4 comments about Fantastic Ornament: 110 Designs and Motifs (Dover Pictorial Archive Series).

1. A couple of reviews have mentioned that the designs in this book were too intricate and therefore they gave it less than stellar reviews. However, I believe that this is the books strength and not it weakness. I design websites and the images in this book worked perfectly, precisely because they were more detailed.



2. I don't agree with the previous 2 reviews of this book. I think it has plenty of great elements to incorporate into any design. Maybe they are right about being too complicated for crafts. I am a graphic artist, and the more complicated, the better. I especially like the details of the mystical creatures that are featured in this book. Lots of flourishes and victorian type ornamentation like most of Dover's books in this genre. I believe this book stands on it's own and worth having it as part of your clipart library.



3. Just received this book and although pretty, there is very little in it that I could use. Was looking for more design ideas for working ceramic tiles, and the items in this book were far too complicated to transfer or use in any simple fashion. This book would be more suited to someone designing wallpaper or historical features in home decor, and not so much for someone wanting practical design ideas.



4. This book is more for people who are looking for Designs and motifs for furniture, grave stones, or wall panals, the designs are too intricate to transfere, I'm not impressed with this book for designs & motifs for craft.

5 comments about The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs.

1. If you're interested in Tibetan Buddhist iconography for whatever reason you can't go wrong with this detailed book. The author's original illustrations provide a wealth of examples of images in Tibetan art, and the text provides rich historical and doctrinal background for understanding why the symbols are important. Highly recommended.



2. Recieved the book promptly and in the condition promised. The book is an excellent source book. It does suffer from being without an index, for which the author apologizes. A source book without index is less than it should be. Still the images are excellent, and I assume the text is accurate. The author has spent a good portion of his working life in preparation: studying with Tibetan artists and craftspeople; and, becoming accomplished at rendering the brush drawings in an authentic manner. A good compaion book, especially as this does not have a index, is the "Handbook" by the same author



3. It's a more interesting and authoritative reference for this subject matter. This is due to Rinpoche being a qualified (I emphasise the word 'qualified') Lama and Tibetan scholar. Also at no point does Rinpoche compromise Tibetan Buddhism by giving away restricted information.



4. I love this book. Having found it a few years back at a tattoo shop in Santa Cruz, California, I was only able to look at it for a short time but I was able to gain so much knowledge as to the wealth of designs and deep meaning found in Tibetan art. This book stayed in my mind thereafter. Here it is a few years and a couple tattoos later and the book resurfaced on Amazon. Great price, great condition and prompt service. This book is great for one who has interest in Tibetan art and it's symbolic nature. The concepts are well articulated and with each 'type' placed into a different chapter it makes refrencing quite simple. If you are interested, get this book!



5. Great book, with lots of details. If you are interested in tibetan handicrafts, here you can get any tibetan design you can imagine.

5 comments about Charles Reids Watercolor Secrets.

1. This book, Charles Reid, author, entitled "Watercolor Secrets" was picked by an instructor at Washburn University for a class on watercolor. I am taking the class and find the book weak on instructions, but good in presenting the
   variety of work this artist has done. It certainly could be written in a more instructional style.



2. Charles Reid is a wonderful artist. I enjoyed reading the book but it falls short as an instruction manual as it is very difficult to understand from the text and illustrations how Charles actually achieves his very loose wet in wet effects.



3. This book is not intented to deliver technical help. It's a book full of tips
   & tricks about general aspect of Mr. Reid approach to painting, with
   differents conditions and subject. It's a great bed time reading.



4. The title of this book is rather misleading. I had thought I was going to get some real expert tips on watercolor painting but instead this book is just a reprinting of the artist's watercolor "NOTEBOOKS" with VERY little in the way of useable and tangible tips about painting in watercolor. The book is slender, sparsely laid-out and over-priced at that. It struck me as just an excuse for a book with a cleverly disguised title to market and sell it (everyone wants the "secrets", right?) . Save your money!



5. Put 'Watercolor painting techniques' into Amazon Advance Search and you'll come up with well over a thousand titles. I'm sure most of these are worthy books but I'll stick with anything by Charles Reid. I have five of his books and 'Watercolor Secrets' together with Painting Flowers in Watercolour are probably the ones I look through most often.
   
   All of the books, of course, show what a stunning artist he is though I much prefer his watercolor work rather than oils. It's his studied casualness that I love, colors define shapes, they merge into each other, large areas are just left blank and look unfinished yet the overall effect is controlled precision. His work is totally convincing and rather unique.
   
   The five chapters in this book throw up lots of interesting techniques for the established painter*. I particularly liked the Demonstration pages in each of the five chapters. Each shows a step-by-step series of paintings from the original drawing to the finish with comprehensive captions to each picture. There's something for everyone in the book: figures, landscape and seascapes, flowers, buildings and more.
   
   Another reason I like this book is because it's so good to look at. Visually it is based on a landscape sketchbook and nicely each spread has part of a used sketchbook printed in the spine. The layout and typography are first class (a tip of the hat to Wendy Dunning) and how refreshing to find a publisher that is prepared to go that little bit extra for the reader.
   
   If you like Charles Reid get this book for some excellent examples of his work and positive thoughts on watercolor techniques.
   
   *Just starting out? Have a look at Reid's Painting What You Want to See (Practical Art Books) which has some very basic instructions, especially on drawing.
   
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

5 comments about Watercolor for the Serious Beginner: Basic Lessons in Becoming a Good Painter (Serious Beginner).

1. I liked this book because it gives you lots of ideas to think about as you grow and learn to watercolor paint. However, I didn't feel it was a must-have for my collection. The pictures are beautiful and the ideas are good to remember but if you're really enthusiastic about painting, I think you'll be doing all these things she speaks about anyway. I guess it's a good book to have if you need a reminder once in a while.



2. Watercolor for the Serious Beginner: Basic Lessons in Becoming a Good Painter (Serious Beginner)
   this is a fantastic book. The information is clear and concise, and the lessons move one along at a good pace. I should mention that the title of this book is a key to understanding it. This book is for the SERIOUS watercolorist. If one wants to really become serious about their water color studies. This is an excellent place to begin.



3. This is a good book to learn a variety of techniques in watercolor painting. This was for my teenage daughter who enjoys watercolor painting, so she can expand her level of techniques. She sat for hours going through the book to learn and study what it had to teach her.



4. Was a welcomed Book in my collection and is extremely helpful in applying new techniques in a new student of watercolor.



5. This makes me want to take my supplies and park myself somewhere beautiful to sketch and paint.

2 comments about On Painting (Penguin Classics).

1. Book I is a leisurely introduction to the basic geometrical principles of painting. "I usually give my friends the following rule: the more rays are employed in seeing, the greater the quantity seen will appear. ... Furthermore, the extrinsic rays, which hold on like teeth to the whole of the outline, form an enclosure around the entire surface like a cage. This is why they say that vision takes place by means of a pyramid of rays. ... We must now speak of the median rays. These are the mass of rays which is contained within the pyramid and enclosed by the extrinsic rays ... from their contact with the surface to the vertex of the pyramid they are so tinged with the varied colours and lights they find there, that at whatever point they were interrupted, they would show the same light they had absorbed and the same colour. We know for a fact about these median rays that over a long distance they weaken and loose they sharpness. The reason why this occurs has been discovered: as they pass through the air, these and all other visual rays are laden and imbued with lights and colors; but the air too is also endowed with a certain density, and in consequence the rays get tired and lose a good part of their burden as they penetrate the atmosphere. So it is rightly said that the greater the distance, the more obscure and dimmed the surface appears. ... We call the centric ray the one which alone strikes the quantity in such a way that the adjacent angles on all sides are equal. As for the properties of the centric ray, it is of all the rays undoubtedly the most keen and vigourous. It is also true that a quantity will never appear larger than when the centric ray rests upon it. ... [A]s it is only a single surface of a panel or a wall, on which the painter strives to represent many surfaces contained within a single pyramid, it will be necessary for his visual pyramid to be cut at some point, so that the painter by drawing and colouring can express whatever outlines and colour that intersection represents. Consequently the viewers of a painted surface appear to be looking at a particular intersection of the pyramid. ... Painters prove this when they move away from what they are painting and stand further back, seeking to find by the light of nature the vertex of the pyramid from which they know everything can be more correctly viewed." Now the principles of perspective and the costruzione legittima. "Let me tell you what I do when I am painting. ... I decide how large I wish the human figures in the painting to be. I divide the height of this man into three parts. ... With this measure I divide the bottom line ... into as many parts as it will hold. Then I establish a point ... wherever I wish; and as it occupied the place where the centric ray strikes, I shall call this the centric point. The suitable position for this centric point is no higher from the base line than the height of the man ... for in this way both the viewers and the objects in the painting will seem to be on the same plane. Having placed the centric point, I draw lines from it to each of the divisions on the base line. ... [A]s regards the successive [parallels of a tiled floor] I observe the following method. I have a drawing surface [on the canvas margin] on which I describe a single straight line, and this i divide in parts like those into which the base line of the rectangle is divided. Then I place a point above this line, directly over one end of it, at the same height as the centric point ... and from this point I draw lines to each of the divisions of the line. Then I determine the distance I want between the eye of the spectator and the painting, and, having established the position of the intersection at this distance, I effect the intersection with ... a perpendicular. ... This perpendicular will give me, at the places it cuts the other lines, the measure of what the distance should be in each case between the transverse equidistant lines of the pavement. ... A proof of whether they are correctly drawn will be if a single straight line forms the diagonal of connected quadrangles in the pavement. ... When I have carefully done these things, I draw a line across, ... which ... passes through the centric point. This line is for me a limit or boundary, which no quantity exceeds that is not higher than the eye of the spectator ... This is why men depicted standing in the parallel [to the horizon] furthest away are a great deal smaller than those in the nearer ones---a phenomenon which is clearly demonstrated by nature herself, for in churches we see the heads of men walking about, moving at more or less the same height, while the feet of those further away may correspond to the knee-level of those in front." Book II also has some concrete tricks in it, most notably the veil. "Circumscription is the process of delineating the external outlines on the painting. ... [T]o do this well, I believe nothing more convenient can be found than the veil ... whose usage I was the first to discover. It is like this: a veil loosely woven of fine thread ... divided up by thicker threads into as many parallel square sections as you like, and stretched on a frame. I set this up between the eye and the object to be represented, so that the visual pyramid passes through the loose weave of the veil." But most of all Book II discusses aesthetic principles, most of which are amusing but quite trivial, e.g. "if you painted centaurs in an uproar at dinner, it would be absurd amid this violent commotion for one of them to be lying asleep from drinking wine", and some of which are more interesting, e.g. "those painters who use white immoderately and black carelessly, should be strongly condemned. It would be a good thing if white and black were made from those pearls Cleopatra dissolved in vinegar, so that painters would become as mean as possible with them, for their works would then be both more agreeable and nearer the truth." There is a short Book III with more mundane advice along these lines: "It so happens that, as rich men are often moved by kindness more than by expert knowledge of art, they will give money to one man who is especially modest and good, and spurn another who is more skilled but perhaps intemperate. For this reason it behoves the artist to be particularly attentive to his morals, especially to good manners and amiability, whereby he may obtain the good-will of others, which is a firm protection against poverty, and money, which is an excellent aid to the perfection of his art."



2. Alberti is one of the more readable of the 'classic' authors on Art, much less prone to gossip than Vasari and less convoluted than Cennini. That said, some of the text on geometry in book one can be a bit difficult to follow. Alberti also loves to name-drop, continually referring to antique painters, but this was expected at the time - the ancients lending authority and historical context. 'On Painting' gives the reader an insight into the tastes and philosophies that inform the arts.
   
   Most interesting to me, as a teacher of drawing, were the insights on the fundamentals of life drawing - such as positioning of the head relative to the feet, and the shifting of values becuase of the limitations of white paper (or paint) being the brightest 'light' available to the artist. the saying 'there is nothing new under the sun' comes often to mind - you will read many of Alberti's observations in any contemporary text.
   
   Much of this may seem irrelevant to the modern painter - for example, his comments on consistency in portrayal of the figure may have been more relevant in an age when lay figures were used and painting took hours, but nonetheless bring up key points for the thoughtful artist to consider, especially for those interested in traditional painting. Use this book in conjunction with a good pictorial survey of art history (or the internet), so that you can readily refer to the pictures he mentions.
   
   For more of my reviews and links on Old Master Drawings, visit http://drawsketch.about.com/od/oldmasterdrawing/

3 comments about The Beautiful Fall: Fashion, Genius, and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris.

1. To those fashionistas who remember the early 70s and to those who don't, this book is wonderfully interesting and perfectly detailed in its comparisons and reflections on the works of St. Laurent and Lagerfeld. Although in the early 70s the US was just starting to swing, it seems that Paris was sizzling. This book made me envious of everyone there. I would recommend this book to everyone interested in fashion, pop culture and Paris.



2. I love this book. It's my Christmas discovery.
   If you like fashion, you will have so much fun discovering that everything we have now started in the seventies.
   Lot of details, you feel like an insider.
   Beetween Karl and Yves, which one will you choose ?



3. Despite the press, I don't think Kaiser Karl emerges as the more noble and human character. I actually like him more now.

3 comments about Art & Physics: Parallel Visions in Space, Time, and Light (P.S.).

1. This book seeks to provide connections about art and science. I would have liked more visual illustrations, but anyone who seeks to understand the patterns of this world will find the ideas interesting.
   
   Academic disciplines have become segregated in our individual disciplines, so this kind of synthesis is unique.
   
   I bought this book because it was recommended by one of my graduate students. The book was a gift for an engineer who enjoys art and design.



2. Leonard Shlain is a surgeon, not an art historian neither a physicist. His culture is impressively broad, but unfortunately shallow. His main thesis in this book is that basically all scientific discoveries were anticipated by artists. I find the interwoven relationship between art and science absolutely fascinating, but this book is not a reference that I would recommand on the topic.
   
   The main problem is that this book abuses of the juxtaposition of unrelated facts, and presents them with such virtuosity that a magical causality seem to appear. Shlain presents ancient thoughts with the enlightenment of modern frameworks, subtly rewriting them, emphasizing concept and translating them such that they seem to fit with forthcoming theories.
   
   This kind of pitfall has been described by Kuhn (the structure of scientific revolution). For example, if Newtonian mechanics can be expressed in the framework of relativity, relativity is NOT and extension of Newtonian physics, there is a fundamental revolution between them. It is only because Newtonian physics has been rewritten that it becomes more compatible with Einstein's new insights.
   
   Moreover, Shlain's understanding of relativity is weak at best. For example, he often makes the confusion between the effect of the finite speed of light (which can be expressed in a Newtonian context) and relativity.
   
   I was all the more disappointed that some of the issues are actually relevant and fascinating: relativity, non Euclidean, surrealism and cubism for example do share a common revolution of the notion of space (and thus of the place of humans in the world). Unfortunately, Shlain's caricatural statements are irrelevant: Manet had absolutely no idea of the concepts involved in relativity, and Einstein himself pointed out that cubism had nothing to deal with relativity (as opposed to Picasso's claims).
   
   If you want a good introduction to art history, read Gombrich, if you want to learn about physics in a broad context, read Zajong (Catching the light).



3. I thought this was a wonderful book. Tying the evolution of art to the evolution of thinking and science gave me a more holistic way to look at art. From the ancient Greeks through the Dark and Middle Ages, the Impressionists, and into modern times the parallels of physics to art are simply amazing. Perfect for us "left-brained" types.

No comments about Purple Anthology: Art Prose Fashion Music Architecture Sex.

5 comments about Art Escapes.

1. This book offers some very unique ideas. A fun read of some very interesting ideas.



2. I teach art at middle school and high school levels and I find myself refering to this book often for teaching ideas as well as using it myself. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to any artists in your life. Wonderful full color illustrations. Nice size to carry along with you on any outings and the spiral binding allows it to lay nice and flat. I love mine and would love to see some sort of a sequel to this book with even more great ideas!!!



3. A wealth of ideas beautifully and lovingly presented. It is full of easy-to-create, yet original and fun tips for quick art projects. Everything is explained in simple clear words, her language is upbeat and sparkling with enthusiasm. The idea of creating "thumbnail sketches" and small format paintings is an excellent way of bypassing any blocks which result from intimidation before a "big project", whether that is caused by dreading the time such a project would take, or the fear of wasting color and paper when one doesn't know if there'd be any results. The projects can be regarded as "small studies", "experiments", as "a moment of playing around with something artistic".
   
   The projects cover a variety of styles and themes, from realistic sketches with some very helpful and easy-to-follow tips on perspective, to semi-abstracts, to abstracts, to collages, to playing around with photocopies to create original works of art. I found her division of "color triads" to four types and the range of colors they can produce when mixed to be very helpful in understanding the moods of certain paintings and how to create them. They also inspire you to experiment with creating your own color triads (hence, a certain range in your palette) to bestow a certain character/light/mood on your own paintings.
   
   Not only are these ideas a way to make "takeaway art" in your busy life and keep you well nourished while you're on the run, but some of the results of these projects could easily inspire you to a larger piece of work which you will want to find time for. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to get art back into their lives despite the lack of time!



4. This isn't so much a book to me as it is a portfolio presentation with it's spiral binding and minimal pages. It doesn't work for me because, as one reviewer said, there are other books that better facilitate the creative process. For the price you can get much more quality and quantity than this one offers. My suggestion is "The Artist's Way" by Cameron, a book that has content that will keep unpealing levels in thought process towards substance. I'd categorize this as a book more apt for pre-teens and teens who enjoy a mix of crafting projects.



5. I really enjoy this book. It has workshops or projects to explore different techniques and to just stimulate your creativity. I used one of the projects to get started with shapes and watercolors--it has great pictures. I also enjoy the color palette used. This is one of the better art books to purchase. I have looked at many and some may have a couple of pages that really resonate but this one is consistent throughout the book. Using the exercises broadens your range and gives lots of ideas.

5 comments about The Art and Flair of Mary Blair.

1. Great product! As always, Amazon delivers a quality product at a great price in record time! Very pleased with item.



2. For anyone interested in the cartoon drawings of the familiar Disney era, (think Cinderella and Peter Pan)Mary Blair's art will delight. Her style was decidedly "folksy" in the early days and it's simplicity told the story with clarity. Disney commisioned Blair to create the characters in the exhibit "IT'S A SMALL WORLD" at Disneyland. With Mary Blair, Disney found a foil to show his unique view to the world...a truly American look.
   This book, THE ART AND FLAIR OF MARY BLAIR, is very well produced book by Disney editions, that shows the prolific Blair's drawings and art work, not only from the Disney era, but beyond.



3. The work of Mary Blair is well-known to animation and Disney aficianados, but there is a dearth of material available about her. Her influence on animation and Disney design was enormous. John Canemaker, as one has come to expect of his work, has written a terrific book on Blair. Well-illustrated, carefully noted.
   Although this book is very good, Mary Blair deserves a full-length biography.



4. When I visited Disneyland last year with my daughter I expected to fall in love all over again with various attractions at the park: Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Carousel. I honestly didn't expect to fall in love all over again with "It's a Small World" but I did.
   I had already heard the name, Mary Blair, but I didn't know anything about her so I decided to research her online and I found this book.
   What an incredible artist she was! John Cane tells her story and her contributions to everything Disney. She was an incredible artist! Her works now sell for many hundreds of dollars. It's too bad that she didn't live long enough to see herself become famous. Like most artists, she became famous after her death. At any rate, here is the story of the woman who created so much of the Disney magic. It's very well illistrated and an enjoyable read.



5. Beautiful and unique look into the life and developed portfolio of a retro animator. This book is nostalgic, child-like awe packaged. Wonderfully whimsical images.