He compares an old photograph to one taken recently by him to study, at one point, how unchanged some parts of the city have been in the midst of constant upheaval in the last century.

   It is remarkable how entertaining the book is, as well as its vitality in its examination of Berlin. It was, quite simply, such a pleasure to read. The Ghosts of Berlin takes in the large picture, of a country uniting, political ideologies - past and present, and the significance of massive structures - standing and ruined. It also encompasses details in exquisite ordinariness, like street corners, department stores, and public transportation. All this is told in an appealing style that is accessible (so you don't need any background in Germany or Berlin), but not overly casual (Ladd is informed and comprehensive).




5. This is a brilliant book that looks at a remarkable city after the fall of the Berlin Wall and asks the question: How to come to terms with the monuments of the past? The Brandenburg Gate? Hitler's Bunker, etc. Should they be torn down, the stories they embody erased? Or should they stand as a legacy of German culture, however tainted it may be. A remarkable book about a remarkable city. Do read it.

No comments about Contemporary Art: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions).

1 comments about The Business of Being an Artist, Third Edition.

1. I read the 3rd edition by Daniel Grant. The book is aimed mainly at oil painters and sculptures. Even though I am interested in selling fine art photography the information was still much help since it gives such a complete view of selling art. Sales outlets include galleries, mail order, Internet, and others including the likely hood of success in each and examples of persons who have been successful in each. The conversational style is easy to read. Positives and negatives of various sales methods are given. The book neither depresses nor thrills but seems to evenly cover the material. Many many issues of selling art are covered. Just when you think the author is done he comes up with another factor to consider. Personal issues as to how to act are covered as part of the explanations and a chapter on "Handling the Pressures" of success and waiting for success is included. It includes an Appendix of names and addresses of helpful organizations. Makes you feel like you could make money in the arts. Overall it was a great read.

2 comments about A History of American Architecture: Buildings in Their Cultural and Technological Context.

1. This is easy reading with appropos illustrations. Just the right amount of detail for the traveller who is interested in architecture.



2. I found Mr. Gelernter's book in the public library as I was researching a project. After reading it, I thought it was so useful that I decided to buy it for my own library.

   Many art and architecture books are just recitations of dry facts, dates and theories, with no historical or sociological context. Not so Gelernter's "A History of American Architecture."

   The correlation of buildings with their context, and the inclusion of early Native American architecture, make this a thought provoking introduction to the history of architecture in America.

5 comments about Spirit of Place: The Art of the Traveling Photographer.

1. Good book
   
   I got this book in anticipation of an upcoming vacation and it was worth the money. I think it serves the target market (amateur photographers on vacation) pretty well. It makes a few references to stock photography but doesn't dwell on shooting for it, doesn't mention selling it except in passing.
   
   It starts out with a basic overview of composition (rule of thirds, Depth of Field, directional light, patterns etc). Other books cover this in greater detail, it is only an overview after all. The author does include a few tips on how each might apply to travel photography. After photo 101 it goes on to cover specific environments/situations. Cityscapes, tropics, winter etc. This was the meat of the book, each subject was given and adequate overview with a few specific examples to illustrate. There are also chapters on underwater and Ariel photography. Good intros but if your going to be plunking out the bucks for that I'd look for more specialized instruction.
   
   He finished the book with some travel tips that may not apply to the non-professional (especially about packing in the post 9-11 travel climate) and on gear selection.
   
   There are plenty of example photos that more or less illustrate the point he was talking about. Most of his shots seem to come from the Caribbean or North America, a few from Europe. Preferences to the Caribbean. On the plus most of them seem to be something that a person with normal means might replicate using moderately expensive gear. He did most of his work in the 20-35mm and 80-200mm focal ranges with full 35mm film. The cameras he used were by no means top of the line. He also addresses what is realistic to expect from the traveling photographer vs the pro who has been on location dozens of times.
   
   The biggest shortcoming of this book is that it is film-centric (35mm). It was published in 2000 which was really before the digital age really took off. Most of the tips and techniques (The real meat of the book) are universal regardless of what kind of camera you use. But he does spend some time on film selection, care and feeding (especially filters and white balance) that are very different in the digital. Of course there is no information on digital care and feeding as a consequence.
   
   I'm interested to see how well this book holds up over time. Years ago when I was starting out with photography I got a book on composition. At the time I felt it was an "overview" and probably lacking something. Now after years of experience I see that book really had it all, all the subjects were there, what was lacking was my experience to implement them. I suspect in time I will come to see this book the same way.
   
   Pros-
   Good book on the subject written to the beginner-intermediate level
   Good pictures to illustrate the subjects
   Focuses on "achievable" pictures rather than the extreme works of art
   Covers all the bases
   Great advice on film (if your using it)
   
   Cons-
   Needs updating. Lots of good film info but nothing on digital and the new capabilities (and liabilities) that it provides.
   Some may want more in depth instruction on specific areas.
   
   Conclusion
   A great resource for travel/location photography. If you already have the basics down (Fstops and exposure and whatnot) then this is a good next step. I'd recommend it for anyone looking to make their vacation photos better.



2. It's amazing that in 7 years since this book was released, the transition of most enthusiast's and amatuers photo capture is now almost entirely digital, that this book seems "old". However the basic's of capturing the light, composition of the photo and the steps to recording the countries, cities and inhabitants don't (it just how they're recorded).Bob Krist workflows that he outlines and the tips provided in my opinion are well suited to the beginner and enthusiaist photographer. In fact, it would be a great idea to copy the simple steps down onto a card and slip in the camera bag for a checklist when travelling.This book precedes my copy of Lonely Planets Travel Photography but is simpler and more anecdotal. A good read and recommended even if your capture is digital. This book will be the one I use for reference before my next attempt of capturing the "Spirit" of the places I travel to and not just taking the pictures.



3. This is film photography that is fully compatible with the digital age. It is not so much on what settings he used but on the planning and preparation that matters the most. What was in his mind when the shot was taken is fabulous. While he shoots landscapes mostly at the time when we are either calling it a day or still sleeping in the early morning, there are certain tips that opens our views on not only what, but also when and how to take a shot! This is a must have book for travellers wanting to have beautiful memories of his/her travel. We will never reproduce the same scene on a given place or event but it will surely open our eyes on what to look for and how to be a more creative photogpraher. I agree with Bob that when you know what to look for then you will realize how abundant there is to shoot wherever you are!! A must have book indeed! I give it 6 stars but unfortunately 5 is the best there is to choose from!



4. I bought quite a few books before a recent trip to Kauai where photography was a large part of my experience. This book provided as much or more insight into how to approach a place and experience it through photography as any other I read. Part of the value of this book will be in re-reading parts of it over a few times, before any major outing, at least until you take what it's saying to heart. In the end, photography is an active thing, and reading about it will only take you so far.



5. Spirit of Place provides an excellent overview of travel photography. It is well organized, written clearly and concisely, and is filled with beautiful photos to help illustrate the points made in the text. The author discusses techniques to help you deal with various difficulties from how to find the best vantage point when shooting tall buildings to dealing with people that you may want to photograph. One thing that I really appreciated was that he also gave advice on which equipment to use in various settings and situations.
   
   For travel photographers, the topics covered are pretty comprehensive. The author walks through some basics of composition. There is a full chapter devoted to working with various light sources and using filters to enhance that light. There are sections on skylines, architecture, shooting in the tropics, wildlife, and more. Each section is fairly brief. This book is more about giving general direction and ideas then trying to offer a detailed approach to all possible shooting possibilities. I found the level of coverage just about right. No one can provide detailed direction for every possible consideration for travel photographers so the author wisely offers some general advice to start you thinking and leaves it at that.
   
   If the book has a weakness it is that it was written back in 2000 by a photographer who obviously didn't so much as scan his slides for further editing. This is strictly centered around film photography and that definitely limits the usefulness of the material focusing on film selection if you use a digital camera. Forturnately, most of his advice is sound regardless of whether you use film or digital so I would still highly recommend the book.

5 comments about Word Painting.

1. Word Painting
   
   While Word Painting is a book to help one write more descriptively, that is only a part of its value. Journey along with McClanahan to discover what description is and how it differs from person to person. Discription, she states, is word painting--that part of your book that helps the reader to visualize. It doesn't have to be intricate detail, but it has to be effective.
   
   Through the book's ten chapters, the author shows you how to write descriptively and effectively through exercises in observation, through proper naming of things, through active, vivid prose and action verbs, through all the senses. There's a lesson in metaphors, how to describe character through environment and how to handle point of view shifts. Another chapter explains plot and pacing, and at the end of each chapter there are a series of exercises to illustrate each topic.
   
   I especially like the chapter on using setting to illuminate a story's theme. McClanahan, using examples from Eudora Welty's No Place to Breathe, shows how the character's emotions are revealed by setting.
   
   This is a book to study once, and then study again.
   
   Recommended.



2. You want to touch the heart of the reader? This
   book will map it out for you. Sight, sound, smell,
   touch, brings the reader into the fictional dream
   and keeps him there. A must for your writer's toolbox.



3. This author's writing is exciting to read. I've learned more from reading this book than any other writing books that I've read.



4. Weak, unconsidered, cliche ridden, mundane, obvious, repetitive -- How are those for a few descriptions? Well, they fit. This is not a good book. She repeats the most obvious and then repeats them again (where was the editor?). Some facts are just wrong, such as most scholars see simile and metaphor as the same. I am sure those who say they "highlighted" it or "read it over and over" must either have been dreaming or reading a different book. It's one long bad Writers Magazine article, one that says, Hey try using "carmine" instead of "red." Try using a metaphor instead of simply saying it was "brown." Duh. Keep reading the reviews, past the ones her friends wrote and you'll see the real reviews -- it just is not a good book at all.



5. Word Painting was recommended by an excellent writer. I ended up reading the book, cover to cover, four times. Each time I came away with numerous fresh ideas. This book does more than lay down and explain a list of rules. It also draws from the works and advice of great authors in a way that makes reading the book enjoyable as well as instructive. Ms. McClanahan's own experiences, as related in the book, were particularly beneficial, often coming back to remind me how I could make the passage before me more palatable to the reader. The exercises were not as helpful to me as they might be for others, but they are marvelous drills for the more disiplined reader. Whether you want to improve your ability to write a novel, a report, a legal brief, a letter or an e-mail message, try this book!

5 comments about The Songwriters Idea Book: 40 Strategies to Excite Your Imagination, Help You Design Distinctive Songs, and Keep Your Creative Flow.

1. I hear this book is some kind of industry standard book for other musicians, and I enjoyed it.

   Like the other reviews said though, the 40 strategies are really 40 different types of songs you could write.

   i.e. "the childrens song" "breaking up" "the christmas song"

   The first couple of chapters describe what she calls "whole brain writing", and is actually very clever.

   This book helped me immensly, I just knocked a star off b/c of the bad title and I think it's too short.

   For the money though, you absolutely cannot go wrong!




2. Ever had writer's block? This book is the cure! Along with Davis' THE CRAFT OF LYRIC WRITING and SUCCESSFUL LYRIC WRITING, THE SONGWRITERS IDEA BOOK forms a brilliant trilogy that is essential for the person who wants to write lyrics. I'm rather surprised by reading some of the negative comments below. My guess is that those people merely leafed through the book without actually reading it. This book is NOT an easy read. It is not something that can be scanned. It must be read and studied very carefully. It is very important to understand part 2 of the book (pages 15 through 34) before moving ahead. This is the section wherein Davis analyzes the different types of the creative mind. In only a few short pages Davis introduces a lot of important concepts that need to be understood. The reader must take her tests and figure out which type he is. Then and only then is the book of value. I had to read part two several times before I really understood it. But once I had a firm grasp of those ideas, I found the book to be extremely valuable. Davis basically says that when one is blocked, that he needs to come at it from the other side of the brain. She then proceeds to give exercises that make it easy to access the unused part of the brain. While ostensibly for the lyricist, I think the principles can be adapted for any kind of writing. I think this is a great book and I am grateful to Sheila Davis for writing it.



3. Pro: Excellent catalog of types of lyrics. Also good coverage of different elements that make hit songs.
   Con: The title is misleading. The "40 strategies" is really no more than a catalog of 40 general types of lyrics, i.e. people get hit songs from: a holiday, a place, a town, a love lost, love gained, etc. Some useful ideas, but I was hoping for something more like writing or brainstorming exercise to open the imagination. This book was not at all useful for me.



4. I refer to this book weekly and have owned it for 4 years. I spoke the author in 1997 and thanked her for her contribution to this subject. Her 3 books are 3 volumes of my songwriting bible. It is her books that finally gave me the ability to be happy with my own songwriting for the first time in my timespan of over ten years of not liking my lyrics. In this book, the author helps you identify your style of work and how it affects your first drafts. This info also has helped me in other parts of my thinking process. No other author, so far, has been as complete and detailed in their presentation of the songwriting process as Sheila Davis. Brilliant.



5. I bought this book with great expectations from it, having heard just wonderful things about the author regarding her earlier work. Needless to say, I could not find anything of use in it whatsoever. It was an extremely hard read, besides (like a physics text). The only thing I got out of it was "alliteration." I think you should consider buying her earlier book, "The Craft of Lyric Writing".