5 comments about Landscape Painting Inside and Out: Capture the Vitality of Outdoor Painting in Your Studio With Oils.

1. Kevin MacPherson has written a wonderful book. As an artist I am constantly trying to perfect my paintings, and this book is a great tool. If you are wondering "Should I purchase another art book?", the answer is YES to this one.



2. This book is very interesting; I have many art books, and this one gets you to thinking. It offers many ideas about how to go about creating better artwork (including using the computer, creating great value studies, use of color, etc.). A beginner or advanced artist would benefit from this book. This artist's work is beautiful. The book is well written, contains great content, and deserves "five stars." RMD



3. This guy knows his stuff and conveys his ideas superbly with great examples to support his recommendations. I respectfully disagree with his comment in the book "that while copying a picture may require great skill, it is not art. With the fabulous digital technology available today, we students of art can freeze that moment in time that we all wish to capture. Painting with passion comes from within and can be stimulated in various ways. An excellent book for any artist's library.



4. I love Kevin MacPherson's books and this one is no exception. They are clearly and concisely written and illustrated. I consider his books "Must Reads" for new artists.



5. This book will answer all your questions about painting outside and in. A real must have.

5 comments about Force: Dynamic Life Drawing for Animators, Second Edition.

1. Although I have not read through the whole book, it has some great info and has renewed my interest in drawing the human form.



2. I just finished reading this book the first time through, and it's great. All of the other reviews are spot on. It does help to have some knowledge of anatomy, but if you don't, you can still learn from this book, and it will make learning anatomy more fun. It has lots of great full page drawings too. I've noticed improvements in my skills, and look forward to going through it again in the future.



3. I've added this book to my required book list for Figure Drawing for Animation. Great book, and very helpful to my students. I see a marked improvement in ability within reading just the first chapter.



4. I bought this book for Xmas for my son's girlfriend. Both my son and his girlfriend are Animation students at San Jose State University. They have to draw constantly. I mean CONSTANTLY. She said that this is a terrific book. This is coming from an Animation student and you cannot get better feedback than that. Highly recommend this book.



5. This book has helped my figure drawing a lot in terms of capturing energy and the essence of the model's actions. The best book on figure draw I've read so far; also very helpful for animators.

5 comments about The Natural Way to Draw: A Working Plan for Art Study.

1. I'm sure this book is all that many reviewers have shared but for me,being a complete beginner, its way over my head and abilities. I need to work at an entry level and continue before I can appreciate and grasp all this author offers. I have found, The New Drawing on The Right Side of The Brain to give me this. also picked up Keys to Drawing & Secrets to Drawing REalistic Faces. Each of these selections are better suited to the level I'm at and didn't overwhelm me to take this artform on.



2. This book is essential for everyone who wants to learn how to draw and the theory behind it. A classic.



3. Although I have been life drawing for more than 30 years, I feel that the Gesture exercises of Nicolaides book have brought more expontainety and vitality to my work.



4. THIS BOOK SO CONFUSED ME, I MEAN IT IS A REALLY GOOD BOOK... IT JUST CONFUSED MY WAY OF DRAWING.



5. This book is really cool. The author has an interesting approach to learning to draw. Be prepared to spend a lot of time doing excercises that seem pointless. but in fact actually help you to become familiar with the human form.

5 comments about Facial Expressions: A Visual Reference for Artists.

1. If you are a sculptor looking for some good references to work with, try the better [albeit more expensive] Virtual Poser series. This book is not for 3D work!!
   
   This book doesn't have a lot of competition. There aren't many authors or artists which compile images like this just to use as references. I was looking for something just like this and I was happy to find it however there are some improvements which could be made to make this book even better. I would have liked color photographs instead of the B/W, maybe releasing 2 editions of this series would be a good idea [but I am probably dreaming]. I would definitely pay the extra $ for a color edition if it were a hardcover. It would have also been nice to feature better Illustrations with higher caliber real-life examples in the samples after each model's set of images. Overall, this book is what it says and works for what it says it works for. Simple expressions on varying faces with different ethnicities and ages. The further you get in the book, the better the models used get. I'd recommend this for any 2D artist who needs to get a hold of small library of facial expressions for animation, illustration or just general drawing work. This is not a good choice for 3D artists as most images only provide a frontal view of the subject.



2. This book contains black and white headshots of people showing different emotions. It starts with younger adults and moves through the ages. Each person is shown from different points of view of the same emotion. The personality types are varied too. Not just glamour girls and boys, average Americans of different ethnicities. As an illustrator this is a big help.



3. It's a great idea, but as a comic artist I could have used a lot more younger models. The models transition to old age groups too rapidly. I would love to see a 'volume II' that included more children and teens, and perhaps some additional models in the age groups that were included, but in different racial choices.
   
   Even so, it is well done, very useful, and six months after I bought it, already getting a little dirty from all the use it has gotten (too much eraser dust in the air!) Thumbs up.



4. I purchased this book to use as a reference for sculpting faces on dolls. The book shows different angles of the expressions and that was what I needed. Unfortunately what I did not need was an entire book filled with goofy expressions that you'd never even see on a human face!! There was no romantic expressions or serene, contented, laughing mildly at something mildly funny expressions. Just over the top, completely over exaggerated mutated faces! If you need some serious or normal faces, Don't buy this book.



5. This book was just what it stated, however, I was looking for a book of instruction for the photos included. The book was returned.

5 comments about Keeping a Nature Journal: Discover a Whole New Way of Seeing the World Around You.

1. I bought this book along with Handbook of Nature Study to help me start guiding nature studies with my son. I was not disappointed with either book, but I am especially happy with this one. It goes over all the basics of keeping a nature journal clearly and distinctly. There are a lot of examples of the author's own journal pages to help you get an idea of what is possible. There are sections for nature journaling in each season, as well as a chapter dedicated to drawing tips. This section is in addition to all of the drawing examples throughout the book. The section on teaching others about nature study could be a bit thicker, but it does give you the basic theories and suggestions you need to start. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to start nature journaling, it has certainly gotten me to start.



2. I had to buy this book, Keeping a Nature Journal, for an Ornithology course. Clare Leslie does an amazing job of sketching and just the book is awesome! She writes clearly and concisely and it is sooo easy to understand. It also is written so just your average Joe can feel like he can sketch beautiful pictures and such. Well, when I'm reading and skimming the pictures, I feel like I can be an artist too. Wonderful book.



3. I should have ordered this book sooner. It gives great ideas on how to keep a nature journal with scetches and notes. I have been keeping a journal for years and this book sent me in a different direction that I am really enjoying.



4. This book has been very helpful in teaching me how to journal. My preconceived notions on journaling have been changed. The tips and techiniques given in this book have improved my journaling and helped me to teach my children that is is not an art project, but an activity to record what you have seen, heard and experienced. Not written from a Christian world view.



5. This book is so not what I thought it was going to be. I thought it was a journal to write in with some tips and things to get you started. But it is an entire, huge book telling you how to keep a scientific nature journal. I'd send it back except I don't want to have to pay shipping costs. HOWEVER, if you are looking for a very detailed book on how to keep a scientific nature journal, then this would be great for you. It is a lovely book to look at, and I might find some nice suggestions, but it wasn't at all what I had in mind.

5 comments about From So Simple a Beginning: Darwin's Four Great Books (Voyage of the Beagle, The Origin of Species, The Descent of Man, The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals).

1. This is a collection of Darwin's four best known books, and it's a great read for any natural science enthusiast. My only complaint is that the volume is so large in size that it makes it rather inconvenient to carry with you. The price is very reasonable, if you were interested in only two of Darwin's works you may as well buy this and get his four major publications.



2. This book is excellent! It has all of the four greatest works by Darwin, all facsimile editions (exact original) and written by Wilson, a great evolutionary biologist. If you are looking to read some of Darwin's books, here is the place to do it. It also features introductions by the editor to put the book in its scientific, cultural and historical context.



3. this is a great book, it is really neat that all 4 volumes are in one book. it was a great price for these volumes



4. Having also considered the alternative collection "The Evolution Of An
   Idea by James Watson " I arrived at this work, from the couple dozen
   small newspaper-style, mini-illustrations on same pages, and the feedback
   received from this work.
   
   Actually, it's an open debate whether this is the best option. First,
   all 4 books are glued together in one giant "tome" ...and this doesn't
   facilitate reading, from the size or the volume. Also, the pages are
   extremely thin, although not transparent, and probably smudge easily
   and are fragile. That's another liability, if one makes notes in the
   pages, probably the ink will leak to the other size, etc.
   
   Perhaps the best option, is buying all 4 books separately, and reading
   them one at a time.



5. A long time ago, I criticized the theory of Darwin, before I escaped
   fundamental Christianity -- and before I had ever read his works. After
   reading this rather lengthy book, a collection of his four major works,
   it becomes painfully obvious how little there is to criticize. A
   summary of the major works follows:
   
   THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE:
   The first book in the volume is the account of Darwin's travels aboard
   The Beagle, a voyage that lasted about five years, visiting mostly the
   southern hemisphere. The greatest part of this account is on various
   places in South America, but covers the Galapagos, Australia, and
   several other places. Some of the most interesting parts of this book
   are about the Fuegians or other primitives and their practices. I
   further enjoyed reading about other things, such as the distaste he
   expressed in regard to slavery, and remarks consistent with him being
   somewhat a Christian during the journey, though his findings on the
   journey influenced his theories and theology to conform to natural
   evidence he found.
   
   ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES BY MEANS OF NATURAL SELECTION, OR THE
   PRESERVATION OF FAVOURED RACES IN THE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE:
   Published in 1859 initially (and this is the form published in this
   volume, rather than any of the updates provided later), this was the
   defining publication for Darwin's life's work. It is no wonder. After
   reading it, I had to admit that anyone against evolution likely has
   never read the book, however they may be educated. His arguments are
   very cautious, cogent, detailed, and persuasive. All of the arguments I
   ever heard against evolution, he introduces in this work as possible
   detriments to his theory, then soundly quashes every one of those
   arguments with pages of reasons and examples for why those arguments are
   untenable, and in a completely humble and careful manner. An example is
   the "irreducible complexity" of the eye. He gives examples of various
   stages of organs of sight that exist in the living world, from very
   complex, as with ours, down to stalks with the most primitive sensing
   organs that can only tell the difference between light and dark, and
   shows the relation from one stage to another. He also wonders what we
   are to do with animals with vestigial eyes, such as moles, with eyes
   covered in skin and hair in many instances. It is easily surmised after
   reading this work how little it is read by Christian and ID apologists.
   It is equally surmised how sound evolution is, and though Darwin did not
   originate the idea - as many scientists before and during his time knew
   there had to be something like it - he is the one that carefully
   examined and put forth a workable mechanism - Natural Selection.
   
   THE DESCENT OF MAN, AND SELECTION IN RELATION TO SEX:
   The longest and most tedious of the books, it is the next step after
   ORIGIN in that it completes the thought of where humans came from, which
   was not addressed at all in ORIGIN. Not quite as interesting as his
   masterwork, he addresses somewhat the relation of humans to evolution,
   then goes into a very long section about sexual selection, in which he
   describes in painful detail characteristics that are specifically sexual
   in natural selection (such as beauty or singing of most male birds as
   opposed to female birds), starting with lower forms all the way up to
   humans. Then he concludes with final remarks on humanity's relation to
   Natural Selection and Sexual Selection.
   
   THE EXPRESSION OF THE EMOTIONS IN MAN AND ANIMALS:
   This is the shortest of the works in the volume, and the title speaks
   for itself. However, what does not come across in the title is how
   deftly Darwin shows emotional expressions to be inherited - not learned.
   Something as simple as shrugging one's shoulders is shown by examples
   to be linked with descent.
   ______________________________________________________________________
   The introductions and summary by E. O. Wilson are most helpful in
   putting these works into their proper perspective, including remarks on
   Darwin's views on religion. There may be less expensive ways to read
   Charles Darwin, but this Norton volume will be a handsome addition to
   your library, and is built to last.

5 comments about Classical Drawing Atelier: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Studio Practice.

1. I had to buy this for my Life drawing class, but I'm not going to sell it back to my school. This book is great. Though it is a bit repetitive, it helps break down drawing skills. After reading this book, I drew a portrait that sold for over $100. It also has some beautiful pictures in it, so now my mother has stolen it, to have on her coffee table....



2. After working with Juliette in her Atelier and practicing these exercises I've discovered things I never expected to learn. Her methods are priceless tools. Whatever you might glean from this wonderful book will most certainly serve you. She is an excellent painter, writer and teacher.



3. This comprehensive manual displays a appreciation of the human form and explainns the most important aspects of figure drawings executed in a classic timeless style.



4. First off I'd like to say that this book will prove to be very helpful for any artist, ranging from a beginner to a professional and will show you new ways to approach drawing. However if you have studied classical drawing this will prove to be a bit of a let down. I have studied under one of Juliette's instructors and most of her lessons in the back of the book were actually derived from his his. There is one thing however I don't agree with in this book but that wouldn't discourage me from recommending it to others. The problem is that I don't like the way she shows how to draw the casts, its more of an outline that you then go through and work with value rather than working with a line drawing then introducing value. I'm not very found of this technique, but the drawings are very good and there are tons of useful information and great introductory lessons in the back of the book (though there could be more). I would also recommend studying George Bridgman, Gottfried Bammes, Joseph Sheppard, and Robert B. Hale for anatomy and designing the human figure.



5. At 144 pages, over one-third of which are drawing examples and with wide margins around the text, this is a slim book that covers the past 600 years of atelier philosophy. Or to say it another way, Aristides narrows it down to a nutshell.
   
   Covering briefly a variety of ideas (i.e., art history, art theory, art reference, as well as how-to), each chapter could be expanded to become a book of its own.
   
   The real questions are:
   Do you want to buy this book?
   Will you refer to it 100 times over the year?
   Will you be inspired?
   Will you take "anything" away with you after you have read the book?
   
   The answer will depend on your current perceptions and where you are and where you are going as an artist. If you are interested in an overview of atelier philosophy, this would be a good book to begin with.

5 comments about Tony Duquette.

1. This is a wonderful book and with Amazon's amazingly inexpensive price, you really can't pass this one up. Tony Duquette was a master of style with an incredible eye, and a creative genius. HIGHLY recommended.



2. Tony DuquetteI am an interior designer of some 20 years and while I found this book interesting it had very little to do with interiors and more to do with a very specific, unique and strange lifestyle. I'm sure the man was brilliant just know this book is not about liveable interiors.



3. Having lived in Los Angeles since 1981 and working as an art editor for a regional magazine, the name Tony Duquette came up time and again in my social circles. Without question, he was an amazing talent the likes of which we may never see again in our lifetime. His imagination and passion for his unworldly, surrealist visions are captured in this brilliantly orchestrated book. Bravo and brava to the authors! A must-have for everyone's art library!



4. I met Tony and his wife in Ireland - we were staying at Heney McIlhennys castle - he was terrible charming - I did not know of his career and am so sorry I didn't question him til he was exhausted.
   
   karen marcus



5. This is a visually beautiful book that surveys the creative life of Tony Duquette, an artist best-know for his stage sets (Kismet, etc.)and high fashion jewelry. Less well known are his amazing home interior and garden designs, as well as his free-wheeling sculptures, many of them made from recycled and re-imagined objects. The photography is of the highest quality - most of it, I suspect, archival from fashion magazines over the decades.

5 comments about Photography (9th Edition).

1. This book is pretty comprehensive. I am using it for a basic photography class. It covers a lot of subjects, but none in great detail. The newer versions actually covers a bit of digital photography as well.



2. This was a required text for my Photography 101 class and well worth the price ($20 less here than at the college book store). This book covers all the basics of photography tog et you started and the information is clearly illustrated by accompanying photos. This will be one I'll definitely be keeping as a reference.



3. textbook needed for photography class. Its new and arrived on time. One can also be satisfied with the older edition of the book- especially for a beginner.



4. This is the book! If you are studying for the CPP test this is the one. It is comprehensive to a fault. The explanations of photo concepts are complete and easy to understand. The only problem is that the book is so big that it is falling apart. Wish me luck on the test!



5. Book is very informational. It is printed on heavy gloss paper stock, every page is full of pictures and illistations. Printed in USA.

5 comments about Kirby: King of Comics.

1. Mark Evanier does a fantastic job paying tribute to the king of comic books.This would make an excellent coffee table book for any Kirby afficianado!The illustrations and uses of Kirby's sketches are also effective.
   But the book does have a sad note.Evanier writes of the injustices suffered by Kirby and his widow.This man essentially,except for Spiderman,was responsible for creating Marvel's Silver Age.Yet Marvel begrudgingly paid Kirby's widow a MEAGER pension after his death in 1994.
   The book is not only decorative but informative and with Kirby's work being so vast I look forward to a "sequel" by Mr.Evanier.Kudos!Marvel Masterworks Golden Age Captain America Comics 1



2. Read this in an evening. Well-researched (the author was an assistant of Kirby's in the late '60s and early '70s), well-organized and well-illustrated. This isn't a comprehensive biography of Jack Kirby, but it's an exceptionally well-done overview of his career. Only complaint: I would have enjoyed seeing more examples of Kirby's non-comics projects, such as his production designs for the never-produced adaptation of "Lord of Light".



3. I highly recommend this book for anyone who appreciates Kirby art or has a passing interest in the history of comic books. The book's large format provides for great representations of Kirby's artwork and Evanier does a wonderful job of telling the King's story.



4. More has been said and written about Jack Kirby, the true King Of Comics, than any comic book artist I can think of. Perhaps only Will Eisner has more "ink".
   I have every Jack Kirby Collector. I have everything about Kirby I could get my hands on.
   This is a good book. But I think "Tales To Astonish", is a better book.
   In fact "Tales To Astonish" is a great book.
   Here is what I learned from Jack Kirby's life and this book and the book "Tales To Astonish". Kirby was a genius at art/comic book storytelling. He was awesome. He was not a victim.
   After I read "Tales To Astonish" and I read that Martin Goodman, an accountant working for DC (At that time is was not called DC)and noticed HOW well Superman sold, then started his own company (that became Marvel). He started his own company selling comics. He could not even draw.
   At any point in his life, Jack Kirby could have CHOSEN TO BE MORE than just a paid "worker". Kirby and his fans should not BLAME MArvel, Martin Goodwin, Stan Lee, or anyone, for hiring Jack, and for taking the risk (of being in the publishing business) and printing the comics Jack drew. They could have failed and Martin Goodman could have LOST ALL HIS money.
   
   They think Jack was taken advantage of. He was not. All of Marvels checks "cashed".
   They offered to pay him to make comics, he accepted. That was a fair deal for both of them.
   Jack could have started HIS OWN comics, written his own books, drawn one extra page a week and that would be 50 pages a year-- ALL HIS OWN.
   Jack at any time, could have OPENED HIS OWN COMPANY and been his own boss. AT ANY TIME. He never CHOSE it.
   He never wrote books in his "free" time and published them. He should have. But for whatever reason, Jack was not 1/100 the business man, let's say Will Eisner was, and that is okay. Jack was an artist. Not a business man. And I say that with no ill intent.
   Martin Goodman was a business man and not an artist. Was it his fault he hired Jack Kirby? Steve Ditco? His nephew (Stan Lee). Who should Martin have hired. Thanks to Martin Goodman, we have the Marvel universe. He paid Jack Kirby to create it. Do you see how that works? Without the business man the artist is washing dishes (or waiting tables).
   Now, as it turns out in life, some people are great artists and some are great business people. Jack WAS NOT A BUSINESS MAN. But many of Jack's fans are angry (and so was I for years) in the way Marvel "treated" Jack. But now that I am older I think it was UP TO JACK to make his own destiny.
   He had the talent. He lacked the business mind.
   Most artist "lack" a business mind. It's the way God wired us all.
   After I read "Tales to Astonish" I copied Martin Goodman's formula. I wrote several books on very popular subjects (late at night after my 12 hour work days). In less than 2 years those 2 books brought in about 300 thousands dollars..and changed my life.
   I followed the Martic Goodman formula and it works!
   This PROVES TO ME, that if Kirby (Who has more talent in on finger than I have in my entire body) had gone out and done what I had done, printed his OWN work and sold it, he would have made money. He never tried.
   I have been a WAITER, (at restaurants) for most of my life. (17 years).
   After I read "Tales to Astonish" I felt that Jack missed his oppurtunities. He had the chance, like Will Eisner did, do have his "OWN" thing. Even if her had to do it part time at night (till it got off the ground).
   The business men at MArvel, did not cheat Jack. They HIRED HIM and paid him. It was up to Jack to take his talent and DO MORE WITH IT, than just work FOR OTHERS.
   JAck was not a victim. He was not cheated.
   He was a brilliant, hard working, artistic genius. Thank GOD SOME business man HIRED him and GOT HIS WORK out there. If not for MARVEL, there would be NO Jack Kirby as WE know him.
   I wonder how many Jack Kirby's are waiting tables or selling car insurance because no one like MARTIN GOODMAN, hire them to draw.
   
   God bless Jack. He was the man. But he was no victim. HE chose to do what he did. He was not "forced" or cheated, in anyway.
   I never heard Jack say "The marvel paychecks did not cash!"
   If you work for someone thay are not "cheating" you by hiring you. They are risking their money on your ideas or work. You an artist always have the option of risking YOUR OWN MONEY--on your projects.
   Jack worked for other people--because he chose to.



5. Let me preface this review by saying the hard core Jack Kirby fan may not be that impressed with this book; if you have more than a handful of the Jack Kirby Collector issues, you may be familiar with most of the text and images that this book presents.
   
   For the neophyte or moderate Kirby fan, this is really an outstanding book. The 2 page spread of pencils for "Street Code" that begins on page 28 is jaw dropping and worth the price of admission. There are a lot of scans of Kirby's original penciled pages; you can see where he erased and touched up lines and it provided me with more than a few "wow" moments as someone who draws and likes to study others' work.
   
   The text of Kirby's history can be a bit depressing and it is presented in detail here:
   
   - (un)steady work in the 40s and 50s that doesn't bring steady finances.
   
   - Break through characters, art and comics with Marvel in the 60s that do not bring recognition to Kirby among the public at that time.
   
   - Editors liking Kirby's page layouts, but bringing in other artists to change faces of prominent characters with before and after illustrative examples.
   
   Finally in 1978, Kirby got some animation jobs with "young artists who'd grown up on his work and old-timers who valued the hell out of him." Combined with the popularity of comic book conventions and demand for artists' work (though Kirby had to hire lawyers to get pages back from Marvel) finally brought him some well deserved recognition and finances.
   
   Have you read this far? I'll close by saying that this is an amazing book if you aren't already well immersed with Jack Kirby's history.