5 comments about Art Nouveau Floral Patterns and Stencil Designs in Full Color (Dover Pictorial Archive Series).

1. This book has great designs and some very pretty artwork, however I would not really call it a stencil book. There are only a few stencils in the back of the book and they are all in full color with printing on both sides of the page so there would be no way to use the stencils out of the book. You could photocopy them for use but there are only about 10 pages of real stencil designs the rest are front and back fairly intricate artwork that would be not good for stenciling, but they make great little pictures for frames, etc.



2. I have about two dozen books specifically purporting to be Art Nouveau 'collections', and NOT ONE, or even THREE COMBINED, come close to capturing what THIS book offers, albeit in the "floral" patterns category... To artists looking for a definitive 'starter' source, in the art of the period, for repurposing in art, crafts and decor (ie: wallpaper, fabric, pottery, woodcarving, etc.), pick up a copy of this book and forget the rest! I was able to find not only what I needed for several initial projects, but was inspired to START more new projects based on the sparkling ideas inspired by this plethora of lush color images. Only wished a CD-ROM was available to accompany this book with hi-res digital images, as it would have made importing images to my computer (for re-sizing, tiling, color changes, etc.) much easier than hand-scanning... Only my collection of (specifically) Alphonse Mucha art books surpasses the value of "Art Nouveau Floral Patterns & Stencil Designs", and that is only because I have not YET found a like compilation of M. P. Verneuil 'figure' designs.



3. This book exceeded my hopes. It had many more images in full color than I expected for such a cheap book. I have seen other books by Verneuil and they were half as nice and mostly black and white. I think anyone into decorating, drawing, and painting will like this book. It will inspire you to create art nouveau lines and flowers on your own work.



4. If you are into art nouveau, you will enjoy this Dover book. Again many variations on floral themes.



5. I thought the artwork in this book was stunning, and the reproduction quality and colors were lovely. I did have one major problem with the book, two of the main designs on the cover (topmost horizontal design and the center horizontal design) are NOT IN THE BOOK! These are two of the main patterns I planned to use from the book, and now if I want to, I need to get them from the cover, where they are covered by text. I found this to be unacceptable! Please keep this fact in mind if the cover is what won you over.

5 comments about The Art of Cars.

1. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2GX5U2BQRCI62 From John Lasseter's foreword:
   It also became a journey with its own reward, one we wanted to share with you in this book. -end-
   
   With that, the book brings you onto a fantastic journey on the creative process of creating Cars, the movie close to John Lasseter's heart.
   
   The few pages of stories separating the art let you understand how research was done, what the artists learn and ideas they want to bring across to the audience.
   
   This book is filled with plenty of concept art drawings. Pixar artists draw hundreds of drawings each day but only selected ones were included into the book due to the limited number of pages. Every page is packed with art.
   
   Also included are storyboards, architectural drawings, landscape drawings, lighting studies, car decor sketches, photos from their road trips.
   
   This is a wonderful selection of drawings pulled off directly from the drawing board.
   
   There are more pictures on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for my blog's link.



2. I was pleased to have this book be in prime condition when it arrived. The price was excellent. The order came in a timely fashion.
   
   The Art of books by Pixar are wonderful. For the artist these books give a great background into how the art brought the story alive.
   
   I highly recommend these books, especially for those who love Pixar.



3. If you enjoy learning the behind the scenes process that goes into many of the animated and computer animated films of today, you will love this book.
   
   It shows step by step the drawings and thoughts that went into each character in Radiator Springs and also the creation of all the backdrops. From the smallest signs and orange cones to the racetrack and beyond, you can see how it all evolved.
   
   It's nicely bound with a great jacket cover. Definitely a nice coffee table book your guests will enjoy leafing through or the perfect addition to the library of any art and animation lover.



4. I purchased this art of book recently and found it one of the best art of books I now own. The illustrations are very helpful to my concept art assignments. Great reading



5. Pixar's most recent animation is fully revealed in this wonderful art book. All the research, ideas, and concepts are printed gorgeously in this book. You see how the ideas are captured on paper to guide the production teams to make one of the best animation in years. Conceptual ideas of characters from the beginning to the final rendered CGI model on screen are all there. The landscape is captured in with colorful pastel paintings. Even all the details from neon signs to the Southwest vegetation are drawn out for you to see. Everything in the book is traditional artwork techniques from pastels, blue pencil, to gray scale markers. Only a few pages have any 3D images for you to see, but in an age where everything is computerized... its really nice to see that old fashioned techniques being used.
   
   Its a quality book I highly recommend for the Pixar fan, 3D animation enthusiast, and art students.

5 comments about 100 Creative Drawing Ideas.

1. The exercises are good ways to experiment with different ways of drawing and thinking of composition, materials, spatial concerns, etc. I try to do one every week.



2. As any art instructor will know, students can only take working from a still life for so long. This book offers some alternatives to break up the monotony of foundation drawing classes. My students responded well to many of the ideas in the book.



3. I am a high school art teacher and am always looking for fresh ideas for creative and relevant assignments. This book is full of great ideas. I would recommend it to high school or college instructors.



4. Another instructor at my university loaned me his copy, and before I totally dog-eared it, it seemed only right to return his and buy my own. While this is NOT an "everything you need to know about drawing" book, it IS a great resource of (mostly) university level drawing assignments from various instructors. Of course not every assignment/idea is workable for all classrooms, but there are certainly enough good ideas to make this a worthwhile support for one's library. Many of these would be excellent for high school level classes, which would certainly raise the level of instruction at a critical developmental point in student's seeing and drawing skills.
   The biggest frustration in teaching a beginning drawing course at universtiy, is "fresh-out-of-highschool" students who have no clue about the rigorous study needed to develop competent drawing skills. The assignments outlined in the text are intriguing and challenging enough to engage these new students and get them over the frustration stage of this foundational art skill. The one drawback I've found is the singularity of some of the ideas, a lack of knowing what came before or followed after, so a consideration of how the selected assignments fit into particular curricular goals is necessary.



5. could easily provide inspirations for artists and is very very useful for art instructors in particular.

5 comments about The Complete Guide to Chip Carving.

1. This guide is helpful on the face of it. It will be intereting how quickly I absorb the basics and begin to branch out to my own work and designs. The guide looks very useful.



2. This is an excellent book and it is very complete. If, however, you have a number of Barton's previous books, there is not much new in this one, and that includes the designs shown. So, if you are an experienced chip carver and know Barton's work, I think that you would be disappointed with this book.



3. This book is a good companion to the Chip Carving DVD by Wayne Barton - it reinforces many of the items presented in the DVD, shows numerous finished examples, and provides patterns and techniques for creating patterns on the wood you use. Highly recommended!



4. Not only is this a complete book on chip carving it is well written and easy to understand with many excellent examples.



5. I carve wedding plates, jewelry boxes, and borders on relief carvings. This book provides many samples I can use for my work. It is a super book well worth being a part of any chip carver's arsenal.

5 comments about John Singer Sargent.

1. On the outside the book is large and gorgeous with a glossy dust jacket. Open the cover and the the inside color matches Lady Agnew's sash! Turn another page and -inferior quality paper. The colors of the reproductions are dull. TONS of black and white photographs. In some sections, pages and pages of just black and white photographs. By the large size of the book, I thought I would get to see large pictures. Not so, except for Chapter introductions where a close up of a detail might be featured, elsewhere there are sometimes 3-4 tiny pictures squeezed onto the same page. Too small (and some in black and white) to appreciate any of them. I was VERY disappointed and am going to return it. I have three other books on Sargent and the quality is just so much better than this one.



2. 
   H. H. Munro once said that to die before having one's portrait painted by Sargent was to have died prematurely. He was on target. Of course most of us cannot expect to afford the luxury of having our portrait painted by anyone of note, but if that lucky opportunity came along, alas!, now it is the artist himself who is no longer with us.
   
   This is a wonderful book. It gives the art admirer a good look at much of J S Sargent's oeuvre and the illustrations are faithful, of the highest quality.
   
   The book also allows one to trace Mr. Sargent's life and career, with enough detail to make the development of his art make sense. An American by linage, a Parisian by training and an Anglophile by choice, Mr. Sargent was at home in the best of houses and traveled to places that are still high on everyone's wish list. So whether he is giving us a look at the beau monde of two continents or the canals of Venice we are blessed with his record, which is truer than photography.
   
   Once you have fallen in love with these works of art--and who cannot?--you will want to seek out those that are in public hands for a closer inspection. Do. There are two Sargents in the White House, for instance, Teddy Roosevelt in the East Room and The Mosquito Net in the Green Room. One of the many reasons to see our President's House.
   
   But you will find Sargents in out of the way places, too. There is a fine portrait in the Richmond (VA) Museum of Art, Mrs. Vickers holding a magnolia blossom as she arranges a centerpiece before a dinner party. She, who is somewhat plain, holds that breathtaking flower and we almost hear Sargent saying, "The woman is this lovely, as well, if you take time to know her." It is well worth a trip there to see it.
   
   And if you can, spend a goodly amount of time gazing at Madame X. It really is sensational in all meanings of the word.
   
   If you have only one book on your coffee table, this is the book to have.



3. I am extremely pleased with this purchase although I haven't
   reached 'the end' yet. The colour plates are clear which is
   so important. I already possess Sargent Abroad which I
   would also readily recommend.



4. I purchased this book because my eleven year old needed it for a school project. It is more than just a pretty book, it has enough information in it for her to complete her report. I enjoy looking and reading about the work of John Sargent because his work is so beautiful. This is a book that when one feels the world is so crazy and ugly, you can pick up this book to escape. It was money well spent.



5. In my estimation there is no better artist in all of history. Now that's a pretty bold statement, but anyone who has viewed Sargent's originals would have to agree this man painted with authority and bravado. Yes, he was a showoff. I think that sometimes he would make a brushstroke just to say "see what I can do?" A lot of people don't realize that he painted fantastic watercolors as well as great oil portraits. If you want to see what a brush can do in the hands of a true master, study the work of John Singer Sargent.

3 comments about Reality Through the Arts (5th Edition).

1. The seller was excellent with communicating with me. Not only did he send the product the same evening - I ordered after 3p, he gave me helpful hints and immediate communication via email. The book was in very good condition and arrived in a timely manner, although next time I'd order 2-day since it was sent from the East Coast.



2. I used this for a fine arts class. It is a very nice book and has lot's of pictures too look at while the prof drones on and on.



3. book was needed for friend's class at college.
   she is quite pleased with it.

5 comments about Logo.

1. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R10O2X4NH3H7A7 This is a very simple book. It's a catalog of logos -- the logo, the designer and logo's company.
   
   The categorization is by logotypes, letters, wordmarks, initials, typographic elements, symbols, abstract and representational. Under these are future categorization. Please view the picture below large to get an idea because it's hard to explain.
   
   The collection of logos featured are primarily printed in black and white in this book. The lead in page however, has the logos (small), in color.
   
   That's pretty much about this book. Oh, and it's thick at 350 pages, more so because it's printed on 160gsm (I guess) matt paper.
   
   There are more pictures of the book on my blog:
   parkablogs.blogspot.com/2008/10/book-review-logos-by-michael-evamy.html



2. This is a great reference. Most of the designs are in black and white, which does emphasize the form. As designers, it's important for us to understand that shape might be the most distinctive aspect of a logo. This book includes backgrounds and cites the designer for nearly every of the 1300 logos featured.



3. This is a nicely conceived book but has a few problems. None of which stopped me from buying it!
   The design and typography used to differentiate sections of the book (groups and categories in the book or classifications of types of symbols, logotypes, signatures, etc.) is difficult to use. If the actual type and design to differentiate these sections had been more clearly done, the book would have been much more useful and leveraged one of its greatest assets. (So, whoever designed the book made that mistake!)
   The last section of the book is on multiple solutions used for one identity. This is in contrast to most identity design which uses only one logo or symbol (Apple, Nike, 99% of the book).
   This multiple identity solution (sorry, the author calls it something else but I don't have the book with me at home while I write this) is a trend that is emerging slowly over the past 10-15 years. But the coverage in this book is very thin. There are a number of other examples of this method which are not included. I wish there was more on this.
   One thing I would like to have seen more of is deeper historical context of identities. More text on, about, why, and who of each or most of the designs. Right now, it is just a picture collection.
   Not so much a flaw but something to consider - This book has the greats. Old and newer and very new. But it also has some real silly stinker examples. You wonder, why is that logo in here? For example: the ugly reworking of the UPS logotype shield. Why include this? (and I am not a fan of Paul Rands original although, it would have been far better to included for historical impact purposes)
   Indeed, this is the bible and shows the good, the bad, and the ugly but all on a level playing field.



4. I can't possibly explain the scope of the book briefly; therefore, I will explain some of the benefits, challenges and basic layout of Logo. First of all, the book covers over 1,300 different corporate brand marks currently in use around the world and categorises them by a similar characteristic shared by each logo such as a chapter featuring handwritten typefaces, a chapter on square logos, 3D logos, etc. The book is mostly in black and white with the use of colour being used sparingly, which is unfortunate as colour is an important element of some of these logos, if not the most important. Seeing the Pepsi logo in greyscale, without seeing how it uses its red and blue gradients, is disappointing.
   However, the book is satisfying by the sheer quantity of logos being printed and is a rich source for inspiration and reference. The editors reference every logo, so you know the year and the designer and most references include a little spiel about how a logo came to be, why it was accepted and why it works. A must have for graphic designers just because of its convenience.



5. As a design student, I have been looking for a book that has collection of logo to reference and analyze. This book is a great reference to see logos that are substantial and corporate. It contains logos that are well known to small. Also, most of all the logos are in black and white which I find it better to understand the form.

3 comments about Wolf Kahn.

1. I love the paintings of Wolf Kahn. The book was exactly what I had hoped for.



2. This was a gift and a perfect one for the person I gave it to. Lots of color and something to display !



3. I had never even heard of Wolf Kahn until I saw this book at a local store. I looked through it fell in love with the art and had to have it. I recieved the book as a present(ordered from amazon--saved 15 bucks or so) and loved it. It has great info on Kahns life and comments on style, use of color etc. But what really makes this book great are the pages and pages of paintings. What makes most art books truly great(to me at least) is a lot of high quality color photos of the artists work to go along with some insightful commentary. This has many. From his early works up to as recent as 1995 paintings I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the painting on the cover. If you like that you will not be disappointed

4 comments about Design Essential Index (Kit).

1. The Design Essential Kit contains three books that look really great and have many, many examples to give you good ideas making (better) designs.



2. Both my daughter (a regional marketing analyst) and I (a high school graphics design teacher) share several of the Jim Krause texts, and we are very satisfied using them as think-tank references.



3. This is the second book set I bought from this author and I've enjoyed them both. This set contains the updated book of color along with two others. Great reference books and fun to flip through.



4. As a budding designer, this series of books is a jolt of stimulating air!
   No bewildering and incomplete tutorials, just inspiring visual stuff.
   Jim is such a brilliant communicator and artistic mind that one cannot help but be totally seduced and informed by his vivid passion.
   Simple and pure creative sparks here...

5 comments about Frida Kahlo: The Paintings.

1. Great biography that explains everything you'd ever want to know about the adverse yet bittersweet life of the amazing and vibrant soul that is Frida Kahlo. Includes all, if not most of her paintings and explains each one down to the core. Also includes wonderful photos of Frida and the people in her life, throughout her entire life. I totally suggest this one =o)



2. If you are curious to know more about Frida Kahlo's life, inspiration, and paintings, this is the right book to look at. The paintings and photographs create a very complete biography of this great woman and artist. She was ahead of her time. This book is easy and interesting to see and to read.



3. I know nothing about Mexico or about paintings. And I am least interested to read biographies. Still I found myself intriguied by Frida Kahlo who is a Mexican painter and picked this biography on her life. Her life is very extraordinary as I found out when I watched this movie on her starring Salma Hayek. And I loved this book because it told the story of her through her paintings.
   Its her paintings which make you wanna ask questions, for her paintings are not about pretty flowers or landscape or fishes in the oceans. Many of her paintings are in fact shocking in the way that they are too direct and poignant, and splattered with a lot of blood but still they are not asking for any sympathy or anything at all. Frida was a very talented woman who could make striking poetry on canvas. She painted everything with an element of her in it.... her emotions, her pain, her longing and her feelings. She is all about strength, strong will, determination,and pride. She did not try to do right or wrong thing but live her life her own way, on her rules, a woman who made herself memorable and a legend through her paintings. She inspires because of her gritty life.
   This book is very engrossing read on Frida's life as seen through her paintings.



4. This is easily, and without fluff, the best Frida Kahlo bio in print. Herrera not only has a great gift with wordds, but she truly gets within Kahlo's turbulent times, affairs and issues to paint a very descriptive world of this brilliant, tortured woman.



5. My children gave this book to me for Christmas as a companion to Frida's biography. It is beautiful and comprehensive. A must-have for any fan of her work.