5 comments about Creating Characters with Personality: For Film, TV, Animation, Video Games, and Graphic Novels.

1. As an aspiring cartoonist with my own cast of characters on my Captain Cockle website I found this book an excellent and yet simple guide to creating characters that leap out of the page. The inclusion of guest cartoonists, many of them very famous in their own fields, is a great idea and adds depth to the book. If you have a limited budget and are confused by the huge variety of "how to" books on cartooning, I would strongly recommend this one as an essential starting point.



2. I am a student studying animation, and I purchased this book for my character design class. I really love this book, it is quite usefull, and my two roommates reference it as well! One is an illustrator, and one is a video game designer. Useful to anyone and everyone...



3. This a great book for the beginning character artist. I often have a hard time drawing cartoon characters but this book always helps me out. Covers everything from personality to color, from exaggerated to semi-realistic. Highly recommend!



4. Nice book , a lot of ideas , examples. Very good choice for beginners. My students loved it.



5. This is a great book to take your drawings to the next step. I've been frustrated that my characters lacked that certain special 'something' to make them pop from regular ol' dry drawings to likable, engaging characters. This book illustrates simple examples of a line here, a curve there, to push it up a notch. I really enjoyed the suggestions, and this book has been very helpful. myspace/kris10cartoons

5 comments about Bob Dylan: The Drawn Blank Series.

1. Enjoyed both the original drawings & the new colorized interpretations. Always interesting to share a glimpse inside the mind of a genius.



2. Bob Dylan has been painting for decades and his abstract post-modern folk art style does him well. He shows us a seemingly unsophisticated yet highly evocative presence in his images with the door wide open to interpretation, like much of his poetic lyric. These often haunting pieces speak to me as the will not to you and vice versa - as well they should. Understand however, like his music, Dylan's art is an acquired taste and definitely not for everyone. I paid half the price the museums are charging for this book and I am sure have gotten twice the value from it.



3. What an incredible artist he is...in so many ways. A poet, musician, philosopher, artist, humanitarian. I'm looking for a book of photography yet so I may also experience his vision in that medium. BTW....great seller. Shipped fast and packed well. 5 STAR*****



4. I was lucky enough to be in Germany during this exhibit and see it live. I also purchased the book there and have reviewed it several times. It includes the 170 works displayed at the Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz from October 2007 to March 2008 and three thoughtful essays that examine the works from several perspectives.
   
   Ninety-two of the works were based on drawings published in 1994 as Drawn Blank. The museum director, Ingrid Mossinger, saw some of his drawings in the fall of 2006 at New York's Morgan Library (Bob Dylan's American Journey, 1956-1966) and was so captivated that she sought out a copy of the out-of-print book. In the book, Dylan said that one day he wanted to turn these into larger color paintings. So, she made contact and asked if he'd like to exhibit them.
   
   Somehow Dylan managed to have the drawings transferred to deckle-edged paper and paint them using watercolor and goaches. The result was 322 paintings produced in just eight months - eight months during which he also was touring! From these, 170 were selected for the exhibit.
   The works include interiors (dressing rooms, hotel rooms, etc.), cityscapes, landscapes, still lifes, and portraits - all captured in drawings he made between 1989 and 1992 as he toured the world performing. For many of the drawings, there are multiple versions using different colors that give you varied impressions of the scene. Much like Dylan's reinterpretations of his songs, these alternative versions reflect different ways of viewing the work.
   
   The essays also provoke different ways of thinking about the works. Frank Zollner, focusing on the cityscapes as seen through a window or door, suggests that these works indicate a "certain restlessness, as the simulated gaze is that of a seeker." He draws on Chronicles to illustrate how Dylan thinks of art and how his words often create word pictures. In his view the pictures reflect an internal restlessness and a calm outside world.
   
   Diane Widmaier Picasso (granddaughter of Pablo Picasso) traces the influence of Norman Raeben, one of Dylan's art teachers, as well as the Cubists and German Expressionists known as The Bridge. She notes that, "Just as the meaning of certain Dylan songs is sometimes obscure, since his texts seek not to have a fixed sense but rather to describe sentiments, to develop impressions beyond words (acquiring, like an abstract painting, meanings which vary with the mood of the recipient, yet still preserving a strong identity), so too his drawings can be similarly understood as they also reflect work which purposely refuses to be 'honed'."
   
   Jens Rosteck, focusing on Dylan as a "multi-talent," examines the stylistic turns Dylan has taken with his music and his artistic endeavors into literature, film, and painting. He describes him as a rare "universal artist" capable of synthesizing diverse art genres, comparing his approach to da Vinci, Goethe, and others.
   
   I was struck by a sense of detachment, even isolation or loneliness, as I viewed the exhibit. Dylan, the most sensitive and keen observer of life I know, once again in another medium, challenges me to think about how we live in this world.
   
   If the exhibit ever comes near you, I encourage you to see it. In the meantime, this book is a wonderful catalogue of the works of this great artist.



5. Like most Dylan fans, I was drawn (no pun intended)into this book right away. Bob has always fascinated as an artist. His best songs are stories that unfold over the course of the song, and his recent bio, Chronicles, was a continuation of his story-telling prowess.
   
   This book, taken from the Drawn Blank exhibition, gives yet another insight into this artist that has captivated us for the past 40 some odd years. We knew he was an artist. His artwork has graced several album covers and insides and various publications over the years. To see all of this material collected in one publication will delight Dylan fans everywhere.
   
   One of Bob's songs is called "When I Paint My Masterpiece." In this book, fans will discover several of them.

5 comments about A World of Art.

1. This was a wonderful course, the book is easy to understand and presented well. Nice size print and good photos of lots of works. I realy enjoyed each page of the book.



2. It's a text book in its fifth edition. When I start my own publishing co. I'll be sure to be involved in text books so I can cut students such a great deal by only charging $60 instead of $90 and I'll only print new editions every 3 years instead of 2 at the risk of things like math, art, and history changing so dramatically.



3. The book covers an extensive array of facts about art in general as well as about specific works of art. By introducing artists and exploring their intentions, the student can better understand and perhaps come to appreciate a wider variety of all forms of art.
   The CD holds some of the works that appear in the book, but not all, plus others that are not in the book which I thought was a little disconnected. But the CD also includes verbal pronunciation of artists' names, which cooresponds exactly to the Pronunciation Guide and is helpful. Overall, the book offers very thorough instruction for art appreciation.



4. Delivery in a great amount of time. Everything was ok with the pages where all there and the book was in great shape



5. wow...this book I founded 40 dollars cheaper that in my college. I am really glad I did not had to pay that exagerated amount. Thanx.

5 comments about Fashion Artist (Fashion Design Series).

1. I wore holes in piles of paper trying to work up to the basic points so magnificently outlined in this book! It's like having an art teacher with you (without the snide remarks) to bring your abilities to the top.
   
   If you are planning on studying fashion, or just doing it for fun, you need this book.
   
   Highly recommended!



2. This book is a great start for beginners who want to work in the fashion industry or for those who consider fashion designing a hobby and want to improve on their illustration skills, like myself. Burke starts with the basics, like learning how to draw the female figure in different poses and drawing some examples of clothes, but she also touches upon fabric rendering and ideas on how to make a presentation. There's even a section on designing for men, childeren, and costumes. Overall a very informative, clear and consise book to get started and to encourage and inspire amateurs to want to learn more.



3. I haven't really had a chance to play a lot with this book since I got it a month ago, but so far, I like it. There are very colorful designs, croquis', and many illustrations. It seems like it gives a lot of information in a short amount of time.



4. I'm wanting to become a fashion designer and i bought this book and i was amazed. it really teaches you how to draw fashion models (and people in general) in all different poses. it shows you so many different poses both with an actual person modeling the pose and then a block figure showing you how to draw it. after the structure is learned, it teaches you in a really easy way how to flesh it out, and then how to draw the clothes and how the clothes are supposed to look at folds and creases. if you like this book, i recommend Draw Fashion Models! by Lee Hammond, a great book that goes in depth into more poses and how you should draw the clothes and how they look when the arms are raised, when you're leaning on one hip, etc.
   
   i really recommend buying this amazing book, it's straightforward and very helpful!



5. I bought this book for my 16 yr old daughter who is an aspiring fashion designer. To get into design school & possibly qualify for a scholarship, she must prepare a portfolio. She expressed concern that her sketching skills would look amateurish so she asked for a book to help her.
   
   This book shows in picture and text detail the supplies needed to do a project & an easy format to follow. She loved it and was so excited to have a guide to help her. This book not only helps in this regard, but has several sections that gives pointers on design elements and much more pertinent information.
   
   If you or someone you know is an aspiring fashion designer, do not hesitate to get this book. It will be a valuable tool that will be put t good use.

1 comments about LogoLounge 4: 2000 International Identities by Leading Designers.

1. This book, like the other LogoLounge's, is very helpful. It shows different logos and always helps me find new solutions from the inspirations in the book.

5 comments about The Art of Looking Sideways.

1. The product was shipped the next day and got to me quickly. The book is awesome and was in perfect condition when I got it. Thanks!



2. the book is big, heavy and has a confusing layout(page numbers refer to spreads, not individual pages) Some pages are printed with black type on darkblue or gray making them almost unreadable (including the index which also has numbers smaller than most eye charts.) There is no index and little way to get back to something you found before without post-its. Yet for all its drawbacks, it's a fascinating compendium of design ideas - ideas in general. Great price for this much imagery. And if one has even a bit of leisure to peruse books for what just might pop out, this would be a good one to have.



3. This book is a tour de force of creativity and it is suitable for everyone, not just graphic designers. Each page is so thick and rich that you shouldn't browse through it. I highly recommend you limit yourself to 1 page a day so you can absorb and digest what it contains. It is a stunning whack of creativity that you need to take slowly. Over time this book will help you to see and to think in different ways and with significantly more "creativity".
   
   If you consider yourself to be a creative person you absolutely, positively, have to get this book. It will change you.



4. All the scraps of thoughts, quotes, illustrations, art, and scientific insights all blend into a very nice amalgam of a book. I didn't read it from cover to cover, but rather opened up somewhere random and read different pieces. The randomness of all the inspirational thoughts allows for this type of reading - I think it actually makes the book even better. It almost works as the mind itself: getting bits and pieces of information to juggle with really gets your creative juices flowing.
   A must have, and must-random-read, for everyone in the creative industries and arts sector. Not sure about what other people should do with it.



5. The only book that I have ever bought that compares to the is Gary Larson's The Complete Far Side.
   
   They both have pride of place beside the toilet. Visitors can pick this book up, open it anywhere and be enlightened, amused or amazed.

5 comments about Meggs' History of Graphic Design.

1. This is an excellent textbook and well worth the price. It's more like a history of art and culture.



2. I purchased this book for my Graphic Design history class. The book is well written and it is very informative.



3. i bought this product as new. i could tell the book had not been or had hardly been opened b/c of the sound it makes when you open a new book. the pages are clean and crisp. it was only the book jacket that protects the hard cover that had a few marks on it, but overall i'm very happy with it. =)



4. After using all the editions, the latest isn't up to the late Phil Meggs' standards. In its attempt to
   be concise and concept oriented, it omits much cultural and marginal information that was
   interesting and flavorful. This edition is not as delicious as the others. I'm thinking of switching
   textbooks for my students.



5. This book provides an excellent resource on the graphic design industry with in-depth information on typography and how different art movements affected graphic design. It is well written and has great pictures with detailed descriptions. I recommend it for every graphic designer's personal library.

5 comments about Graffiti World: Street Art from Five Continents.

1. I bought this for my 14 year old daughter and would recommend this for any urban artist. It captures so many excellent murals and other types of graffiti from around the world. Just when you think you've found your favorite artist, you turn the page to find another. Regardless of how you feel about scripture on walls, trains and buses, the art and freedom that exudes from each picture is awesome and beyond the descriptive word. They just are!



2. The book is rad, there is better street art out there than what is in thisb book but it was still worth the purchase. It was delivered in a heshen bag with a ripped cover.



3. I bought this book for my boyfriend (who loves graffiti art) for Christmas and he loved it! :)



4. Escribo estas líneas como un amante del graffiti y de la cultura urbana en general. Como tal debo decir que soy muy exigente cuando veo libros o revistas sobre este tipo de arte, habiendo ya comprado varias ediciones y libros que se venden aquí en Amazon así como en diversas librerias como en España y Chile. Sin embargo, ninguno se compara a este en lo que se refiere a la calidad de las imagenes y la selección de las obras (porque vaya que son reales obras de arte!!). Este libro aborda no distintos aspectos del greffiti, pues hace una breve introducción en la cual describe la historia de este arte desde la época antigua, hasta la historio del mismo en nuestros días. Luego de pasar por más de 350 páginas de gloriosos diseños, el libro termina dando una breve síntesis de los datos de información de los diston "crews" o grupos, un glosario, bibliografía de respaldo y hasta una lista de páginas web y revistas de referencia.
   
   En lo respecta a la vedette del libro, esto es, las imágenes, estas son simplemente espectaculares!! En efecto, en este libro se han registrado las más impactantes y representativas imagenes de las pincipales capitales mundiales del graffiti. Así tenemos en un solo libro una selección de algunos de los mejores graffitis de Chile, Brasil, Nueva York, Los Angeles, Italia, Francia, Alemania, Japón, entre otros. Si bien es cierto por la fecha de edición del mismo (2004) no han recogido más obras representativas de ciudades latinoamericanas (como la barca del Rio Mapocho en Chile, graffitis de Rio o Sau Paulo, o el reciente boom artístico registrado en Lima-Perú, el cual ha sido objeto de reportajes en noticieros) este no deja de ser un importante registro pictórico de lo que representa tanto artística como culturalmente el mundo del graffiti.



5. This book was better than described. I will purchase from this seller in the future. It was a present for my boyfriend who hasnt been able to put it down since Christmas. He keeps commenting on how expensive it must have been. I would never tell him it wasn't... Thank you so much.

5 comments about How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way.

1. I bought this for my 11 year old son for his birthday. He's been trying to draw superheroes lately. When I began flipping through it, I recognized many of the images. I then remembered I had this book when I was a boy. I checked the original publish date and found it to be 1978. Yep, this was it. It's a very good book for those who need some structure with regards to their pencil drawing. The concepts of human form, perspective, dimension etc. are easy to understand with many, many examples. Step by step instructions make it easy. Even those with limited artistic abilities will be able to draw well using this book. I recommend it highly!



2. How to draw comics the Marvel Way is a good book but it's very old information. I think that Marvel comics and the comic book industry has changed since this book was published in 1978 and 1984. Don't get me wrong! I like this How to draw comics the Marvel Way! book written by Stan Lee with artwork by John Buseama, but the books information is too old. I think comic book artists today use better materials besides paint brushes and india ink. You buy Markers with india ink in them at an artsupply store. there are other things in this book that do not appy to comic books in 2008 as well. If your a begining artist, I will recommend this book but It's not for advance artist. B+



3. Some of you folks writing reviews are, like me, graphic designers. And, yes, I too have owned this wonderful book. I even laughed at the publication date at the top of the page because mine is from 1978!
   
   Lee and Buscema are two of the foundation blocks of Marvel Comics and I wouldn't expect anything less from this wonderful work. If you are a beginning or almost intermediate comic book artist, I can't think of a better place to start than this book. I still refer to it, sometimes, for reference tips.
   
   I won't bore you with a diatribe of what can be learned here... just buy the book. I think you'll be surprised that, in 30 years, you'll still own your dog-eared, yellowed, frayed-out copy. I've still got mine.
   
   Oh, and when you're done with it, do yourself a favor and take a look at some Burne Hogarth books.
   
   Enjoy!



4. I am a professional artist, fine art not comics, and bought this for my son who wants to be an artist working for marvel one day. Don't get me wrong I am oldschool, I grew up on heavy metal, epic (marvel's answer), ec, 2000 A.D. (rogue trooper, and the man himself, Judge Dredd), the watchmen, etc, etc... so once it showed up in the mail, I read it myself and came to the conclusion that it is a perfect book for my son.
   
   What better source to get an idea of what marvel wants than from stan the man himself? And John Buscema, a veteran of Marvel really added to this book. He has always been one of my favorite artists (especially liked his savage sword work when I was a kid.)
   
   This is the place to begin for anyone who wants to break into the comics industry or maybe submit a portfolio to Marvel. I believe (could be wrong) they are still one of the few houses which still accept inquiries and portfolios whereas DC asks people to go to conventions to network.....kinda hard when you are a starving artist or living abroad.



5. An entertaining look at how the comic work was approached at Marvel way back when. I can't draw, and have no real desire too, so basically got this out of interest.
   
   As far as that goes, it was a reasonable read. For actual artistic types it is probably a bit more useful.

5 comments about Fill Your Oil Paintings with Light & Color.

1. Really terrific book! I highly recommend it for anyone beginning in oil paintings as well as seasoned painters. It is down to earth, great instruction and his paintings are beautiful! You can definitely see his growth in his painting in his second book - also terrific, however the second book - Painting Inside and Out - reads in places like an advertisement for a couple of companies and products - didn't appreciate that much, but otherwise - also a fantastic book - even for the photos alone -



2. I have been painting and studying art for many decades - this is a really great book! I keep re reading!



3. Great book, was told about this from an art instructor, saying this was one of the best you can buy and have in your library.



4. I purchased this book because of all the great reviews it received. I was not impressed. Everything was way too simplistic. If you're an intermediate or professional painter, you will not learn anything from this book that you don't already know.
   
   Also, where was the light and color? I must've missed those pages.



5. AWESOME book packed to the full with inspiring paintings & photos, really practical tips for the would be painter, and help over all those overwhelming and sometimes insurmountable difficulties confronting the aspirant oil painter. Replaces mystery with method. I'm really thrilled to have discovered Kevin Macpherson's approach to painting "plein air" and am already seeing the fruits of applying it.