4 comments about Humanities through the Arts.

1. This book provides a thorough survey of pretty much all the arts (not just visual arts) using plenty of well-chosen examples, many examined in some depth.
   
   The organization of the book generally has a chapter for each art form, with each chapter mostly organized into various themes. This complements other books organized according to an historical approach.
   
   By the time one has progressed through the journey of the entire book, the diligent reader should come away enriched with new perspectives on life and reality.
   
   The one downside of the book, which isn't minor, is that I found much of the writing to be unnecessarily complicated and tedious. I'm not saying that the authors needed to "dumb it down," but I do think they could have conveyed their message much more clearly without compromising its substance. It's as though they just adopted a clunky, somewhat highbrow style at the outset, got used to it, and than ran with it all the way through the book, forgetting the needs and wants of their audience in the process. Lest one think I'm being too critical, consider the book The Annotated Mona Lisa: A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to Post-Modern, which is both enlightening and a joy to read.
   
   The above issue brings my rating down to 4 stars, but I still certainly recommend the book because of the considerable value it brings to the reader. Just be prepared to be genuinely attentive as you read it. Your investment of time and effort will be well rewarded.



2. I love to buy my books on this web site because i never had any problems with orders.



3. I ordered using ISBN number as given by my university. What I received was not the same ISBN. It was the same title of the book, just the incorrect revision. I am doing an accelerated course, so the seller's offer of just return it for a full refund was not very helpful to me. I don't know if the problem was with the seller or Amazon. I am quite dissapointed that I got the wrong book. There are discrepancies.



4. Speedy and as ordered. If you are ordering this book for a class, make sure you get the correct ISBN number. There is a 2008 edition of this book!

No comments about Carve Your Own Totem Pole.

4 comments about The Daily Zoo: Keeping the Doctor at Bay with a Drawing a Day.

1. Inspirational, inspired and colorful. Chris IS a mad genius. Can't wait for the next two. The best happy ending was to read that you ended up with Thasja.



2. One of those books that good for the soul during these difficult times. So many inspiring books out there, but this one is so unique in it's approach. Great for all ages!



3. A special book by a special person for the kid in us all, even in their sixties and beyond. We can all relate to animals, real and imaginary. many are in Chris's book. Rumor has it that musk oxen, one of my favorites, are in the second year's drawings. Get a copy for yourself and you will soon develop a list of people who should have one.



4. This is an inspirational story and an utterly fantastic sketchbook of drawings. A book for any kid interested in following in the foot steps of Walt Disney... The story of Chris' fight with cancer is powerful and could be helpful to anyone going through the same painful treatment. There are 365 drawings of creatures from Chris' wildly creative mind. Over 100 of the illustrations include paragraphs of explanation which help you understand the drawings, the story of Chris' recovery and Chris himself. A good read; with many fantastic images to make the read pleasant and exciting.

1 comments about Vivienne Westwood (Va).

1. We caught the Vivienne Westwood retrospective traveling show at the De Young Museum in San Francisco, and were blown away by the inventive, fun, nutty clothes this woman produced. This book serves as a exhibition catalog, although many of the pieces in the show are not in the book, and nothing matches seeing the wild shoes, hats, dresses and frocks in person. The book design is a minor annoyance, as it can be a little hard to find the garment pictured, who was wearing it, or when it was created. And I think frankly the girl has her best work behind her, but the glory of it cannot be exaggerated, or, to put it another way, her exaggerations were truly glorious. Over The Top in the very best way.
   
   Thoreau would no doubt disapprove....

1 comments about Richard Diebenkorn in New Mexico.

1. This book accompanies an exhibition of Diebenkorn's works painted in New Mexico in the early 1950's. Wonderful illustrations make it a valuable addition to the literature on the artist. Now, you really have to be an all-out Diebenkorn fan to consider that these early works measure up to what was being painted at the same time in New York by the likes of Pollock, De Kooning, Rothko, Kline and Guston. Diebenkorn became great when he started the Ocean Park series in the 1970's, but here, he only reveals himself as a good colorist. The merit of this catalogue lies, in my opinion, in the high quality of the illustrations, albeit of minor works, and in the sensible text written by a leading authority on the artist.

5 comments about The Art of Faux: The Complete Sourcebook of Decorative Painted Finishes (Crafts Highlights).

1. The most in-depth reference book I could have asked for. Exactly what I wanted and needed.



2. I purchased this for my daughter who is a faux painter. She loves the book. She says there are many techniques in here that are new to her and she is enjoying doing them.



3. Pierre's book is considered the bible of Faux and is a must have reference guide for the experienced faux finisher!
   
   A great example of the marbles he is so famous for can be found in the Morrocan mural he co-painted with Sean Crosby in the hot new book benefiting charity "The House that Faux Built" Transform Your Home with Paint, Plaster and Creativity The House That Faux Built check out the search inside feature.



4. This book contains excellent descritions of equipment and techniques used for decorative painting. It is well inllustrated and easy to read.
   
   GM



5. Great resource book. Cool techniques...a bit intimidating for a beginner but full of information.

2 comments about Painting Fabulous Flowers with Donna Dewberry.

1. Absolutely WOW!! Makes several of her other books look mundane. She has many that I was interested in learning to paint. Excelllent



2. This is an excellent book for beginners and experienced decorative painters. Donna Dewberry always has clear instructions and wonderful ideas.

5 comments about Draw Horses With Sam Savitt.

1. My granddaughter is 12 years old and is becoming an accomplished drawer of horses thanks to this book. It has been her favorite for three years. We have been regularly checking it out from our local library and finally I decided it would be easier to just buy it for her. She loved it and continues spending hours practicing the Savitt techniques to improve her artistic abilities.



2. I haven't actually used the book yet but it looks like it will be good for me. There seem to be many horses I would like to draw and they are detailed enough that I think they will be helpful in teaching me the finer details I need to draw horses well.



3. This book is so amazing, The first day that I had it I was drawing horses better than I ever thought I could! If you are interested in horses, conformation, breeds, and drawing, this is the perfect book! It gives you page by page instructions and examples, plus sketching from photographs. If you have any doubts about this book, don't worry, it's great!



4. My daughter loves to draw and loves horses. She has never been able to get them right. The first day the book came in she drew the body of the horse unbelievably well. Just by following the guidelines in two of the pages. Of course the legs need some work but there's lots of help within the book for that. A real keeper!



5. This book is a perfect guide for learning to draw horses. Sam Savitt's artwork is excellent, and he captures horses in a amazing way. Great book for anyone who loves drawing!

1 comments about Fast & Fun Flowers in Acrylics.

1. This is such a well designed book. A must for all decorative painters who love florals. The spiral bound book gives ease of use and reference. This artist really delivers with the information, content, illustrations, directions. Its so refreshing to buy a book that actually delivers what it adverises!! So glad I picked this one up. I've taken a break from decorative paining for a few years and miss it so am starting up again but am rusty from the absence. I selected this book and also Maureen McNaugton's Brushstroke Handbook: Ultimate guide.... It too is well worth buying. The latter is a brushstroke content but the illustrations and also directions plus color suggestions (as in Laure Paillex's too) are great at getting started. Both can be combined to make beautiful stilllife bouquets. And for the quick version I also added Donna Dewberry's Flowers from A to Z and am happy with that choice as well. Enjoy.

3 comments about Draw 50 Birds: The Step-by-Step Way to Draw Chickadees, Peacocks, Toucans, Mallards, and Many More of Our Feathered Friends (Draw 50 Series , No 25).

1. My child loves to draw, even though admittedly is not yet very good at it. This book has shown the way to better drawing skills in a step-by-step way. There is nothing "cartoon-ish" about the drawings, as they are realistic portayals, which is what my child is striving for. Not too difficult though, for a younger child either. My 8-year-old absolutely loves all the books in this series. They don't involve much reading at all. Each pictures shows many steps from beginning to end, not just a few.



2. This was the most useful book for learning to draw birds that I have found to date. It was easy to follow, the drawings were accurate without being overly ornate, and the diversity of birds was perfect. I would recommend this book to anyone trying to learn to draw, and especially for those who want to draw birds.



3. good book. when Lee J. Ames draws with someone else it is a bit harder. still easy and fun.