2 comments about Draw 50 Airplanes, Aircrafts, and Spacecraft: The Step-by-Step Way to Draw World War II Fighter Planes, Modern Jets, Space Capsules, and Much More... (Zephyr Book).

1. Great book for the budding artist who loves aircrafts! Each one is fairly easy and helps them to be creative even outside of the book. Highly recommend.



2. Draw 50 Airplanes has been around for a while. I'm glad that it is still in print. Wish it had been around when I was a kid, doodling airplanes. A bunch of my favorites are there: Sopwiths, P-40s, Spitfires, F-86 Sabres, P-38s. Hopefully, someday, there will be a revised edition that can capture some late arrivals to the first century of flight that today's kids really like- the Space Shuttle, the SR-71 Blackbird, the F-117 Nighthawk. There are dozens of "how to sketch", "how to draw" titles out there. This is not one of those books. This book skips the nuances of perspective and the agony of descriptive geometry. It is not about fine art... it is not about drafting... When you sign a note to a friend, did you ever want to be able to add a quick Spitfire with a flourish? One that someone else thinks looks like a Spitfire? Or how about a sketch of the Wright Flyer? This is THAT kind of a book. This is about the serious business of producing a happy characture of the airplane that dances in your head. It will egg you on until you pick up a pencil and make an airplane appear on the page. It will help you perfect that skill. A curved line here, a pair of straight lines there. One pencil stroke at a time. And it obviously wasn't written just for kids. This book can help just about anyone create some really neat airplane doodles. Who knows what comes from that... So many rich experiences in life depend on having some early successes, the hopeful satisfaction that causes you to press onward... J. Campbell Martin

1 comments about The Museum in Transition: A Philosophical Perspective.

1. hein's text makes a general, but intersting and highly complete, overview of the present condition of museums. This texts refers to the past history of these institutions in order to promote a better understanding of them, and the role they play, in our contemporary cultural system. Arguing on the "trascendence of the object" hein makes an excellent analysis on the "museum experience" in order to understand this phenomenon providing a critical perspective on this issue. It is not too philosophical as the tittle claims, so it is not a difficult text to read and understand.

No comments about Siena, Florence, and Padua: Art, Society, and Religion 1280-1400: Volume II: Case Studies.

4 comments about H. R. Giger's Necronomicon II.

1. Horrific? Yes, but beautiful none the less. The art in this book offers a great view into Giger's mind. Giger's use of the airbrush is phenomenal, giving his art a very realistic style to it. While flipping the pages, I felt like I was either reliving a nightmare or viewing satan's personal photo album. A truly unique experience.
   
   I highly recommend this book based on its unique and excellently rendered imagery.



2. Giger's art, like the music of Marilyn Manson, the paintings of Jackson Pollock, and the clothing taste of Cher, tends to provoke extreme reactions in people (the classic "love-hate" relationship). This book, as well as the first Necronomicon volume, delves deep into the subconscious and comes up with fists full of squirming demons and violent yet artful sexual imagery. Some people are so repulsed by these "shadowed" parts of the psyche that they condemn Giger's art in general, while others wallow in the decay and degradation he depicts, believing it to be a mirror of the world they see around them. I personally keep Giger's work next to that of Alex Grey on my bookshelf, representing the dark repressed side of human nature coexisting along with the transcendental, spiritual side. Some may call Giger's art spiritual; I personally find it far too celebratory of the flesh for it to be truly spiritually-themed. If you are considering buying this book, first of all be forewarned: it is graphic and disturbing, but if you're looking at Giger books to begin with you probably already knew that. Also, I find the first Necronomicon volume to be better than this one. But if you are a fan you definitely will not be disappointed. You should probably buy one of Giger's lower-priced retrospectives if you're only going to have one of his books, but the attractively presented Necronomicons are the logical next step if you find yourself wanting more. Giger's work is very yin; just make sure you have some yang on your bookshelf to balance it.



3. Well as the Biggest Giger fan in the world i could never express the value of each book that he publishes. If your looking for something new, strange,fun,and exotic H.R. Giger is the man to see, with his uniqe style of erotic horror and morbid imaginTION this book has no exception, check it out today. you won't be dissapointed!



4. As Giger fans, this is an excellent follow-up to "Necronomicon", with more gorgeous pictures. Another excellent gift for that special weirdo in your life.

5 comments about Snow, Wave, Pine: Traditional Patterns in Japanese Design.

1. This is a very high quality book that photographically documents the use of plant and animal images, natural phenomena, implements and structures, geometric patterns, miscellaneous patterns and family crests in textiles, lacquerware, ceramics, hair combs, paper goods, glassware, wood, metal, and glassware.
   
   Within the textile category alone, the book includes images of woven brocades, kasuri, embroidery, yuzen dyeing, katazome, woodblock prints, woven stripes and checks and free hand paste resist textiles. This is one of the most extensive of the very few widely available books that focus on images of Japanese craft production. Well worth the price, especially Amazon's discounted price.



2. The book is wonderful! Reach in picture and well structured. There is little research, but i'm proud i've bought it. It's really useful to my study.



3. Mr. Hibi and Mr Niwa, wrote this book,which has fantastic pictures of a variety of patterns used in Japanese Designs. I have used this book as reference for my students, and I strongly recommend this book for Japanese artist lovers. It has more pictures than detailed written research.However all in all it is a great package.



4. The photographs are wonderful, the book is classy. The text is kept short to not interfere with the pictures.
   A bit too compressed, in my opionion. I would have liked more than four lines of text telling me that something is often depicted.
   It's a wonderful book to have it displayed on a table, and to show off a little bit, but that's not the reason why I buy books...



5. This eye-filling book clearly illustrates the rich symbolism of Japanese design. Though not meant as an all-inclusive guide to Japanese arts, the pictorial choices are wonderful. Each design "theme" is accompained by brief but highly informative text. There is also a generous selection of family crests (mon), which would be of particular interest to kimono enthusiasts. This color-saturated album is a joy to look at and would complement Merrily Baird's more complete and scholarly tome, "Symbols of Japan," which, though awesomely researched, has rather weak illustrations in several sections.

1 comments about Enso: Zen Circles of Enlightenment.

1. This is an excellent consideration of both the circles and the accompanying texts that are part of the enso experience. There is a perceptive description of each of the monks (and occasionally a nun) who created the ensos selected and an interesting analysis of both the art of the circle and the calligraphy of the individual work he or she created. As an artist I found the material in this book stimulating and productive.

1 comments about Modern Masters Volume 17: Lee Weeks (Modern Masters).

1. I just finished plowing through this "Modern Masters" volume, my third after John Byrne's and Mike Wieringo's. All three have been fantastic.
   
   This TwoMorrows series of profiles is an excellent value on two counts:
   
   First, each one I've read consists entirely of fresh interview material, not others writing *about* the profiled artist. The interviews are substantial and long, and you'll feel indulged and satisfied as you read them.
   
   Second, there's more than enough artwork included to give a well-rounded view of the artist's strengths and style. These are black and white books, and are not really intended to showcase the art in the same way a nicer volume might. But you get a WEALTH of great information and insight for a great price.
   
   So, it's a great series. But this volume in particular was a treat, because I knew very little about Lee Weeks going into it. I enjoyed the story of his long journey into an accomplished career as a professional comic artist, and especially his sharing about his Christian faith. I appreciated his transparency, and his obvious enthusiasm for his work. He's gained a new fan.
   
   I'll definitely be buying more books from this series in the future, and I highly recommend the three I've read.

5 comments about In the Craftsman Style: Building Furniture Inspired by the Arts & Crafts Tradition (In The Style).

1. Like most of Taunton's publications this is well done with good photography and tips and techniques. I didn't really like some of the projects, but that's just personal taste and you may find more to you're liking. I found many of the interpretations to be heavy handed; many overly massive, while the Greene and Greene sideboard feels stilted and looks machined as compared to the flowing lines of the original. Study the originals and supplement it with this book.



2. The quality, complexity, and complication of these projects can be stunning. Its a great resource for planning your own projects, but few of us will have the competence to take our work to this level of professionalism. Projects are highly imaginative and the write-ups are full of great "how to's". This is actually a cheap book for Taunton Press to put out, since it is culled from a few years of Taunton's Fine Woodworking magazine - therefore don't pay more than 20 for it, and look for it used.



3. In the Craftsman Style: Building Furniture Inspired by the Arts & Crafts Tradition (In The Style) I Purchased this as a gift for a friend who builds Craftsman Style furniture. We were both a little disapointed that so many of the pieces were "modernized" and "stlyized" - almost to the point that they didn't seem to fit the genre.



4. Fine Woodworking provides excellent photographs, sophisticated projects and adequate details for building. This book exemplifies these qualities with respect to craftsman furniture. I particularly liked the modern adaptations which are less heavy than many of the originals and the variety of projects.



5. This is the best introduction to building Arts & Crafts style furniture I have read.

   I found it to contain an excellent balance of history, theory, project plans, and inspiration. The articles are well-written, accurate, and thorough. The photos and diagrams are crystal clear and colorful.

   The first section (approx. 30 pages) introduces the Arts & Crafts style, highlights the schools of design and the designers (Morris, all the Stickleys, Greene and Greene, etc.), and showcases ways in which the Arts & Crafts heritage can be adapted for modern homes.

   The second section (approx. 105 pages) contains diagrams and detailed instructions on the construction of 10 pieces of furniture, plus instructions on making Stickley-style legs and on fuming the pieces with ammonia).

   The third section (approx. 20 pages) contains photos and descriptions of several Arts & Crafts-inspired pieces (though not detailed instructions on building them).

   This third section seems to have upset other reviewers, either because they didn't like it or didn't expect it in this book. I found this section vitally important to the book's stated goal, which is to help the reader apply to the Arts & Crafts style to designing and building her own furniture.

   In my opinion, the difference between successful Arts & Crafts furniture and cheap knock-offs lies in the subtleties of design, proportion, and details. The discussions contained in the third section of this book focus precisely on these elements, walking the reader through the often lengthy decision-making process of the furniture designer. The importance of careful attention to line, function and form are emphasized here. I might not have purchased to book just to get this section, but excluding it (or not reading it) would be a shame.

   Overall, I recommend this book to anyone interested in buying or (especially) designing and building Arts & Crafts style furniture.

2 comments about Color Management for Packaging: A Comprehensive Guide for Graphic Designers.

1. Great packaging resource! Good for those wanting to know more about the basics in package design, and also a great resource for inspiration! Highly recommended!



2. Basically, this a really good book for those interested in packaging design. The first half shows real-life examples of well-designed one to four color process products, while the second half goes in-depth into the technical aspects of packaging design like color theory, printing, materials, etc.
   The problem is that the book is more of a general overview, and is a great tool for introducing you into the world, but if you want extensive material on a particular subject then I'd advised looking elsewhere. Still for those who want to begin, I recommend you to buy it.

5 comments about Christmas in New York: A Pop-Up Book.

1. I have purchased a few of these. Great gift for someone that left the Big Apple or that doesn't have the opportunity to see it. I sent it to my sister in Florida, my best friend in Florida and my cousin in Texas. If they can't be with us, at least they can remember how beautiful it is!



2. Christmas in New York: A Pop Up Book is a wonderfully artistic representation of its subject. I have bought several copies of this lovely book, and I have given them to adults and children alike. One of them was sent to France.



3. I purchased this book as a sort of "virtual trip" to begin to fulfill my dream of celebrating Christmas in New York one day. The illustrations are beautiful and it is interesting to learn the history behind the great city's Christmas traditions. It seems that every time I open the book there are new surprises awaiting me. This book is a keepsake to enjoy for years to come. My other dream for Christmas one day is London, England. Mr. Fischer, are there any plans for a "Christmas in London" or even a "Christmas in Germany" or Europe? If so, I just "can't wait to open" them! Thank you for the sweet gift of imagination, color, and beauty in a book.



4. My Best Friend and I have a Christmas Tradition where we buy each other Children's Christmas books as gifts... I chose this one because she recently took a vacation to NYC. I bought it from Amazon without being able to look at the inside and was suprised and a little disappointed to find that it was more historical and less story-ish. But the book is great and the story behind the Traditional NYC Christmas icons is told. I would recommend this book but remember that it is not a Story book more of a history book.



5. It has been a surprise to open this book. Just amazing! I believe it is perfect for a baby, for an adult, for everyone, it is a pleasure to go through the colorful pop-up pages and the inserts.
   I really love it.