3 comments about Raku Secrets: The Complete Guide to Amazing Raku Results.

1. Zowie! If you want info on the secret workings of this confounding art, this is the book for you. It works as a beginners guide or as a veteran's handbook. This book breaks raku down into easy-to-understand terms, yet provides little-known insights that could take you years to acquire on your own. Do yourself a favor: invest in the knowledge it takes to give you the edge. This is the book to do that.



2. I've been working out of this book for a couple years now... I've found some amazing glazes and worked out several kinks in my firing process. My work has developed in the direction I want it to now that I have this excellent vocabulary of glazes to work with..... If you raku glaze you'll want this book.



3. If you are looking for a practical guide that clearly explains the Raku process then this is the book to read. The contents are well organized, cleanly presented, and highly informative. I am so glad that I bought this book!

5 comments about The Art Of Comic-Book Inking 2nd Edition.

1. This is a must. First part of the book follows the usual terms on drawing manuals: talks about materials, technics and so. The best comes next, when you get a group of examples inked by different known artists, each of one explained by them, talking about the work. And, also, explaining how did they do it (what kind of brushes, pens, focus of their work...)



2. This guide was very well written and very informative. However, I was dissapointed that more time was not spent on Pen and Ink techniques.
   I did lean alot from this publication an will apply that knowlege to my future projects.



3. Overall, I felt this book was a good starting place for someone who wants to know how to ink comics. If you know nothing, or next to nothing about how to go about putting ink on top of pencil, this is definitely where to start. If you know more, you'll probably still gain from this book.
   
   The book does seem to emphasize that inking with a brush is the "best" method, and I can understand if one wishes to have a fluid feel/style to their comics, brush inking would be best. But brush or pen is something that one can use to taste.
   
   My main complaint with the book is that there isn't enough instruction on how to best handle a brush or pen, how to put a line on a page, how to make it thick or thin, how much pressure, etc. There are several references to the years it's taken any given inker to master the brush. "Doing" is the best way to learn, and you'll have to learn what works for you, and at least this book gives a good place to start "doing". (I'll admit that's kinda my fault for expecting inking would be easy.)
   
   I do appreciate that this book gives a good list of materials to use, plus practice pages. The book has many little gems of advice. Definitely makes me wish I could be an apprentice inker so I could learn more from experiance.
   
   After I got this book home, I also got myself some new brushes and pens, and I've begun drawing lots of lines... thin lines, thick lines, thin to thick lines, etc. I haven't yet tackled the practice pages. If you want to be good, this book, and a lot of time to practice are a good start.
   
   (P.S. The book I bought was "The Complete Art Of Comic-Book Inking" IBSN: 1593074050, it isn't "Volume II." It is a little confusing on Amazon because IBSN:1569712581 might be the 2nd edition, but has the same comments as this book. Be sure you are getting the "Complete" book.)



4. First of all I want everyone to notice that this is only VOLUME 2. Volume one is no longer available anywhere. Thus, making this book fairly useless. The only thing that it's really good at it showing different stiles between professional comic book inkers. It nice to page through and I don't regret buyin it but it is not necessary for an artist's library.



5. Good stuff. Gary Martin teaches solid fundamentals for comic book inking, focusing mainly on superhero work inked with brushes. His advice is pretty thorough -- he starts with how to properly hold a brush, and works through essential things like placing line-weights according to lighting and spotting blacks to establish emphasis. Later sections have a variety of professionals providing their inks over the same page of Steve (the dude) Rude's pencil art to demonstrate individual inking styles. The best thing about this book is Martin's dedication to explaining solid fundamentals instead of just showing you the usual flashy effects. I busted my hand once a couple years ago and, while recuperating, read and absorbed this fine little book. It made me re-think how I approach inking and I still apply much of Martin's advice daily. The followup Volume 2 is also good but has far less real content and more comparitive samples by pros.

4 comments about The Complete Canvasworker's Guide: How to Outfit Your Boat Using Natural or Synthetic Cloth.

1. My son just bought his first sailboat - a wooden "fixer" but she floats. I have been asked to help with the sewing projects required for her restoration. Very helpful book - was hoping for more info on seat cushions as they are so different from regular household cushions in shape. Overall very good!



2. This book is concise and straight to the point. If you are looking for information on how to sew curtains and placemats you will not find it here. If you want to do serious boat canvas work you should have this book in your library.



3. This book is simply a collection of the instructions for the Sailrite kits. You can get it all free at www.sailrite.com



4. One of the better canvas making guides out there. I have already made several projects from the book, They are well laid out and easy to follow. A must own for the DIY canvas people...

5 comments about Silent Theater: The Art of Edward Hopper.

1. I agree with all the positive comments by other reviewers. A solid, detailed and scholarly work that reproduces good prints of Hopper's art. It is well written and has some interesting readings of Hopper's paintings.
   
   On a completely personal note: one thing which disappointed me slightly was Wells' tendency to read a lot of the paintings from a Freudian/Jungian angle. This is a tendency not only of Wells, but (it seems to me) a vast number of art critics.



2. This book presents misinformation that will confuse anyone seriously interested in the subject. Much of what it offers is not new and has appeared elsewhere previously. The reproductions are the book's best feature.



3. This book studies the art of Edward Hopper through its various influences: the influence of literature and the influence of the artist's mood and psyche, at the different periods of his life. Beyond the mere statement that his was an art of silence, the author manages to dig deeper and shows us how nothing in Hopper's works, whether paintings or etchings, was left to chance. The many top-quality illustrations add to the overall value of this book which is, in my opinion, one of the best available on the artist (along with the catalogue for the 2007 retrospective which also is a must-have).



4. As a long-time admirer of the paintings of Edward Hopper, I was delighted to discover Walter Wells' new book, Silent Theater (Phaedon), a large-format compendium of Hopper's work with a wealth of large color illustrations of the major works and detailed textual commentary that is both scholarly and readable, that is informative, stylistically graceful, and blessedly free both of academic and postmodern jargon. The size of the book places it in what ordinarily goes by the name "coffee table" book, but this is far more than what that rubric, or other such volumes, suggests. Professor Wells' comprehensive and detailed text interprets (often quite originally) and in detail the major works and places the discussion of Hopper's art in the broad contexts of modernism and urban society and culture in the early half of the twentieth century as well as the psychological (e.g., Jung and Freud) and literary forces that influenced Hopper and provided the intellectual and artistic arenas in which he worked. The title suggests both the silence which is so much a part of his work--aloneness, loneliness, and alienation--and the narrative quality of his work which engages the viewer in an active role of reading meaning into the images, whose implications so often go beyond the edge of the canvas. This is a splendid work (at a reasonable price) and a welcome addition to the work that has been done on Hopper, one of America's most original and engaging artists.



5. The author, Walter Wells brings this art and this artist (Edward Hopper) into an almost molecular intimacy. People who like Hopper (usually fiercly) are commonly aware that Hopper was more or less an unfriendly cuss...but his stark, dark, flat,impoverished, humorless, and altogether fascinating works prevail upon us... so we need to know more. Here it is, in (250 plus)very large pages! The most popular of Hopper's paintings have kept many of us more than curious, willing to seek and hang his abundantly available prints, because his subjects and style create mystery, tension, the wonderment of a story...untold. (Hence the title "Silent Theatre") World renown and celebrated works, "Railroad Sunset", "Early Sunday Morning" and "Nighthawks"--or "High Noon". are all inside; discussed, compared, associated and dissected. The book begins with with a charming introduction concerned with Hopper's childhood and youth; his affinity for theatre and literature. From there,the author takes us into a grand array of about 175 paintings, and many etchings, (and relate works by other artists), divided into 15 genres of Hopper's craft and psyche. It is this organization that brings us into what I think is a masterful, beautifully written, account of the Man... his loves, his life, his work -- early, middle and late. How do I say it? --The book "stays after" Hopper, and gets into each painting in granular detail. ( I won't finish it for weeks, or...months. It is vast and thorough...and one can open it anywhere and spend an enjoyable few minutes..or an hour!

No comments about Watercolour Landscapes (Ready to Paint).

2 comments about Mark Rothko, 1903-1970: Pictures as Drama (Taschen Basic Art).

1. If you do not want to spend a fortune and still read a good introduction to Rothko's work, this is the best choice. It covers the whole career of the artist in a text which is short and easy to read, with surprisingly good illustrations of famous or rarely seen works (many are in private collections, like the one on the cover). This is what you call good value for your money. Do not expect, though, to have a comprehensive analysis on each of the works; I would call this book "Rothko for beginners", which is, in no way, a negative opinion.



2. There are many larger, fatter and even better books on Rothko, but this little volume is pretty solid. At ten bucks, you shouldn't even wait for the second thought: it's a sure thing. It includes a wealth of color reproductions, and frankly their scale is surprisingly generous for a book of modest dimensions. Some are as large as the repros in all but the largest-format Rothko books. Taschen has wisely chosen to devote a full, text-less page to most of the canvases reprinted here, and the photography is fine and sensitive. Good quality photos like these reveal nuances that make the photos effectively "larger".

   The text covers Rothko's life and analyzes his thought, innovations and development through abundant quotations and sound analysis. There's unusually full exploration of his early work, and a good chapter on his symbolist-surrealist myth-paintings (though I miss seing "Slow Swirl by the Edge of the Sea.") The book also includes a few works by other artists where appropriate (as in the reprint of a Matisse painting that Rothko answered with his "Hommage to Matisse"). It's a complete yet efficient book, as are most of the titles in this series.

   My sole important reservation about the book concerns the minimal coverage of the essential "multiform" period of Rothko's work--only three or so examples appear here. That's an important failing, but not enough to dull my overall enthusiasm.

5 comments about Masterpieces of Illumination: The World's Most Famous Manuscripts 400 To 1600.

1. "Masterpieces of Illumination: The World's Most Beautiful Illuminated Manuscripts from 400 to 1600" is essentially a reprint of "Codices illustres: The World's Most Famous Illuminated Manuscripts 400 to 1600." The former is one of many 25th anniversary Taschen editions, and bears the series logo on its dust-jacket and bright green cover (rather than the classier illumination of the Limburg Brother's Anatomical Man that adorns the cover of the latter). "Masterpieces" is also slightly smaller (9 ¾" x 12 ½") than the original (10 ¼" x 13 ¼"). There are a few other slight differences between the two editions: different endpapers; white paper for the appendix in "Masterpieces," ivory in "Codices"; and slightly darker illustrations in Masterpieces (only noticeable if you actually compare the editions side by side). Otherwise the two editions are virtually identical.
   This is a truly wonderful book. It contains discussions and representative illuminations from 167 of the most famous and influential extant codices, books of hours, psalters, Bibles and histories from Europe and Asia (23 or the 167 are from Persia, turkey and India) during the 1200 years in which manuscript illumination flourished as an art form (and at the end of the text proper are samples from yet another 29 manuscripts). The full-color and often full-page illustrations are beautifully and accurately rendered, and the accompanying descriptions are both authoritative and unusually informative. The appendix contains artist biographies, along with a comprehensive bibliography, glossary, and index. In short, this is more than just a coffee-table book; in fact, I use it in my university course on manuscript illumination (along with Christopher De Hamel's excellent "A History of Illuminated Manuscripts," which forms the perfect companion piece to this volume.).
   At the current retail price ($29.95) this book is an absolute steal. If you only get one book on the subject of manuscript illumination, this should be the one!



2. I agree with every word written in the previous reviews: this is a stunning work and one of my most prized possessions, ranging across manuscript illumination from the very earliest known through early to late Middle Ages and Renaissance, and geographically also ranging much more widely (i.e. outside Europe) than any work I've come across.
   
   I paid £37 for it in the UK when it first came out ($75), and still thought it was an absolute bargain. So I am mystified why it is suddenly available (October 2007) at a fraction of the price: this must be being sold at a loss - or are Taschen simply offloading all unsold copies to Amazon? It might be worth Amazon specifying if this indeed the same as the original edition. You'll note that the cover picture is slighlty different from the one you get when you follow the link to the more expensive 'other editions' (even if the text content and reviews are identical).



3. Illumination has fascinated me since I was a boy. This is the best book I have seen of illuminations. The scope includes books in Greek, Latin, Old Church Slavonic, Persian, and Mayan. The printing is superb. Detailed descriptions tell who did the work, who patronized it, who owned the book, where it is now, and so forth. Great for browsing for enjoyment and as a source of inspiration. I expect this book to be a favorite for many years to come. Anybody who enjoys calligraphy and illumination would be delighted to own this book.



4. This book is worth every penny! It has fantastic HUGE pictures full of great detail. As an artist who specialises in ancient illuminated manuscripts, I value this book above all others in my personal library. So many great manuscripts are represented here. Truely high art!



5. This book deserves a seven stars score, as it is magnificent in every sense: Paper, Colour palette reproduction, basic and reliable information accompanying every depicted facsimil, and specially because of the scope of the compendium, involving manuscript examples from arabic countries as well as a XIII century mexican manuscript (The Borgia Codex currently held at the Biblioteca Vaticana) This collection shows (as rarely done by supossedly comprehensive treatises) that Mesoamerican, Chinese and Arabic cultures do also possess a very rich medieval heritage, characterised by a colourful tradition in art production. I strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in Medieval illumination, as well as for those modern illuminators concerned with applying only authentic medieval colours (mostly inorganic compounds) in their manuscript reproductions and finally, this book serves also as a comprehensive guide for visiting great libraries and museums all around the world where some of these manuscripts are exhibited (Do not forget to visit the Condé Museum and The Marmottan-Monet Museum in France).

5 comments about Hiroshige, 100 Views of Edo.

1. This is a stunning book. From the moment you feel its silk cover, undo the ivory-like closures, unwrap the book from its casing, I had the sense that this was something special and breathtaking. The detail and color of the prints are beautiful. You can see into the images that Hiroshige created right down to his technique.
   
   Taschen produces books that are as brilliantly executed from a production point of view as the body of the book is brilliant from a content point of view.



2. Yes, there are cropped images at the start of this huge and beautiful book to add illustrations to the informative introduction, but the main body of this publication is made up of full size, uncropped excellent reproductions of all 118 of the "100 Views". I give it the full 5 stars for the Japanese style binding, single sided printing and silk effect covered portfolio slipcase... and it's uncropped reproductions.



3. The new Hiroshige tome is wonderful. The colors are bright and the images are focused even including the wood grain from the original woodblock. I have a few of the original prints in my collection and am impressed with the quality of the "new" images. I liked it so much that I gave a copy to friends who also value the artist and genre.



4. This book has a nice and interesting manufacturing job with lots of very large pictures. However, the real essence of an art book is the pictures. The large images are all drastically cropped. Lost is the meaning given to the prints by their context and composition. In Asian Art the "empty" space is at least as important as the image. The editor of this volume seemed to think that the objective images are the essence. To magnify these he cropped. Bad taste! Being such a heavy book, this was expensive to return. I would be embarrassed to even have it on my book shelf.



5. Hiroshige is a very well known Japanese artist who worked in the style called, ukiyo-e, wood block prints whose name translates as pictures of the floating world. Floating, fleeting, ephemeral world, the world of transitory pleasures. Just as cherry blossoms last but for a brief time, so are our lifes. Since they are gone so quickly, they must be cherished all the more while they are still here.
   
   This series of 100 shows Edo, which is the city now known as Tokyo. There are lots of pictures that depict the man-made dwellings and buildings of a thriving metropolis, but also, in virtually every print, there is also the natural world. The juxtapostion of the man-made and natural is what fascinates Hiroshige in this collection, and what will also fascinate the viewer. Though Hokusai is a more prolific and iconic artist in this genre, Hiroshige has his fans. This reprint is made from one of the finest complete original set of woodprints belonging to the Ota Memorial Museum of Art in Tokyo.
   
   Other items of interest:
   
   Hiroshige's Journey in the 60-Odd Provinces (Famous Japanese Print Series)
   
   The Sixty-Nine Stations of the Kisokaido
   
   Hiroshige's Views of Mt. Fuji
   
   Hiroshige
   
   Hokusai and Hiroshige: Great Japanese Prints from the James A. Michener Collection, Honolulu Academy of Arts
   
   Hokusai
   
   Hokusai's Mount Fuji: The Complete Views in Color
   
   Hokusai, First Manga Master
   
   Utamaro and the Spectacle of Beauty
   
   The Narrow Road to the Deep North and Other Travel Sketches (Penguin Classics)

2 comments about Robert Warren's Guide to Painting Water Scenes.

1. Very good instructions but I searched for acrylic books and did not check close enough as acrylics are mentioned but this book is strictly for oil painters. Also, no templates.



2. Robert Warren has outdone himself in composing this wonderful instructional book on oil painting-it is very well explained-this book is for intermediate to advance skill level.

5 comments about Maximalism: The Graphic Design of Decadence& Excess.

1. I enjoy this book very much. It's very edgy and stylistic. contains many different styles- pop culture, contemporary designs, and typography. I love the contemporary pop art aspect of it. It really inspires me and helps me incorporate the style into my own designs. A good addition for a designer's library.



2. This is a great book for inspiration and motivation. This book for me tends to be way too busy to read the text, but the graphics are wicked! It is definitely eye candy!!!! The colors and images will keep your attention. Great book for design blocks. Definitely add this to your library if you are looking for eye candy.



3. This book is very very interesting to say the least. I think it belongs in every designers library. While the examples in the book aren't very practical (if you freelance or work for a normal ad agency this stuff wont fly), they are inspiring, and very beautiful (most of them).



4. a non-artist can accidentally make a minimalist design look good. there's no way you can make something with this "maximalist" style look good accidentally. this book is an example of good art. a nice addition to your collection. remember, you get better with every piece of art you appreciate.



5. This is one of the best book of my personal library.
   
   I think maximalism is what the next graphic design approach is all about. I think it comes to fix the "form & function" ideal - I think it has been misunderstood, too focused on the function, the designs was been to much "Bauhaus", art deco, minimalistic. Our architeture nowadays is an easy way to identify this minimal and "too much function" ideal.
   It was good then, but now everyone is tired of the boredom (at least I am). "Life is much more colorful and fun"
   
   
   I just wish the book were more extensive.
   
   Now I am very curious to check of the other books from the author, especially Poster-Art and Mag-Art.
   
   
   ***Wonderful designed book. From the copper & golden cover to the layout, everything comes together nicely. Another great hit from Wilson Harvey.
   
   Have fun.