5 comments about Artforms: An Introduction to the Visual Arts, Revised (7th Edition).

1. Used this book for an arh1000 course. We were instructed to get the 8th edition, but I didn't. It worked fine and I ended up with an "A" at the end. Our class was very dependent upon the text book and tis version was fine.



2. This book is, as far as I can tell, the same as the 8th Edition. The only difference is the cover of the book. Page numbers are the same, pictures are all the same. I accidentally purchased the wrong book, but turned out it worked just fine and I paid 1/10th of the price.



3. From the outside, the book appeared to be in great condition, but when I opened it, it was full of highlighting on almost every line of every page. I guess I will not be able to sell it back at a reasonable price. Had I known that it was full of highligting, I probably would not have purchased it.



4. This is an exciting excellent book in the area of art and the forms that art is inpacted by. The illustrations to this book are exciting and colors are radiant.



5. great condition. like new. shipped on time in a good manner. very satisfied.

1 comments about America on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender,and Sexuality at the Movies.

1. I love this book, it offers excellent analysis of the film industry and the importance/social weight and influence that the industry carries. Wonderful source for those interested in Film, Sociology, or any related fields

4 comments about Drawing from Life.

1. I bought this book for a class I was taking and I ended up keeping it for myself once I finished the class. It is filled with information and instruction. I love this book and I very rarely keep book I buy for classes and this is one of the few I kept because I know I will use it many more times in the future. It works well for references and how to stuff.



2. Excellent book for anyone interested in drawing the human figure. Deals well and extensively with proportion, anatomy and nuances of figure drawing. Required by my art teacher and worth the money as an on-going reference source.



3. This book gives you the bones to enrich your experience with figure drawing. Professor Brown draws from varied sources and presents helpful images along with text that is intelligent and imformative. It is filled with sketches from masters such as Da Vinci as well as descriptive sketches from Clint addressing the figure as a subject filled with motion. I have continued to refer back to the book and appreciate its portable size. This is a book to take with you and keep even if you are moving around!



4. "Drawing from Life" is a treasure an artist, teacher, and drawing lover finds once in awhile. It is very logically layed out. I enjoyed variety of illustrations, the learning exercises, and glossary. Alas... some negatives: the price, the quality and detail of the reproductions, especially the anatomy ones. The book needs to be bigger in size and make use of detail enlargements to show the beauty of the drawings

2 comments about Writing About Art (6th Edition).

1. It's beyond cliché to say that a book has changed your life, but this little handbook - a supplemental art history text, of all things - ranks with scripture and great literature as one of the most personally beneficial books I've ever read. This may say more about me than the book, of course, but if you are the sort of person who finds it difficult to think about art, let alone talk or write about it, then perhaps this will give you hope.

   Professor Sayre starts this handbook with a simple thesis: everyone could write about art, if only they knew where to start. To prove his point, Sayre chooses pieces that most laypeople would consider indescribable (like the abstractions of Jackson Pollock) and teaches the reader, slowly but surely, how to really look at the work. With subsequent lessons on choice, composition, and color, even the most "non-artistic" thinkers will begin to see things in a different light... and then Professor Sayre will then teach you how to put those thoughts into words.

   If you are privileged enough to attend a school where the humanities are still actively taught, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of this book - your papers and grades will doubtlessly improve. But even if your chances of ever taking an art appreciation class are slim, if you have any interest in the subject at all, then I highly recommend this book.




2. Although I am not an Art History Major, I found this book to be very helpful when writing a paper about particular artwork!

5 comments about Vanishing Point: Perspective for Comics from the Ground Up.

1. Jason Cheeseman-Meyer has done something special with "Vanishing Point" - he makes a pretty darn difficult subject look fun and easy. An initial flip through the book with its colorful multi-genre example illustrations is all it takes to know this one's different.
   
   The author offers fresh looks at basic one, two and three-point perspectives and heads into new territoy with solid explanations for FOUR and FIVE-points. That's right - FINALLY, a book that covers the fun fisheye lens look used by many contemporary comic book artists - CURVILINEAR PERSPECTIVE!
   
   It's not enough to know how to build environments, however - one has to populate them. That's all addressed with a section on drawing figures from different angles in addition to placing them properly in a scene.
   
   His "Tricks and Troubleshooting" chapter alone is worth the price of admission as Cheeseman-Meyer breaks down several common mistakes, tells you WHY they're mistakes and offers advice on how to correct them. Yes, there are even cheats and shortcuts among many other useful gems.
   
   This book truly stands out as one of, if not THE best books on the subject.



2. I thought I had a fairly good handle on perspective drawing, but this book goes into significantly more depth. (Pun intended.) It provides exciting options for approaching a piece of art beyond the ordinary, and many little tips and tricks on solving perspective problems. Even though it is themed towards comic and fantasy art, I would recommend it to any artist who wants to have a greater understanding of perspective, and more tricks up their sleeve for producing believable and emotionally impactful scenes.



3. This book is good and clear for beginners and the more advanced. It touches some topics I haven't learned at art school. Definitely a book I will be using frequently. All other books talk about the same vanishing points.
   The practical examples in this book will help the student grasp the subject quickly. Love it!



4. I highly recommend this book. It is a simple read with simple diagrams and explanations on how to draw in perspective. i have recommended its title in other reviews i wrote. I think you will be very pleased with this book if you want to see, read and practice from a book.



5. I'm an artist by hobby and have read 8 books on perspective but this one is exceptional. It's not just a book for comic artists but a great book for learning perspective. I was surprised when I received it. It covers topics that I have not seen covered in any other perspective book I've read. Such as, curvilinear perspective. It covers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 point perspective. I never saw any other coverage of 4 and 5 pt perspective before. Great book for any artist, comic or not and great illustrations. A+

5 comments about Graphic Design School, Third Edition.

1. I really enjoyed this book, but I wouldn't say that it actually teaches you the 'how to's' of graphic design. On the other hand the book is fantastic at showing real-life examples as well as all of the many applications of graphic design which assists one to decide which path to focus on.



2. Graphic Design School has some useful tools for beginners, but more than half of the book is outdated. Graphic Design School has a few sections on design theory, and more than half the book are tutorials in photoshop, illustrator, etc.
   
   The book boasts a bit how today you cannot talk about or teach graphic desing without addressing technology, This is where the book faulters. Technology tchanges so quickly now that this book's many tutorials end up being very obsolete (pre adobe CS). It would have been nice if this came with a CD that could get updates for tutorials, etc. A book like this needs to make a new edition atleast every 2 years to keep up.



3. Loaded with illustrations, graphics and layouts, this intoduction to graphic design covers basics that will "charge" your creative batteries.



4. Yes the book is visual. Yes it has examples of other student's work. Yes there is helpful information in it.

   HOWEVER, having worked in the field for more than 10 years, I find this book simplistic, and frankly the samples of work included are not very good.

   Why would I want to emulate design I don't like?

   I found the examples to be dated, and I found the book lacking in teaching skills that designers really need to know.

   If this is a fair representation of what is being taught in design school, we are in a very sad place.

   There are so many other GOOD books out there. Buy one of those.




5. I have met many web designers who have never learned the basic skills of graphic design. "Graphic design School" is the best book out there today on learning the techniques and tools for basic graphic design practices. Swann covers the 'Language of Design,' 'Principles and Techniques' and 'Commercial Practice.' Short, concise and beautifully illustrated to relay the importance of knowing this craft for a solid design foundation.

   Web colors are not mentioned, nor do you see anything about browser selection nor any debate over screen size. What you do see are the brief introductions to corporate design, logos, editorial design and packaging. All basics to build on for a graphic design career, including web design.

4 comments about Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative (Will Eisner Instructional Books).

1. First off, Eisner does a great job of combining visual elements with his text in this book. The whole thing is illustrated with cavemen working on their storytelling technique, and I have to admit that the cavemen illustrations were great fun and always helped to clarify the how side of what he was saying in the text. Beautifully done. (Yes, I know, this is like saying, "Hey, y'know that Hemingway guy? Some of his stories were really good.")
   
   Does it have any issues? Yes. It's 164 heavily illustrated pages. You can read it in an afternoon. And some of the illustrative pieces feel over-long for the point they are trying to prove. I hit the point on a couple of them where I found myself saying, "Yes, I get it. We needed the X in the beginning so we would understand Y now. Can we move on?" I also felt that, at 164 pages, he didn't really have the opportunity to go into depth on some areas. There's a point where he provided two bad examples of a comic script... and no good example. Aaaaah!
   
   Even with those issues in mind, I have to give the book 4 caped crime-fighters out of five. It's well-written (though there are also some grammatical gaffs that make me want to scream), it's engaging, and it's instructive. Worth the read.



2. Eisner is one of the old pros who helped create the way sequential art is done. This book demonstrates the thinking that goes into producing sequential art, how to pace and create emotions in your audience. A must have for film artists, storyboard artists, comic and graphic novel artists and it opens new ways of thinking for illustrators and painters.



3. As a veteran comic book illustrator (You can find my work here on Amazon.com; I am the CO-creator and artist of Transmetropolitan), I am often asked to recommend books to aspiring professionals in comic book illustration. In that case I always enthusiastically recommend any of Eisner's instructional books as essential reading for anyone serious about their craft and dreams of getting into the industry.

   From the earliest work of his career, Will Eisner was an innovator in writing as well as illustration. Even in his twilight years the man is still a vigorous and creative artist producing work that pros as well as fans can't wait to get their hands on.

   These books display his genius in an entertaining and easy to follow method, and if put to practice will inspire and reveal hidden keys to making your work truly professional grade. A great companion book to Eisner's "Comics & Sequential Art".

   - Darick Roberston




4. Whether you just love comics or intend to start writing some yourself, you'll probably need a helping hand. Will Eisner might just be the right hand for you. As a true pro, who's been in the field since 1930, he might just have the kind of hints, tips and interesting details you need to know as a beginner. Graphic Storytelling will reveal to you the world of telling a story in drawings and words combined, the art of comics and caricature. In my very humble opinion, this book is one giant step forward for you, on the way of expressiong yourself on paper. And hei, if Neil Gaiman recommends it, who am I to say anything else?

3 comments about Chihuly: 365 Days (365 Series).

1. Other than seeing Chihuly's work in person (breathtaking!), this is the best book detailing his work, theory and progress I have purchased. The photos are clear and give a full view of the range of his talent and creativity. The explanations of how he created each type of form over the years are revealing and interesting.
   This is the definitive work for those wishing to meet Chihuly and his work for the first time, and for those who wish to dig deeper into the man and the artist within.



2. Ever since we were fortunate enough to have a Chihuly exhibit at our museum of art, I have been an avid fan of his work. He is absolutely a master of his craft. The book far surpasses what I had expected. The photos are wonderful and the information, though not extensive, is very informative. I highly recommend this book.



3. This is a beautiful book with marvelous photos. A "must have" for Chihuly fans. A great bargain at the price.

1 comments about Art Beyond the West (2nd Edition).

1. The book was in new condition with no damage to the cover and no markings in the book, arrived fast, would buy from from this seller again.

5 comments about A World History of Photography.

1. World History of Photography
   
   
   great book and brand new thanks



2. The 3rd edition of this book, published in 1997, is a popular textbook for college art history classes and is held by many libraries. The hardcover 4th edition published in 2007, whose ISBN-13 is 9780789209467, has a similar dust jacket and is also 9"x12" (but has 712 pages, as opposed to the previous edition's 695). Both editions are visually attractive and informative.
   
   Overall, the 4th edition improves upon the 3rd only somewhat. The chapter numbers and names, and the titles of the interspersed sections on notable topics and technical histories, are unchanged. I leafed through the 3rd and 4th editions, and chapters 1-10 have no significant differences. In other words, recent trends and findings in the history of photography prior to 1950 have been omitted. I would have liked to see at least mention of more old photobooks (e.g., Moi Ver's 1931 "Paris," Brodovitch's 1945 "Ballet," and Heisler & Styrsky's 1945 "On the Needles of These Days"), interest in which has increased this decade, and a sentence or two on the 2002 discovery of an 1825 photo by Niepce.
   
   Chapters 11 ("Photography Since 1950: The Straight Image" and 12 ("Photography Since 1950: Manipulations and Color") on pages 516-629 were only moderately revised compared with the 1997 edition. I count 2 photos dropped from the old edition and 11 new photos. Changes in the text include addition of some female, non-Western, and contemporary male photographers; more material on "Digital Imaging" on pages 620-625; and a couple new paragraphs on "The Market for Photographs" on page 625.
   
   The current edition has slightly revised text on pages 630-631 about "Digital Image-Making," a new afterword on pages 639-641, an updated time line on pages 655-660, a glossary on pages 661-665 now with terms related to digital imaging, and references as recent as 2007 on pages 666-683.
   
   I could find only a few mistakes (e.g., "Todd" instead of "Tod" Papageorge on page 527, "Miquel" instead of "Miguel" Rio Branco on page 547, and limitations of definitions of "burning" and "dodging" on pages 661-2 to only digital techniques). The numbering of figures on pages 630-640 is incorrect (should be 816-828, not 808-819 and 816). A number of major 20th-century photographers (e.g., Ralph Gibson, Jeff Wall, and Francesca Woodman) were excluded, which is unfortunate. There is no mention of "paparazzi" or "Photoshop" (in specific, not just the general discussion of software on page 631); for better or for worse, both of these have influenced the history of photography.
   
   In summary, if you have the 3rd edition, there's little reason to obtain this one. If you don't have the 3rd edition, or if you have the 3rd but want some updates in the material on the 1950s and beyond, buy this book from Amazon.com!



3. Well, I have to say that the author is an excellent researcher. Although she concentrates mainly on the creative and artistic sides of photography, the technical aspects are also presented, albeit briefly. I know this book is used as a textbook in several schools, and the problem I have is that it reads like one. While perusing this work, I couldn't help feeling that I was back in college, cramming for a final exam, rather than being taken on a journey through photographic history. In other words, the author's writing style is a tad dry. The facts are all there, and the pictures are wonderful, but she never seems to convey the emotion or feelings of the events. So, if you want something to study, this is it. If you want something to read and enjoy, I'd go elswhere.



4. A lot of information concentrated in one book, just what I needed: A lot of facts with perfect examples of photos and other illustrations. Especially I liked that there are no author's opinions, or philosophical discussions in this book, just facts.



5. This is the most informative and comprihensive book on the intruging history of photography. Anyone interested in the medium must own it. Easy to read and woderful to look at.