5 comments about Colored Pencil Solution Book.

1. I have had this book for over a month now and am familiar enough to place a review of the merits and flaws. Having done well over half of the given projects, including: color wheel, color chart, layering techniques, transferring and drawing, I am more than impressed with the results. I enjoy looking at the photos to see what is ultimately possible to do with colored pencils. This book has been a great help in familiarizing me with this medium that is totally new to me. I am still working through the projects and some of them I have done more than once to see if I could improve. My only gripe is that the names of the colors are sometimes different or obsolete with Prisma's newer color charts, so I have had to work pretty hard to find solutions. I hope the authors fix that if they do another edition. It is a good idea to get the spray fixative as the book suggests. The fixative can change the colors especially if you spray on too much. Working with fixative on your practice drawings will get you familiar with which colors are more susceptible to changing when sprayed. My plums looked great until I spayed them with the workable fixative and they turned neon purple. It is definitely a great workbook as well as a text. Don't expect too much too soon. I advise lots of reading, working, and more reading and working. I highly recommend it.



2. I found the sections covering different types of paper very useful. Thankfully I didn't already order rough paper since they chew up pencils like crazy. It explains other supplies that you might need which I found helpful.
   I found the section about glass especially helpful among many other topics this book covers. I found this at my local library so check your before going out to buy books. Highly recommended color pencil book by many professionals.



3. This is an excellent book for artists starting to use colored pencil as a medium. From shading to burnishing and using different techiques, this book tells you all how to do it. This is a definte plus to any artists collection.



4. While this is a great book it has some serious shortcomings. This is definitely a beginners book. Although I am not a beginning artist, I am new to colored pencils. I have always taught my students to begin with the basics and that is why I bought this book. Almost half the book is devoted to the basics of color and design which is what I expected. That part is beautifully written. I will not repeat the caveats that have already been written, but will cover the portion I did not like. Each lesson uses a different kind of paper and some lessons incorporate another brand of pencil. Even not as a beginning artist, I do not have all these materials on hand nor do I want to invest in them not knowing whether I will embrace the medium or not. The reason I even gave it four stars is that the techniques are so well done.



5. This book has absolutely gorgeous drawings, something lacking in most of the other colored pencil books. It contains all the basics one would need to learn before picking up a colored pencil; everything from A to Z. The book is easy to read and fun. There are no lenghy discussions on the theories of the colored pencil medium: it gets right to the point. The second half of the book has detailed instructions on how to achieve certain textures, which I haven't seen in other books, such as glass, copper, silver, lace... all with absolutely jaw dropping examples. I bought it along with "Drawing for Right Side of the Brain", which makes a fantastic course on the mechanics of drawing itself. The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain

1 comments about Design Matters: Brochures 01: An Essential Primer for Today's Competitive Market (Design Matters).

1. This is a great reference and learning tool. Clearly laid out and concisely written, Brochures 01 is very handy!

5 comments about Dreamscapes: Creating Magical Angel, Faery & Mermaid Worlds In Watercolor.

1. I received my copy of Dreamscapes and I am thrilled with it. What I like about her book apart from the beautiful artwork, is that she is very detailed about how to start the process of a watercolour painting. Little things are not overlooked and she assumes you haven't painted before. There is even guidance on how to draw. If you have a little drawing experience, it will be easier to follow however the way she lays it out makes you feel like you can tackle her projects. And there are a lot of them! The author also covers materials in depth. If you love fantasy you are going to be really inspired by this beautiful book as I was.



2. I preordered this off her website so I got a print of her beautiful cover as well as the book.
   
   I've always been a fan of her work, and just started doing watercolor so this book is perfect for me. It's given me a lot ideas of things I want to try out in the medium.



3. Wow, this is my favourite mermaid illustrating book.
   Love, that the illustrations are explained with full example and easy to repeat tips.
   This book is all you need to create stunningly beautiful female fantasy art.



4. Having been privileged to introduce and feature the Art of Stephanie Pui-Mun Law in my own books nothing gives me more pleasure than to see this wonderful volume 'Dreamscapes' that has just been published. From my own experience I can appreciate the huge amount of work and detail that will have gone into producing the most stunning 175 page book of 'Creative How to Draw' magical Angels Faeries and Mermaids.
   Stephanie Pui-Mun Law is one of the foremost Fantasy Artists of the New Millennium her work and detail enchants. Time again one has to return to her images to see and understand her creative inspiration and thought process, yet here in this book she tell us her secrets and shows us how to hone the skills needed to be a success. This book is a must have for any aspiring artist of any age, it educates and enthralls with creative energy and artistic inspiration, welcoming readers to enter and join the enchanted faeries world. It instructs clearly and precisely allowing the reader of any age to easily follow and study techniques. For libraries, education, hobby shops and stores, art colleges, children, students this book will be an all time reference and best seller.
   This book teaches conservation and understanding of the beauty of Mother Earth and the importance of protecting the environment, there is no better way to educate than encouraging through instructive art books like this.



5. I have been a fan of Stephanie's work as a fellow artist. I like her watercolor technique and use of color in her artwork. I purchased the book, not to learn how to create art, but to better understand Stephanie's process as an artist.
   
   Upon reviewing the book, I was very impressed with the presentation of the material and Stephanie's instructional style. It was very clear, and extremely thorough. And all of it is presented in a high quality package. The pages are heavy weight and packed with illustrations and side bars of info. What Stephanie has done here is to give a wonderful gift to anyone who is interested in learning about watercolor illustration. The kind of information here is akin to the type of knowledge a student once might have learned as an apprentice to a master artist. Now that tradition has regretfully passed us by, Stephanie has offered a very viable substitute.
   
   I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in fantasy illustration, or to someone who just would like to experiment with watercolor techniques. The only thing disapointing about the book is that it ends.

5 comments about Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the Eighteenth Century (Metropolitan Museum of Art).

1. This book contains some very nice images of historic costumes and furnishings from the 18th Century, including detail views. It should be of value to costume designers, set designers, historians and re-enactors. The quality of the book makes it a great bargain.



2. An incredible array of beautiful photography with amazing detail. Along with the exquisite clothing, we're shown some wonderful pieces of furniture and how they both worked for or against you in society. Recommended for all interested in the 18th century,fashion history, and wonderful photography.



3. This book is a great resource for the Rococo period. Seeing the actual garments on mannequins in situ is lovely. I also like the supporting portraits, prints and quotes.



4. This is a fabulous insight into 18th Century French society. As a costume designer, I found the inclusion of paintings from that period, intermixed with the museum settings to be of particular interest. The close-up photographs of details were also wonderful. The text was fascinating and very enjoyable reading. It's very often tempting to take things out of context according to one's own interests. This publication opens up an intricately woven world where fashion and furniture play an equally important role in the mores of a society.



5. When I'm looking for visual resourced books to help inspire my costuming I would have to say this one is one of my favorites on the shelf for 18th Century clothing.
   I like to have books that have heaps of historical content to help construct my costumes but I also value the 'picture books' to help the creative/visual aspect of desgining costumes! This is one of those :)

2 comments about What's the Big Idea?: Activities and Adventures in Abstract Art (Art Explorers).

1. What's the Big Idea? Follows in the style of Joyce Raimondo's other books in this series. I teach art education on a college level and use her books as a way to help my students understand that when you are creating art with children it is not just the activity or experience of making art that is fundamental. It is the balance that comes from discussions of looking at art that provides open ended thinking and questioning that prepares students to be creative. It is a process that encourages risk taking and validates expression in art.



2. From a mixed-up green face to a mobile that changes, abstract art is explored for kids using a little under fifty pages of full color art blended with questions and ideas for children ages 5-12. From easy art projects supporting art examples to color pictures of works by famous artists, WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA? ACTIVITIES AND ADVENTURES IN ABSTRACT ART is a winning art survey.

5 comments about First Steps Painting Watercolors (First Step Series).

1. I have never really painted with watercolours until I read this book and it made the transition into this medium with ease. I heard constantly that is medium is difficult to control etc. The techniques described in this book broke that myth for me and I have been using it to compliment my photographs.



2. Cathy Johnson is a down to earth and talented instructor. I thoroughly enjoyed working through "Painting Watercolors" and it came highly recommended to me. I used this book as my basic guideline for studying watercolor and I greatly improved by doing all of the exercises she recommends. She is a very natural teacher and I found it very easy to follow her demonstrations. I am encouraged and feel as if I am really on my way to becoming the kind of artist I always wanted to be.



3. Great book, perfect for ideas. Detailed easy to follow. Poor delivery service from the seller.



4. If you are looking for a good start-up book you can plan on this being the one. Her easy going style belies the amount of information and great try out activities that establish basic necessary techniques. True--no book can do everything and eventually one would want a supplement but think purchasers would be generally pleased with this user-friendly book. It is not a cookbook (thank goodness) but rather in a format that will establish a base and encourage and confirm to a budding artist that he/she really can paint.



5. I like all of Cathy Johnson's books, but this one is my favorite. It is very practical, understandable, and well illustrated. Although anyone would enjoy it, this book is especially beneficial to someone just beginning to paint with watercolors. It deals with the basics. I love it.

5 comments about Safe Area Gorazde: The War in Eastern Bosnia 1992-1995.

1. I teach Central European political geography at the University of Minnesota. I just read this book, and I have to say that it better evokes the true state of chaos and genocide that was occurring in Bosnia than almost any other book on the subject. It is basically a reporter's diary... filled with eyewitness accounts of unbelievable atrocities and hatred. The key thing that this adds, and that other accounts lack, are the images. The fact that it is a cartoon does not dumb down the atrocities but adds an element of suspense and terror that written narratives like Peter Maass's "Love Thy Neighbor" largely lack, i.e., you can see the family dodging bullets and jumping in the river. Also, unlike a lot of war journalism, Joe Sacco doesn't dwell on himself and other reporters much at all -- it is focused on the people that survived genocide. With Karadzic's arrest this past week, there is no better time to read this book and remember exactly why he will be found guilty of the most heinous crimes in Europe since Stalin was in power.



2. First, the bad news: "Safe Area Goradze" is bleak, depressing and unrelentingly sad. It is the true tale of the horrible suffering of the Muslim population of the ever-so-ironically designated "Safe Area" of Goradze, a city in the former country of Yugoslavia during that nation's recent civil war and breakup. The combination of the author's drawings and prose work together to tell the gruesome story of a real life hell on Earth in brutal, unflinching, unblinking detail. It's the graphic novel equivalent of "Schindler's List". If you buy this book, steel yourself. It's not an easy read.
   
   Nevertheless, I think Joe Sacco is a genius who is to be commended for telling a story that cries out to be told. I'm sure his editors warned him that this story was not one that would be a big seller. The arcane politics of the former Yugoslavia, which Sacco does a masterful job of explaining, don't interest many people. And the subject matter is depressing and gruesome in the extreme. Nevertheless, he wrote and illustrated the graphic novel, and Fantagraphics Books is to be applauded for publishing it. Hopefully, this work will serve as the historical record of the awful torments inflicted upon human beings in a particular time and place, leaving wounds physical and psychic that will take generations to heal.



3. Having been to Bosnia after the war, its really nice to see this perspective and form of journalism. Joe Sacco's work in this book is brilliant, and this is by far his best work. The feel of life in the country, and the anxiety of life in this period is really well represented. I love the personal face that comes alive here with Joe's various stories from the friends that he has made along his journey.



4. Joe Sacco, Safe Area Gorazde: The War in Eastern Bosnia 1992-1995 (Fantagraphics, 2002)
   
   Joe Sacco's spent some time in Gorazde after things calmed down a bit over there-- got to know the people, talked to them a lot, blended in with the scenery. He drew them, related their words, drew the things they saw and experienced day to day. Safe Area Gorazde is the result.
   
   If you're used to either the current spate of war memoirs or the current spate of graphic novels, Safe Area Gorazde will likely seem familiar, yet still somewhat out of place. It is a book that resides comfortably in neither category, but I can't quite call it a successful cross of the two; it's too narrative for graphic noveldom, while being too impressionist to really classify as a war memoir. This is not to say that the book is bad by any means; there is a great deal to be absorbed here, and given the short shrift received by the plight of Gorazde as it was happening in the American press, far more Americans should be absorbing it than already have. Sacco has a gentle, self-deprecating humor, and the kind of ear that turns even the most unpleasant interviewee into a sympathetic character. As well, while most of Sacco's drawings are straightforward-- there are an almost unsettling number of scenes in this book featuring a single character against a monochrome background, as if being interviewed on a talk show (or up against a wall being faced by a firing squad)-- every once in a while one pops out that makes you realize that, yes, there's a war going on in Gorazde as Sacco is conducting these interviews. The scarcity of the out-and-out brutal pictures makes them all the more effective in Sacco's pastiche of desperation, loss, and ever-present gallows humor.
   
   Good stuff, this. ***



5. I just finished reading this brilliant work. I was in Eastern Europe in 1991-1993 and saw the refugees coming out of Bosnia. I followed the story as close as I could, even visting a refugee camp. But Sacco's illustrations put me on the ground in the supposed safe zones. The brutality of the supposedly Christian Serbs to Muslim Bosnians is so overwheliming it makes any beheadings in Iraq look like a birthday party in comparison.
   
   The book also does a nice job giving the history of the war, including the role Clinton played, for those who don't remember the 1990s. Please rread this book. You can do it in a day.

5 comments about Signs and Symbols in Christian Art: With Illustrations from Paintings from the Renaissance (Galaxy Books).

1. When I bought this book, I needed a quick and dirty reference to religious symbolism in western art--I was pleased and surprised to find out that it's small, lightweight, and therefore portable when I visit museums. (Why don't more publishers consider weight and size when they print books for travelers? Lonely Planet and DK, I'm looking at you.)
   
   Its easy size belies the incredible amount of useful information it contains; there are fourteen sections covering everything from the significance of certain animals to religious garments to a brief hagiography for commonly portrayed saints. About one-third of the book is a set of reproductions (sadly b&w in this edition) of famous renaissance religious paintings. There's no discussion or explanation accompanying the paintings--which is the only thing I don't like about the book.
   
   And if you read one of the earlier reviews and are wondering about the chocolate mouse in Rosemary's Baby, it's a reference to mice as a symbol of evil because of their destructiveness.



2. I use this book frequently, especially when studying art books of Christian art as well as during a recent Bible study of the Book of Exodus. This was an invaluable guide to the symbolism used in art and the various meanings. For example, when studying the symbolic meaning of the priests robes of the Old Testament, the meaning of the pomegranate for the OT and NT is significant. In the OT, the pomegranate stood for the 613 Mosaic laws (the pomegranate was thought to contain 613 seeds). In the NT, the pomegranate is the symbol for the resurrection of Christ. The Hebrews believed following the law led them to God. For the Christian, belief in Jesus' death and resurrection leads to God! Enjoy this read.



3. Although not encyclopaedic, this book, first published in 1954, is indispensable to the art history, religious art, iconographic, and religious lives student. The essays are of significant depth without excessive volume, and the illustrations, although of a limited period (Medieval through Renaissance), are pungent enough from which to learn. Two limitation I will remark:
   There are no representations from Eastern- or Byzantine- iconography.
   The illustrations are all black and white.



4. I study Art history, and christian art. This book primarily focuses in on Renaissance paintings and thier symbols. I found it to be useful and detail orientated. A very good reference book.



5. If you are an art history student, this book is an absolute must. While there are many books that contradict one another when it comes to symbolism, this book is one that commonly agrees with others I have read or consulted.
   For as inexpensive as this book is, you cannot afford NOT to get this book!

5 comments about Pictures of Nothing: Abstract Art since Pollock (A.W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts).

1. In addition to essential chronology of modern art in all is forms, the author invites you to perceive contemporary art as an expression of the mind, rather than an emotional message.
   Very intellectual approach to understanding an abstract medium.
   A very clever and inviting work. Highly recommended.



2. Pictures of Nothing is an important addition to my library. Currently completing my MFA, the lectures in this book have been both challenging and enlightening, broadening my understanding of contemporary abstract art. It is both a "cover to cover" read and a reference dipper. Written in an informed, passionate and sometimes humurous style Varnedoe's lectures are a joy to read. Well illustrated with wide-ranging coverage of art and artists within the field I can give this book 4 1/2 stars and a high recommendation.



3. As an abstract painter myself, I am extremely interested and infatuated with the subject of abstract art. All art, really, but abstract art, especially. I frequently comb the shelves of the local used book store to purchase books about art and artists. I typically buy books that biographically deal with the life and work of a single artist, but am also attracted to books that speak of art and the art world in general. This particular book was obtained online, so I did not have an opportunity to scan its contents and read sections of it before I purchased. But it looked like something that would be of high interest to me. "Pictures of Nothing", what a great title for a book about abstract art. Based on subject matter and reader review I made the purchase. When my pachage arrived in the mail I quickly tore open the box and fanned the book. Taking in the multitude of fine color reproductions of work that I recognized and work that I did not (but which looked very interesting) I was in anticipation of spending a good bit of time engaged in reading and expanding my knowledge and understanding of my favorite subject - abstract art. As I began my journey into the pages of my latest acquisition, I realized that the book is a verbatum transcription of a series of six lectures give by the author in the 90's on the subject of abstract art. OK, that's fine, that doesn't mean its bad. Until I continued reading. Maybe I am not enough of a scholar to understand this book. Maybe the fact that I was not at the lectures removes me one generation from the context. Or maybe its that the dialog it completely bloated, way too obscure and simply unreadable. More likely it's the fact that the man who gave the lectures died shortly after they were given and did not have the luxury of time to take those lectures and reinterpret them into a readable book format. As the days went on, I began to think about what my next art book purchase will be. As I only read one book at a time, I has to force myself not to stop at the book store to buy my next art book. I thought "I'm reading a book right now, I have to finish this before I start my next book." It started to become a chore to read this book. There are interesting tidbits here and there, but I found myself wading through a bunch of overwritten text to get to them. This book is 272 pages - on page 255 I had to close the book and declare "no mas". I could not even finish this book. I look forward to my next purchase. At least I can look at the pictures.



4. This is a very good collection of lectures given about abstract art. It gives some valuable clues as to the genealogy of modern art.



5. a disappointing book - pretentious and unenlightening - get hilton kramer's "the trium of modernism" instead!

5 comments about Painting Beautiful Skin Tones with Color & Light.

1. The explanation texts associated with photos and paintings are technically accurate and clearly comprehensive in such a way very few authors are used to doing. Subject performs diversified approaches covering watercolor, pastel and oil with in depth analyses and subtle interpretations on the alternative effects in skin paintings.The systematic organization of the matters allow every artist to follow the indicated trajetory to improve his knowledge and practice or test whatever is presented.



2. Great work for painters...
   
   The book was ordered to find out what I did wrong in painting portraits in oil. Clearly instructed by the book I now improved my skills dramatically, especially painting eyes... with the look of love.



3. I happen to think the pictures in this book are beautiful. I wish I could achieve the same level of competence with color. By buying the book, I hoped to improve my ability to quickly make sound color choices, but try as I have, I just can't get the needed information from this book. I have purchased quite a few books on painting, and some have really helped me. The really frustrating thing is that it's obvious she knows what she's doing, but equally obvious she has a hard time communicating it.
   
   If you already understood the topic, I'm sure you would get some comforting reassurance from seeing that which you have grasped reaffirmed. If you are not already a good artist, it's pure misery to try and figure out what she is saying. I have read every word and studied every picture in some cases 3 to 5 times, and I have taken little away.
   
   I'm sure that if she were watching me paint, I would eventually understand what she is teaching, but I was not able to get much from the book. I did enjoy looking at the pictures, but the text is pure torture.



4. A very excellent reference book. A must for a novice painter.



5. I agree with several of the previous reviewers. I believe that some of the writing on skin tones offers great insight. I also believe that most of the portraits in the book are garish at best. If there were Sears Portrait Studios around before the invention of photography there is no doubt that their portraits would look like these paintings. I would even be okay with that if it weren't for the fact that the book does not even begin to discuss skin tone until halfway through the book. I would say that 1/5 of the book is actually about skin tone. The rest of the book is just like any other beginners How-To. The basics of painting. Unfortunately there is little about skin tone.