5 comments about Learn Calligraphy: The Complete Book of Lettering and Design.

1. I enjoyed reading this book and peruse it on occasion, but I cannot follow it. It is beautiful, yet not practical enough. I believe it is not well organized, that it visually all sort of runs together, and that it should have been spiral bound. It's worth it to pay a few dollars more for spiral bound, yet the majority of how-to books are NOT offered as such. With a book you are doing copywork from, it's a pain trying to weigh it down to stay open without damaging the spine. I will hold on to this, but am here now to shop for a more useful book.



2. Margaret Shepherd has written many books about this subject (Calligarphy), this is special because include a sort of recomendations for students.
   I really enjoyed this book.



3. This book is excellent. When I received my book, I started to practice for 1 week and now my handwritting is pretty.



4. I was really having a hard time picking out calligraphy how to books so i went to the book store. unfortunately they do not have a lot to choose from, at the second store i found a better selection and found Margaret Sheperd's books. Wow, great books and great way to learn, she has a funny side to her and this book is incredible, not only do you learn you have fun doing it. i also saw a few more books in her name. Unfortunately i didn't have very much time to look at them all and i cant wait to go back to see the rest. I am thinking of picking up all her books.
   
   I think this is the best of the starter books. Very easy and a fun read too!
   
   Cheryl



5. I am the author of this book and just want to respond that I agree with the very critical reviewer who felt strongly that Copperplate should have been included. I wish so too. But it would need a whole other set of supplies and hand positions. Copperplate comes along much later, and is really outside the main core of the broad-pen historic hands. Maybe some day!
   To respond to Gary Bisaqa's review, I agree and I have covered the business end of calligraphy as a free-lance job, in a whole other book, Calligraphy Projects for Pleasure and Profit.
   I wrote this, like all my other books, because I wish I'd had such a book when I started out. Thank you to others who wrote in to say that it helped them start out too.

No comments about Jerry Yarnell's Landscape Painting Secrets.

2 comments about The Packaging and Design Templates Sourcebook (Graphic Design).

1. This book is a must have for any graphic artist. It's beautifully executed with tons of examples to garner inspiration from. Worth every penny.



2. I love this book. The templates are amazing, but easy enough to alter into your own design. Sometimes as a student you need a starting point. My last project turned out amazing and I believe I'll use this book as a reference for along time. I am even interested in other books by this author and Rotovision Publishing. The pictures are great and the design on the packaging a lone is worth it. This book is one of my best if not the best design books I have and more affordable. I honestly would have paid more for this book. My classmates are also looking into buying this book after they viewed my copy. I believe this is a must in a design students library. It gives you inspiration and shows you what good package design is, believe me there are some terrible books out there.

5 comments about Watercolor Basics - Lets Get Started (Watercolor Basics).

1. Watercolor painting can be discouraging for the beginner because of
   its delicate and difficult technique. A complex sketch that took a
   long time to develop can be ruined in two minutes when the novice
   painter starts putting watercolor on it, therefore wasting precious
   time and effort plus some expensive paper and paint. That's why Jack
   Reid, a fine painter with a great instructional sense, suggest
   approaching watercolor by learning-by-practice four basic techniques:
   flat wash & glazing, graded wash, wet-on-wet and dry brush. Mr. Reid
   proposes practicing these techniques on exercises a learner will be
   glad to try: nice looking pictures based on very simple sketches,
   appealing enough to be stimulating but simple enough to avoid lazyness
   and frustration. Also, the exercises proposed can be made in small
   format, thus relieving the distress of wasting materials that often
   makes the beginner repress from practicing. It's indeed a delight
   working on that simple projects and finding that Mr. Reid's advices do
   work. Along these exercises the beginner will adquire a practical
   knowledge about how things are done in watercolor.
   
   Once the beginner is supposed to manage the basics, the second half of
   the book goes into the general problems of painting: value, colour and
   composition. Again, every subject is accompanied by exercises of
   increasing difficulty that the learner may be willing to reproduce.
   
   In summary, the book is brief but worth every paragraph and
   illustration. It makes those of us painting for some time as
   self-learners to stop for a while and think seriously about changing
   the way we focus our work. The only doubt it poses is if Mr. Reid's
   approach is valid for general watercolor painting or just for
   "Reid-ish watercolor". Anyway, one's style can only be develop by hard
   work; a book can only give directions on the basics. And this book is
   great for that.



2. This book is for the "Very Beginer". It tells you what to purchase to start...ie..which brushes, what paint colors, and paper type. It then goes on to show you step by step how to use those supplies to create a picture.



3. I am teaching myself watercolor painting and this book has helped me tremendously. The step by step exercises make is so easy to learn technique and the reasons for different techniques. It has also helped me to learn to draw better. I highly recommend it to any beginner!



4. After looking at the library copy of Jack Reid's books on water color tecnniques, I knew it was the best way to learn and feel confident that I can do it! I had to have a copy of my own. The illustrations are great as the painting develops step-by-step, gently leading me to a new skill. Enjoyable confidence builder. Also, Mr. Reid's approach on materials is easy on the budget and makes the picture more important than the kind of brush that paints it. Styrofoam and twigs are right up my alley.



5. I would recommend this book to everyone to get so that you can practice watercolor techniques. Like all the other books in this series, you can't go wrong adding it to your collection.

5 comments about Great Book of Dragon Patterns: The Ultimate Design Sourcebook for Artists and Craftspeople.

1. This is my favorite addition to my reference Library. It has great dragon patterns from whimsical to fierce looking dragons. Wonderful material to inspire any artist no matter what their mediums.



2. I bought this book for my 13 yr. old son. He loves to draw, and collects dragons, but never drew any dragons. With this book, he got some info, and some patterns ready for him to trace or to make his own dragon with! He loves this book!



3. I bought this book for tattooing purposes and it really wasn't all that helpful. Good info on the history and legends of dragons but most of the pictures were pretty cheesy. Works good for general art reference though.



4. I purchased this book for my 12 year old son for Christmas never thinking that it would be as big of a hit as it was! He loves dragons and is quite a good artist, so it was perfect. He could not put it down. I highly recommend this book!!



5. As usual another excellent book by the very talented Lora S. Irish.
   If you are into dragons you MUST get this book.

5 comments about New Master's of Poster Design: Poster Design for the Next Century.

1. A great compilation of modern graphic design in poster genre. A must-have for those who follow the poster as art form. It is great fun, includes recent history, and can be useful for working graphic designers as well as collectors



2. I like this book, the way it show the posters and information about it. the posters and designers ares really good example of poster design.



3. This book is filled with fabulous designs and ideas. Definitely refreshes the mind when stuck in a rut with old ideas. Like taking a nice, cool shower after getting dirty doing yard work!



4. I must say, as a graphic designer I'm always looking for inspirational objects all around me so, this a collection you'll never find disappointing. All of the posters listed inside are in every range of design trend and illustration techniques and so are fantastic at any level: creative, conceptual and symbolic. Every featured designer is given an introduction and a light analysis on their work so you can get an idea of who these guys are. I gave 4 of 5 stars only because I wanted at least the double of pages and posters but it's a fair trade.



5. I am in love with this book! The posters are fantastic, the layouts great. I often refer to this book to get inspiration for my own art. Worth every cent.

5 comments about Mat, Mount, and Frame It Yourself (Crafts Highlights).

1. Lots of information of good information on the frame, variations on the frame, building the frame, etc. The mat and mount sections seemed a bit light, but the information was good. I would say the mat and mount section was on the beginner side but framing ran well into the intermediate range. Overall a decent book but not quite great unless you are more interested in builing your own frames.



2. This book was and is just what I needed, it covered everything I was concerned about from sizing, what to consider in colors of the mats, taking out the mystery of materials, what you need and what you don't need. From doing a simple single job to doing multiple displays. I like the author's presentation of why and what to consider when you approach a job, keeping it simple. I have another matting/framing book which I am now getting rid of as this one is covers all that I need. Unless you are a professional you will not be sorry for getting this book.



3. If your a beginner then I think you'll like this book. I was looking for a book that could explain color and give advice about what size a mat should be. I found it in this book. Written very clearly with many pictures or illustrations.



4. After reading the many reviews I purchased the book. I found it worth the money I spent as it reviewed most topics with Matting, Mounting and somewhat a little short on the framing. Would have given five stars if the discussion on making the framing was a little more discussed.
   
   I did purchase the Logan CD on making your own picture frames, promptly returned it as there was more in the book on making picture frames.



5. I have been doing amateur framing for about seven years, and have read a lot of framing books. This book is (easily and definitely) my pick as the best book for beginning (and more experienced) amateur picture framers. What I liked about the book: * lots of helpful colourful photos; * easy to read text: * shows that you don't have to spend a lot of money to get into this hobby / profession and produce excellent results; * covers many useful topics without getting into the more advanced, more complex topics (e.g., gesso); * at the end of each section, the author summarizes the important points. The best thing I like about this book is that the author provides many rules-of-thumb; for example, how much of a border should there be around a piece of art work; how wide should be the frame; how deep should be the rabbet; what colours are best given the colour of the artwork; etc. It is also nice to know that most of the things I taught myself (the hard way) are "correct"! With this book, I now understand why I am doing it right!
   
   The book is not perfect. For example (as one reviewer mentioned) the whole topic of making your own frames is virtually ignored. The discussion of equipment related to the frames themselves (e.g., clamps, etc.)is also almost non-existent. Since I have been involved in picture framing for some time (but nothing too complex), I found the coverage of some topics rather, well, silly (e.g., how to read a ruler) and also disagreed with a few of the book's statements. This is to be expected; we all approach the topic differently, and as the author states, framing is a combination of art and science.
   
   Nevertheless, this book is my first pick for learning the important aspects of picture framing.

5 comments about The New Acrylics: Complete Guide to the New Generation of Acrylic Paints.

1. This book is a top-pro product. Its pictures inside are well enough to be a piece of art. Very useful, helpful, and instructive.



2. I LOVE THIS BOOK! I've already used many of the new techniques and loved the results. Some of the products needed for the techniques in this book can be hard to come by in stores, so I'm having to order online. It is a very new approach to acrylics that open up a new world! I think this is a must have. It also teaches you things about new products that are really great that I cant wait to use. It is worth every penny. And the book isn't one of those art books that is dry and or thinks you are stupid. It covers what you need to know quickly and with interesting information. It has many many many pictures. Covers techniques, new materials, and much more. again get this book!



3. This is an easy to follow guide to acrylic paints, mediums and techniques. It cleared up so much confusion I had about mediums, gels, pastes, glazes and finishes. And it's beautifully illustrated with great color photos that I found to be extremely inspirational. I can't wait to get started practicing some of these techniques in my paintings and mixed media pieces.



4. This is comprehensive - and beautiful to look at. The best acrylics book I have found. I also have "Acrylic Revolution", (also fabulous). But this book has the edge in as much as it is not focused on a particular brand of acrylics. That said I would recommend owning both!



5. I borrowed this book at library thinking it would tell me how to mix my acrylic colors, how to do underpainting, etc. However it is totally a technical book on how acrylic paints are made and such, not useful to a person wanting to just learn to paint pictures! I also tried the book "Acrylic Revolution" which was interesting if I wanted dozens of different ways to use acrylics other than painting a picture--returned that book. Still looking, am open to suggestions.

5 comments about How to Draw and Paint Fairies: From Finding Inspiration to Capturing Diaphanous Detail, a Step-by-Step Guide to Fairy Art.

1. I was looking for a drawing guide for my daughter's 11th birthday and was hoping this book would be the key. We flipped through it at the craft store and it looked like a great instructional guide. The only hesitation I have and reason I did not purchase the book is the last few pages. There are some ill-clad fairies exposing more than I want my daughter to be drawing or her younger brothers to be seeing. I know it is common to have fairies naked even, so I was grateful there was only a few pages of what I would consider suggestive fairies. But, I wanted to share this review for other "carefully modest" parents who would rather not expose their children.



2. The best How to draw Fairies book for beginners available.
   Filled with valuable drawing and paint tips, along with beautiful fairy prints for inspiration.



3. This book was not only wonderful to look at, it was very instructive also. A fantastic way to spend a rainy day!



4. this is a nice little book. but i don't think the fairy faces are very pretty. it gives you good ideas for the poses. but you'll have to have some knowledge of how you like pretty fairy faces to look cause the artists depictions are not that pretty.
   you could draw inspiration in some of the scenes and poses though. also when you do the -search inside this books pages option- the pics they show are the best pictures in the book. theres probably a more visually stimulating fairy book out there but this book does give some good instruction and i do not regret purchasing it as a gift for my niece.



5. I saw this book at my local craft store at full price, but waited till I got home to order it, since I had to place a order though Amazon - and with the reduced price and the free shipping is was a great deal. I only had a moment to look the book over in the store, so I was pleasantly surprised when I got my copy, as to how well made the book was. It's a glue/sewn binding - very sturdy. The paper is also of good weight - and the illustrations are high quality and breathtaking.
   
   Unlike the one negative review here, I was pleased to see the the first chapter contained basic information on supplies and color theory. I am no stranger to drawing and painting - but I am self taught so it was very informative to read a up-to-date book, (as most of my books are of the hand me down variety, and are at least two times older than I am!)
   
   The in between chapters cover everything from drawing to painting techniques that I have puzzled over in my favorite fairy art. It was wonderful to see everything laid out step by step. The final chapter contains a collection of fairy art of different styles and talent levels, and just like the rest of the book I was inspired by looking over the different pieces.
   
   My only minor complaint about the book is on page 21 which covers paper stretching. I believe they make a mistake and list the steps out of order. I had to go online and look it up to figure it out. First gather your supplies, paper, gummed tape, board, water and wet the paper, THEN wet the tape and tape the paper to the board. Also the online instructions said to leave the paper on the board WHILE you do the art - which makes perfect sense to me now that I think of it. But the book said nothing either way, and I thought that I had to remove the paper after it was dry. Although the illustrations do show the tape removed from the paper after the paper was dry.
   
   Overall I am thrilled to own this book!

5 comments about The Artist's Complete Guide to Figure Drawing: A Contemporary Perspective on the Classical Tradition.

1. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn the correct way to draw the human figure in an accurate and realistic way. I went to art school in the early eighties and was never taught this approach to drawing and now that I have read this book my life drawing skills have improved immensely.



2. The study of classical drawing of Old Masters is not only necessary step, but enjoyable touch to timeless magic of art.



3. I actually started out using the Bargue Drawing Course (invented in the 19th century) to learn classical drawing methods. This book is the PERFECT addendum for anyone that is trying to understand how to draw accurately from life. The Bargue Drawing Course is VERY light on technical tips (since it was intended for use in an atelier where a master could instruct the student on proper technique).
   
   Most drawing classes today emphasize gestural drawing and 'quick' drawing. These are very useful skills to have (no doubt!), but accuracy and good draftsmanship will never come from gestural and quick practice. Someone seeking to be well rounded in the technical aspects of drawing can do no better than with this book. Before exposure to this book my drawing was 'topped'.. this gave me the tools to take my drawing to the next level.



4. This is an excellent book. It takes a fresh look at teaching both beginners and experienced artists on his approach. It's very well written and easy to understand. This is one of the best art instruction books, if not the best, that I've ever worked with.



5. I got this book for my life drawing class and I really like this book. It does not teach anatomy or proportion. It shows the classical way of doing figure drawing and how to do finish rendering. It's more traditional approach and really helpful. I have learned a lot from it.