4 comments about Citizen Designer: Perspectives on Design Responsibility.

1. This is an essential book for all designers worth their salt. If you have a backbone and you truly are 'ready' to understand the reach of the profession and its social responsibility, save your pitiful moral crisis, get out of the pointless world of persuasion and rhetoric, and start saying it like you mean it. Buy this book and write your life's manifesto. Design is not just a job hey.



2. I got this book hoping it would shed more light on an issue I find very pressing within the design community: social responsibility. Is it important for the designer to know his/her great poster that helped make a Hollywood movie into a blockbuster also helped clear cut a forest killing an ecosystem for numerous species of wildlife? Is it important for a designer to only do work for companies that match their own morals and ethics? The book touches on the latter topic in a couple essays but largely provides a number of pieces of writing with good intentions but with no actual "next steps" to achieve more fruitful results. Desigers have to eat, so blowing off huge $$ tobacco ad campaigns can seem ridiculous. However by making social responsibility a key point of dialogue in the education of the designer, one could see a more responsible result in the business world. Maybe designers could receive the respect they deserve if they actually stood for something besides edgy looking websites and whatnot. Anyway, the book wasn't all bad. Its a good start to an important conversation... so three stars!



3. This book is incredible. I have only read the first 20 pages and I think it should be a mandatory read for anyone in the design industry. It is informative on specific ethical issues a designer faces and it allows for varying perspectives on the topics in the book.

   Great for a student, teacher, or anyone within the design realm.




4. Designer David Vogler always contributes to these design books churned out by Mr. Heller. And once again, Vogler has cooked up a hilarious editorial that thumbs it's nose at the industry while making valid observations. This is worth the cover price alone. My staff laffed out loud.

2 comments about The Complete Guide to Perspective.

1. This is one of the best books on perspective I have read. Each topic is segmented into three levels. Basic, Intermediate and advanced. The advanced section is clearly labeled as advanced. The basic and intermediate sections are very comprehensive and easy digestible stuff. The content of the advanced section are not for starters though.
   
   On the less positive side: Some of the paintings and drawings used as illustration in the shadow section are printed too light. This is definitely something to be reviewed or corrected in the next volumes. Despite these minor issues it is one of the best books on perspective and I certainly will recommend it to others. Two thumps up!



2. John Raynes is not only a fine and competent artist, but an outstanding writer and teacher. This book does not gloss over the technical complexity of perspective drawing, but keeps it very accessible and learnable. John does a great job of explaining concepts in extremely understandable terms. He's also (as in all his other books) illustrated it beautifully with both photos and drawings, using each where most appropriate. Good book for beginner to relatively advanced artist.

4 comments about Watercolour Textures (Collins Artist's Studio).

1. 
   If you are looking for someone to hold your hand, forget about
   this book. Ann Blockley is a better painter than teacher, since she assumes you know quite a bit about watermedia. However, if you have a good foundation in painting, she can introduce you to some very nice techniques.



2. If you are familiar with Ann Blockley's flower paintings, you will be surprised by this book. (You can see a gallery of Blockley's paintings on her website.) It is no ordinary, watercolour how-to book, and the cover and title give nothing away. In this book, the author admits that she has stepped well outside her comfort zone to explore an entirely new approach to the painting process. We can be very glad that she did.
   
   The simple chapter headings give no idea of the innovations Blockley presents. There are the usual texture mediums described in other art instruction books, but Blockely applies these mediums in entirely new ways: clingfilm, salt, inks, granulation medium, bubbles and foam, gold and silver pigments, paint resist and more. The beautiful colour illustrations inspire and encourage the reader to experiment, but the text is even more important.
   
   You could approach this book in one of two ways: either you can use it for the techniques alone, or you can use the techniques to move outside your artistic comfort zone as Blockley has done - beyond what is familiar in your established approach to painting. Blockley admits that it took courage to do this publicly in a book. Any artist - of any medium - can take heart - and inspiration - from what the author shares of her out-of-the-zone process.
   
   This book has plenty of demonstrations and includes three guest artists: Shirley Trevena, Moira Huntly and John Blockley, all of whom explored art mediums in daring ways. You can google all three names and take a look at their on-line galleries.
   
   I nearly didn't buy this book because watercolour is not my medium. I am so glad I did. It's one of the best books I've come across for encouraging the exploration of new ways of artistic expression - in any medium. Better still, Blockley makes the process simple, interesting and fun.



3. Beautiful and inspirational book! I can't wait to try by myself all the examples and exercises.



4. I pre-ordered this book quite a while back and it finally arrived yesterday. WOW! Was it ever worth the wait! Every page is inspirational. I am primarily an oil painter but this book has inspired me to get back into watercolor. I must have 100 watercolor books but this is the one I would save in case of fire. What a great book!!!

5 comments about Rackham's Fairy Tale Illustrations in Full Color.

1. I heartily concur with the estimations of Rackham's value to the area of children's book illustrations. Look for Rackham's Mother Goose and Alice in Wonderland from Chancellor Press to introduce your little ones to his illustrations is book form, as well as Favorite Tales From Grimm. But my desire here is to point out the true color found in this collection of Rackham's illustrations. Beware, as some books republished with his pictures do not capture the subtlety of his use of color. He used dark colors and gently colored objects in all of his pictures. This book, along with Dover's other Rackham collections show his work in all its glory, the subtle and the grotesque simultaneously. A delight for any collector of Rackham, suitable for framing.



2. I just received this as a gift, and I am so thrilled. I think this particular artist has a wonderful gift of emotion in the art that really draws us into the story. I love the use of colors and the unique perspective. I am very pleased to add this to my collection of fairy tale items.



3. This thin volume is filled with some of the most enchanting drawings and paintings ever to grace childrens' books. There is an element of style in Rackham's work that reminds me in many ways of Japanese woodblock prints of the 19th century. And like a quality Japanese woodblock print, a Rackham plate is a feast for the eye.
   
   Fairy tale subjects can range the fair to the hideous. Often illustrators are biased towards one end of the spectrum. Rackham is one of those talented artists that can simultaneously capture the beauty of a fair maiden and the brutishness of a foul giant in one composition. I especially like the vitality of his figures and the whimsical and often grotesque facial expressions of his fairies and giants. I would recommend this volume to anyone who is fond of fairy tales and fine illustration.



4. very pleased with the book.have always hoped i could draw like him but my life took me down another road



5. Indeed a grate collection of various fairy tale illustrations. A must have if you are a Rackham or fairy tale lover regardless of your age.

5 comments about First Steps Sketching and Drawing (First Step Series).

1. This is an excellent book for absolute beginners who are not sure if they can draw a ballon on a string but want to. It is a very easy read that encourages you to pick up paper and pencil and start drawing now. The instructions are simple to follow and include technique for drawing that I have found missing in other titles. I just wish it were longer/covered more techniques AND included "other stuff" like how to keep your sketches from smearing in your sketch book, care of pencils, composition, etc. I suppose if it covered everything it wouldn't just be a "First Steps" book.



2. Good instructions for detail on lots of different subjects, nature, animals, structures, people. Very well done



3. No real advice is offered on drawing. Everything is too basic. If you're about to take or have already taken a beginners' course, this book is a waste of your precious money. You know already what she attempts to show in this volume.
   Instructions are too vague, nothing you can really follow though in the hope of becoming better at drawing. Her loose style and broken up, incomplete explanantions are enough to make you want to quit. She never goes in depth, never reaches full thourough mastery of any subject within the realm of drawing. Light and shadows probably don't matter much for her, she gives no detail to enable one to move beyond shape or form.
   In summery, this book teaches nothing, demonstrates nothing, just rambles vaguely here and there, never going into any part of drawing in depth.
   I'd rather recommand: The art of pencil drawing by Ernest W. Watson, a book which gives great advice with beautiful demonstration drawings, simple yet clear, concise & to the point.



4. This book is not really a drawing instruction, but it has a lot of practical tips. It's easy to follow, pictoral and it contains no wordy explanation which will confuse the readers even before they begin to draw!)

   The writer gave examples of 'loose drawing' in various themes, a good start for drawing from life.




5. This book appealed to me in its straight forward manner of presenting drawing to a beginner. Johnson has a chatty way of explaining her techniques that makes the excercises fun to do. She has included a broad spectrum of subject matter including animals, buildings, people, etc. I found the book easy to follow and very helpful and would recommend it for any artist's library.

5 comments about The Complete Guide to Chip Carving.

1. This guide is helpful on the face of it. It will be intereting how quickly I absorb the basics and begin to branch out to my own work and designs. The guide looks very useful.



2. This is an excellent book and it is very complete. If, however, you have a number of Barton's previous books, there is not much new in this one, and that includes the designs shown. So, if you are an experienced chip carver and know Barton's work, I think that you would be disappointed with this book.



3. This book is a good companion to the Chip Carving DVD by Wayne Barton - it reinforces many of the items presented in the DVD, shows numerous finished examples, and provides patterns and techniques for creating patterns on the wood you use. Highly recommended!



4. Not only is this a complete book on chip carving it is well written and easy to understand with many excellent examples.



5. I carve wedding plates, jewelry boxes, and borders on relief carvings. This book provides many samples I can use for my work. It is a super book well worth being a part of any chip carver's arsenal.

No comments about What is Branding? (Essential Design Handbooks).

5 comments about Notes on Graphic Design and Visual Communication.

1. This was a required book for college Art Class. Quite surprised to find that it is a very thin book and is in photocopied handwriting! Item did arrive on time & good condition hopefully it will serve well for this class.



2. The only reason I gave this a four out of five stars is because the author wrote in all caps which is incredibly hard to read page after page. It also goes against the graphic design rule of not writing in all caps unless it's a short headline. Other than that, this book is great for all levels of designers. For beginners it tells all the principles and walks through how to go about projects. For intermediate and advanced it's good to have by your computer to refresh yourself every now and then on the principles of good design. Great book... would recommend to anyone in the design field.



3. This book is a great reference and reminder of the basic elements that make graphic design and visual communication effective! Every student in any graphic design program should buy this book!
   Gregg Berryman knows what he is writing about!



4. I got this book during my junior year in high school for an intro to graphic design class...and still refer to it every so often. I would recommend it for any graphic designer, especially students, as it has a wealth of knowledge-from basic design principles to the grid, typogrpahy, etc.- contained in it's small amount of pages.
   A must have for any graphic designer!



5. Notes on Graphic Design and Visual Communication is the most essential graphic design book written. Despite being very thin in quantity of pages, this book holds an enormous amount of graphic knowledge. I am currently studying Industrial Design and was refered to this book by a professor to help me with my graphic design knowledge. It opened the world of graphics up to me in an easy to read, fun package. The only complaint I`ve heard of this book is the font used for text. This book has a hand written font which can sometimes be hard to read. I have had no problems with the font however.

4 comments about The Skateboard Art of Jim Phillips.

1. Presented in this book is practically the very definition of BAD TASTE! But, two stars given because if you happen to be into the silly skateboard scene, you'll probably LOVE this one.



2. I bought this book based on the two other reviews on Amazon but when I received it i was a little disappointed. It wasn't exactly what I expected. I wasn't very familiar with Jim Phillips' art before this book. I own other skateboard art books, but this kind of art is too busy for me. If you're a fan of Jim Phillips' art then I guess this book is for you, but it wasn't exactly my taste.



3. I think there is a big difference between this book and the Skateboard and rock poster book. This book comes with full blown pages of closeups of all of or most of Jim's artwork. I'm a hobby artist myself so I'm really jazzed up about this book. Another book to get that is rather intresting is Disposable which covers different skateboard companies and riders but you will be happy with this book here.



4. Jim Phillips is finally stepping out from the obscurity of his drawing board to take a bow for the countless skating design innovations for which he is solely responsible. The skateboarding, surfing and rock & roll art of the last 30 years was trailblazed by this softspoken and humble artuer and the rest if the world has been playing catch-up ever since. Any skater who grew up riding in the 70s, 80s and 90s had these designs plastered on every wall of their bedroom as well as the decks of their boards. The ripples started in Santa Cruz, CA but have radiated out to impact the art worlds of Europe, Japan and Canada. Check out Jim's other 2 books on Rock Art and Surf/Skate art, too! AWESOME!

5 comments about Design for Communication: Conceptual Graphic Design Basics.

1. I am just starting out in graphic design and this book, though interesting, is very hard for me to grasp at this time. I think I will really enjoy doing the instructionals as I learn more about design though. I tried a few of the exercises and (for me) they are hard to do right now.



2. This review was sent to me by a colleague.
   
   "I am particularly impressed with the strength of the sections and introductory texts for each section. It is very cleverly planned and well written. More importantly, the strength of the book for me lies on the fact that the assignments do not illustrate but on the contrary, strengthens your observations, aims/objectives, methodology, structure and propositions for the design education.
   
   The book is also in excellent record of what goes on in design colleges in terms of methods of working (to record students statements and instructors evaluations is, on its own right, a great contribution to knowledge within the design education). The interaction between students statements and instructors evaluations are very important for me. The two different texts create a dialogue within the book.
   
   The book brings theory and practice together for the students and educators which is very rare in design publication and education and even more so at the BA/ undergraduate level.
   
   Thank you for your great work!"



3. Professor Resnick's new text, Graphic Design for Communication offers a fresh, innovative approach to teaching visual communication in general and graphic design in particular. She presents many conceptual design principles in a format that is easy-to-understand, practical, and clear in its organizational hierarchy. The book provides intelligent, pragmatic lessons about design that will be of use to both students and teachers alike.

   The book's most notable strength lies in its author's unique approach to the subject matter. In the past, most authors have tackled the task of writing an instructional text on design by focusing on a few basic principles of the craft and supplementing these with exercises designed to impart specific skills and techniques to the reader. In contrast, Resnick has employed a far more inclusive, conceptually focused approach. Like her peers, as an educator she does offer text that presents her perspective on various basic design principles. Yet unlike many others her focus is clearly on the reason we design-namely to effectively express and communicate ideas. And again unlike some other texts, ideas about BOTH form and content are give their due here. The different principles explored each section are illuminated with appropriate exercises. This is where Resnick's book shines as a unique accomplishment. For her illustrative exercises, Resnick invited a remarkable group of international educators to work with her as collaborators. All were invited to submit their best assignments along with student work for inclusion. In this respect, Graphic Design for Communication is unlike most other texts because it offers an inclusive diversity of approaches to design and will certainly be a great tool for educators. As a text for use at all levels of instruction, it offers the best, "road-tested", assignments for lecturers to draw upon as inspiration when explaining the principles of design to students. The numerous exercises impart information in a manner that is at once both practical and conceptually expressive.

   Graphic Design for Communication features a structure that is pragmatic and clear. Each section opens with a well-written, articulate introduction to a different design principle (e.g., basic elements of design; typography as both image and semiotic message; word and image relationships; the grid and visual hierarchy; and visual advocacy). This text is followed by a series of design assignments (from basic to advanced) that teach students how to effectively integrate ideas with various techniques and processes. The design exercises are amply illustrated with examples of real student work completed in response to the assignments. In addition, most of the student samples include a brief process statement from the student as well as a critical instructor evaluation. As another reviewer pointed out, students will certainly appreciate the many illustrations (some in color) and the opportunity to examine both the process and critical evaluation of peer work outside the classroom. By using student work for examples (as opposed to those created by master designers), Resnick succeeds in bringing both the assignments and the creative design process to life.

   Because of the great range of exercises included, this text will serve both students and educators as a useful handbook. For anyone who has either audited a class or wished they could have, the book is a joy. It is a little like auditing the "best of" graphic design education-all the more rewarding because the author was enlightened enough to collect some assignments and visual examples from cultures outside the U.S.

   Professor Resnick deserves special credit for her concise editing and clean layout. I suspect one of the challenges in a compilation of this sort had to be the careful editing of her collaborator's assignments. It would appear that she did not just leave them to their own devices in this regard. Rather, as an educator herself she has thoughtfully and carefully applied her writing skills to the task. The result is a well-considered, consistent survey of the principles that guide modern graphic design. In addition, I must add that her bibliography is outstanding. It should be adopted as a standard reading list for anyone interested in the field.

   As with the very best cookbooks (I am thinking of the classics here, such as Rombauer and Becker's Joy of Cooking or Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking) this book will find a place in the libraries of both novices and experienced students of design. Like those texts, it effectively explains the important principles that guide all design work. Her decision to present contemporary master "recipes" (those proven to work in the classroom) introduces students to design as a thoughtful "process" without forfeiting any artistry or pleasure along the way. It is clear that Professor Resnick is passionate about her work as BOTH a designer and educator and in this book she she shares that pleasure with us, the reader.




4. This new book, like Elizabeth Resnick's earlier one (Graphic Design: A Problem-Solving Approach to Visual Communication), that was published in the early '80s, has a generous amount of student work on its pages, providing the reader with some wonderful and useful examples of solutions to the problems presented. There's even a section with some of these shown in full color!

   When Ms. Resnick wrote her first book, no graphic design was being done on a computer. This current text, published now that we're fully into the digital age, also very wisely steers clear of a "how to" approach. It's all too easy for students starting out in graphic design now to think that it's about "how to use QuarkXPress" or some other software package, but Resnick's book stresses concepts, communication, and the art of creating fresh and thoughtful solutions to design problems. It will help students to learn the importance of research, and how to develop the analytical and conceptual skills they will need as professional designers later on.

   The idea of using quality student work as a teaching tool is a very good one. It results in a book that is much more appealing to the student. Each solution has a statement by its creator as well as the instructor's feedback. I think students will find the author's approach to the subject fresh, direct, and very accessible. The presentation of each problem consists of: the Assignment Brief, Objectives, Specifications, Process, and Critiques. This results in a very clear, useful, and well-structured text. I highly recommend this book!




5. There are so many books out there on graphic design that are merely pretty picture books, and focus only on what a piece LOOKS like. What students need is something with depth, something that addresses the conceptual aspects that can be so difficult to grasp.
   Resnick's book really targets this need, by presenting an integration of formal and conceptual issues and respecting the students' intelligence in the process. It shows them how FORM influences and strengthens CONCEPT, which I haven't seen in any other text. This is one of the most important (and elusive) issues in graphic design education.

   The book is illustrated entirely with student work, all high quality. Students will love this approach; they are used to being shown only the work of experienced professionals.

   The book is also going to be really useful for instructors
   who want to improve the rigor and depth of their assignments but aren't sure how to go about it.