3 comments about 50 Fantasy Vehicles to Draw & Paint: Create Awe-Inspiring Crafts for Comics, Computer Games, and Graphic Novels (Quarto Book).

1. I was surprized by the great variety of vehicles. From boxy to sleak to biomorphic vehicles. Easy to follow step by step directions. From starting with basic box and rectangulars shapes. Then editing these shapes, and adding to these shapes, to create a vehicle.This book is for learning to drawing on paper but I will be using it to draw on the computer. I'm a media designer, I will use the techniques that I have learned from this book for my 2D art.That I create with photoshop and painter as well as my 3D work.The book is also great for coming up with ideas for vehicles. Great book for beginners!



2. its an ok book..did have some unqiue ideas and ppictures of vehicles I would not have thought of..but I would use prob one, maybe two of the illustrated vehicles with my own modifications out of the whole book to put in a painting or drawing



3. When first saw the book sitting on the shelf I thought to myself "Is this another Lee J Ames Draw 50 books?" I opened it up, and I was surprised. The author begins with some reference on modern and historical vehicles, making them armored, military war machines. Also covered are steam-punk, future cars and motorcycles, one creature from myth, and animal-machine hybrids. The illustrations are very good, and the author break down the forms of the vehicles into three dimensional shapes, showing them from three or four angles.

2 comments about Fifty Figure Drawings.

1. This book is $5.00 how on earth could you beat that? Buy it, study it and see how artist draw the figure from life. Its full of great art and the printing looks good.



2. It's satisfying to write about this little book on the first day of 2007 considering that it was first published in 1927. It's also satisfying to have this time capsule to remind one how the artistic training in the United States has evolved (Some would say devolved.) during the last century, progressing (regressing?) from an emphasis on developing skills to reproduce objective reality then on to abstract self expression then on to cultural commentary and postmodern end game play and back again to a partial return to respect for draftsmanship with the profusion of artist run ateliers promoting traditional drawing and painting skills.
   
   This slim volume edited by noted draftsman and instructor George B. Bridgman consists of drawings done by students from the leading art schools at the beginning of the last century. Of the works Mr. Bridgman writes "The schools and the classes (from which these drawings were gleaned.) are patterned very much after the schools of Europe in a general way, but the policies vary greatly Instructors naturally have many different viewpoints, regarding artistic training and instruction. (And)...the drawings selected can be classified under three different trends of thought, the imitative, the constructive, and the expressive."
   
   The drawings themselves do fall into different categories: 1. Basic linear gestural beginnings, to blocks in, and to complete renderings; 2. Different styles - graceful line drawings in dry and wet media, muscular drawings of line and tone, and finely nuanced tonal depictions; and 3. Varying levels of ability - masterful renderings giving a sense of light, mass, texture and movement, workmanlike renderings, and less accomplished (Whether by talent or inexperience.) drawings displaying problematic proportion, value, & line control (The worst still being superior to the best often found in today's university upper lever life drawing classes.) .
   
   The illustrations are printed on a glossy stock. I can't say whether the reproductions were taken from the original photographic plates or whether they were scanned from the pages of the 1937 revised edition of the book and then tidied up. While these illustrations are adequate, they lack the clarity, depth, and sharpness provided by today's printing technology. But for the price, this book is well worth a look.

5 comments about Graphic Style: From Victorian to Digital.

1. I ordered this book for a graphic design class. It opened my eyes to the history of graphic design.



2. I'm using this book as a college text.. I believe that I have a rather high reading level, but at times this book can be difficult to keep along with. Nonetheless, there is certainly a wealth of information here! Pages and pages of relevant artwork and explanations, along with the key people within each movement covered.



3. Looking at the last updated edition to Graphic Style and that was in 2000 and the one before that was 1988 . . . it is about time for a new installment to this never-ending story.



4. The book was an enjoyable read accompanied by many images. I would recommend this for anyone who is in a graphic design history class.



5. This book is an excellent primer on the most important graphic fashions and styles of the 20th Century. Half the book's illustrations are black and white, but that does not take away from its overall value to students and professionals.

3 comments about The Big Book of New Design Ideas (Big Book (Collins Design)).

1. There is some good stuff in here, but I think most of it looks pretty dated to me.
   Your mileage/opinion may vary.



2. A great companion book to Carter's book on color in design. Lots of great ideas and I love the flip book layout which makes it easy to find what you are looking for.



3. I am a design teacher - and like to fill my presentations of real-life work that parallels my classes. Excellent source of scanning material, and gives you the exact colors.

4 comments about How To Draw Manga: Sketching Manga-Style Volume 2 (How to Draw Manga).

1. This is perhaps one of the bests manga drawing books I have ever used. Not ideal for someone just starting out, however if you have a little bit of experience this book can really take you to the next level.



2. basic drawing book. deals mostly with proportion of figures.
   would recommend How to Draw Chibi by Ben Dunn.
   much more info and drawing examples.



3. I have been using the manga style for 25 years, yet i found this book a very welcome addition to my library of over 200 reference books. Using it with the sister volume #1 is simply a delight. The book is well presented and extremely clear for the beginner and the professional. I have recommended it and the sister volume #1 to many beginning to professional manga artists.



4. This book is basically a follow up to the first volume, but in this book they show you examples of drawing proportions on chibi characters as well as standard size characters. I really enjoyed the contents of this book. This whole book teaches you the correct head to body ratio when drawing your characters as well as their chibi counter part. Not only does Hikaru show you these examples, he also put in some facial expressions and action poses (for both chibi and standard size characters). Like I said in my title, this book is basically a big rough draft sketch book that's full of helpful images. I would definitely recommend getting this book, especially if you liked the first volume. This book advertises just what the title suggests, nothing more nothing less. If you are looking for something more than what the title suggest, then you will be sorely disappointed. I truly believe that one would benefit from this book tremendously and their art style will improve drastically. So if you are a big fan of chibi drawing, get this book! You won't be disappointed!

5 comments about Los Logos.

1. If you're a designer that needs inspiration in this synthetic world (just like me) look no further.
   Just go ahead and buy the 3 books of the series (just like me). Don't be afraid the logos don't are seppareted in themes so one book complements the other.
   
   It impress me because I acctually hate logo books, they are so corporate usually. But these stand up for the creative explorations over style, application and paradigm breaking.
   A huge collection of logos, I feel I don't need to buy other books in the genre, all I need is there (i am a designer not a agency director, so don't get me wrong)



2. The firs session of this alternative logo design is a great place to find new ways to do logos.



3. I do like this book. It is an interesting compilation of inspired work, innovative design, strange ideas that make sense. It's good for that kind of reference.
   
   Los Logos has a few flaws, however. First, let me state that I acknowledge that the author did not necessarily intend that this book was the ultimate reference of everything logos, but still. It's a 443 pages long book called LOS LOGOS, it could really bring diverse points of view on the subject. It says here they wanted to present new ideas. Good, there's plenty of that here, but it is packed with dozens of jobs from the same few design companies, which makes for a repetitive collection. If you pay attention, you'll see all works fom the same companies have a similar style, and you end up wanting more, even with so much to look at. That's the one thing that made me sad about Los Logos: why didn't the author look at works from many other styles? These all look the same, either new retro or futuristic. The team that compiled this works actually seems to have gone out of its way to find unusual art all over the world, but then why do all works look alike in a way? It lacks a bit of real-world works. These are mostly used in alternative brands that don't seem to target the majority of the population.
   
   It's good, but could have been so much better.



4. The book comes in a nice cover and all, but I was a bit dissapointed upon looking inside. There are some cool logos, but not as many as I thought their would be. Some of them suck and I don't know why they're even in there. I'd say out of 385 pages 100 were good. Not all of them are bad though, I have seen worse.
   This book is good if your venturing into new styles , or just for a good creative refreshment, yet it's also good for referencing too.



5. I don't think everyone is understanding the true intentions of this book. It's really not about the index, chapters or maturity of it. I feel this book should primarily (or only) be used for visual style inspiration. When you're designing a logo, have a concept in mind, but you're looking for a way to execute the visuals, this is THE book you pick up! No exceptions. If you think this book was a waste of money, then go work in a cubicle and layout some order forms.

5 comments about Painting Better Landscapes.

1. The best book I have bought. Goes into visualizing,planning,etc. Covers the guidelines for compositions as well as values and mood. Highly recommend.



2. I bought this book years ago and I continue to come back to this book years later. It's full of good and useful information. Kessler lays out the basics well and provides good solid information for constructing good landscape painting. Her book is a great reference for when I run into problems or am not sure of what I'm seeing when I'm painting. Kessler and John Carlson are the two best books on painting landscapes that I found.



3. On my feedback I had entered the feedback for the wrong book, my apologies, please. This book does have a lot of great information and gives details using great techniques.



4. Well written text, for advanced artist as well as the beginner. Kessler explains her topics very well. She uses a lot of earth tones in most of her paintings, but any artist can adjust the color range to suit their taste.



5. Este libro es estupendo para mejorar tu pintura, tanto seas novato como avanzado, pero especialmente es útil si llevas tiempo pintando, creo que está orientado especialmente para superarte en lo que ya haces. Te hace ver la técnica a seguir, desde que empiezas a inspirarte en una fotografía y su interpretación, la combinación de colores empleados, la mejor composición, profundidad, la forma de trazar con el pincel, y muchas recomendaciones más para superarte en lo ya llevas haciendo un tiempo atrás, como es mi caso. Recomendable para todos.
   AVISO PARA AMAZON.COM: Soy español y hecho de menos que tengais un apartado especial para saber las publicaciones en mi idioma. Todos los libros que he comprado los hubiera disfrutado más si estuvieran traducidos al español.
   
   This book is marvellous to improve your painting, so much be raw as(like) advanced, but specially it is useful if you go time doing(painting), I believe that it is orientated specially to excel yourself in what already you do. It makes you see the technology(skill) to continuing, since you start inspiring by a photography and its interpretation, the combination of used colors, the best composition, depth, the way of planning with the paintbrush, and many recommendations more rides to excel yourself in already doing a time behind, since it is my case. Advisable for all.
   
   I WARN FOR AMAZON.COM: I am Spanish and a fact of less than a special paragraph to know the publications in my language. All the books that I have bought had been enjoyed by me more if they were translated into the Spanish. THANKS.

3 comments about Picture This!: Activities and Adventures in Impressionism (Art Explorers).

1. I have used 2 of the author's books as catalyst to design an art unit to teach from. I have liked the two I had so well, that I have recently purchased the rest in the series.
   
   The activities can be used with a wide variety of ages and abilities. With a little tweaking you can use them with about anyone. There is only one color picture as an example of the artist work and a very brief description of each featured author in the back. At first, I was going more into depth about each artist, but this little blurb is usually enough for most students. Much more information and no creating going on and they get off task.
   
   I do however, check out a book or two from my local library so that I can show them other examples of the artists' works. Sometimes I print pictures from offline or show them art postcards as examples as well. Most of the pictures in the book are student samples, and my students seem to like looking at these better. The student samples are more on their level of ability; they also give them ideas on how to let the artist "inspire" them to do their own piece.
   
   In all I would highly recommend all of the books in this series. The activities are easy to follow, and the books are fun and lively for the kids to look at. Yes, if you had a student or students who really wanted to study these artists closely, you would have to supplement this book with other things. But if like me you are just trying to expose them to different styles, periods and artists, then this series is a terrific find!



2. 
   "What is a television... to man, who has only to shut his eyes to see the most inaccessible regions of the seen and the never seen?" Salvador Dali
   
   "Do not proceed according to rules and principles, but paint what you observe and feel." Camille Pissarro
   
   "Nobody will give you freedom-you have to take it." Meret Oppenheim
   
   "To be a Surrealist...means barring from your mind all remembrance of what you have seen, and being always on the lookout for what has never been." Rene Magritte
   
   Picture This and Imagine That introduce children to great artists, art concepts and allow them to become artists themselves. They are the first two books in the Art Explorers series. Picture This introduces Impressionism, Imagine That acquaints us with Surrealism. The books begin with a Note To Adults, telling how to help children explore that particular school of art. This is followed by a Note to Kids, introducing them to that school of art and to the book. This is followed by one work each from 5 or 6 artists that are representative of that particular school. Each work of art has accompanying kid-friendly information about the art and the artist, and discussion questions. Then there are a few pages of art projects, to allow the child to respond by experimenting with different techniques and materials. The instructions for the projects are clear and include illustrations of a work in progress, and examples of actual children's art projects. In the back there is a little additional information about each artist.
   For example, after looking at Personal Values by Rene Magritte, children cut pictures out of a magazine to "Make a fantasy room where everyday things are seen in crazy mixed-up ways.". Step by step instructions are explained and illustrated. Several examples of completed projects by children 8-9 years old are included. The second project is a cut paper collage of "your own sky, where everything is mixed up and anything can float or fly". Again, there are two full pages of instructions and examples. These two projects require colored paper, glue, scissors, old magazines, and drawing materials. Of course some of the other projects will most likely involve a trip to the craft store, but some, like these, will not.
   On afternoons when the weather is crummy and there is a space available in the house somewhere to make a controlled mess, you could probably scrounge up stuff to keep the kids amused for a little while with one of these projects.
   These books are recommended for ages 5-12, but the nature of the projects is such that children of different ages can participate together in many of them.
   You can see some of the author's work on line and explore modern art at www.moma.org/artsafari . Look at some examples of modern art, talk about the discussion questions, and play author or detective.



3. It is an exploration in Impressionist paintings for young readers with art of Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Mary Cassatt and how-to fun activities (25 in all) such as:
   
   **experiment and play with color
   **painting outdoor scenes-storm, seaside, seasonal or garden
   **try pointillism (dot to dot) using cotton balls
   
   Included are interesting artist biographies of all five Impressionists mentioned above. Young readers will discover what is each artist's claim to fame. Who is the "father of Impressionism"? Who is the "leader of Impressionism"? Who is "known as one of the world's greatest artists"? Who is the "painter of happiness"? What city is common to all of these artists"?
   
   PICTURE THIS! is designed to help young readers develop appreciation of art and their own interpretations. In addition, it helps to develop creative critical thinking and to "encourage different opinions." Children can experiment with different creative media such as pastels, abstract painting, watercolor, and plastic foam printing to mention only a few that are included.
   
   PICTURE THIS! is an excellent introduction to Impressionist art and encouragement for creative ideas in young artists. I especially like the "Try this, too!" ideas to spark ideas that get the creative juices flowing.

3 comments about The Sketch Book for the Artist.

1. This book is great. It has a bit of everything. The history of art and the tools. Techniques with the tools. Some pages on some how to's. There is a lot of artwork to look at and plenty of exercises to follow.



2. I found myself combing through this terrific book over and over, and learning something new every time. Inside you'll find a compilation of drawings by masters and makers, drawing exercises,practical advice, photographs and reproductions. The author groups two or three representations, arranged in diverse sketching themes ranging from "Gods and Monsters" to "Abstract Lines" and "The Body." Whatever your level of drawing expertise, you can benefit from the author's clear and understandable commentary, fresh perspectives, and easy-to-follow instructions. This book will inspire you to expand your ways of seeing and approaches to drawing a wide range of subject matter.



3. Too often I find these "all-inclusive drawing" books a collection of poorly executed scribbles and, forgive my jaded opinion, pedestrian junk. By this I mean lots of shallow work by the author and others - all of which I find immediately forgettable once the regret of having looked at the book in the first place passes.
   
   This book is an exception; it shows many of the author's works (well executed and fun), and is also beautifully illustrated with inspirational and exemplary works by significant artists from the Reniassance to the current era.
   
   Contrasted with many other books (indirectly referenced above), this appears to be well researched for illustrative examples. Pencil (graphite), pen and ink, chalk, etc. are well represented. The reproductions are great and should help create new ideas and directions.
   
   The table of contents is too long to reproduce here so if you have any doubts go look at it in the store first. For me, I found it fun, inspirational, and well worth the money. I purchased it before Amazon had it available (N.B. this is the US version of "The Drawing Book" also available from Amazon) so it's a great buy at this price.

5 comments about Drawing Cutting Edge Comics.

1. Let me start out with how much I like Danger Girls! Christopher Hart is one of my favorite American comic book artist of all times! The different views of heads, hands, and feet are very helpful! The one, two, and three point perspective section of the book is very cool! I love this one!



2. The clear examples make the starting drawings easy to start. The book as a whole is a little more advanced for me as I am only a beginner, but will come in very handy once I get in more practice.



3. Although Hart's talented, his book will not improve beginners' skills because he does not fully develop each section. Cutting Edge needs to be twice its size to cover its topics. A person can spend years getting anatomy down. I had hoped for more step-by-step methods to his style, but Hart jumps from A to Z, expecting the reader to understand the huge gap inbetween. Get drawing experience before reading this, or you'll be disappointed.



4. Awesome book you can learn alot from this book even if you are a beginner



5. This is a great item to get into my collection. Definately a buy that is well worth it.