5 comments about Painting Flowers on Rocks.

1. I found some rocks near our cottage in the woods, and VOILA, beautiful flowers are now growing where they never could before. I am not an artist by any means, but after following the easy, detailed, step by step instructions, I had masterpieces! AMAZING book with AMAZING results. Thank you Lin for sharing your knowledge and bringing out the creative part of me I didn't know I had!



2. Follow the simple step by step directions for a beautiful "rock garden."



3. Whether you are simply curious about rock painting, or have a desire to paint flowers on rocks, this book is for you. It is well written by a world class rock artist and teacher and in addition to offering know-how, it is an encouraging book that shows the way to get involved in this fascinating and not too expensive art form.



4. This book was as I expected it to be.. the demonstrations were clear and instructons easy.. I ordered it because of an episode on the Carol Duvall show in which the author painted a beautiful bouquet on a simple smooth rock ..I have ordered other books of the same nature from Amazon before and have been equally satisfied.



5. It was such a pleasure to receive Lin's book about painting flowers on rocks. I have several of her other books which has brought us lots of hours of fun and fantasy. We appreciate her talents and her sharing her ideas with others like us. Her flower painted rocks are perfect for places like cemeteries that don't allow fresh flowers. It helps bring beauty to our loved ones graves without the work and worry of live plantings. The rocks require "no watering!" Thanks Lin for all your creative ideas.

5 comments about 1,000 Music Graphics: A compilation of packaging, posters, and other sound solutions (1000 Series).

1. This book is a treasure trove full of ideas and inspiration. Although the title says its a book of Music graphics, the ideas spawned from this book cross over into different genres. The color combinations, the typography, the different styles...I'll be constantly referring to this book for years to come.



2. This book is a "must-have" for any contemporary music enthusiast -or- at the very least, anyone who appreciates good cover art. The collection obviously represents zillions of hours of research by people who know what to look for and where to find it. Clif Stoltze designed this book with appropriate restraint so as to showcase the artwork but included plenty of zing to make for a ultra-hip book. The cover concept, with its inserted disc that actually spins, is striking, and I predict that this book will be a collectable before long. I'm advising everyone I know to scoop one up before they're gone.



3. this is one of the best recent comps of music-related graphic/image design.
   it's a little jammed-up in the page layout, but that way Rockport gets in
   more images for our delight. bravo!!



4. As a lifetime lover of music and music graphics, this book is an incredible archive of the current state of the art. It's jam-packed, and few descriptions are offered (there really is no room). But instead what we get are clear, clean images printed as large as they could possibly be due to the publisher's format restrictions. In a way, I consider having fewer words as an asset. The design of the book lets you get lost in the individual jewels of the collection.
   
   Stoltze Design put together a great set of work, fresh and inspiring, created by some well-known designers and artists; but just as many unknown or obscure. The gig posters were some of my favorite works.
   
   This book delivers, and it will inspire as a reference for graphic designers and music fans alike.



5. 1,000 Music Graphics is an utterly astounding collection of exceptional music packaging, posters, and paraphernalia by top notch designers and firms from all over the world. Page after page of colorful, conceptually rich and imagination-inducing music packaging left me feeling inspired and motivated to break out and do something entirely new and great. Soundly curated, the book includes packaging and such for a diverse range of musicians and music genres, with a handy index in the back, and an insightful introduction by the author, Clif Stoltze.
   
   This book is a worthy abundance of amazing work that's well beyond visually satisfying...it's enlightening design-wise and it also opened my eyes and ears to several musicians I had not yet heard (I soon found myself listening to samples on iTunes!). Don't think twice about owning this book - it's special and also makes for a wonderful gift for anyone who loves design and music.

1 comments about Art Past, Art Present, 5th Edition (Book & CD-ROM).

1. The book wasn't in that bad of shape but the cd rom which I needed for class was demolished

5 comments about Finding Your Visual Voice: A Painter's Guide to Developing an Artistic Style.

1. I am truly enjoying this book. It has helped me reflect on my artwork, as well as validate my subject preferences and style. In addition, the artist interviews and works featured are inspirational. It is a great addition to any artist's library.



2. I received this beautiful book as a gift and have found it to be a wonderful companion in my studio. First of all it is packed with delicious colored photographs and painting reproductions on high quality paper. The concealed spiral binding makes it extra user friendly when lying on my drawing table but easy to retrieve from the book shelves (where it rarely stays). I found the interviews with artists to be insightful, perceptive and fun. I have enjoyed picking it up so many times and spending a couple minutes reading a gem that gives me the inspiration I need to move forward with my own work.
   Thanks Dakota for a terrificly thought provoking book that distills and honors the creative process.



3. This book is an easy-to-follow guide to sort out your own style of creative expression. I'm not a painter, but I have started dabbling in mosaic. I'm convinced that this book can help anyone interested in forming and developing their unique style in any visual art medium.
   
   The book is spiral-bound which means it can lay flat on the table while you refer to it. I love this feature. The chapters flow logically from recognizing your inspiration and suitable subject matter, to more technical topics like lines, composition, and process. The information is presented simply, with many examples to illustrate each point. Contemporary painters offer their advice through carefully guided interviews throughout the book. The most clever aspect of the book is the chance to review and reflect on each topic through end-of-the-chapter questions. Finally, exercises help you to apply what you have discovered about yourself and your art. Finding Your Visual Voice is a process of developing self awareness and you are gently guided through that process with this excellent book.



4. At first glance this book gave me the impression that it really was going to be a visual delight. The format of the pictures and interviews were a creative way to feel as if I were there with each artist Ms Mitchell interviewed. I am just beginning to experiment with the idea of artistic painting. This book has a variety of methods and formats to chose from if I want to experiment in various areas. As a teacher, I like the exercises at the end of each chapter. This book could be used for art classes as well as just for information about painting.



5. This book has been an inspiration to myself and several of my artist friends. It really helps you focus on your individual style and helps you find techniques that are best suited you personally. The layout is exceptional, and I loved the workbook style which allows you to experiment and use the various information provided by the guest artists.
   I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in painting, no matter what level they are. What artist, or person for that matter, wouldn't benefit from learning to find and listen to their "inner voice"?

2 comments about The Complete Guide to Perspective.

1. This is one of the best books on perspective I have read. Each topic is segmented into three levels. Basic, Intermediate and advanced. The advanced section is clearly labeled as advanced. The basic and intermediate sections are very comprehensive and easy digestible stuff. The content of the advanced section are not for starters though.
   
   On the less positive side: Some of the paintings and drawings used as illustration in the shadow section are printed too light. This is definitely something to be reviewed or corrected in the next volumes. Despite these minor issues it is one of the best books on perspective and I certainly will recommend it to others. Two thumps up!



2. John Raynes is not only a fine and competent artist, but an outstanding writer and teacher. This book does not gloss over the technical complexity of perspective drawing, but keeps it very accessible and learnable. John does a great job of explaining concepts in extremely understandable terms. He's also (as in all his other books) illustrated it beautifully with both photos and drawings, using each where most appropriate. Good book for beginner to relatively advanced artist.

1 comments about Native American Leather & Bead Crafting.

1. This was an OK book if you are a beginner beader and leather worker. Not very challenging but somewhat useful.

5 comments about AP Art History w/CD-ROM (REA)-The Best Test Prep for (Test Preps).

1. I thought this book was very informative. I had a problem with the fact that they did not have pictures for 2oth century art. You had to look that up yourself. It is kind of a pain using the DVD. Id rather have all reference photos in the book. The cover leads you to bel;ieve you can take a timed test on the DVD. The DVD only carries photos of certain art in the book and some slides for the sample test.



2. This book was very beneficial for preparing for the AP. It had most of the images that were seen on the actual test and did a good job of only giving you necessary information. This book was a very good tool for my preparation but I would recommend getting another book as well (maybe the Mona Lisa) because this book is a little sparse and you can only use it when you have a computer to see the images. But it's still definitely worth it.



3. With a teacher who doesn't quite know how to teach, I really needed a GREAT review book for the exam. This book covers key artworks from each period (but only a few, not enough to overwhelm), how periods and artworks influenced each other (which is an important part of the exam), and gives you a great feel for each period- something invaluable that can usually only be gained through intense study.
   I have yet to take my AP Exam, but I got a 5 on a midterm modeled after it, using real previous questions from exams. The information in this book paralleled the midterm so perfectly, it was unreal. (Specific questions about the Amarna style from Ancient Egypt, who discovered various ancient artifacts, and how the centrally-planned structure was taken from San Vitale... All these were in the exam book and on my midterm!)
   In addition, this book was a delight to read, and it was all written in easy-to-understand language that did not exhaust me quickly.
   I would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone taking the course!!!!



4. I decided, in 11th grade, to take the AP Art History exam because I felt that the subject would be relevant to my future career as an architect. Our school does not offer a course in art history, so I had to study independently. This book provides more than sufficient material--due to an extremely tight schedule, I spent about 4-5 days reading through the book once and received a 5 on the exam with virtually no prior knowledge of art history apart from what I had memorized from the book. I would say that if you can memorize about 60% of the book, you'll do well. (Don't procrastinate as I did, though. I couldn't walk straight by the end of that AP week.)
   
   After the exam, I went back to the book and re-read it so the information would be retained longer. During summer, I went to an architecture program and my knowledge from reading this book helped me immensely. Since then, my interest in art history has expanded and I've explored the subject much more thoroughly.
   
   I took the exam at the school where the first author teaches (taught?) and met some of the (many) students. He is apparently very well-versed in both the exam and the subject.
   
   Obviously, if you love art history, there are better texts (Gardner, Stokstad, etc.) with colorful illustrations and interesting facts. If you are new to the subject and simply want to pass the test or to learn the basics of this awesome subject, this book is easier.



5. During my 11th grade highschool year I took the Art History AP test WITHOUT ever taking an Art History course. My only review materials were the "Annotated Mona Lisa" (also a great book) and REA's Art History. One of the best study guides I have EVER used for any AP test, REA covers the material rationally and in depth. I owe my preparedness for the Art History exam to REA (I got a 5!).
   If you had to choose between a 10 pound Art encyclopedia and REA's guide in order to prepare for your test, choose REA!

5 comments about Area.

1. You can't go wrong with a Phaidon publication. The book is a very in-depth look at design world-wide. It has tons of examples of great design. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.



2. There is so much inspiration in this book. It's a graet resource for any designer. It will get your little design wheels spinning with fresh ideas every time you open it. There is so much in here and such a broad range of styles and subject matter. Some incredible artists.



3. There is something amazing in the way consumerism has birthed its own brand of art. In the 1880's, when Coca-Cola pushed their first few dollars across the table and asked for a slogan, I wonder if anyone ever dreamed what their industries would become and how much they would owe to this type of expression? I wonder if the idea that Frank L. Balm had about The Storefront Window, saying it was more than a place to keep a store's useless stuff, went beyond the United States becoming the frontrunner in glass consumption and into a field all its own? I ask because the field of Marketing Psychology intrigues me and, accordingly, the things we've birthed to sell items also intrigues me. Maybe "intrigue" isn't even the right world - maybe I should say that they captivate me, forcing me to search high and low for the best lightbulbs burning in the brightest phosphorescent starlight so to influence the migratory patterns of items that are pushed forth by a culmination of thought and a well-oiled pen.
   That is what is so beautiful about Area; it breathes what we are, what we consume, and how this meshes with the very fabric of how we conceive pitch and pitches, ticking and timeless, making up the very definition of art that is more than pictures generated "for art's sake." Looking here, it really reflects how the world has become vibrant and how pictures have shaped the world.
   Locked inside this book is more than a few pictures - its a blueprint of an overlooked history that America wears all over its geography.
   
   When I look at the field of graphic design, I am always tantalized by the creations that come from it, wanting to pour myself into page after page and see the "next big idea." It is somewhat like listening to the heartbeat of millions of people thumping in unison; if it clicks it happens to click, and you know what started the motion. Area proves that, too, showing you how far we've moved past the simple pixel lay-outs and into the realm of technological highs and really ingenious methods of salesmanship, making so many things seem desirable. In Marketing Psychology it is called tapping into the "ideal self" and making people buy a dream that the "actual self" doesn't seem to be able to supply.
   The idea seems easy enough to understand, too, and sometimes people laugh at the power wielded by the pen and call the "needing" lemmings. Here, in this book, I find a lot of laughter falling short of its mark and even the bigger birds of prey noticing things they adore and why they learned to adore it.
   
   When I first bought this book I thought it would simply feed my tastes and purse my lips with the hum of more curiosity, but lately I've noticed how much influence the book has. It has thousands of pictures, quite literally, and sometimes I catch my friends standing with their eyes glued to an item and that blank stare of "something remembering something" coming out as they slow move through the pages. Its as if Ford's comments on the heart of the new type of manufacturing, "machinery is the new messiah," have found application in ways he never intended.
   If you want to see how great that can become, how powerful advertising can become, then you should look at this book and see what I mean. Currently the one I own has been in my clutches for well over a year, and I still have around one hundred pages tabbed just so I can look back over them and marvel at the creativity that thrives in make-believe places orbiting some very real horizons.
   
   Even if you know nothing about art, you know what beauty is and this book comes highly recommended in that department.



4. This book is full of new and refreshing design from around the world. It helps to educate someone like me who, while getting a Graphic Design education, is getting a more traditional rundown of the field and less of a modern-day acknowledgment. "Area" addresses the artists' perspectives and shows a wide variety of visual styles and formats, and will have something extremely interesting for everyone. A great book for any designer's collection. Worth every penny.



5. Inspiration should come from all over the world. And this book gives you that.

No comments about Movements in Art Since 1945 (World of Art).

5 comments about Dynamic Light and Shade (Practical Art Books).

1. This book has a lot of black and white drawings of Hogarth and others demonstrating different types of light; middle ground, background, foreground lighting as well as directional lighting. It is illustrated with sphere heads as well and gives you a good foundation to jump from in your own work. I am advanced in lighting already so I was a bit disappointed in the simplicity here but if you need to learn this at a basic level then there is none better! Again, it takes practiced participation in exercises to understand the lighting changes and work to learn it well--as in anything. If you are willing to learn, there are no better 'how to' books. This one is at a beginner level but still useful if you are learning directional and ground light. It was too elementary for an artist already familiar with lighting, though.



2. This book is killer.... it starts by talking about silhouettes.... then adding 1 highlight... then more and more form definition...
   
   Everything from directional light, to moonlight, to sculptural light.
   
   Great for anyone looking to add detail to their line work.



3. A very nice book, with a lot of important notes about the subject, but the images look like comics to much.



4. This book will not significantly improve your understanding of how light affects and creates shadows on form. However, I don't believe any book can do that. You can learn to draw a realistic face from your imagination, but the variations of how light will affect forms are infinite. Most artists who get good at "faking" it rely on a good understanding of form and perspective, backed by countless hours spent observing and drawing things under various lighting situations. They basically are always relying on observation, be it direct, photographic, or remembered. Try to think of an artist who could create truly convincing, consistent lighting for a scene from their head. I can't think of any. I guess my point is, let's not be too hard on old Burney, he was just trying to make a buck:)
   
   If this book has a practical application, it's probably as a collection of creative ways to light your subjects to achieve particular dramatic affects. Fun to flip through, but just not all that useful.



5. This book is good to illustrate the phenomena of light in a composition. It discusses the different kinds of light and their effect on the environment of the picture. Worth getting to use as reference material.