5 comments about Artist's Photo Reference: Landscapes.

1. This is a wonderful reference book and I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in landscape painting or photography.



2. I think this reference book is absolutely wonderful. The author has written permission to photocopy out of the book and tips on how to make a collection of pictures into one. I also just love the variety that it comes with. I was saddened that there was no rain, but everything else widely overcomes it. If your looking for a book full of pictures, this is the one to get!!



3. A photo reference should of course contain plenty of photos, but here there may be too many, or maybe it's that they're crammed four or five to a page. I've worked with small print photos of my own as a reference and it's no bother ( I can enlarge them if I need to), but when a smallish image is one of a group on that same page, well...it's just too crowded.
   Perhaps less would be more.

   Maybe it's my merely-intermediate stature, but I'd rather a larger format, such as a volume called "America" (or "American Landscapes") that I found at the library, with one or two great photos to a page.

   "Artist's Photo Reference: Landscapes" is helpfully organized into categories and sections within those categories, and offers a few demos. That's a good thing.

   I may not unload this book, but I'll more likely hit the library for some general photography books.




4. This is a really good reference book for landscapes. I use it often when I need a good outdoor scene for a painting. I really like to use the landscapes that depict sunset/sunrise. This book has most definitely been the most used art reference book in my studio.

   My only complaint is that I wish he had incorporated scenes that invoke Alaska. Other than the absence of glaciers this is a pretty good book. I hope if there is a second edition that he remembers to include glaciers and frozen ponds. Afterall, the Alaskan landscape is a part of America too.




5. Most of the photographs are too bland to use. Too much sun, too many similar photographs, not enough mood photographs. Where are the rainy days, why are there so few foggy pictures, why no gardens? I can photograph pictures like these. What I wanted from this book are photographs I can't shoot. Windy days, mountain towns. I am using it, but it's hard to find a good subject and combine it with others, they are so similar.

3 comments about Pompeo Batoni.

1. This book is the catalogue for an exhibition held at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston and at the National Gallery in London, centered on an artist that embodies the fickleness of taste and fashion. He was the most sought-after painter of his time (the XVIIIth century), but after his death his fame and glory somewhat faded while people grew more and more attracted to the Renaissance artists whose works form the core of today's museums.
   
   The book is divided into five chapters, tracing the artist's career, from his early religious pictures to his more famous portraits of his rich British patrons and European royalties, his mythological scenes and his drawings. The fifth chapter, focused on his drawings and working methods, is especially interesting and well-informed.
   
   The one shortcoming is the absence of any clear checklist of the works, which makes it difficult to find a particular painting and also to understand which works are part of the exhibition and which are not.
   
   However, dozens of high-quality illustrations (with close-ups of details) make this book a good addition to any fine arts library, even though it does not succeed in convincing me of the importance of Batoni in the history of art...



2. Batoni was leading painter in 18th century Rome. I waited for years for a good monograph on him. This book was not disappointment. The essays are well written and there are lot of good, large reproductions.
   I'd recommend it to all fans of the period art (as well as the title "Art in Rome in the Eighteenth Century" by Edgar Peters Bowron, a thicker book whose scope is much larger, as it deals with painting, drawing, sculpture an decorative art in Rome in those times.)



3. This is a wonderful book for the Baroque and Rococo painting lover. The color reproductions are plentiful and there are no black and white plates. I would have liked to have seen more full page details, but it's a minor quibble for a great book at a great price.

5 comments about Mom's Cancer.

1. I bought this book for my husband and his siblings. My mother-in-law was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer this summer. My husband and I have both read the book and it helps to know that we aren't the only family that has traveled this road. Regardless of what part of this journey your family is at, I would highly recommend reading this book. The illustrations make it an easy read and it'll be well worth your time.



2. "What to do when pain rips through our brains like a tornado. We need the truth." - Barbara, the author's mother's, wrote that thought after reading this book.
   
   This is an excellent graphic novel about one family's experience with Stage 4 Large-Cell Carcinoma (a.k.a. - Cancer).
   
   A story is often only as good as the heart of the person telling it. If that sentiment is true, it explains in large part why this story is so good. If you can make a story about dealing with your mother's terminal cancer funny and life-affirming, you are creating a pretty intelligent and well-crafted piece of writing.
   
   His artwork is consistently excellent, never distracting, and peaceful in the midst of life-threatening circumstances. The visuals are coordinated with the words fluidly, immediately conveying the ideas and emotions with very few ambiguities. This graphic novel won an Eisner Award in it's online format.
   
   Brian Fies tells us in the preface, "Although I distrust stories with lessons, here is one: No one will care more about your life than you do, and no one is better qualified to chart its course than you are. You are the expert."
   
   As you might expect, like all real stories, this one does not end with everyone living happily ever after. But fortunately, the characters do re-prioritize and choose to change the remaining time in their lives to live as happily as they can until there is no after.
   
   As the preface accurately creates the expectation "Mom's Cancer is an honest, earnest effort to turn something bad into something good." I admire and encourage that human artistic drive, and Brian Fies is successful in achieving that goal and many other beautiful artistic goals.



3. I'm a consumer health educator and lost my father to a very rare kind of cancer when he was 58, so this book hit me on more than one level of my life. Fies has done a wonderful job. What I find most impressive is that Fies doesn't shy away from discussing the "blame" aspect of a cancer diagnosis. The question of personal accountability for disease is very much part of the family conversation during a health crisis--whether there is scientific evidence for causality or not!--and it needs to be talked about. I'm hoping this graphic novel does make that conversation easier for all of us.



4. My family shared many of the experiences of the author's family during my mother's cancer. It's compelling, touching and hopeful.



5. It's less about Mom than her three adult children (pseudonymously portrayed here as the narrator, Nurse Sis, and Kid Sis) and how they cope with the news and subsequent treatment for Mom. Vivid visual metaphors (the Operation Game, superheroes, the "tightrope" of treatment) combine with heartfelt writing (smokers won't be pleased with how they're portrayed) for an unforgettable portrait of a family in crisis. It has a simple, clean graphic style that will appeal to readers who are not regular readers of graphic novels.
   
   If your mother smokes, this, and and "the patch" would make an excellent present.

No comments about Constantin Brancusi: Sculpting Within the Essence of Things.

3 comments about Careers In Art: An I Guide.

1. As both an artist and a former Director of a Career Center at an Art school, this is the best resource I have found to explain, not only the options available, but the necessary steps to be sucessful in those careers. Working professional are highlighted, typical job details are specified, and the necessary (appropriate) educational requirements are discussed. Perfect for anyone, of any age, interested in pursuing a career in the visual arts.



2. This is among the most outstanding and useful books I have encountered on this subject. It is visually appealing (very important for artistic types) and incredibly informative. It covers hundreds of visual arts professions and gives practical advice on which courses to take in college that will give you the necessary background. The information is personalized through a case study format-interviews with people who currently have this job description. One of the biggest questions career seekers have, and one that is not usually addressed in career books is: Which school should I go to? It is not a question that is easily answered because different schools offer different programs. This book provides some of the answers; in the back is a comprehensive chart of schools all over the U.S. and Canada detailing which courses of study they offer within visual arts professions. I wish I had had this book when I was starting my career!



3. The book is attractive and details various professions within the art industry. However, this book seems to address a very narrow audience of young people who are trying to decide on which college and which discipline to pursue.

   Those of us who can't transform ourselves back into 16-year-olds but who want to pursue and/or expand on our careers in art are completely left out.

   This book is only for those under the age of 18 who know exactly what they want to do.

3 comments about Creative Gold and Silversmithing: Jewelry, Decorative Metalcraft.

1. This book is great. I am a recent graduate bench jeweler, and I wish we would have had this book as a textbook. The descriptions and instructions are very detailed and easy to understand. It gives you specifics and also encourages you to be creative. I learn more each time I pick it up.



2. Includes chapters on design, metals, texturing, annealing & pickling, shaping, sawing, filing & sanding, buffing & polishing, soldering, metal coloring & finishing, mountings & findings, wire, chains & tubing, hinges, rings, applique, inlay, chasing, engraving, etching, scrollwork, filigree, fused metals, forging, metal spinning, blue steel, enameling, electroplating & electroforming



3. Hi

   Book received in a timely fashion and in good condition.

   Love the book. Thank you soooo much....\

5 comments about 1000 Tattoos (Taschen 25).

1. This book is everywhere, in every kind of store imagineable, and it's always well-thumbed. That's because it's irresistible. Hanky Panky has drawn from his enormous photo collection and given us 1000 tattoos -- of all types, including some historical shots. One of the most bizarre tattoos that I have ever seen is in this book (the topless woman who has a tattoo on her upper chest and collar bone of a necklace of dangling male members -- each male member tattooed with a different theme). In the past, this book has been out of print, so get it while you can.



2. Je suis tres contente, l'expedition est un peu lente (1 mois) mais le livre est arrivé en bonne etat. Si j'ai a commander a nouveau aupres de powelle et je le ferai sans crainte. Merci



3. I really enjoy this book and never get tired of perusing it, but it is very heavy on old school designs with very little modern stuff to chew on. I love the old tattoo photos from the early 20th century, and a lot of the black and white shots of oldies like Les Skuse at work. A great photographic history, indeed.

   Again, the only real shortcoming is the lack of modern designs, but it makes up for it with all of the great old school photos. A great resource to have as a compliment to other books and manuals.




4. This book lacks a lot. First, it does not address many of the pre-eminent tattooists of the recent past and present. For example, there is no Guy Aitchison, no Aaron Cain, no Dan Hazelton, etc. People like this have been essential to the recent developments of the tattoo. Second, as one of the reviewers below notes, there is not much in the way of written history here. That is both good and bad since it is nice to have all these pictures, but I found my self wanting explanations and background. Third, many of the photos in this book are downright unpleasant in the aesthetic sense. In other words, they depict awful tattoos on people that I don't really want to see naked. I know this is part of the history, but I don't really need to see a close up some guy's private parts tattooed with a devil head. I'm not a prude, but I certainly prefer the more stylish pictures that many of the tattoo magazines offer (especially International Tattoo Art).



5. First of all, this book DOES give a bit of the fascinating background of tattooing through the ages. It also DOES give plenty of photographs (~90-95% of the book).

   However, it does not give much in the way of explanation of where the modern styles developed. It also spends the majority of its pages on "Old School" flash, opting to only show modern tattoos in the last 5-10% of the book. Also, MANY of the photographs are in black and white, so you can't get a good feel for the use of color on a lot of them.

   All in all, this is a good resource. It shows a lot of tattoos, but information-wise, it's a little thin.

1 comments about First Aid for Art: Essential Salvage Techniques.

1. "First aid for art" is an incredibly useful and informative book. It isn't just for artists and collectors of art. Instructions are provided for emergency damage control and restoration techniques for all kinds of collections; books, paper, parchment, botany specimens, electronic media such as CDs, DVDs, and cassette tapes, furniture, paintings, paleontology specimens, photographs, sculpture and other art objects, skulls and skeletons, study skins, and textiles. There are two appendixes and an extensive list of useful web sites. The last section contains short biographies of the contributing authors and their credentials. The editors and contributing authors are all professional conservators.
   
   I like the design of the book as well the content. It's well organized and durable. The instructions are straightforward and visually easy to read as you would need them to be in an pinch. Printed in dark type with bullet points on stark white paper. The paper is thick so it doesn't rip easily. It is hardcover and spiral bound so it lays flat. However the binding is that of a normal book with the spiral inlay inside the hardcover. Design matches content in that the information is easily accessible in exactly the type of situation where it would be needed. There are conservation methods included along with rescue and restoration. For example, heading off the growth of mold and mildew, in the case of water damage to books.
   
   There are sections to each type of object and each is approximately a page long.
   
   For example, in the section for skulls and skeletons, there are sections for :
   
   1. Properties - the properties of skulls and bones.
   2. Common types of damage.
   3. Supplies - what you may need and why.
   3. Triage - how to decide what to treat first.
   4. What to do - for wet specimens, dry specimens, and packing.
   
   Each chapter contains sections like this.

No comments about The R. Crumb Sketchbook, Vol. 10: June 1975-February 1977.

No comments about Hotels (Architectural Interiors).