5 comments about Big Book of Cartooning.

1. The book was better than I expected, and arrived before I expected it to.
   Great buy. Thanks. :D



2. This book is so much fun. I'm a digital artist and use Illustrator as my tool. I learned so many techniques from this book. The pictures are big and bold and the author teaches without making you feel like a novice.



3. I bought this book for my husband and he loves it. He is constantly drawing little pictures for me. It will certainly bring out the inner artist in you. This book is easy to follow along with.



4. A casual glance through this book originally made me think it looked too cutesy and not what I wanted. I'll still say that too many of his characters and examples are cutesy, and rather stilted. But there's a lot of excellent material here. I found several tips that I (so far) haven't seen in several other books. I've had several nagging questions: Exactly how do I get things done? How is a finished cartoon created? On what size and kind of paper, using what tools? Blitz walks you through all of that stuff. The section on drawing backgrounds and perspective was also really handy.
   
   I'd say this is the single best book I've seen to get started on cartooning. Even if you want to draw some other, very different style (like, some kind of dark Batman comic or something), if you have little or no cartooning experience, this book will be helpful.



5. I don't consider my self to possess any artistic abilities when it comes to drawing. I wanted to enter a contest on YouTube where I had to draw pictures of things. I got this book. Followed the easy to use instructions, drew my pictures, entered the contest and won the $5,000 grand prize. I would definitely say I got my money's worth from this book and much much more. Highly recommended.

5 comments about Rescuing Da Vinci: Hitler and the Nazis Stole Europe's Great Art - America and Her Allies Recovered It.

1. "Rescuing Da Vinci" by Robert M. Edsel.
   Subtitled: Hitler And The Nazis Stole Europe's Great Art, America And Her Allies Recovered It". Laurel Publishing, LLV, Dallas, 2006.
   
   After borrowing this book from the Plymouth Public Library, I was initially disappointed when I opened the book. It seemed that the book was all pictures and NO text! The book has some 300 pages and I would estimate that there are some 25 full pages of text, including the index and bibliography in the back of the book. Having said all this, it is my opinion, after having read the book that all those pictures were required to tell the complete story.
   
   Page after page, photo after photo, I would find a painting or sculpture that I recalled from my art history classes, which was a long time ago. The book would show the 1940s picture on one page, with a person, perhaps in a period German uniform, "collecting" the item. And, then, on the facing page, often in full color, would be a present day view of the object. See, for example, pages 204 and 205, were Jan Vermeer's "The Artist's Studio, 1665-1666" is displayed on page 204 in black and white and in full color on page 205. This mixture of historical fact and present day view is carried out throughout the book.
   
   The book begins with an explicit condemnation of the Nazi conquest. It is shown that the Nazi Germans prepared rather extensive documents identifying the art works of various nations and earmarking those works for transportation to the Third Reich. This is an amazing example of the arrogance of the Teutonic thoroughness of Hitler, Göring and the rest of the Nazi leadership. Speaking of Göring, it would seem that at the height of the war, his country "cabin, called "Carinhall", probably had more and better art than most museums in the western world. Page 45 records that Göring had a collection of approximately 1700 paintings. Sadly, there are too many pages in the book showing or identifying works of art that had been destroyed or had been lost. Page 285 shows, for example, Raphael's "Portrait Of A Young Man, 1516", which is still missing.
   
   Still missing is the so-called "Amber Room" which was once located in the city of Königsberg in what was once Prussia. There are entire books, available on Amazon, dealing with the lost Amber Room. With the emphasis on the sins of the Third Reich, little notice is taken of the fact that the Soviets stole the entire city of Königsberg, which is now called Kaliningrad. In fact, Kaliningrad is a tiny piece of Russia, (the so-called Kaliningrad Oblast) stuck between Poland and Lithuania. In Kaliningrad, Russian is the official language and the postage stamps are Russian. Interesting.
   
   And, of course, on a more mundane, but very telling level, there are the 5000+ bells that were stolen and the Dutch trolley cars being prepared for reparation to the Netherlands.



2. I have always been a museum addict. If the Metropolitan Museum of Art would let me place a cot somewhere, I would probably take up housekeeping. So, it was extremely rewarding to read this story of how so much of the stolen art from WW2 was found, protected, recovered and finally returned to rightful owners. These "Monuments Men" should all have received medals. The world owes much to them for making so many artistic marvels again available.
   
   The illustrations are quite good. Many are available in other sources but so many, at least for me, were viewed here for the first time. The attempts to protect many objects - e.g., St. Marks in Venice - were also interesting. When I visited there a few years ago I was very appreciative.
   
   Mr. Edsel is to be commended.



3. Excellent book with many historical pictures and historical comments of the war's effect on the art of many countries.



4. I was really surprised by this book. I thought it was going to contain more text but it's really all about the art and the people who rescued it. The result is a very impressive, easily readable 'coffee table' style book that's beautiful and informative. Teachers should grab this up for the classroom and it also would make a great gift for anyone interested in WWII and it's aftermath. I can't say enough about the photos and the story they tell. Bravo!



5. This book shows and tells another side of war. It is the story told in picture of Hitler and his Nazi thugs pillaging Europe and stealing priceless art objects, painting, statures, books, even ancient scrolls then hiding them in caves and bunkers in Germany. What I loved about this book were the photos of US Army units rescuing those stolen art treasures then returned them to the towns, churches and cities. The author has done an exemplary job of finding photos and stories which has made this an important work. Photos I've never seen and story I have never heard about. I think this book needs to be in every high school library in the country. Students need to be shown how our American Army worked to recover all this lost art. His book made me proud to have serviced in the US army.
   
   Thank you for writing this book

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.

No comments about Bernini and the Birth of Baroque Portrait Sculpture.

5 comments about Jenny Saville.

1. The book opens with two short essays and a reprint from The Independent, January 30 1994, which is a statement by the artist about her work and her approach; in addition there is an interview with Jenny Saville, May 2005, in which she further describes her approach to painting. The book includes a Biography and a Bibliography. Of the text by far the more interesting are the two in the artist's own words, far more down to earth and revealing, the two short essays border on the pretentious.
   
   There is no question that the book is beautifully illustrated with around 85 full-colour images. However it is worth noting how that breaks down. There are 32 paintings illustrated, and while a few approach full-page size many are smaller, unnecessarily so as there is plenty of room on the page; these picture need to be as large as possible considering the actual size of the paintings. About 20 of the illustrations are of a detail of the paintings, these images are full page or even double-page bleed illustrations; they are very informative although one or two seem so enlarged as to become abstract images in their own right. The remaining 33 or so images, mostly double-page bleed illustrations, are photographs of extracts from the artists notes and sketch books, her sources such as books or photographs, and views of her studio; however again one or two go beyond being informative and are simply arty pictures for their own sake.
   
   This is a well produced book, the illustrations show the artist's work well, and convey an idea of the texture of the paint. However overall I feel it is lacking, the attempt at a showy display and the cleaver photography detract from the paintings, and apart from the artist's own words the text is insubstantial. FIVE STARS for the artist, but the book could be a lot better.



2. I pre-ordered this book and when it arrived, I was not disappointed. I pored over it for a few days before bringing it to the studio to show the artists who work in my studio. They were equally excited by this collection, but then what do we know? We just make our total livings at making artwork. It is our day job!
   
   Sorry that I can't look into my crystal ball to see what she'll be like at age 80 but right now, she is breathing real life and power into contemporary realism. This book shows ample reason why Saville is celebrated and her detractors are virtual unknowns.
   
   The best always rise to the top...always.



3. bought it at moma-snatched it up. love this painter-she is extremely talented. good book too. missed the last gagosian show:(



4. This book is top-notch. The reproductions are very well done, and there are tons of close-up shots of individual paintings showing Saville's brush work. I would highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in contemporary art, portraiture, or figure painting. As a painting student, it is great to be able to see the whole painting on one page and then examine a series of close-ups and even shots of the artist's reference materials. Very informative. Oh, and the paintings are stunningly beautiful as well!!!



5. I was extremely happy with this book. It was a reccomendation and I wouldn't have found her without that!
   Wonderful full colour pictures and interesting essays.

No comments about How to Read Chinese Paintings (Metropolitan Museum of Art).

5 comments about 100 Days Of Monsters (with DVD).

1. Once upon a time, a control enthusiast with a pen drew himself a monster--and the rest is history.
   
   You can test-flight this book at Bucher's site, www.dailymonster.com, where all 200 of the monsters he eventually released still live--going to their jobs, having their babies, reading and writing and dancing and taking over the world--doing all the things monsters do. I encourage you to do so, and then buy this book.
   
   Someday someone you are talking to will rail against the web, talk about all the terrible things on it, all the bad people. Then you can point to 100 Days of Monsters, and you can say, "Things like THIS--people from all over the world sharing a creative moment, interacting to make something beautiful and funny and playful--how would you make something like THIS happen, if not for the internet?" And if not for, it goes without saying, Stefan G. Bucher and his band of authors.
   
   I came to the game too late to be part of the book--but oh, it was a lovely thing to have my child come downstairs every morning and say, "Mom! Did you monster yet?"
   
   What a wonderful time. I thank you, Stefan. You did good. You didn't just talk the talk, you walked the walk. You followed your heart, and it shows. :)



2. 100 Days of Monsters is a fun journey through 100 days of artist Stefan G. Bucher's life. Each day starts with a great drawing of a "Monster," and includes stories and comments from many of his avid readers. Each monster is endearing in its own way, and Stefan's unique way of creating these characters, only makes them more endearing.
   I highly recommend this book. Just think of it as a really good picture book for adults!



3. This is a great book. Very well put together. The little unexpected tidbits of an off the wall comment here and some all but hidden messages in the the fine print there make it not your everyday, ordinary book. This one is fun in all respects. The Monsters are all distinct personalities and the stories accent their lives. I love it!!



4. My friend would go to the blog site and she would make up stories about the picture's. Not being as artistic as she is I thought oh well. But once I started to get into Stefan Bucher's method's and thought process I realized how great it was to read the book. Thank You Stefan Bucher. ( please look for
   Sequena/Annie Nordmark in the book my friend writes great stories for the pictures )Thanks



5. This book was just a neat thing to check out everyday. Still. It gives me a smile every time he starts with just one blot of ink and spreads it, from there it becomes a living, personified, under the bed madness!, type creature that lurks off every new page. Its grand, most definitely worth checking out!!!

2 comments about Like Breath on Glass: Whistler, Inness, and the Art of Painting Softly (Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute).

1. If you like Whistler you will like this book. After I got my Turner book I was more interested in it and didn't finish this book.



2. The often ignored "Tonalist" movement finally gets its due in this exquisite catalogue of what must be a remarkable exhibition. The reproductions are beautifully controlled (thank goodness for modern printing technology) and broadly selected. There are a few nice surprises (Crane, Steichen!!, and Carlsen stand out), along with the expected Whistler, Twachtman, and Inness. The inclusion of a section on American lyrical abstraction was also a nice linkage. For any serious collector of art books this tome is an essential.

5 comments about Watercolor The Spirit Of Spontaneity.

1. This book is beautifully done, and very inspirational. It can get your creative juices flowing. It is a must if you love watercolor.



2. One of the best watercolor books I have used. Knowledgeable, well written. Great organization. Love the spiral bound format--you can keep it flat while you are working.



3. She is fun and excellant teacher. She always has something new to try and
   very clear in her direction.



4. This is a wonderful book. I am so happy I bought it - one of the best. Maybe the best! The exercises are so exciting and the results are inspiring. A must for every water colorist's library.



5. I just got this book today and can't put it down! The pictures take your breath away. I can't wait to try some of the ideas I garnered from this book. I do wish there had been more information on the paints used, but this book is worth every penny.... What an inspirational book!

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. This book was certainly helpful. I especially liked the easy to draw faces. This book is great for people with intermediate drawing skills. If you only have very basic drawing skills, you will probably find it challenging, but with a bit of practice you should master drawing fairies.



2. This little book offers a surprising amount of material, not only to a new artist wanting to learn how to get started but also to artists with more experience seeking to refresh their knowledge of the basics and to expand their imaginations. Even non-artists would enjoy the illustrations, especially the collection of fairy paintings by a variety of fantasy artists at the end of the book. Beginners can follow the step-by-step instructions, and everyone can enjoy the Linda Ravenscroft illustrations throughout the book.



3. 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.



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



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