No comments about Norman Saunders.

3 comments about Picture This: Perception & Composition.

1. This book captured the essence of teaching art. She drew us into the realm of red riding hood with her step-by-step construction. It took awhile before I realised that I was learning in a fun way. The author had constructed an easy to read book, sharing her observation as well as her knowledge of colours, shapes and space. I really like the fact that her concept is simple to understand, takes a meticulous effort to implement and probably a lifetime to truly master.



2. This book is a gem to be treasured by all elementary teachers for their Art library. Molly Bang demonstrates the use color and shape to inspire creativity and emotions in the minds of young students. I had the privlege of attending her demonstration lecture some years ago at a Children's Literature Conference. There I was delighted to discover the subtle simplicity of her ideas; I even put them into practice with my preschool class. This book will open a new world of enjoyment and enrichment activities--especially in the study of fairy tales--while introducing basic artistic principles. I highly recommend it!



3. I am a professional graphic designer and I learned many things from this book. I purchased a copy at the Cooper/Hewitt Design Mueseum store in New York City, then left it on the plane, after reading all but the last pages. Now, I have to buy a new copy! It is one of my all-time favorite design books, and I have many. Among other ideas, she has an original way of describing gravity's influence on our perceptions in a picture plane. That alone is worth the money and time for this wonderful book

3 comments about Francis Bacon: The Human Body.

1. Not so long before I had no idea of who Bacon was and what he painted. Remember how I once skipped lectures in university and played PSX game Silent Hill all day along. In Making OF of this game I first time heard that some art inspiration for game was taken from Bacon paintings. And so I came to Bacon and his art :)
   Personally for me, and again just for me, I gave this book 5 stars because pictures here catch my eye like none art before. Bacons pictures by some reason looks stunning and scary at the same time. This book contains his pictures of human body theme only, as a cover says. I liked the way author gone - less text, more pictures. Second half of the book is containing just paintings with minimum comments below, mainly one paint picture on whole page. There are also few "three page rollout" inserts, showing few Bacon's triptych paintings which I liked. Pictures of second half is fully colourfull, first half of the book contains one page for text and other page for black and white, zoomed in picture of Bacon, that gives kinda cool look.
   This book will gave it's best to filmmakers, animators, concept artists, scriptwriters, Bacon enthusiasts who seek to take inspiration for horror art, movies, animations, whatever.



2. I think I had a false expectation. I expected something 'more' - images similar to the Bacon images in 'Van Gogh and Expressionism' which are stunning and vibrantly colorful. The images in this book fell short of that. Had I looked through this book in a bookstore, I would not have purchased. I should have done more research on Bacon before purchasing this and the Bacon portraits book which also was a disappointment but better than this one.



3. David Sylvester is one of the finest biographers of contemporary painters on the shelves today. His insights into such obtuse minds as Giocomettti and de Kooning and Francis Bacon have brought us, the viewer and thinker, closer to the real synapses at work. In this lavishly illustrated catalogue the emphasis is on the whole human body - alone, in confined spaces, distorted and reassembled in triptychs. Sylvester opens this format with terse discussions about particular paintings, using only black and white details of the works he is discussing. Then, once we have the groundwork established, the last half of the book is simply the paintings, printed on the finest peper, with foldouts that do justice to the triptychs and color separations that are as near to the originals as is possible. A feast for the eyes and mind....and imagination.

1 comments about Blasphemy: Art That Offends.

1. I was really excited to get this book, so I sat down to read it as soon as it arrived. Honestly, the text is pretty dry - I got bored about five minutes into it.... So I quit reading, and just flipped through and looked at the art. Saw a lot of really fascinating pieces, but nothing that I felt was especially offensive.... Of course, I don't get offended easily, so maybe that's just me. I gave it three stars, because the art was all really interesting, but the text was just incredibly boring....

2 comments about Keeping a Watercolor Sketchbook.

1. This is an excellent book. I have recommended it to several of my students, family and friends.
   She gives very precise information in a concise format, and it's so small you can easily pack it with your paint stuff and take it wherever you go. Great visual examples, and lots of real-world applicable tips and hints, including good sketching materials, make this a must-have for artists of all levels. I have taken a workshop from the author and her sketchbooks are AMAZING -- she definitely knows what she's doing and has loads of experience to share with interested others.



2. Great book! Arrived in good shape and in a timely fashion. Thanks.

2 comments about Destiny: A Novel in Pictures (Dover Books on Art, Art History).

1. Nuckel's Destiny is an amazing masterpiece of the wordless novel. This work is on par with the greatest of the genre: Ward's Gods' Man and Madman's Drum, Masereel's Passionate Journey, and Partri's White Collar. All of these works tell a story through images and all deal with political and social injustice. The main difference with Destiny is that this novel was not created with wood or lino blocks. Because of the price of wood at the time, Nuckel engraved on lead.
   For those who create wood or lino cuts, Destiny is a masterclass in the use of the lining tool. Nuckel uses this tool to perfection, creating shades of grey in the otherwise black and white world of engraving.
   What I enjoy about Destiny is it shows a personal style and vision that is very different from the other masters: Durer, Hokusai, Masereel, and Ward.



2. Nückel's wordless story traces one woman's life. Although beautifully illustrated, it follows her life from one sadness to the next: a father who died drunk and mother worked to death, a seducing salesman who loves and leaves - leaving her pregnant, and so on, to her unfortunate end. She has her moments of pleasure, but each one turns into a new tragedy. Small wonder that her head and shoulders take on a permanent slope, and that she so often appears faceless. It's not clear that she's wholly real, even to herself. What's real is Nückel's sympathy for the urban underclass of 1930s Germany, a time and place with plenty of sorrow to go around.
   
   This Dover edition reprints Nückel's woodcuts beautifully, with dense blacks on bright, opaque paper. It's a real treat to be able to see this story as it was meant to be seen, and in an affordable modern edition. I recommend it to many audiences: readers or creators of modern sequential art, lovers of woodcuts, and anyone who adds as much to their own reading as the author ever did.
   
   -- wiredweird

5 comments about Real Love: The Drawings for Sean.

1. I received this out of print first edition in mint condition. I was going to give it as a gift, but when I opened the box and saw what a wonderful book it is, I couldn't give it up!



2. I was very excited to find this book, but unfortunitely it was damaged in the mail. This seller was very helpful in resolving this problem. I was satisfied with the outcome and would buy from her again. Thank you.



3. Cover was a little scuffed but in overall good condition. Such a cute book!



4. This book makes me think of the Frank Sinatra classic, "You Make Me Feel So Young." The lyrics to that 1951 classic are startlingly a propos in re this book.
   
   This is an ideal book for all ages. Many people have been inspired to do a "John Lennon's Musical Parade" for a nursery theme have done their children a service by exposing them to high culture early. This book is the loving collaboration of a father and son. John's love for playing with words and stacking them in odd configurations much as young children enjoy stacking blocks is evident in this book as was the case in his 1964 book, "In His Own Write" and his 1965 follow up with "A Spaniard in the Works."
   
   The drawings that accompany the writing are gentle and direct; people of all ages will certainly appreciate the collaborative creativity that went into this book. Yoko Ono said that their son Sean came up with many of the titles and John would then work around those titles to create the imagery. This is truly a delightful book that all will love, regardless of whether or not they are Beatle fans. (Although no doubt Beatle fans will derive an especial amount of pleasure from this one).



5. After purchasing some of the John Lennon line of clothing for my baby, I had to buy the book. It truly reminds you of what a great mind we lost. The drawings are adorable and colorful. The captions are cute and funny. My daughter loves looking at each page. Its really worth buying.

No comments about The Acropolis in the Age of Pericles.

No comments about The Art of the Renaissance in Rome 1400-1600 (Perspectives (Prentice Hall Art History)).

No comments about Grand Scale: Monumental Prints in the Age of Durer and Titian (Davis Museum and Cultural Center, Wellesley College).