5 comments about Draw Manga: How to Draw Manga In Your Own Unique Style.

1. This is a useful guide for all ages and skill levels of drawing. Especially those that are not familiar with or from the culture of manga animation artistry. It gives the history and origins of manga to give the reader and artist a better of understanding of manga. It then helps the artist see how traditional manga artistry is performed and the processes to make "good" and "proper" manga characters and art. Moreover, it shows the reader and artist how to develop their own style of manga artistry based upon the principles of the tradition. Then it helps the reader and artist to create and develope manga stories, and characters to be in them with "good" plots and flow to create your own manga novel of equal greatness to all those that many/you know and love.



2. I got this book out of the library out of curiosity
   and was very suprised by its content.
   
   Most Manga books show you how to
   copy the CONTENT/STYLE of Manga; this
   this addresses Manga's FORM as well
   as its historical background and relation
   to Western comics.
   
   The section on how to use computers and
   various software to layout, ink, letter and color
   your OWN comics and/or manga
   is worth the price of the book alone.
   
   Highly Recommended!!!!



3. After you finish practicing Bruce Lewis' tips and techniques, you cannot help but emerge with your own particular style. Instructions are clear, informative and inspiring.



4. Its actualy the most helpfull book I have purchased so far when it comes to drawing in that style. It stresses the importance of practicing your own style and mastering it before moving on to anime esk figures. infact heres some advice, master basic anatomy before you decide to try manga, you have to be experienced regadless. The "How to Draw Manga" series is flawed in that it expects the customer to already know how to draw...



5. This book is great, step by step guide to drawing your own manga. not copying someone else's style.

5 comments about Color Design Workbook: A Real-World Guide to Using Color in Graphic Design.

1. I own dozens of graphic design books and the Color Design Workbook is one of the most useful books I own. I highly recommend it. It not only breaks down the theory of color and how it applies to design, it also gives examples of how color has hindered or helped in real world design projects. The page design is also fabulous...glossy pages with interesting design, yet readable information. Using color incorrectly is one of the most common blunders in graphic design so understanding it is crucial. Note: This book discusses color theory and relationships, not color management. A good color management book is: Practical Color Management: Eddie Tapp on Digital Photography (Eddie Tapp on Digital Photogra)
   
   This book is part of a TERRIFIC series of graphic design books by Rockport. (The series also visually looks great together since the publishers shrewdly designed all the bindings to match and line up together on the shelf.)
   So far there are only 5 (including the Color Design Workbook), but hopefully they will add more books to the very useful series:
   Logo Design Workbook: A Hands-On Guide to Creating Logos
   
   Typography Workbook: A Real-World Guide to Using Type in Graphic Design
   
   Publication Design Workbook
   
   Layout Workbook: A Real-World Guide to Building Pages in Graphic Design



2. I found this book to be extremely helpful in understanding colours and their relationship with design. It's easy to read and has some great examples.



3. Has lots of ideas for color use. Loved the section on the cultural meanings of color. So many interesting things to consider. Has some basic color theory, how to convey your message with color, etc. Very helpful for the graphic designer or visual artist.



4. This book was a good basic book on color. I feel that there are better books out there that go more into color theory and I'm in the process of looking for those. Overall this book is great for beginning graphic design professionals.



5. I bought this book expecting to find guidance on how colors work and how to use them. The book provides this, but not in the way I expected.
   
   If you are looking for:
   - A deep discussion of color theory with specific examples of what works and what does not or
   - Insights from industry about how the choice of colors can affect production costs, choice of material, etc or
   - Information about tools that can help with color selection, matching or proofing,
   DON'T buy this book.
   
   This book is about color palettes only and its approach is to give you lots of examples from the real world, from which *you* must build your own understanding of color. As a survey of the use of color by many well-known designers for clients of all kinds, this book excels. The most valuable parts are not the examples themselves, but the text accompanying them where the designers outline the reasons for their choices. All this is perhaps clear from the title, but I didn't think so.
   
   A severe shortcoming of this book is it provides no examples where a choice of colors failed--for whatever reason.
   
   Since readers have consistently criticized Rockport's use of the word "Workbook" for books in this series, let me suggest a way of looking at it that justifies it. The way I used this book was to go through an example, look at every line, fill, shading or photograph and use the color palette in several ways in some designs I cooked up-- constantly experimenting--until I felt I understood how those colors interacted and changed their overall feel. That's the workbook aspect that totally worked for me so I have no problems with this book being called a "Workbook".
   
   If you regularly read graphic design sites/blogs, you won't find anything new in this book. But if you are starting on the path to understanding color in graphic design, this is a great resource.

5 comments about Art History For Dummies (For Dummies (Lifestyles Paperback)).

1. What i really liked about Art History For Dummies is the fact that you do not have to start at page one and read it in order. You can skip around and read it. It is a very informative book that is a real joy to read. The art work alone in the book is beautiful. You can look at beautiful art and have fun learning about it. HIGHLY RECOMMENED! Hats off to the author.



2. This books helps one learn about Art History in a compact, easy reading, fun way. I gave a copy to one of my friends who read the entire book to her children while they moved. The children loved it! As with other Dummies books all the information you need is at hand!



3. I used my brother's standard art history textbook for the fall semester of my Art History survey course. I didn't like it anymore than he did. It's dry and scholarly, weighs a ton, and costs about $140--if you buy it new. For around $20 on Amazon, I purchased a new Art History for Dummies book for the spring semester, which has most of the same information (plus quite a few extra things, that in some cases, my prof didn't know). Art History for Dummies is great--easy, fun to read and very inspiring. I really enjoy reading it. There are not many textbooks I can say that about! Despite its title, Art History for Dummies puts me ahead of most of my classmates who are struggling to make sense of the required text by Stokstad. For less money, I'm learning a lot more than I would have with the textbook. The chapters on Neoclassicism and Romanticism, for example, had a lot of really useful information that my other book lacks, which helped me enormously on the essay section of the test. We had to interpret David's THE OATH OF THE HORATII and DEATH OF MARAT as Neoclassical works and Delacroix's THE TRAGEDY OF SARDANAPALUS and Caspar David Friedrich's THE WANDERER ABOVE THE MISTS as typical Romantic paintings. All these masterpieces are examined in depth in Art History for Dummies. I aced the two tests we've had this semester. Last semester, using the required text (Stokstad), I barely managed a C.
   
   I even took the dummies book with me to the two art museums we were required to visit. It really opened up the paintings and sculpture for me. I understood art like I never have before and had the best art-museum experience I've ever had.
   
   The color art reproductions in the book are fantastic. (Some of the b&w are very good, other's are too dark or too small.) At first I wished there were more pics. Then I discovered that the book has an appendix with Websites of all the art that's discussed but not shown. I just type in the Web address on my laptop, and voila, there's the painting. These are really super Web sites, and I can make the pics as big as I need to (much larger than you find in any book) and zoom in on details. Plus, with most of the Web sites, you don't just get one or two works by the artist like you do in a textbook; they give you a whole chronology of paintings or sculptures. You can see ten or twenty (and in some cases over a hundred) paintings by each artist! You gain a much better feel for the artist's style and how it progressed throughout his or her career. If you're writing an essay on a painter, that's the way to do it. It helped me anyway. Once I started using the appendix, I really came to like it. (Make sure your browser saves the addresses you type in; because you use a lot of them more than once.)



4. I'm not an art major but I recently signed up for an art history class ("Modernism"), which I thought would be an easy elective. Unfortunately, the professor expects us to memorize a lot of facts and I found that the overpriced textbook for the class (Gardner's Art Through the Ages) was not very helpful in sorting out all the different artists, works, and styles that I had to learn about. I didn't want to drop the class and mess up my GPA, so I decided to see if there was a "dummies" book on the topic. I've used other "dummies" books before, and I've always found them to be well organized, informative, and entertaining. I was pleased to discover that this is also the case with Art History for Dummies, by Jesse Bryant Wilder. Wilder brings the subject to life with descriptions that are both thorough and easy to understand. In addition, he explains the motives of the artists in creating their most famous works, which is something my professor thinks is really important. One thing that I found particularly helpful is Wilder's way of explaining the various "isms" that we are studying. For example, he compares Cubism to cracking an egg and then reassembling its fragments on a flat surface: "you can see all sides of the egg at once, and yet it's hard to recognize the egg" (p. 303). Expressionism is compared to bashing in a classical "gilded box" (like a Gainsborough portrait of a placid aristocrat) so we can see the emotional struggles going on inside the box (inside the person) (p. 296). These kinds of analogies make the different movements of the Modernist period more understandable and memorable than the descriptions in Gardner's. Of course, Art History for Dummies covers much more than just the Modernist period and I've already started reading through other sections of the book, not for class but because the topics are so interesting to read about. The book includes clearly labeled headings as well as lots of photos, illustrations, anecdotes, and definitions of technical terms. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about art history and have an enjoyable reading experience at the same time.



5. I learned more about Art History just reading the Introduction than I have ever known before! I have a big Art History book from my daughter's college class and it was way too complicated and thorough for someone trying to learn without a professor on hand. I would highly recommend this book.

3 comments about Learning to Love You More.

1. I bought this book because I am a fan of Miranda July's. I loved her movie and her book of short stories, No One Belongs Here More Than You: Stories. This book has none of July's original artwork. It is a collection of work done by other people based on a list of assignments she wrote. The assignments range from the quirky (create an object from your youth using only construction paper and tape) to the profound (spend time with someone who is dying and then write about it). July's brilliance lies in her ability to bring out creativity using specific assignments and rules. As a teacher, I can really appreciate the value of a good assignment. I also love her on-going theme of "it's not about you". Her assignments often remind artists to stick to the rules instead of being creative. Still, this book is an inspiration to be more creative: to create more.



2. Miranda July is great! This book invites us to create more art, in ways that connect us more to each other. Her movie and short story collections are also really beatiful.



3. this book made an awesome valentines present ((compared to the typical cards and flower alternative!))....it's a very fun, sentimental and thought-provoking book that makes you wanna slow down and take notice of all the small beautiful and day-to-day thinks in life!

5 comments about Grid Systems: Principles of Organizing Type (Design Briefs).

1. The organization of the book seems a bit disjointed to me. I would have also liked to have seen a lot of the examples use actual type rather than block diagrams.
   
   The overlays are helpful, more discussion about them would make them even more useful. I want to like the book, but am not quite there. If I had to describe the book in one word it would be sterile.



2. I am a web designer and a someone who appreciates good print design. A lot of books on CSS (cascading style sheets) try to explain the concept of grids, but these are usually written by people that have a great grasp of the tech side of things, but their writing skills, or ability to relate these concepts are limited.
   
   This book doesn't mention web design (so far as I've read), but she perfectly explains grids.
   
   Lastly, this book is a piece of art. It is pretty. It is stylish. It has semi-transparent overlays in many of the sections allowing one to see a page without grids. This book is special.



3. amazon has super slow shipping. took a month for the book to arrive. had to buy another book at a bookstore.



4. If you want an excellent book dealing with the grid - and if you want to actually learn something - get Tim Samara's Making and Breaking the Grid. I was very unhappy with this purchase.



5. Esto es un gran aporte al conocimiento y una herramienta imprescindible en el diseño gráfico, claramente escrito, excelentes y variados ejemplos, increíbles hojas guías y una gran redacción. Excelente compra!

5 comments about Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers.

1. It was not as good as I expected. I would not pay full price for it again, in fact, it did not stay in my collection but was bought by a used bookstore. If you are interested in a philosophical or spiritual aspect of art or writing, look elsewhere. While it is a lovely looking book, the information could have been found online for free. I would have been happier with a small book of Haiku.



2. This book has been very important for me in its ability to explain something that is hardly explainable - more to suggest the essence of Wabi Sabi and let the reader take it the rest of the way. Particularly in the second half of this slender book does the nature of Wabi Sabi come to life. It is a book I will continue to read on occasion, and it sits next to my Tao te Ching ready to be accessed at any time.



3. A good introduction to the history and basic concepts of Wabi-Sabi. It has good examples that are relevant to our culture and lifestyle. I wish it had better photos. But overall I recommend it.



4. This was a great intro to the ideas of wabi sabi. the use of modern art as a reference point is a very constructive way to describe "what is" and "what is not" wabi sabi. I definitely recommend this book for any artist or creative mind.



5. This is a small book, but takes awhile to appreciate and process. I am therefore still reading it, but am glad I bought it. It was highly recommended by a photography instructor - with specific recommendations on this author since there are many books out with this title.

1 comments about J.M.W. Turner.

1. This is the catalogue for the current Turner exhibition held at the National Gallery in Washington and which will later come to the Met in NYC. Many of the paintings come from American and British museums, as well as from private collections and it is also an opportunity to view a significant part of Turner's watercolor output.
   
   The book is divided into three parts following a chronological pattern after an introduction that studies Turner's "desire to rise to the top of the British art world" and his pursuit of fame. Part one deals with Turner's beginnings and building of his career, from 1790 to 1824 (the historical and economic contexts are not omitted). Part two studies the painter at the peak of his art (1818-1839)and part three dwells on the role of history in his art, the study of his masterpieces on the burning of the Houses of Parliament (1831), his late seascapes (1835-1846) and his mastery of light (1840-1851). An interesting conclusion studies Turner's relationship with America, which he never visited, but where his works were collected in depth very early.
   
   All the illustrations are of a high quality, including some close-ups of details.
   
   A valuable addition to the literature on the artist.

2 comments about Comic Artist's Photo Reference Women And Girls (Comic Artist's Photo Reference).

1. One of the best photo reference books I've come across. I have it all stickied with post-its already. The CD-Rom is also packed with some good refs. I would've liked to see some more "group" shots but I'm not disappointed in the least with this book. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes to have a nice collection of female references handy on their shelf.
   
   I can't wait for the "Men and Boys" version coming out!



2. I've always found it difficult to find decent pictures of women doing poses similar to those found in comics and action movies, most reference books contain soft poses, nudity, small pictures, and no real writing on how the photos are applicable to rendering in illustration. This book contains some very unique poses and features poses from being in pain, flying, jumping, running, sword fighting, punching, kicking, dressing, and lighting a smoke. The book features at least four to six different models with different body builds (though none are really out of shape like the Fantasy Reference) and ages.
   The only thing that could be improved to make the book better is to have a spiral back like the Fantasy Reference to keep damage on the spine to a minimal. The pros of this book are that all the photos are in color, the cd is amazing and features over a thousand photos contained in the book (which can be printed from a computer to take up a whole sheet of paper), and the shadows and poses in the book are exceptional. I found it worth its price and would recommend it to any aspiring artist that needs help with drawing women and girls.

1 comments about Canvas Remix: Techniques For Creating Mixed-Media Accessories.

1. I recieved this book yesterday, and found a fountain of good information. Author Alisa Burke starts the book with definitions of tools and supplies, then on to stretching and priming canvas. (Most if not all projects are unstretched) There are 38 pages of techniques, with color photos for the steps, along with some helpful hints called "in the mix."
   
   Most of the projects are beautiful, fun, and useful. There are several I want to try right away, including the tote, pouch, canvas beads, and i-Pod case. This book fullfilled my need of the basics of working with canvas, stretched, or unstretched. After learning the basics, you can easily craft whatever you want.
   
   I would have given this book five stars, but I think some of the techniques could have been done more in depth. Otherwise I am glad I bought it, and it will get a lot of use.

5 comments about Gothic & Lolita Bible Volume 1.

1. I just recieved my Gothic & Lolita mook through the mail today! I jumped and squealed like a little girly when i saw the package waiting for me just outside my door. Well...i have to say i wasnt disappointed! The glossy cover and huge pages are really awesome-plus all the great articles and amazing pictures!XD Still i hope to see more skirt and blouse patterns instead of accessorie patterns in the future. So yeah-i'm totally in love when this mook! Really recommend it for all lolita lovers out there! :DDD



2. I agree with hikikomorihime's review - I bought this book hoping that there would be patterns for tops and skirts. There were just patterns for accessories. Most of the book is about the fashion and culture which you can find easily on the internet, but it's hard to find patterns on the internet. I plan to send Tokyopop some feedback and hopefully they will add better patterns in later issues. :-D If you sew and were expecting patterns, I suggest you do the same. Be nice though. ;-)
   
   Also, the description mentions that this book covers 4 volumes of the original Gothic & Lolita Bible, so the assumption is that this covers volumes 1 through 4. However it doesn't - it covers volumes 15, 16, 21, and 23. That makes sense since they wouldn't want to give us dated fashion information. I just thought I'd mention that in case you were expecting translations of 1 through 4.



3. Really, my biggest problem is that they condensed so many of the mooks into this one, but only included a few accessory patterns, and none of the "how-to" craft/clothing mod instructions. Really, they wouldn't have to include full patterns, they could easily just dedicate a few pages to printed Japanese words commonly used in Japanese patterns and craft instructions, along with the English definitions. At that point, we could just locate the words, and figure out on our own what to do with our original mooks. Of course... that still wouldn't be of much help to those who just discover it, and want the dress patterns, the aprons, the pinafores, etc. Still, I'm hoping that they'll make that change in a future translated mook, if not at least host something of the sort on their site.



4. Wow! The photos of the girls in their Gothic and Lolita fashions are incredible. It was neat to see how the style varies from individual to individual. I only had a broad idea of what Gothic and Lolita fashion was prior to getting this magazine. Both the photos and interviews with girls gave me a more in depth understanding. I enjoyed the article about Japan rock star Nana Kitade. I also had no idea how cutting edge Japan was in the fashion world. I will definitely be buying them every month!



5. i have been waiting soo long for this to come out in English! i had expected so much but they were all blown away.. thank you soo much.