5 comments about Digital Art Studio: Techniques for Combining Inkjet Printing with Traditional Art Materials.

1. This is an AMAZING resource for any artist interested in transferring methods.
   ESPECIALLY when you purchase the DVD that goes along with it. I recommend you do.



2. I bought this book about a year ago, and have found it very useful. Useful in re-thinking what printmaking is and can be, useful in fairly good details on some quite interesting techniques. This isn't for the beginner I don't think but as I have my own etching press and a good printer with a straight thru path it opened up a world of new possibilities to me.
   
   Pros: A huge variety of processes. Lots of illustrations of working with the materials.
   
   Con: Some processes do require access to expensive equipment, but with some imagination this isn't as limiting as first appears. Some references and specific equipment is dated, most OK.
   
   I've seen criticism of their art - but that's not even relevant, art is about PROCESS, and the biggest positive about this book is that it is all about process. One page alone started me down a road of exploration that has lasted 10 months now - and I don't see the end. Four years of graduate art school didn't excite me this much. [...]



3. This is an amazing book. I love all the techniques she shares & the gorgeous pictures throughout. I am very pleased. I have also purchased the DVD & can't wait for that to arrive.



4. / *
   This is the book that will free your creativity from the complacency that may have set in by accepting the limited substrate offerings from printer manufactures. Through the well documented guidance of the authors, we can embrace past printing techniques while introducing modern techniques that a computer and software like Illustrator, Photoshop, Painter and Maya have to offer. I highly recommend it if you are serious about exploring a new level of creativity to your artwork.
   * /
   
   Woohoo!
   Drew



5. This is the best book if your looking for that edge when diplaying your images. I have all these wonderful images but really coudl'nt get them into a gallery, I have already been offered a place in a gallery because of this book.
   
   There are so many ways to diplay here. Getting through your printer is easy, I found finding the polyproylene in Australia was a little hard but the net is good for that. The directions are so simple and if you need help I have found the girls are only to pleased to assits if you ask.
   
   Thank you so much girls for this wonderful book.
   
   Once I have dealt with the Dry Emulsion Transfers I will move onto some of the other chapters.
   
   Kind Regards From Helen

5 comments about Secrets to Drawing Realistic Faces.

1. Finally I found the book I've been looking for almost a year. I've been trying to learn how to draw photorealistic portraits for months. I've bought plenty of books on drawings, but sadly they were either full of dry theory, with pictures I didn't like, or had great pictures, without showing me exactly how to get there. This books is just what I needed. It shows you exactly how to get from a blank sheet of paper to a great looking portrait.



2. Secrets to Drawing Realistic Faces is one of the best instructional books on drawing faces that I've read thus far. It has some extremely useful tips that have improved my drawing after just the first read.
   Proper(realistic)shading and proportion were my weak areas; this book covered both in an easy to understand way. It also offers simple and great ways to implement these tasks properly.
   If you are a beginner or even intermediate artist this is a great book to have on your shelf. Although probably not meant for the advanced or established portrait artist.
   I'm sure I will be reading it several more times so that I can fine tune my skills.



3. I'm a novice and I found this book a very good start. Very easy language, the author discusses all facial features in good detail (although I found the hair topic inadequate, but hey you've got to practice.)



4. Wonderful instructional book on teaching how to draw. Beautiful photos, and great illustrations. I would HIGHLY reccomend this book to those trying to learn to draw!



5. Not recommended if you are inexperienced at drawing 101. It will lead to total frustration! I am not finding what there is to substantiate saying this is a great book. Fortunately I have another instructional book that teaches about proper proportion from the beginning. I am planning to take a drawing course and had hopes of getting a head start (no pun intended), but this book does nothing to clarify issues about the basics. The drawings in the book are all extremely professional, well-executed and very un-basic. So I recommend it for people who are already drawing extremely well and are maybe even semi-professionals. However, since I am not that far along and am no judge of that, maybe it doesn't go that far. I'm sitting here right now feeling extremely discouraged.

3 comments about Collections of Nothing.

1. From that dreadful, yet witty opening garage scene to the bittersweet account of King and his daughters carefully laying out those 1500 cereal boxes on stage, I was touched deeply by a complex mix of reactions: dread, tears, outright laughter, quiet smiles. How masterfully the author delves beneath the tarnished surfaces and worn edges of his prized collections of nothing to reveal a powerful story of the lasting imprint of family dynamics, social interactions, self-perceptions and the ultimate meanings of a life.
   
   Indeed I discovered valuable insights and a palpable connection to King's personal explanation of his assemblages of things, people and life learnings.
   
   Despite his sometimes rambling close to the book, he clearly made his point: each individual's ongoing search and inevitable ups and downs of intellectual, creative and emotional fulfillment is a unique, irreplaceable collection of emptiness and satiety, fear and faith, hurt and healing. It's how we treat and care for these experiences, and how we choose to store and display them that determines the richness of our lives.
   
   King has offered up a treasure in his "Collections of Nothing."



2. I read this straight thru, finding examples in myself as I read along. His analyses and memories are varied and interesting. His writing style is smooth and never interrupts his topic.



3. William Davies King is an eccentric genius who bares his soul in this astute, frightfully intimate, and painfully honest exploration of the psychology of collecting. The writing is exquisite and witty (e.g. "They would become playful wrights, and I would knot" and "What I was missing was the middle ground, the female body, the something into which I could locate my nothing, the nothing into which I could stick my something.") and the insights disarming. This is a book about collecting, yes, but also about the touching commonalities of life's perplexing journeys. Collections of Nothing is a masterful work that has bearing on the searching we all engage in. King makes us complicit in his collecting, and for most of us, reading this book is the closest we will come to a kitchen table conversation with a person as brilliant as likes of Levi-Strauss, Joyce, or John (Lennon, Prine, or the Baptist).

5 comments about The Artist's Complete Guide to Drawing the Head.

1. William Maughan's book "Drawing the Head" is worth buying just for the illustrations alone. But, it is also a fundamentally sound guide as to how to achieve likeness in a realistic albeit artistic fashion. It looks so easy but, that is, often the case with art instruction books. In fact, the steps that Maughan clearly sets out i.e. gesture, proportions,shadow shapes,edge control and detail, are each mountains that have to climbed until, that glorious day when we hope everything comes together. And even then we will still be starting out. This book is a truly informative guide as to what mountains have to be climbed. The student will, however, have to provide the effort and do the climbing. The didactic way in which the examples are coupled to the text is commendable and a joy to follow, the drawings inspiring. The student is educated on materials and how to use them. An unexpected but thrilling chapter on creating aliens out of yourself or friends is wonderful. If only the last chapter on colour could have been extended to show more clearly how some of those effects were rendered. But, I think, thats just me being greedy for more from this gifted and distinguished artist. Buy the book and if you can tear yourself away from wondering at the illustrations, get on and use it. That's what its for.Your bound to become better.



2. This is a beautiful book to look at but I found the title deceptive. No where in the book have I found drawing instruction for the head. The author/artist basically just does his own thing, but doesn't offer any direction for someone wanting instruction on the drawing of the head! I will keep it and possibly scan it again when I am more advanced.



3. I was so inspired by the particular technique in this drawing book that I purchased the materials specified and got to work doing a very successful portrait following the step by step directions. It was the easiest portrait drawing and my most sucessful ever.KF
   
   
   
   
   
   



4. This book taught me how to use light and shadow to make realistic portrait. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to draw as a hobbyist. Since I am not a professional painter, please take my advice with a grain of salt.



5. I took classes with William Maughan, several of them in fact and I need to set the record straight. This is the best drawing instruction book I have ever read. It will give you fundamental and instinctive understanding of techniques that can carry over to any medium (that includes oil and pastel and graphite). Your people will never look like aliens again, they will be shockingly realistic (if you want that) or effectively abstracted (if you want that). It's just a shame that Bills humor and approachability doesn't come through in the text, but all the info is there.
   
   In this book you will learn:
   
   An extraordinarily simple and instinctive understanding of how shadows really work. Chiurascuro is a fancy word for how shadow forms are shaped and he'll teach you how to see it and render it. This is the secret to realistic drawing.
   
   How value works. Value is really just how dark or light something is, but there is a logic to it that ties into painting and drawing. You will also draw MUCH faster with more convincing results. The curious color of paper and charcoal Bill uses in this book simplifies values to become easier to render, instead of ten shades of darkness he compresses it to five, thus making it easier for you to understand. From there you can apply it to white paper or canvas and any color medium you want. All tools he teaches you to use here are instinctive and excellent.
   
   The proper proportions for the head and face no matter the sex, age, or ethnicity of the subject.
   
   An incredibly fast, effective, and instinctive drawing technique that WILL translate into other media and other subjects.
   
   Sincerely, these are the core fundamentals. These are techniques rarely taught in school or presented in books. There is no perfect, all encompasing art book, but this one teaches fundamentals the self taught rarely understand. Bills techniques changed my life, the book has those techniques and teaches them in an extremely streamlined manner. I wish I had this book fifteen years ago....

5 comments about D.I.Y.: Design It Yourself (Design Handbooks).

1. I'd had the impression that I would learn some techniques on creating my own stuff: business cards, websites, t-shirts, stationary, etc. They touch on all these subjects, and more, in the book. But I was disappointed that it is really more just a collection of ideas and work that MFA and graphic arts students have created, with very little technical detail of how to create designs for yourself. I was looking for a how-to, not a see-what-we've-done.



2. I saw this book years ago and thought I'd like to own it. Now that I do I really am underwhelmed.



3. This is basically like all those magazines - Sunset, Martha Stewart Living, etc. etc, - wherein you buy it with the hopes of being inspired to create, update, remake, etc. and you ACTUALLY NEVER WILL, except in book form!
   
   I love reading the book - it's cute, kitschy and definitely entertaining, but really, who can create these crazy wall decorations and/or press kits and have them turn out flawless!?!??



4. I know a little about Lupton's career -- teaching, writing, and curating shows. She seems very intelligent, but I don't understand who this book is really for. Beginning or advanced people? Crafters or designers? Some of the ideas in this book (wrapping paper) are so obvious that I think anyone with an ounce of creativity has already figured them out. Some things (commercial embroidery) seem very advanced and specialized, and not useful to most people. The layout of the book is nice, but the content is very inconsistent. Was this really a student project, as someone mentioned? If so, I think Lupton should have made more of an effort to make sure that everything came together and made for a coherent whole. I think there are better DIY books out there.



5. Pretentious art student tripe, mostly. I discovered that I can wrap gifts with newspaper! I can use a graph paper notebook for a scrapbook! I was looking for examples of cutting-edge design, and a methodology to implement it. What I got was the product of the tragically hip after too many lattes.

No comments about Drawing Birds with Colored Pencils.

5 comments about Writing Better Lyrics.

1. A lot of great ideas here. The exercises in the first couple of chapters and the instructions about using a rhyming dictionary and thesaurus were very helpful to me. I find the layout to be a bit confusing. Some times it takes me a little while of reading to try and figure out what he is talking about. (for example one exercise says to write about a "real" object, and then he uses "holding your breath" as an example). I find I have to really work hard to make sure I'm doing the exercises right. I would have also liked a little more in-depth analysis of the songs. Very good book.



2. This book is a gem. Any songwriter who wishes to improve their lyric writing will find techniques and tools which are immediately applicable and which can also be referred to time and time again.
   
   As far as insights and tools to aid your own writing process this book is by far the best I have read.
   
   I have had this book two years now and I still have "aha" moments when I read it today.



3. I'm a serious student of songwriting. This book was recommended to me by a multi-award winning songwriter and I can see why. The exercises and presentation of concepts are extremely valuable. A must-have book.



4. In short, I feel this book is focussed too strong on technique and excercises that require a LOT of time to grasp. It is written for people who have a mission in life to WRITE and have a lot of time on their hands trying to learn and practice. I feel the writer sometimes confuses poetry with lyrics, but coming from a Berklee Professor that is probably fair...



5. If you do, her exercises will help you jump right in with an idea. I agree with someone else who recommended Jimmy Webb's Tunesmith (the best songwriting book I've read) but this is my second favorite- very practical, very creative.

5 comments about Studio Thinking: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts Education.

1. Studio Thinking presents a clear image of what is necessary for building a "zone of proximal development" in an art classroom. The authors use information gleaned from actual observations and combine it with their knowledge of art education theory to provide a framework for excellent instruction and learning. It is easy to absorb and full of examples and anecdotes that engage the reader. This book has value for those just beginning the teaching journey, and the ones who have been engaged for a long time!



2. I teach elementary art so this book is a bit above my students level (it focus' on high school classes) but much of their information and observations transfer to any age. This book is packed with information and is unique in that it observes real classrooms to understand and create theory - the opposite of the usual education theory.
   If I had a pre-service art teacher program I would require this book it is a great way to think more carefully about your classroom and how you teach.



3. This book is an aid not just for the teacher, but for the studio artist. As an educator, I benefit from its cogent analysis, but as a dedicated studio artist, I find the Eight Studio Habits of Mind the first tangible distillation of the process and thinking that happens in my studio. There are so many books about what artists do and how to access creativity. Hetland et al have shown that critical and creative thinking is not a matter of magic or divine inspiration, but rather the result of a mind set that can be used by students and artists alike. This book provides the connection between the teacher and the artist and the artist and her/his studio.



4. Lois Hetlund and her colleagues have written an important book that grounds academic research firmly in the real world of schools. It is readable, accessable, and yet contains profound truths. Documenting and describing the sorts of thinking that can take place in high quality arts programs, the authors remind us of what a true education should contain, despite the teach-to-the-standardized-test momentum in many public schools.
   Here is an article about the authors' work:
   [...]
   Highly recommend the book.



5. Lois Hetland and Ellen Winner (et al) make a strong case for arts education for every child based on solid research. Their initial analysis of arts education research sets the stage for their in-depth, immersive inquiry into the practices of highly-skilled, professional teaching artists. The blending of theoretical perspectives with 'in-the-trenches' data collection, analysis and synthesis surround the types of teaching and learning occuring in the visual arts studio classrooms. Selecting such qualified teachers who also have vibrant art practices strengthens the relationships between the ideal professional who is an artist, educator and researcher. The practical examples will motivate teachers and the thoughtfully built argument for the arts in education will provide a valuable source for any advocate and policy maker.
   
   As a former K-12 art educator and current teacher of art education at the college level, I find this book a major contribution to the field and invaluable for pre-service and practicing teaching artists.

5 comments about Exploring Color: How to Use and Control Color in Your Painting.

1. This book has a few good ideas but it is very biased towards water colours.



2. Nita Leland has a wonderful way of inspiring her readers and making them feel more comfortable with color and paint. Doing the exercises in the book are an essential part of the experience and should not be skipped.



3. Before reading this book I'd had an attitude about 'color theory' and such - or at least the teaching of it. Anything I read was either imperious and demanding or so complicated that I'd be lost in the first chapter.
   
   But this book doesn't order you to do things a certain way. It explains what results you will get doing this and what results you'll get doing that. There is no highbrow judgment here about the only "correct" way to do anything. It is clearly written, with lots of pics and examples, and is completely accessible. What a breath of fresh air!
   
   The book begins with a little bit of the history of color in paintings and the physics of color mixing. She doesn't bog down the book with it though. She gives just enough information to put the use of color in painting into context and as a starting point if one wants to do further research.
   
   Then comes the more detailed information. This starts out simply and builds with each chapter. She explains why things happen in color combining and mixing and how to get the desired results. Color in painting is a detailed and complex subject, but, while she encourages you to learn it all, she is never demeaning or rigid that one has to know all this front and back before painting. She explains why knowing all this will help and improve your painting.
   
   In other words she makes me *want* to learn all this rather than making me feel like I *have* to learn it.
   
   One thing to note is the she uses watercolor in her examples and exercises so some adjustment may be necessary for oils.
   
   There are also lots of things to practice in the book. She has exercises for everything she teaches. So when you're done you will have a tremendous visual reference library. I have lots of art books but this one will stay OFF the shelf and easily accessible. The use of color isn't something that can be learned overnight, so do yourself a favor: get this book.



4. One of the first books I've looked at that explains color in non technical terms. It has examples of how to use these colors in your paintings. There are several step by step instructions on using different color combinations as well as many exercises for you to do on your own. There's a companion coloring book which is helpful but not necessary. An outstanding book for beginners wanting to know more about color theory. The author has a web site and is very helpful in answering any questions.



5. This book is everything I hoped it would be. I am a novice painter, working in acrylics, and wanted some basic info on color theory. This is it. The information is comprehensive yet easy to understand with exercises for the reader to do in any medium. I was so impressed that I bought her Exploring Color Workbook to go with it. This is highly recommended for the artist wanting to expand her color theory expertise.

No comments about Graffiti Planet: The Best Graffiti from Around the World.