5 comments about Pencil Drawing Techniques.

1. The book have techniques that I already knew but can be helpful if you are trying to learn



2. the book was in good condition when it arrived. And it helped me a lot



3. This is an excellent resource for beginning pencil drawers. I refer to it consistently and I highly recommend it. Definitely worth the money.



4. This was a gift for a person who had just started pencil drawing as a hobby. He declared it an excellent book with many good pointers.



5. i am a beginner in pencil drawing, and as a beginner i say this book is just awsome! it takes u from the basics till u reach the developed level... but yet this book already assumes that u already know a bit of drawing..meaning: u have the skills but u need to learn how to apply them on ur work to get the best results... more or less u'll benefit from this book...it's just great!

5 comments about Lee Hammond’s Big Book of Drawing.

1. This is an excellent text for the beginning drawing student, and for those who need help with the correct proportions for the human face. I recommend it highly, and will use it when I prepare for woodcarving greenmen.



2. An excellent book to perfect drawing techniques. Uses grid method to learn to sketch difficult human features. Includes many of the same learning sequences using colored pencil. A good book to stimulate art students into trying to draw more difficult subjects, especially people and animals.



3. 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.



4. 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.



5. 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.

5 comments about Bouguereau.

1. I bought this book in the Louvre Museum in Paris, where we were able to see some of the originals. They're compelling and just draw you in! This book allowed me to bring the paintings home, and study them. It's easy to read, and goes into detail explaining not only about Bouguereau, but also explains a lot of the detail and symbolism that he used in his paintings. So now I can enjoy them on a whole new level. I'm not a big art buff, but I know I'm drawn to his paintings, this was just a perfect book to cut my teeth on, and help to develop a better understanding of some very famous paintings. Buy the book. You won't regret it!



2. Yes the reproductions are great and deserve full stars yet there is much fault with Wissman's ignorant statement that Bouguereau did not use (paint from) photographs. This comment potentially questions the creadability of what otherwise would have seemed to be a very good analysis. For alternative comments, see "W.B" - Montreal Museum's '84 publication for a traveling show. It offers more "behind scenes" info. about the production of his work and their authors more credibly state, he "actively collected photographs" but "he almost never worked from photos" which is still an understatement. Included are photos of him in his studio painting and with another photo of Mich's. Pieta in background. I found a used copy here on Amazon, ISBN 2-89192-047-3 Mr. B. was a transitional figure in art history, caught between early 19th C. "tail end" classical art and late 19th C. art when photorealism began rearing its evil head, destroying classical art and bringing this "ism" to a point of extreme today. It is impossible to determine what extent he used them, yet it is clearly evident to a more trained eye, that he used photos, particularly with some of the complex children/cherubs he incorporated. This occasionally created a quality which, no doubt, helped to inspire criticism (noted in Wissman's bk)regarding the overly polished, sometimes cut-out and outlined aspects of some of his figures. He was able to get away with it for the most part because he had a more proper training as a student prior to exposure to photos. (I myself am a painter/sculptor studying classical art - I admire B. greatly yet to say he was a purest would be false since he clearly had an opportunist streak about him as many others did, and to a certain extent I can't blame him. But he helped to start a terrible trend which has turned classical painting and sculpture into a virtually lost art).



3. The art of Bouguereau is stunning. It stirs a beauty from deep within us that blooms in recognition of a beauty made visible by the stroke of his brush. So full and intoxicated with passion, his work seems an extension of gratitude for life itself. Through the canvas of this fine French Academic Artist, we witness how love is truly more persistent than time.
   
   I am so taken by the art; I have yet to read what Wissman has written about his life. I think his art speaks with such clarity; he must have been a man with a great capacity to fully embrace the nature of the life he was given.



4. Adolphe-William Bouguereau (1825-1905) is in many ways the French equivalent of the British Victorian class of figurative painters - Lawrence Alma Tadema, Lord Leighton, JW Waterhouse - and had he lived in England rather than in the Impressionist laden France, he would be much better known today. Not that Bouguereau is unfamiliar to collectors and museums: in his time his portraits and luxurious paintings of shepherdesses and mythological creatures in a world of eternal beauty were popular and were added to important collections. It is only now with the new respect for the figure in painting that his name is becoming more recognizable.
   
   Fronia E. Wissman has written a concise and illuminating text for this monograph and her style of exposition matches her subject. The book is filled with magnificent illustrations of Bouguereau's paintings with details and full-scale works allowed the prestige of excellent color reproductions. This is a fine monograph and one that belongs in the libraries of collectors and art historians who remain fascinated with the fin de siècle schools of painting. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, September 05



5. Wissman did a great job providing a fair and balanced view of French painter Bouguereau's career. And it's a good thing too! Everything else related to the artist is either out of print or a flimsy postcard book. How could this be? Well, the unfortunate stereotype of Bougeureau buffs is that they "don't know much about art but know what they like." It may be that many editors assume that if you like Bougeureau's paintings, you aren't the type to read a serious art book. I like to believe this is wrong. I enjoy Bougureau's art very much and am glad that someone published a reasonable paperback history and criticism of the artist. I hope that one day, others write similarly good books about other "forgotten" 19th century artists.

4 comments about Exploring Watercolor: Creative Exercises and Techniques for Watercolor and Mixed Media.

1. The book features detailed instruction in three unique approaches to painting transparent watercolors. The spiral page format is convenient when following the exercises. All in all, it stimulates new creativity. I wouldn't say it is for the beginnner - more for one with some painting experience. I felt it was worth acquiring.



2. This is a great book , easy to read and follow...she does go into design,focal point,composition, etc., but does it in a very descriptive way that doesn't get bogged down and boring.
   She also introduces quite a lot of different textures, which a lot of people like, bubble wrap, stamps, modeling clay, sponges, but it is not my thing....but at least her explainations and pictures make it easy to understand.
   She has a few step by step demonstations, simple, easy to follow, but my favourite is her pages of colour combinations.
   A book worth buying even if you are a beginner like me, and of course the more advanced artists should love this book.



3. I was drawn to this book because of the colorful pictures. I couldn't believe it was possible for watercolor paintings to be this vibrant. I was really motivated to dust off my paintbrushes and paint along with the many demonstrations. This book goes into the usual detail about how to design your painting, playing with color, and of course techniques of wet-in-wet, dry brush, glazing, etc., but unlike a lot of watercolor books the finished demonstrations look like something I would want to frame and hang on my walls. The best part of the book, for me, was the chapter on color. I have a pretty good grasp already of the color wheel and mixing colors, but it never occurred to me that there were so many ways to mix different greens, for example, or grays. I consider myself an advanced-beginner at watercolor and would definitely recommend this to other beginners, but surely someone with more experience would find techniques/hints here that would inspire them.



4. I thoroughly enjoyed "exploring warercolor". I found that the book covered a lot of territory in the watercolor field and that the explanations given were very clear. I have been painting watercolors for many years now and still learnt quite a lot from this book. In conclusion I would reall recommend it to anybody who is interested in watercolors.

2 comments about Information Design Workbook: Graphic approaches, solutions, and inspiration plus 20 case studies.

1. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R19WB24ZB8YXSL Infographic artists or graphic designers who create designs to communicate ideas to people should like this book.
   
   The summary on the preface accurately describes this book and I'll quote it here.
   
   This book:
   - Leads you through the mindset and kind of thinking that support good information design.
   - Gives you an overview of the type of processes and tools you can use to create effective information design.
   - Shows real-world examples of successful products
   - Presents interviews with some of the premier practitioners working in the field today.
   
   
   
   This book talks about high level concepts to give an overview to information design. The first four chapters explains the need for effective design and provides lots of examples where they are used, and how helpful they are. Some examples include direct mail, litigation graphics, etc. Interviewees relates on what works and what doesn't through their own experience.
   
   There are several tools include to help designers. They include personas and scenario simulation, research and testing and even mundane stuff like using plain language. Of course not all might relate to everyone. I'm a newspaper artist and I don't do testing for every graphic that I produce. But they do give results for tests conducted, which can be applied to different fields.
   
   One chapter is devoted to design principles with examples from all medium.
   
   The last five chapters are the case studies. Each touches on a different medium and each comes with 6 real life success stories. That's 30 set of experience from the industry you can learn from.
   
   I'll like to conclude that this book practices what it preaches. The information on the pages is laid out nicely and easy to absorb.
   
   Here's the table of contents:
   Preface - Approaching information design from a user-centric point of view
   1. About information design. What is it? Who is doing it? Why is it important?
   2. Process: Discovery. A step-by-step look at the research and discovery process
   3. Process: Prototypes and Testing. How user research and testing help to ensure successful design
   4. Design Toolkit: Visual devices to help communicate information
   5. Printed Matter Case Studies. Magazines, packaging and corporate communications
   6. Information Graphics Case Studies. Maps, charts, and diagrams
   7. Interactive Case Studies. Websites and other screen-based projects
   8. Enviromental Case Studies. Wayfinding and exhibits
   9. Experimental Case Studies. Information design that pushes the envelope.



2. Kim Baer knows what she is talking about. Her vast and varied client list makes her the de facto expert in the ID field. I have had the pleasure of working directly with her co-author Jill Vacarra, and the two of them make a dynamic team - exceptionally well able to explain and illustrate the concepts they are chronicling - both for the professional and the student of graphic design. BRAVO!

5 comments about PMC Technic: A Collection of Techniques for Precious Metal Clay.

1. This is one of the better PMC books out there for explaining things. A must for all metal clay artist.



2. Just received this book , it is the absolute best for anyone wanting to explore the best in pmc creations. The artists featured are awesome ,their explanations are understandable even by novices.Their work is so inspiring. I have been a fan of Celie Fago,(who wouldn't be?),so it is great to get her instuctions.I know I will just look at it for a while,relishing every word and picture!



3. As a miniaturist, I've worked with sculpting clay for many years, and PMC is a newly discovered joy for me! Being uneducated in the formal jewelry-making field of expertise, it's all a big play-pen for me, and I have been desperately searching for artist-quality inspirations, and that is what I found in this Luscious book on metal clay artisan styles! Not only am I able to learn techniques, but there are masterful photographs and detailed directions on subject matter that I have never seen before....such as HINGES! Kudos to the Author, and to all of the extraordinarily talented artists who share their tricks of the trade! Perhaps this wouldn't be the best book for a beginning artisan, but even for me, with very limited experience with PMC and metal clays, I have found a TREASURE of KNOWLEDGE in this book! Blessed & Inspired! Deanne



4. This book has some interesting and different techniques some of which I haven't seen before. I'm really keen to try making a bead core and then doing a flamework bead over the top.
   
   I prefer books with clear photographs to show techniques and this one has mainly sketches. But they are clear and it's easy to follow.
   
   This book is clearly aimed at more experienced metal clay users which is fine with me.



5. PMC Techniques edited by Tim McCreight is an excellent reference book for metal clay artisans at the intermediate or advanced level. The technique chapters are written by metal clay experts well known in the field, and are presented in a stimulating manner. The illustrations are excellent and the format is very inviting and easy to read. It inspires the reader to move outside the box and incorporate new techniques and experiment. I love it, and hope McCreight will work on a second book incorporating more techniques as this medium is in a state of constant evolution.

5 comments about Fashion Illustration for Designers.

1. I needed this book to help me render my sketches. ITS THE BEST BOOK YOU CAN BUY!! it comes with two DVD's and the book is hefty and about 300 pages, each one with valuable information!



2. I have purchased almost every book on fashion illustration out there, and this is still the best. It covers all media, has beautiful full color illustrations and hundreds of black and white. It also shows how to illustrate males and children of all ages.



3. I found this book the best for examples on learning to draw draped garments on the body. Although not explicitly meant for this purpose, this book divides each type of garment by chapter and gives examples for drawing them, appropriately. I find her approach realistic, and her style excellent. She definitely helped me!



4. i teach from this book and it is instrumental in creating enormous breakthroughs in students' sketching abilities. you will never tire of this book. loads of information. a must.



5. I have a lot of worthless books on fashion illustration, however, this one is not one of those. It is worth the money and then some. She is clearly a good teacher, the illustrations are great and the videos are a bonus. Buy this book, you won't be disappointed.

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).

3 comments about Draw 50 Animals (Draw 50).

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. Awesome illustrations and easy to follow step by step instructions that allow even the beginner artist to draw all the pictures. My 9 year old sone received it for Christmas and loves it.



3. If you are looking for an easy and non-specific drawing book about animals, this is the one. It has a wide range of them, from birds to insects, from wild felines to cute pets and farm animals. I would say this book is a great starting point for anyone who is interested in drawing but doesn't know any techniques or doesn't feel capable - yet - of drawing animals instantly. It is perfect for beginners because it does not use hard techniques, such as shading, and with it you are able to discover which kinds of animals you would like to draw more - and then you can go for "Draw 50 Birds" or "Draw 50 Cats", which are two examples that, comparing to this one, are more specific and therefore more challenging books. "Draw 50 Animals" uses the step-by-step method and is very easy to follow. You start with simple lines and shapes, and little by little you turn them into the animal which you thought you would never be able to draw. The result is really amazing, and a great self-esteem increaser for beginners (at least for me it was!). This book is sure to please anyone who uses it and anyone who sees the result of using it!

5 comments about Creativity for Graphic Designers.

1. I'm so glad my professor made this a required textbook! Mark Oldach's insights into the process of concept development are so helpful. This should be in the graphic designer's library. I will return to this book again and again!



2. This book packs a lot of punch. It's written in an easy to understand format that is very creative with handwritten notes from the author in the margins. It's a great source of ideas with the numerous full-color case studies that are included. This book does an excellent job of providing graphic designers with step-by-step instructions on how to ask the right questions at the initial client meeting, go back to the office and download the information, then take the information and begin generating ideas, and finally, select which ideas should be developed. It's an invaluable tool for new designers.



3. I love my mac, but I also love not using it. This book tells a lot about a designers prosess outside the mac. I found this sentence in the book: "Designers have a responsebility to do what they are paid to - design .... To many designers use the (mac) for a substitute for thinking". So right!



4. Unlike design books filled w/ eye-candy & no direction on processes, Mark Oldach steers the reader through well defined concepts & thoughts. An excellent book for all designers who wish to communicate through design.



5. I found this book to be very helpful in getting you to think of the box. Instead of being like a picture book with not much information, it tells you how to come up with ideas and explains the process of making a good design. This is a great book to have if you already have those picture books with just designs and need something to help you with actually creating your own designs.