No comments about Kirchner and the Berlin Street.

5 comments about The Disasters of War (Dover Books on Fine Art).

1. As an artist and print maker I can admire Goya's mastery of the media.This book allows people who may not be familiar with Goya's etchings a sense of how powerful and timely these prints are even after 200 years. I was fortunate to see the complete series of these etchings last summer at Syracuse University.I'm sure Goya would see the brutality of war that America is currently engaged in.



2. When I look at these prints, I am reminded of: the "contractors" whose dismembered bodies were hung from the bridge in Fallujah; the lynching postcards that were commonly mailed around the USA only a few generations ago to celebrate the murder of black men; Auschwitz; All Quiet on the Western Front; Sherman's March; the Trojan War; you get the idea. Unfortunately these powerful images are and shall remain contemporary. There is some topical political comment here, but you're mostly looking at the human condition, and with a few changes of costume and props, these prints are applicable to almost any conflict, anywhere. Good for the kids' room.



3. Consistently all things published by Dover are of the highest and most comprehensive quality technically and academically, and yet at a very low and democratic price, as if they actually wish to place high culture into the hands of the common man and the poorest person, rather than charging top dollar for instantly disposable art and airport lounge short-lived literature. Dover rather presents for our constant use high quality and durable books: Our Daily Book.
   
   And thus this book which we need to see and weep every night as we grow dull with constant war and violence. We see here why war must wage nevermore, in this brave new era of total and indiscriminate and disproportionate yet profitable colonialist warfare.
   
   When allowed by our media we may now see the same or similar images to these which Goya so accurately depicts, both realistically and fantastically. Goya, so well known as a painter of the Spanish courts, but also of Saturn consuming his children, here shows us grotesquely and coldly the true meaning of war, the true fruits of warfare, the moral and the spiritual causes and effects of war: the disasters of war.
   
   As I pride myself as bilingual and am certified superlatively fluent in Spanish with some English besides, as well as a few other tongues, I found occasion here to wince at Dover's translations of Goya's carefully scripted captions, or to shout aloud more probable interpretations, yet I find this the only possible objection to this excellent and gratefully received volume, which must be on the table of every American home, lacking as we are the graphics from Fallujah or Gaza. Read this book and pray for peace. Read this book and study war no more. Read this book with Mark Twain's War Prayer, and turn aside from the ever more rugged war path surging with the blood of innocents.
   
   Even more than Barefoot Gen, more than the immortal Guernica, more even than Speigelman's Maus series, this realistic, classical and careful draftsmanship of the great Goya brings home to us across the centuries the true horrors and disasters of war, with poignant captions. Please read this book in this excellent, scholarly and complete presentation by Dover Editions, now at an even lower price here upon the amazon. Here must we see that the victims of our violence are human beings, our brothers and sisters, children and elders, and not some dehumanized uncounted collateral statistic alienated into separate labels of faith or of nation. We strike our own family in these disasters of war. This is a powerful book which must be seen today, and most gratefully Dover offers it still upon this amazon.



4. The Disasters of war is a difficult book to read, containing the most impressing pictures of war and its consequences. The black/white drawings are as real as life itself, and sometimes even more!
   
   Goya depicts tortures made on public squares, people starving to death, and warriors fighting. But the most amazing is the vividness and actuality of the pictures. The Disasters of war is like a poetry book, it has no time, and no defined significance; it can be interpreted in infinite different ways and it is always an up-to-date work.
   
   In my view, one of the best ways to fight war is using art. War leads on to war, art leads on to art. Understanding what and how war happens is essential in order to fight it (I excluded Why since I believe there is no explanation for it). This book shows the What perfectly. I have written a review of the book 'Why?' by Nikolai Popov which is about the How.



5. Like most dover press books, we have here a wonderful bargain: clear reproductions and good paper stock. Goya was a court painter trying to please his patrons, but in this series of etchings, he indulged his twisted soul in the first recorded anti war propaganda. These etchings are both lovely in their technique and horrifying in their imagery.

5 comments about Mark Kistler's Imagination Station: Learn How to Drawn in 3-D with Public Television's Favorite Drawing Teacher.

1. While aimed at kids, this is a great place to start at any age. If you have been looking at other drawing books, and the books you have seen before only make it harder, your search is over. Mark makes it easy for anyone at any age to get basic drawing skills, the building blocks you need to get started. He teaches the skills that other books make seem complex, without the stress or making it go over your head. His way of teaching is simply the easiest method a person can have to start drawing. And if the books are good, his old show on PBS and his videos are even better. Mark makes drawing so fun kids beg to use the book again and again. He does not start by intimidating you with the completed project, in fact you don't always know what you are drawing until you are done. He takes you one line, circle, or square at a time and before you know it you have a fun drawing. I also reccommend you try the books from Ed Emberly, or check my lists on Amazon for kids that want to learn to draw, or be a cartoonist or animator.



2. I bought this book to relearn how to draw properly. While the book is directed at a young audience, adults-at-heart like me will benefit from the drawing principles such as foreshortening, placement, size, overlapping, shading and shadowing, contour and horizon (plus 1 and 2 point perspectives). My disappointments were that a few later lessons repeat previous lessons and that it uses blank pages after each lesson for you to practice on. I suggest you use a separate sheet of paper to do this so you can pass this book to your kids and their kids and so on and so forth. Despite these, I still rate it 5 stars.

   I can now draw simple everyday objects both as cartoons and as realistically as I can. They're not professional quality yet, the book recommends daily practice until they are and that's exactly what I'm doing.

   This isn't the only book you should buy though if you want to draw artistically. In my case, I'd like to draw comics-style characters and objects so I can move on to animating them later. I got Tom Alvarez's "How to Create Action, Fantasy and Adventure Comics" (separately reviewed) which is also an excellent how-to book.




3. Mark Kistler's books are EXCELLENT for anyone who want to learn to draw. The layout of the book is fun easy to follow. Although it is geared toward children it is appropriate for a beginner adult. It starts with simple concepts and gradually builds on what you've already learned. Anyone at any age will be impressed by what you will be drawing in a short amount of time. I bought this book for my children and was so impressed , I started drawing myself. My children love this book and so do I.



4. Mark Kistler's books are wonderful, entertaining books that canteach anyone (of any age) how to draw! I bought his books for my sons,and I quickly became a devoted fan and an avid drawing maniac myself! The book is packed with pages of fun drawings, as well as 'story starters' in which kids are asked to complete the story. Mark's enthusiasm for drawing and story-telling just bubbles up out of the pages of this book. As a mom, I appreciate his encouragement for kids to watch less tv, say NO to violent video games and drugs, and to expand their brain power by getting involved in art. This book is a 'must have' for all teachers and parents who would like to see their kids motivated to express their creativity and feel good about their drawing ability.



5. If you think you stink at drawing, think again! Mark Kistler shows you how, step by step, to draw pictures that really look like something and tell a story besides!

5 comments about How To Draw Manga Volume 1: Compiling Characters (How to Draw Manga (Graphic-Sha Numbered)).

1. I bought this and h How to Draw Manga Volume 2 Compiling Techniques (How to Draw Manga). But i used This book way more than the other one.
   Its got a very nice Creating Characters section and a Expressions one. And creating a Story.



2. I remember this book well because it was the very first "How To Draw Manga" book that I purchased. IMO I think some things might be a bit confusing because some of the translating wasn't the best. I also wouldn't reccomend this book for kids because some of it was a bit innapropriate. As far as learning goes...it was okay. I'd still reccommend another book to someone that is a total beginner in drawing manga. I know I was able to learn more when I purchased a book that was more strait to the point and had very clear directions.



3. Most people will just think that this book will teach you how to draw, in essence it goes further explaining the work putting together the whole Manga. It had my attention from the first moment that I picked it up. This'll let you get a good feel for every section without all the fluff. All that I found out I have to apply it but I'm having a hard time a dedicated manga supply store...... I wish that HTDM would include individual supplies on their website.



4. Looking for help? Want to go beyond the beginner stage but not ready for tones and the like? Well then this book is perfect! I would reccomend this book for those who are past the beginner stage since the book doesnt go too indepth in certain areas, so it Isnt perfect for nooobs.this book will teach youhow to express emotions, ages, the facial differences between genders and more. it is devided into:
   Chap. 1: drawing the face, this chapter is self-explanatory, yet I wish it delved more deeply into its subject, so this was the runt of the chapters when it comes to Quality.
   Chap.2 : drawing the body, Quite handy, it goes into Drawing the body as blocks (though personally I like the way I draw my blocks, but to each his/her own), deformation, proportions (shouldnt proportions have been at the front of thr Chapter?), hand and feet (brilliant!!) and more.
   Chap. 3: drawing characters, The best section in the book, it shows you how eyes ,clothing and surroundings add to 1st impresssions and the step to creating characters and storys. i can find a few minor complaints, thought the worst was the translation, it could have been better (they mistranslated right to left!)But it is still comprehendable.happy reading



5. I bought this book from here on Amazon about a year ago. Since then I have rarely used it except for a few times for refrences if Im not able to get online at the time. It has some helpful information but for the price it isnt really worth it since you can find EVERYTHING in that book online for free. The first half of the book just goes through the types of pens and ink you should use and the life of a manga artist etc. Then it finally gets to the good stuff but it barely touches anything before moving to the next subject. And the part I was mostly upset with was the hair section. It shows you how to draw hair flowing and such but thats it. Does not give tips how to draw hair at all. So basically, the only reason you should by this book is if you want to waist money for something you will probably only end up using for quick reffrinces. There are better books out there for that... like an actual Manga comic or something. Or a gallery book from your favorite anime show.
   
   If you want to learn the basics of drawing manga, this book is useless and I can save you money right now. Just visit BakaNeko, PolyKarbon, MangaTutorials websites or Julie Dillons tutorial located on the [...] website. Everything you need is on those sites and all contain more info than this book.
   
   There are some other good How to Draw Manga books out there when you wanna start honing on a certain area but this isnt one of them. Save some money and visit one of the above manga sites or go purchase on of the other How to Draw Manga books that are spicificly for what you wish to get better in.

5 comments about Russian Prison Tattoos: Codes of Authority, Domination, and Struggle.

1. For the most part a photography book Russian Prison Tattoos besides going into the meaning of the tattoos the text of this book is also a look into Russian prison life and street level criminal culture. There is a pretty strict caste system within the Russian prison system, that I have to say seems to be a lot more orderly than the rest of Russian society. Tattoos are used to show where you sit within that caste system. Some examples are spiders denote drug addiction, a Madonna or woman holding an infant means you have been in the system since you were still a child, an executioner or a knife through a skull means you are a murderer, eyes on the lower abdomen means you are a pedophile or in for a sex crime, etc. In most cases you are more or less obligated to have these tattoos on your body to show what crime you have committed. However the old prison codes and tattooing system is slowly but surely dying off according to this book.
   
   You also get a look into a few of the people in this books lives and hear some of their stories, like the guy who shot, killed and then beheaded three gypsies when he caught them digging up his Mothers grave in order to steal items that she had been buried with. One surprising thing about the Russian criminal system is the penalty for murder is often barely more than the penalty for seemingly petty robberies and thefts. The pictures in the book really give you a feel for what an utter hell life is in a Russian prison. High tuberculosis and hepatitus rates, potential violence from guards and inmates at all times, living in unbelievably cramped and filthy conditions. I actually began to feel like I was in a Russian prison myself while reading this. Due to there not being a huge amount of text its a quick read (I think I read it cover to cover in less than 24 hours) but its very interesting none the less.



2. This book was very interesting. But...simply put, not enough photos. Many of the photos included don't show any tattoos at all. Random elderly people and prisoners, jail cells, signs, etc. If you're wanting to understand the prison culture and politics, it would be wonderful!! If you're looking for an interesting photobook of people's tattoos, this is not the one to pick.



3. For those passionate about Russian prison culture, this is the book for you. This book provides an excellent resource for the meaning behind Russian prison tattoos and it provides valuable information on contemporary Russian prisons...which don't seem to have changed much since the end of the Gulag system. The author attempts to show as many different tattoos as possible, but it does feel repetitive. What helps is the author providing information about Russian prison culture; this brings context and a story behind the tattoos.



4. this is an excellent book about russian prison tattoos. it has a lot of clear pictures. it also has quite informative text from good research done by the author. i reccommend this book to anyone interested in tattooing in foreign cultures and countries.



5. The book is alright they break it down to politics, being a Russian who came here when I was ten, I realize that the American jails and federal prisons aren't so bad, except cook county jail and tent city in Arizona, lots of info, big photos, but to get the whole perspective, who the bitch is, and who swallows sperm , you would need to complement yourself with the second book called Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopaedia. The books go together.

5 comments about Splendid Slippers: A Thousand Years of an Erotic Tradition.

1. This book was absolutely wonderful. Before reading this book my knowledge of the ancient tradition of footbinding was very limited. In fact, what I thought I knew about the subject was woefully wrong. The pictures along with the literature were truly educational and now I feel I have a good understanding of the subject. I also bought a book (novel) called Snowflower and The Secret Fan. This novel was an excellent book that complimented the Splendid Slipper book. Thanks for recommending it!



2. This beautiful book was a delight to the eye. The workmanship and imagination used to create these slippers was amazing. Stories and explanations helped to further enlighten me on the origins of the practice of footbinding. More a work of art than a book, this is sure to be revisited often.



3. I bought this book after reading Snowflower and the Secret Fan, having been so intrigued by the history of Chinese women. Slippers is wonderfully informative and visually exciting. As a narrative, you follow the life of one young girl through her preparations for marriage and her adult life. These events are presented visually as well. The slippers are made by the adult women, embroidered intricatly and is their main occupation, as they are unable to do much else having had their feet bound. A wonderful addition to your library.



4. After reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, I had to learn more about foot binding and the slippers...wonderful book and the pictures are amazing.



5. Like most Westerners, I am both horrified and fascinated by the Chinese tradition of footbinding. I found this book to be an excellent source of images and history, and cultural context of this rite of passage for Chinese girls. I appreciated that this book is written in a neutral voice, allowing the reader to explore the many meanings of footbinding, rather than simply condemning it as an abhorrant practice.

5 comments about 45 Master Characters.

1. Okay, so this book does give you pretty much what you pay for . . . and then some. BUT, the reason i gave it four stars instead of five is because of the way the characters are vaguely described to you. Yeah, they do go into details, BUT even the details are vague. The bad guy is 'bad. The good guy is 'good. They then go about listing said 'good' and 'bad' qualities, but never get too specific about it. NOW, there is a GREAT section at the end of the book that i absolutely recommend, and i never even ecpected it when i was ordering it. There is a detailed section about stages of you're character's 'journey' and plausible steps suggested, too. THIS part is why i like the book so much. I would have given it three stars without this section included, and i would have given it five stars if they had just went into more detail about the characters. It was almost like they were afraid to because some writer would use what they suggested, sink in the water, and then sue them or something. I dunno. My opinion? Buy the book -For the included back section on the stages of 'a hero's journey' (both male and female, and they're even friggin seperate sections to boot:-) if not for the character descriptions. Don't get me wrong, the character descriptions are good, but they aren't anything you couldn't figure out if someone said, "Hey, tell me what an independant, assertive woman would be like.", nor are they anything you can't get for free from the internet. That back section, tho . . . i've seen the jist of it before on the net, but i wasn't even expecting it. Nice inclusion ;-)



2. I've never written a review on a book, but as I read 45 Master Character I felt compelled to say something about it. I wouldn't call it a book on building characters, but it is great at structuring your character, and surprisingly, it helps structure plot too. What this book does best is give a framework that helps bring out ideas. It is one of my favorite books and will be permanently on my desk. CP



3. ...I've read two largely damaging reviews of this book, based on their very assumed impressions of the authors opinions' on gender. I would like to say as an owner of both this book and the heros and heroines book mentioned by one of the two reviewers, that this book looks at myth and archetypes through the only lenses available to her, and paints with a broad stroke sensibly and responsibly. - To approach myth and archetypes from a single, modern understanding of gender and identity, would be both foolish and negligent. There is no other way to delineate the inner and outer forms, be they journeys, traits, interactions, other than male and female, without dismissing all other previous understandings and mythic creations pre-20th century. Why should the author be forced to create a new language based on petty, semantic offensives' suffered by the possible yet improbable thin skins of potential readers. You may as well gripe about her choice of archetype titles, perhaps instead of businessman you prefer businesswoman, or business professional, even executive. To alter the impression of these histories, as handed down by time; to adjust them even slightly is to rob them of their meaning, to deny their philosophical implications. Is it so hard for you, in your own mind to imagine that the female character, a stifled, male wallflower as you put it, may easily replace stereotype, because of so, perhaps you should think about changing professions. What reason do you have to believe that her choice in using she instead of he, takes in any small part away from the information she is passing on. Yes, passing on, I'm not sure if you are aware of this but men and women are kind of different, they may be able to do all the same things, but they are in no way copies of each other, which is exactly what makes life so interesting, its what makes a book like this valuable in the first place. I enjoyed this book, found the clearly labeled sections easy enough to follow; perhaps you two should look for the up and coming scratch and sniff edition. To anyone thinking of buying this book, it is a very valuable reference, as is the other text mentioned - hero's and heroines, the link is above. It in no way does the writers job for you, but easily enriches the understanding of both literature and the human beings they represent. On behalf of the author, I'm sorry it's not perfect and up to the very high standards of some, but I'm sure in no short time those two will have versions of their own out, with all problems corrected, and every measly complaint and excuse put to rest even before they are realized.



4. I enjoy creating characters, but I've always had problems not defining them enough. When I first saw this book, I thought it would help me in my character creation process. The moment I started flipping through the pages, my thoughts were affirmed.
   
   Victoria Lynn Schmidt delves into many archetypes of characters that have come up in history, literature and film, and shows the traits that make up each universal archetype. I was also blown away at how she gives suggestions on how they would play off other character archetypes. For example, the Warlock would make for a great adversary for the Male Messiah (seeing this put pieces together for my latest story).
   
   She also goes into depth on the masculine and feminine journeys, and how each acts and reacts to conflicts. This pattern can really help with setting an underlying structure for a story if you don't know where to go next.
   
   I definitely consider this book to be a valuable asset to a writer's collection of resources.



5. This book just about lives up to its title. As you might expect it lists lots of archetypal character models to get you thinking about how you might want to develop your own characters. One of the spotlight reviews above lists exactly what these are.
   
   There are a few caveats to the methodology of this book. Firstly, the author is writing from a point of view engrained in many psychology theories, but rarely, if it all appropriately cites where she got these views. One surprising example to me was when she listed Maslow's hierarchy of needs (as a character motivation consideration) and cited it as coming from another book about writing instead of the man who invented the theory!
   
   Secondly, she suggests in the beginning of the book that an archetype isn't a stereotype, but doesn't back that up. In my opinion an archeype is a stereotype, so you should be very careful in only thinking of these things in terms of starting point inspiration and not as copy and paste character types. The book is a bit slim on creative exercises, and usually asks the same questions about every archetype, like "What does your character fear?" that do little to spark your imagination.
   
   However, as a book strictly with some fun ideas about how to see myths, fantasy tales, and epics and the characters that might surround them, this book is really a great idea. I think she captured in small detail a great variety of archetypes, and the real disappointment is that she didn't include lots of classical story excerpts in the same volume. You could do much worse than to keep a book like this around, just don't expect it to do your dreaming and truth searching for you.

5 comments about The Mystical Language Of Icons.

1. Excellent explanations of the symbolic meanings withen icons. I liked it.
   Marguerite Culhane
   Eagle River AK



2. An excellent book for those interested in iconography.Set at a level for both the experianced writer, who wants to refresh their knowledge and yet also for the novice who would like to investigate this area.The explanations of the icons are wonderful,while the prayers from the eastern orthodox church illustrate the deep comtemplative spirit of this media.



3. Wonderful book. One those you can't put down. Great art. And i hope he does more on the subject. Just a great book. A+



4. I read "The Language of Icons" with the intention of learning more about the mode of religious art most characteristic of Eastern Christianity. The book far exceeded my expectations. I learned more about icons than I ever would have hoped. The reproductions of representative icons were beautiful and luminous. Moreover, the text was deeply spiritual and inspiring. The reader is drawn to meditate on the Christian message that the icons symbolize. There are books that are informative and books that are inspiring. This book manages to be both.



5. A beautiful and helpful book. I'm glad I bought it. It is not a primer, but rather a middle school book.

3 comments about No More Rejections: 50 Secrets to Writing a Manuscript that Sells.

1. Despite the attempt at seducing the reader with the rather typical commercial title, this book is clearly written and provides good ideas in a well reasoned and developed format.it's already much common sense but every so often it's good to review the basics. The only disagreement I have with the major tenets of the author focuses on character. She seems to maintain the cliched idea that the protagonist of a "commercial" novel or "popular" novel should be positive, likable, and one with whom we can identify. The spate of novels these days without such a protagonist is legion. Still, it's better than the more highly touted The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman. In addition, like many books on writing, this one provides writing exercises. Happily, they are interesting and impractical and actually seem to have potential to improve a work in progress. This cannot be said for many so-called creative writing guides,even those that purport to encourage "literary" writing.



2. First things first--you should know up front that this book is aimed at writers of novel-length commercial fiction. If you write thrillers, mysteries, romances, or other genre work, this is the perfect book for you. If you don't, it will still hold a lot of value, but some of the more sweeping statements won't ring as true. The title of the book sounds gimmicky, but the book itself isn't. I thought from the title that this would be one of those books that would promise you publication if only you followed these simple rules, but it doesn't.

   Author Alice Orr is also a long-time editor, so she knows what editors look for. Her "secrets" run the gamut from ideas, to beginnings, characters (both primary and secondary), drama, middles, writing style, endings, and even submissions and self-promotion.

   Many of these ideas won't be new to writers who've been around a while. We know we need strong protagonists, dramatic beginnings, and so on. However, Orr does more than just give us a rule to follow. She backs up those rules with directions, examples, exercises, questions to ask ourselves, and more. She takes abstract concepts and turns them into concrete practices. She tells us how far editors want us to take our dramatic beginnings and strong characters, as well as how far they *don't* want us to take them.

   In short, any writer of commercial fiction who is unsatisfied with her acceptance rate will probably find something of value in here. Regardless, Orr's witty style makes this a fun book to read!




3. This is a very hands-on kind of book with clear examples, thorough explanations, and lots of thought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter. It will get you thinking about your story and how to really give it dimension. The first time I paged through it, I started getting all kinds of ideas for my story - and particularly the characters - that hadn't occurred to me before. If you're afraid of writing a flat, boring, predictable or cliched novel, you need this book!

2 comments about Fifty Figure Drawings.

1. This book is $5.00 how on earth could you beat that? Buy it, study it and see how artist draw the figure from life. Its full of great art and the printing looks good.



2. It's satisfying to write about this little book on the first day of 2007 considering that it was first published in 1927. It's also satisfying to have this time capsule to remind one how the artistic training in the United States has evolved (Some would say devolved.) during the last century, progressing (regressing?) from an emphasis on developing skills to reproduce objective reality then on to abstract self expression then on to cultural commentary and postmodern end game play and back again to a partial return to respect for draftsmanship with the profusion of artist run ateliers promoting traditional drawing and painting skills.
   
   This slim volume edited by noted draftsman and instructor George B. Bridgman consists of drawings done by students from the leading art schools at the beginning of the last century. Of the works Mr. Bridgman writes "The schools and the classes (from which these drawings were gleaned.) are patterned very much after the schools of Europe in a general way, but the policies vary greatly Instructors naturally have many different viewpoints, regarding artistic training and instruction. (And)...the drawings selected can be classified under three different trends of thought, the imitative, the constructive, and the expressive."
   
   The drawings themselves do fall into different categories: 1. Basic linear gestural beginnings, to blocks in, and to complete renderings; 2. Different styles - graceful line drawings in dry and wet media, muscular drawings of line and tone, and finely nuanced tonal depictions; and 3. Varying levels of ability - masterful renderings giving a sense of light, mass, texture and movement, workmanlike renderings, and less accomplished (Whether by talent or inexperience.) drawings displaying problematic proportion, value, & line control (The worst still being superior to the best often found in today's university upper lever life drawing classes.) .
   
   The illustrations are printed on a glossy stock. I can't say whether the reproductions were taken from the original photographic plates or whether they were scanned from the pages of the 1937 revised edition of the book and then tidied up. While these illustrations are adequate, they lack the clarity, depth, and sharpness provided by today's printing technology. But for the price, this book is well worth a look.