No comments about Launching the Imagination 3D + CC CD-ROM v3.0.

5 comments about Elements of Writing Fiction - Description (Elements of Fiction Writing).

1. The best writing book I ever read. This may sound strange, but I couldn't put this book down. It is filled with example after example on what bad descriptions vs. good and great descriptions look like and how to write them. I would highly recommend this book to any one who likes writing.



2. Description by Monica Wood
   
   There are eleven books in the Elements of Fiction writing series. This was the first one I read (because it arrived in the mail first) and I was pleasantly surprised at how well it was done. (I have the entire series listed on one of my listmania lists.)
   
   This book is about much more than description; it's about writing a story that is so vivid it enthralls the reader. There are nine chapters, each filled with examples (except for nine) and ending in a wrap-up section that summarizes the high points.
   Ch. 1 (excellent) - the telling detail, using the senses, simile and metaphor
   Ch. 2 (excellent) - showing vs. telling, scene vs. narrative
   Ch. 3 (awful) - context, theme, flashbacks, flash forwards, pacing
   Ch. 4 (excellent) - description in dialogue, direct vs. indirect, dialogue tags vs. gestural pauses, adding modifying phrases, implied setting, description by omission
   Ch. 5 (good) - point of view, first person, second person, third person omniscient, third person limited
   Ch. 6 (awful) - style, content, minimalism vs. maximalism, avoiding sentimentality and melodrama
   Ch. 7 (good) - setting, actual vs. fictional, history
   Ch. 8 (good) - special problems, animals, weather, emotion, sound
   Ch. 9 (awful) - tricks, circle your adverbs and adjectives, vivid colors, simple names
   
   If you're a novice, this is an excellent book on writing, period. Even if you're experienced, this is an excellent reference with many fiction tools described beautifully and named (so you speak the same language as other writers).
   
   Chapters 1 and 2 were excellent, giving a well-rounded view of how to add description as you're telling the story, rather than stopping and pointing it out. In chapter 3, the author spends a lot of time whining about amateur writing and flashbacks, which was a huge turnoff. Her BEFORE examples in this chapter were better than the AFTER examples, including a piece of her own writing on flash forwards, which was awful. Chapter 4 was another excellent chapter, giving a lot of useful detail on dialogue. By chapter 5, she provided some terrible overly descriptive examples ("the bony harp that was my father's body"). Chapter 6 was also pretty bad, when she goes on about style and the necessity of 15 revisions. After 15 revisions, no story will have all of the writer's style. You've edited it to death. Which leads me to wonder why she didn't include anything about "death by critique". That's when you listen to too many people and make unnecessary revisions that ruin your style, and your story. Chapter 7 was long-winded with too much description. In chapter 9, her tricks include advice that countermands earlier advice, so I kind of ignored most of this chapter altogether.
   
   One word of warning. The author starts out with examples that balance both description and pace. By the end of the book, however, the pace has almost completely halted and the examples are way too descriptive (paragraphs long). I think that's probably why the chapter on pacing was so awful (chapter 3). On p. 138, she spends half a page describing a pond. It was dull. So, if you're willing to ignore the awful chapters and focus on the excellent ones, it's definitely worth the money. Even the good chapters had useful advice.



3. This is an excellent writing aid.
   
   Here's why: If you want to know how to make a watch, most writing aid's only give you the correct time or make testimonials about the quality of specific watches. You never learn how to make a watch. This book details how to make watches with excellent examples of the significant steps in the process. And it illustrates how the right steps work, with examples of how other things dont work as well. Plus it provides examples of how hybrids sometimes work better for what you want.
   
   The author is impressive because she knows what she professes, and knows how to make you competent too.
   
   This book will make you happy.



4. As a writer, I've always considered description to be my strong suit, so I read other books in this series before I picked up this one. I wish now that I'd read it first. Monica Wood clearly articulates the difference between strong description and weak description and provides so many examples that it is easy to see her point, and easy to make the leap in your mind and change your way of thinking about description. I realize now that although I've always been good with imagery, my images lacked purpose. I'm a photographer by nature. I've been busy presenting my readers with snapshots when I should have been painting art for them. My images were clear, vivid and real, but they told my reader little about the underlying structure of either my characters or my theme. My descriptions created texture, but didn't incite emotion or meaning. I looked at my manuscript and realized I've got 70,000 missed opportunities. So far, I've revised three scenes and already I know my characters better. The writing is tighter, the characters sharper. Those scenes pack so much punch now that I'm faced with the opposite problem I had before- how to let the story breathe for a bit between those scenes. Pacing is going to be a different challenge for me now.



5. This is an excellent source book for any new writers. I highly recommend this and the other books in the Writers Digest Elements of Fiction Writing series.

5 comments about Dynamic Anatomy: Revised and Expanded Edition.

1. The exagerated human forms in theis book really helps the artist draw the human body without the naked person drawing classes.



2. Hogarth has a lot of history/words that really do not matter to me, and can be found almost anyplace else in art history. Many drawings are in his other books. I think this is a good book but seems more a cameleon of his other books all combined together with some 66 pages of history. I would pass on this if you need raw meat to learn his techniques, and order his other anatomy books.



3. As an aspiring illustrator/artist/graphic designer/film maker/whatever I felt I had a grasp on drawing the human figure. I could more or less draw what I saw or if I could plan something well enough in my head I could put that to paper.
   
   However therein I came up against a limitation. I could only plan so well. My understanding of the human body - its proportions and limits of motion only reached a certain point. My figures always looked static and never seemed to leap off the page in the way that I intended.
   
   There's a multitude of conflicting information that I've read through before coming across this book - the human is six heads high, no, wait, seven, no eight and a half... if you've suffered this problem then I suggest you read this book. It gives you a base, or rather, flexible rules to work from. Reading it you feel the only step beyond it would be actually going to study life drawing at University.
   
   I strongly recommend this book for anyone who wants to add a sense of 'life' to their figure drawings, be they cartoonish or realistic styles. Especially if you've suffered the 'conflicting advice problem' as I have. It also aids in being able to invent dynamic figures rather than just understanding what you're seeing.



4. the book met all my expectations regarding its detail and content.
   the pictures show the human body in all its musculature glory.
   some of the bigtures are repeated throughtout when describing the human form and that was rather disappointing but overall the deatil and particular style of anatomy drawing is dynamic as the title suggests. buy this and a standard science text book and you will have enough source material to work from



5. Definetely a must have. Wonderfful drawings, perfectly explained. You will learn anatomy in the most romantic way you can imagine. I love it!

5 comments about The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics.

1. The DC Comics Guides are great. And this is one of the best in the series. It gives clear cut practical advice alongside inspirational examples and hints. The structure of the book makes it easy to find that one thing you need, and this book has lots of information an aspiring writer needs. Compared to other books on the same subject, this one stands way above most.



2. I read this book because I'm interested in making comic books for fun, and while there was a lot of good stuff here and it was easy to read, there was a lot more that I would have liked to see covered. O'Neil limited his instruction to the traditional super-hero style comic book with lots of action and so forth. While I learned some valuable things about writing, especially from the examples of comic scripts shown in the book, a person like me who'se more interrested in graphic-novel style literature is going to have to go elsewhere for further instruction and advice.



3. I thought the book was very informative, provided excellent examples, and gave great tips on writing. Many of the writing tips could probably also crossover into other mediums as well. In addition, the book is actually fun to read. If you are thinking about scripting your comic idea, read this book.



4. Whether you write comic books or novels, there are powerful nuggets on the writing process that if applied, you will experience growth in your craft. The book is well organized, easy to read, and easier to digest. This book is a more than a "must read"... it's a "MUST OWN" for ANY writer.



5. I've read about a dozen books on writing and screenwriting, and most have been very helpful, especially J. Michael Straczynski's "The Complete Book of Screenwriting." None of them, however, have just laid it all out like Dennis O'Neil's book. While Straczynski's tome can tell you everything you night ever want to know, O'Neil's book tells what you what you MUST know, and very clearly lays out the basics, without which your story will not work. It's short - and half illustrations at that - but insightful and concise.
   
   It is written specifically for the fast-paced, melodramatic writing style of comics, especially action comics, but it's lessons are useful in any story.
   
   I especially like that it is not about teaching you how to write, but about utilizing tools that will clarify your writing, or help to get you out of a bind.

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.

5 comments about Vilppu Drawing Manual.

1. For the fundamentals of drawing, this is the book. Glenn teaches a different technique than most other masters (or current teachers even) ever have, whereby you learn to really understand the gesture the model is taking and draw from that, rather than attempting to copy the lines and shadows that you see as you observe the model. This enables you to then draw from memory or imagination. It also creates a drawing that captures more of the "life" of your figures.
   
   There is a brief introduction to anatomy, but it is really only enough to get you started in your understanding. For anatomical or advanced figure drawing, you will want to look at the other available products. Other books on this subject: Head Drawing Anatomy Volume 1, and Drawing Hands and Feet. He goes into the human anatomy in detail on DVD, which is much easier to learn from than a book, and covers each section of the body in apx 1.5 hour each.



2. Although I think it's excellent, I believe that there are a lot that are better ones out there. Don't want to diminish it's value but of the several instruction books available, I rarely use it. That however doesn't mean that it won't be of great value to others.



3. my only irk is that this doesn't really teach how to draw the head. for that, ya might like Andy Loomis' Drawing The Head and Hands.
   
   Irk aside, I love this book and, since I've practiced drawing the spheres, cylinders, and cubes alot before following this, I found I was able to learn and adapt to the methods extremely well.
   
   What Glen Vilppu does is amazing. He starts with the teaching gesture drawing, then moves onto spherical forms & overlapping, cubes and manipulating them, merging the spheres & boxes, and cylinders. Those methods alone, and analyzing forms, will allow you to draw anything. The two anatomy sections aren't bad, although I wish more was taught regarding the feet, head, and facial features. Even three pages for each area would have made this even better.
   
   What I personally recommend is practice those three shapes alot (google "Ten Minute Drawing Techniques" for that and more), then move onto this. Learn all the methods, analyze the drawings, and draw from them. "Don't copy, analyze" as Glen will say. Then look for whatever anatomy or figure drawing book that best suits your needs in progressing.
   
   While not perfect, this is a must have.



4. Besides Nicolaides' Natural Way to Draw, this book is really all the elements it takes to do drawing in about 13 lessons. If you have mastered all 13 lessons, you really will have become a great artist. Each lesson builds up on the previous one, and your suggested not to move on until you feel you are ready for the next one. Combine this manual with his series of DVD's and you pretty much have art school in a box. I am not even kidding about that either, the DVD's are literally him teaching in the class as well as demonstrations of him doing the drawings and models to draw from. You get to see a real master at work, and then you will have the confidence to do it yourself as he describes.
   
   This is not a quick fix book like Edwards' Right Side of the Brain, this is the real deal as far as learn to draw books/ series are concerned. I liked Nicolaides' book as well starting out, although I feel that not enough people take it seriously due to the amount of work required. Believe it or not your going to arrive at doing the same amount of work even if it takes you a lifetime to discover that. It is best to do your blind contour and form studies, etc. now so you dont have issues later with the natural element to drawing. Although this Drawing Manual does not deal with such things, that would be how you should acquire the feel of the thing anyway.



5. This is an excellent book. Vilppu focuses on gesture drawings for the most part and builds from there. You will learn how to construct the figure: torsos, arms, legs, and briefly hands.
   A great book for both illustrators and animators. Highly recommended

5 comments about Moving On: The Art of Steve Hanks.

1. I am jealous. Admit I love the artist; I've purchased several dozen of his works. But,I don't want you to ever own his books or his paintings; let me explain. As our children were young, I would surprise my wife each year with one of Steve Hanks' paintings. It was the last present opened at Christmas. The children would always watch in anticipation to see my wife cry as the wrapping would unveil the lastest painting. It is probably the most profound gift I've ever given - or gotten. Each year I would mount the latest painting; our bedroom walls have nothing but Hanks' works. It is said that sharing is the most precious gift we gift to each other. I, on the other hand, don't want to share Steve Hanks. You have given my wife a lifetime of memories, as have you have given my children treasure in the world of art. Don't buy this book; I want all of the copies. Mound them on the floor; stack them to the ceiling. But don't buy the book. In fact, buy any other book "but" this one. I'm begging you! Hanks is certainly worthy as an American treasure - a Michelangelo, a Raphael, a Cezanne. So please, don't buy the book!



2. This is an absolutely fabulous collection of works produced by Steve Hanks. The artwork is beautiful and the written excerpts provide insight into the artist's life and inspirations for the pieces.



3. Book was as expected and arrived on schedule. I buy many books from Amazon and will continue to do so.



4. "Moving On" is a beautiful book of Steve Hanks paintings. What makes it realy special is the artists explanation of his works. His insight helps you understand his motives and his intentions when he created each piece and shows you things that you may have missed on first glance. I love it!



5. I have admired the work of Steve Hanks for a long time. I bought Poised Between Heartbeats years ago and was very pleased to see the new book, Moving On. I recommend both of these books. Spend an afternoon with Steve Hanks.

5 comments about How to Draw Lifelike Portraits from Photographs.

1. This book is ok, for those who are not interested in drawing from life, and are content with drawing from blown up photographs. So if drawing is just a fun hobby this book would be super to draw portraits of your friends and family. But If you wish to progress beyond the point of basically making an exact copy of a photo then this book isn't for you. Hammond uses graphs to basically copy a photograph. So if you wish to draw a person, or any object that is not in a photograph this book will not help you sharpen your drawing skills.



2. This book is excellent if you've always been wanting to draw, especially if you thought you couldn't. It will prove that you can, and quickly. I literally went from stick figures to commissioned portraits in under a year. You will not be disappointed if you purchase this book!



3. i definetly would recommend this book,as well as another book by carol parks called secrets to realistic drawing both excellent tutorials and reading



4. If you want to learn how to draw pencil portraits from reference (photos), but you don't manage to do more than simple sketches almost always impossible of they be recognized (it was my case), this is your book. Suitable for beginners want to progress in days, what would usually take months for being reached, this book teaches step by step with 20 demonstrations, how you can draw portraits from photos.
   
   For me, good method is that that teaches you to draw better than you drew before, and this is with certainty this category. The method doesn't make you to lose time with theories that a lot of times only serve for thickening the book. It is focused from start to the end, in as to do a pencil portrait from photos. This was my objective when I decided to learn how to draw and in spite of me always be wanting to learn to draw better, today I can say that that objective was reached. For who wants to venture in learning how to draw pencil portraits, this with certainty should be the first method to invest.



5. I already had some drawing experience, but this book really helped refine my skills and give my portraits a professional quality.

5 comments about Dynamic Characters.

1. Book Review
   Dynamic Characters
   by Nancy Kress
   
   Dynamic Characters is the fourth book on Characterization I've read. I have two to go. I've been beating my head against the wall of traditional publishing for almost forty years. Instead of taking creative writing classes at UCLA, and other universities, I should have been reading books like this one. I would have learned so much more. When I recently started on this quest to improve my craft for developing characters in the fiction I write, I thought that all the books I was going to read would echo and reinforce each other. I was wrong in my assumptions. So far, each book stands alone just like characters in a novel are unique individuals. Nancy Kress does an admirable job in showing the connection between character and plot. The book is divided into three parts. Part one focuses on creating strong and believable characters through such externals as choosing descriptive details, naming the character, how to use dialogue and the pitfalls of basing a character on real people. She actually answered a question I had in chapter eight. Part two of this book covers the internal workings of a character. Chapter thirteen was a learning experience for me, as I had never really considered it important to make your villain as real as your hero. Chapter fifteen provides a system for investigating your character in depth and Kress explains how such a system should be used. Part three focuses on character and plot and how both interact. I found chapter twenty-two specially rewarding when Kress addressed basing plots on real-life events--her advice was priceless. If I had read and studied this book decades ago, my writing would have been different and a lot of grief possibly avoided. Robert Frost wrote a poem about two paths in the woods and choosing which one to take. Forty years ago when I started to take creative writing classes instead of studying books like this one, I went the wrong way. I don't see how I can do justice in reviewing her book in such a way that it would convince all aspiring writers that you should buy this book and devour it, and then keep it on a shelf for support when needed. Once you have done that, don't stop there. Use [...] and the rating system it has to find other books that will teach and guide you to improve and polish your craft so the odds that the rejections slips that keep coming will stop and turn into acceptance. The books on the craft of writing I purchase were all highly rated and only one has disappointed me.



2. I ending up finding this because I was looking for sequels to her Probability series. No luck there, but I found this book.
   
   It was actually very readable, and filled with examples taken from a lot of books, which was pretty well done. Not that I am a writer at all, this book was still worth reading.



3. Nancy Kress writes really informative books, bottom line. This one is so full of great information that it is hard to incorporate it all. Good characters drive good fiction and this book gets to the heart of the issues involved in creating those characters. I'm a beginning writer who has no formal classroom training, so I'm relying on books like these to help me hone my craft. This one, and other titles by this author, are among the most helpful books I have read.



4. The reader-as-aspiring-author needs to know a little something on his own about writing dialog and creating characters. But it is a great refresher to return to again and again as you are polishing your story or novel.



5. First of all, don't let this book sit on your shelf! Nancy Kress is an amazing author. She has such a feel for words and makes the reader want to keep reading. It flows well from the first page.
   
   She has checklists for characterization that can be found on the internet! She divides the book in three parts: internal, external and plot.
   
   After having followed other articles and books by Ms. Kress in Writer's Digest, I knew I was a huge fan, but this book convinced me beyond a shadow of a doubt.
   I'm focused right now on the "internal dialogue" chapters which someone else might skip over, but is vital to my thriller.
   
   I think that's what I like so much about this book. You can zero in on what you need and don' have to read the whole book, cover to cover. She isn't chatty, and is not boring.
   
   At the end of each chapter she summarizes what she covered, which is great for me. Sometimes, I go straight to the summary to see if I want to read that chapter.
   
   I feel like I have the benefit of Nancy herself telling me where the "thin spots" are and the "implausibilty in the plot" can be found. The lessons I've learned in the few short weeks since this book arrived are amazing.
   If you can only afford one book right now, I seriously recommend this one.
   (I also think you should get her book, "Beginnings, Middles and Ends")

1 comments about J.M.W. Turner.

1. This is the catalogue for the current Turner exhibition held at the National Gallery in Washington and which will later come to the Met in NYC. Many of the paintings come from American and British museums, as well as from private collections and it is also an opportunity to view a significant part of Turner's watercolor output.
   
   The book is divided into three parts following a chronological pattern after an introduction that studies Turner's "desire to rise to the top of the British art world" and his pursuit of fame. Part one deals with Turner's beginnings and building of his career, from 1790 to 1824 (the historical and economic contexts are not omitted). Part two studies the painter at the peak of his art (1818-1839)and part three dwells on the role of history in his art, the study of his masterpieces on the burning of the Houses of Parliament (1831), his late seascapes (1835-1846) and his mastery of light (1840-1851). An interesting conclusion studies Turner's relationship with America, which he never visited, but where his works were collected in depth very early.
   
   All the illustrations are of a high quality, including some close-ups of details.
   
   A valuable addition to the literature on the artist.