5 comments about Logo, Font & Lettering Bible.

1. I can highly recommend this book as it has proved to be an absolute delight! Filled with information, but still presented in a delightful, easy to read and easy to follow way.
   
   Being old enough to have experienced the cantankerous and oft times spiteful ways of early drawing instruments made the historical section alone worth purchasing this book. The Author's knowledge and obvious respect for the earlier designers made for great reading too.
   
   One of the very few publications that one can open on any page and go Wow! plus get good information from.



2. I've recently purchased this book based on online reviews. I've seen good and bad reviews, but I decided to give it a chance. I was amazed by the quality of the print, and the layout of the content.
   
   The looks: The content is beautifully arranged, the layout design and the cover are done by the author herself. It has nice images, full color on every single page. The paper is of great quality. The hardcover size of the book is larger than the usually type of books and it resembles an album art format.
   
   The contents: The book has some big chapters that it deals with. Has good information on how to develop a logo and font design process , about thumb-nailing, brainstorming ideas, drawing by hand and using bezier curves in illustrator. It says what a logo is and what a logo is not. It has some info about how to run a design business as well. The content is very easy to read and understand, from cover to cover as well as a reference material.
   
   The price: very good price given the quality and the presentation.



3. I read glowing reviews of this book before my purchase. They were accurate, the author's passion for type and logo design is evident. A definitive work for the serious designer. No filler in this book. I would go as far to say that this reference work should be mandatory for all graphic design students. As the Bible is indispensable for the believer so this book is indispensable for the true type freak.
   
   Joe Typefreak



4. This book made me LOVE type the way no other book did. trust me just buy it!



5. Not only is it a terrific and easy-to-understand how-to book, but a fabulous idea-starter and it doubles as a coffee table book because it's beautiful to just thumb through.

5 comments about The Book of Kells: An Illustrated Introduction to the Manuscript in Trinity College Dublin.

1. There is no lack of great vivid pictures to enjoy and the book is of high quality paper. The text is brief and has a nice flow. There really isn't much more I can say that other reviewers haven't already stated other than this is one of my favorite picture books :p
   
   If you enjoy celtic art or illuminated manuscripts this makes a fun addition to your library!



2. The Book of Kells is one of the most beautiful manuscripts in existence. This booklet enables those of us who are unlikely to ever see the real manuscript to feast our eyes on many of the illustrations as well as to learn a little of its history and preparation. Most of the illustrations are in colour and their vibrancy is still apparent across 12 centuries.
   
   I consider that this booklet is worth acquiring for the illustrations alone. It also contains a lot of useful information for those interested in the physical preparation of such manuscripts as well as the underlying historical significance of this particular manuscript.
   
   Highly recommended.
   
   Jennifer Cameron-Smith



3. The book was just what I was expecting. Shipping was quick.



4. I was glad I had this book along with me when I went to see the real Book of Kells at the Trinity College Library in Dublin. The lines of tourists waiting to view this famous eighth century manuscript were about a quarter of a mile long, and the museum proctors were really hustling us through the area where a small sampling of pages were actually on view.
   
   (If you take the tour, be sure to check out the main chamber of the Old Library with its first editions of Newton and Darwin, plus the harp that is (alas, falsely) attributed to Brian Boru, high king of Ireland).
   
   The first facsimile of the Book of Kells was published in 1974, and although this book only advertises itself as 'an illustrated introduction to the manuscript...' it contains good color plates of many of the most famous pages, e.g. the symbols of the four evangelists and the beginning of the 'Breves causae' of Matthew, among others.
   
   Author, Bernard Meehan, the current Keeper of Manuscripts at Trinity College states that "the sacred text itself was copied in the Book of Kells with a remarkable degree of inaccuracy." It consists of the Latin text of the Gospels, illuminated in the very ornate Hiberno-Saxon style ('Hiberno' refers to the Irish, or Hibernians).
   
   Legend has it that the Book of Kells was produced by St. Colum Cille on the island of Iona off western Scotland. Although it was probably begun in the Irish monastery on Iona, it was taken to the monastery of Kells in County Meath, after a series of Viking raids. The monastery on Iona was pillaged in 795, and again in 802. According to the author, "In 806, sixty-eight of the community were killed in another raid. The following year, the survivors migrated to Ireland and began to erect conventual buildings at Kells..." where the illumination of the manuscript was probably completed.
   
   If you are interested in the historical background of the Book of Kells, the author devotes a whole Appendix to it.
   
   Alas, according to this book's second Appendix, "Losses, Additions and Marginalia," the Book of Kells has not remained intact down through the centuries. "At present there are 340 folios, but around thirty folios, including some major decorated pages have been lost." The monks also used blank spaces in the manuscript to record details of property transactions in the late eleventh and twelfth centuries.
   
   Meehan's book is definitely worth viewing and reading. It also contains a wealth of the smaller decorative illustrations that do not always relate to the sacred text, e.g. hares, dogs, horses, and at least one moth. The color and minute details of these decorations are a source of endless fascination, and the scholarly text, although a trifle dry, is also very interesting.



5. I like how the author gives various images of the book of kells, but gets really confusing and goes all over the place while writing about it. I think a lot could be learned from this book, but the author crams so many examples into the work that it starts to get annoying. Ever line seems to have parenthesis around something and folio this or that. For that alone i give the book two stars, multiple examples are good, just not when you plague every line with one. It hardly gives the reader a chance to understand the first few.

5 comments about How to Draw Manga: Bodies & Anatomy.

1. First off, I have to say I was very impressed at the beginning of this book. The starting chapters, covering some perspective and posing, detailed skeletal and later muscular structures were very well done. The skull, hand and feet sections were in depth and very helpful and detailed.
   
   However- when they started into full body poses I was remotely annoyed. Most of the poses and references they gave for men were in action. Throwing something, or starting to run- pictures that neatly expressed the male body in motion. That's all very nice and well, but I would have enjoyed seeing more relaxed forms as well. Not all my work and other people's work with men is drawn in motion! Quite a bit is still.
   
   And when we move into the woman, there's no action at all. Mainly references draw for woman who are stretching, or reclining and a lot of these poses are from 'suggestive' views. It's also slightly annoying to find 10 different views from which to draw a female crotch and the male subjects mysteriously elude this area. While we're at it, not all female's breasts are aroused 24/7. It's not truly necessary to draw nipples on every figure.
   
   This whole extra fascination with the female body is perhaps more annoying to me then others since I originally got this book hoping for help on male anatomy- since if I truly need a reference for a female form I can simply go into the bathroom.
   
   It would have also been nice to see more variations in the male/female models. In general a nice reference book, though it could have covered a lot more in some areas and a lot less in others.



2. I've collected many anatomy books, but what makes this one unique is that it shows both the simple (shapes) and finished drawing in several camera viewpoints, and illustrates muscle changes (like when raising an arm), again both in simple (rough animation) and finished work. This is perfect for animation so we can study how the body shifts in a clean illustrative format. I particulary like how they illustrate the diffrences in gender proportionately. Made my life much simpler. Once you know how to draw the anatomy correctly yet cleanly, it's easier to adapt it to more complex or more cartoony forms. A must have!



3. the artsyle on the cover is Extremely Missleading~!
   It Will only show how to draw "realistic" style manga anatomy. The women model is also rather man-ish looking.
   So its not what i expected at all and i'm kind of Dissapointed. There is also a very Weird p2 page spread of up-crotch shots that i can only imagine are there for H-manga refrences.



4. The entire experience was amazing. Shipped earlier then expected, in pristine condition, no hassles no worry.
   
   The product itself is great. The guide truly helps with the basic structure of drawing characters anatonomically correct. It's always better to learn how to draw something right first and then learn how to break the rules later.



5. This is a decent book that shows how to draw the human form. Not necessarily from a cartoony, *manga* perspective but the way the body actually looks. If you don't see how that could improve your skills as an artist, well...
   
   The main reason I wanted to post this review was to comment on the juvenile attitude of many of the other reviewers. This is an anatomy reference. That means pictures of the human form in different positions without clothes. I wonder how serious these artists are not to know that. It may shock them to know that life drawing classes often hire nude models to sit around in the middle of class just so the students can get a better understanding of the human form. This is NOT PORNOGRAPHY and is no different that the photo anatomy references you can find in the art section of any major bookstore. The breasts are shown but who cares? the genitalia is not shown, just a bare patch. For some reason they drew shorts on the guys but not on the girls, but naughty parts are not visible on either so really who cares? This kind of panicky, knee-jerk conservatism makes me ill.
   
   Sorry for the rant but really, this is an totally decent book that has been much maligned for no good reason.

5 comments about Lee Hammonds Big Book of Drawing.

1. To help you understand my background and justification for criticizing an otherwise well received book, I am an accomplished portrait artist and teacher with more than 25 years of experience. Throughout the years, many workshop students have shown me books they've purchased in order to learn to draw realistically. There are absolutely techniques to drawing and it is a skill that virtually anyone with the time and patience can learn to do at least passably well. I am not an elitist that believes only those who are 'gifted' can learn to draw. There most definitely are good books that can help the beginning student learn these techniques so I have nothing inherently against them. I have used books on occasion to learn specific techniques and found them to be quite beneficial. The problem I have is with this author (all of her books suffer from the same defect) as her "art" is utterly soulless. Her drawings have as much feeling to them as a 1940's Sears & Roebuck catalog's fashion drawings. To an untrained eye, her drawings look spot on, as technically they might be but they are not art, just as an architectural rendering of a future building is spot-on, and it's also not art. You will do much better with Betty Edwards, who has a multitude of books just for the beginner with a far better result. If you are looking for more advanced techniques, Juliette Aristides' "Classical Drawing Atelier" and "Classical Painting Atelier" are wonderful. Granted, the idea of an atelier in a book is absurd and many true pre-20th century techniques have been lost, but these books will certainly teach you how to draw in a much more believable, and artistic, way. Another great alternative is to get books which show the drawings of masters you admire and study them. Better still, if you can, go to a museum and see them (and then study them!) I have no vested interest in recommending these other books or options but I have seen what works and every time I see a bright-eyed student with a Lee Hammond book I cringe because they could do so much better.



2. Lee Hammond's newest book on drawing covers a range of different areas. Great book! I would recommend that you get ALL of her books, though, not just this one. In her other books, she covers ONE area in depth, such as faces or animals, or still life, in other books. This book is fabulous, but you need to get all of her books in order to get the best instuction on what tools you need, etc. to create a masterpiece.



3. The book was in very good condition. However, it did have some light finger smudges on the Title Page. The book arrived exactly when it was promised. I am very pleased with this purchase.



4. We purchased this book on the advice of other reviews on the site. It lived up to the praise. It does not "teach you to draw," if that's what you're looking for. However, if you have the basics down, it really gives great ideas and advice on improving your drawing and making it more realistic. We have purchased two copies of this book now, one for each of two sons--both of them love it and have really improved their art with recommendations in this book.



5. I absolutely love this book. It helped me take my artwork from basic flat, no-life sketches to amazing photographic-like images. It is straight and to the point. It satifies that need for instant gratification. If you're like me where you often find yourself skipping pages to get to the juicy stuff, then this is the book for you. You'll see the changes in your drawings immediately.

5 comments about Draw 50 Flowers, Trees and Other Plants: The Step-By-Step.

1. Christmas present that Santa picked out. About a 1/2 dozen intro to drawing instruction books for my Daughter. You can't get a much better recommendation than that. She liked it.



2. book is good for drawing from scratch. it's helpful for someone just beginning to study art.



3. On library day at school my daughter usually brings home an art book of some kind. Most of the time it was a book by Lee J. Ames. Marissa really wants to draw well but at 8 doesn't understand that you have to work hard at it. I suggested to her that she get a piece of white paper and trace over the drawings and then color them in. She has really made some beautiful drawings using this book.



4. I am a horrible but determined artist. I have enjoyed the "How to Draw 50..." series since I was very young. However, this particular book is not helpful: majority of the drawings are far too intricate to follow, most of them are unknown plants and flowers, and it fails to teach something.
   
   Unlike the "How to Draw 50 Athletes" this book doesn't have a goal, other than to instruct you on how to mimic some plants and flowers. Whereas, after going through the "Draw 50 Athletes," I learned how to draw the human body; the muscles, head features, proportions, and how they moved.
   
   This book is not for beginners I assure you of this. I understand nature is harder to recognize and capture, but the book just was too difficult to follow, I was only capable of drawing 12 of the 50, and I do each one many times, and I still showed no improvement.
   
   It's just not worth owning. You won't learn anything, and you wont enjoy the process of drawing the plants and flowers. I promise.
   
   In My Humble Opinion
   John G (Who am I)



5. This is a great instructional book. It takes you step by step thru the process. I would reccommend it to anyone starting out in drawing.

5 comments about Mexicolor: The Spirit of Mexican Design.

1. A really beautiful book. One of the best I have seen. I live in Mexico and will be using many ideas.



2. While I was in the process of planning and building my next casa in Baja, this book provided mucho inspiration. The Spanish Colonial, and Hacienda designs, the avalanche of colors and gardens provided me the basis of making mi casa as Mexico as I could.
   Yes, the binding is weak, but the book remains as an Essential. I now have 2 copies, one very worn out copy.



3. If you love the bold, life-affirming colors of Mexican houses and interiors but not necessarily the traditional architecture and furnishings of the mexican tradition, this is the book for you! I ordered several books on Mexican interiors and details and this was the best. It gave me great ideas for using bold, bright color in my house without turning it into a hacienda. The book is beautifully designed and the color just blows off the pages. It has in it everything I love about Mexico that is bright, lively, joyous, and enlivening and nothing that is stodgy. As An artist, I found the book irresistable.



4. i've been to colonial mexico, and i've seen more exciting stuff than what's on this book. also, the pages come appart easily



5. I have always loved everything about Mexico, especially their use of color. When I bought my new house I wanted to bring that freedom and joy into my home.
   
   This book was a wonderful guide. Almost every page reminded me to let go and celebrate. There are so many visual feasts and ideas. If you are timid about colors this book will definitely give you a new lease on life.

5 comments about The Natural Way to Paint: Rendering the Figure in Watercolor Simply and Beautifully.

1. This book shows how to do watercolour figure sketches in a loose free style.
   
   The eye-catching pictures help in showing how to draw people with exercises that are easy to follow and understand.
   
   For learning to draw or paint people and figures this is an excellent book. He also talks about the materials needed; colour mixing, brushwork and practical tips to get the result you are after.
   
   You may not enjoy this book if you like more detailed realistic paintings as his style is sketchy but to me this is the magic.



2. Charles Reid does his usual "bang-up" job. The pictures make you want to pick up a brush immediately. I also have one of his early books...very worn by now...and this one doesn't disappoint me either.



3. This book is so helpful..from the preparatory sketch to painting in watercolor, he teaches it all. His techniques are simply amazing, and I've learned more from this book than anything else...I FULLY recommend this book



4. I have other books by Charles Reid that I love. I didn't know that this book was still available, so I was thrilled to find it. It is a great book on painting the figure. I am an art teacher, so I will share it contents with my students.



5. If you like Mr. Reid work, then you'll love this one. If you have one book
   to buy for watercolor, then this is the only one you need. This book will teach you alot, if you are ready to invest yourself.
   The spontaneity usually associated with watercolor is an illusion, and this
   book with simple exercise will help you control this medium, and help you
   cause accident that others call spontaneity.

3 comments about Kirby Five-Oh!: Celebrating 50 Years Of The "King" Of Comics.

1. Landmark issue #50 of the Kirby Collector is an oversized collection of many items including 50 best Kirby stories, 50 best covers, 50 best examples of unused art, a 50 page art gallery, 50 best Kirby character designs, 50 people influenced by Kirby, all with text, full page photos and skads of Kirby primo art, pencilled, inked, and colored! Mark Evanier, John Morrow, and much more. A beautiful tribute to the King with hundreds of full page and smaller examples of art. Quality color cover and white, nice inside pages, and a color section that is psychedelic. If you are a fan, you must have this great book or be whipped by Granny Goodness for insubordination.



2. This book has lots of Kirby's work and after all, that's why i bought this large format paperback.
   I took one star off for the crappy paper inside, but it does have a glossy cover though.
   Also lots of facts about kirby you might have not known.It's a list of the 50 best 'everything' about Kirby.
   If you love Kirby then what are you waiting for?
   Buy the book already...



3. WOW, the KIRBY legacy continues to grow ! This is the capper of great tabloid issues featuring the world's adoration of Jack Kirby. Why do we all love this guy...because he was the BEST. And still is if you head into a comic shop today. More of his work is in print now then ever !!!

5 comments about Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing From Life: Over 1,000 Illustrations.

1. This book goes good with Hogarth's Dynamic Anatomy. I have gained better understanding from studying this book as well as Hogarth's. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to know a little about human anatomy.



2. This is a very helpful and thorough book. It's a great book to draw from, great for structural help. Great price on amazon! It's worth it because buying the individual books is much more expensive!



3. I also own Contructive Anatomy and his books on HANDS. This is a must have. Not just for the content, but also for the style. Any serious artist should diligenly copy the sketches in this book, as a daily sketch exercise.



4. Mainly for intermediate-level artists- I *might* have to pick this as my #1 Bridgman book. It has a little bit of *everything* depicting figure construction from memory. It's also great for general improvement; a few tips & tricks- an indispensable reference for all working artists.
   
   And Bridgman appeals to a *very* wide-ranging audience: fine & commercial artists; illustrators; comicbook pencilers; animators; video-game designers; fashion artists; sculptors; computer graphics designers; students; intermediate-artists; experts; and professionals. This Complete Guide represents the best of 6 out of his 7 individual books. Drawing the Female Form is the book that gets left out. Designed by editor Howard Simon in 1952; Bridgman passed away in 1943, so it's not Bridgman's fault if anyone has issues with the layout(!).
   Here's a quick breakdown of his 6 individual books, from my very favorite to least...
   1. Book of a Hundred Hands- His *best* representation of hands; if hands are your main interest, skip all else & buy 100 hands.
   2. Constructive Anatomy- His *best* individual work on figure construction- especially with cubed-construction of the head.
   3. Heads, Features and Faces- Great for beginners; it isn't in-depth, and it isn't nearly overwhelming like this Complete Guide.
   4. Human Machine- Genius in concept- drawings exceedingly sketchy. These are the sketchiest drawings in this Complete Guide.
   5. Bridgman's Life Drawing- Like a mini Complete Guide. Treats the figure in its parts as well as with basic, full-figure movement.
   6. Drawing the Draped Figure- *Very* basic. Everything you need from this exceedingly thin book is included in this Complete Guide.
   
   In short: The basic *point* of Bridgman's Complete Guide is to help people to draw figures more convincingly, and even from memory. To a great degree, at least in my opinion, this book still succeeds in a very effective way...
   
   P.S. This book is definitely *not* for beginners! Only *Intermediate-level* artists need apply.



5. I would rate this ten stars if I could. Speaking as someone who has gone to some school and trying to complete my portfolio through books and tutorials, this book is absolutely indispensable. Its a little hard to understand as navarro states earlier. But once you actually work through an exercise, any exercise, his method clicks very quickly and easily. I am amazed by the amount I learn and skill I gain with every page of this book. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in any area of art.

5 comments about The Nude Female Figure: A Visual Reference for the Artist.

1. I had a need for a reference of body structure. The book I selected was exactly what I needed. I will keep this book forever and will be able to use it many times. I was very satisfied with this book.



2. This book is a very poor implementation of a good idea. As an artists' visual reference, this book is a waste of time and money.
   
   The quality of the book is very poor. The binding won't allow the book to lay flat. There was debris on many of the plates when the photographs were printed. There are ink smudges on pages. The the ink rubs off of photographs, so even a gentle touch when taking measurements for drawing, can damage the photographs.
   
   The photography is poor quality. Most of the photographs are grainy, dark backgrounds, lack detail. The lighting wasn't in the normal 10 o'clock position, but from strange angles, casting odd shadows, obscuring important details. Several photographs suffer motion blur.
   
   The poses are stiff and unnatural. None of the poses are from different camera angles for full, half, three-quarter drawing.
   
   Some of the models should have taken a shower and a shave before being photographed. Many of the models have dirty feet, dirty fingernails, dry/bad skin, ugly blemishes and scars. One model is unhealthily thin. A few of the models have bunyons, malformed toes, very unattractive extremities. Several of the models had their faces covered with their hands, or unnaturally positioned head/hair. All of the models look extremely insecure and uncomfortable.
   
   This book seems to be nothing more than a cheesy, "Look how many ladies I talked into posing naked, (and how many suckers I conned into buying this useless book)." My money would have been better spent hiring a model and taking my own photographs!



3. this is a great resource book for those artists who do not have the time or money to be able to meet up with a figure drawing group. Also it is good if you do not know of a local group to join.



4. The pictures are well taken and very usefull for art study, to use as models for paintings and other art.



5. Over two hundred color photos by photographer Mark Edward Smith capture women of all types in a range of classic poses, both traditional full-body and with close-ups of hands and feet as well. Accompanying these photos are an organization by type of pose, which allows for a quick visual reference for photographers. Any collection appealing to photographers and artists will find THE NUDE FEMALE FIGURE: A VISUAL REFERENCE FOR THE ARTIST an invaluable reference.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch