No comments about eBay Para Dummies.

1 comments about Art Attack: A Brief Cultural History of the Avant-Garde.

1. As mentioned by the reviewers above, this book is intended forteens. However, non-enthusiasts adult readers that want to know moreabout the history of modern art will enjoy it as well.

   Basically, the author has attempted to show how modern artists have affected modern society and vice versa. Unlike many art history books, this book talks about music, theater, dance and subcultures in society, such as the beats and the hippies. Accordingly, you end up with a fuller picture of the scene.

   The author has also attempted to make the impact of these works understandable to teens by using examples from the world as teens know it today, such as rap music, Internet, etc.

   All in all, teens interested in the art scene will find this book interesting and engrossing.

   Why 4 stars, rather than 5? I would prefer 4.5 stars, but that's not an option. My main objection to this book is the author's tendency to mythologize the avant garde artist and to whitewash some of their problems. But I would still recommend this book.

2 comments about Sensacional!: Mexican Street Graphics.

1. Disappointing. I sent it back and ate the return postage. There was no context, no notes telling where in Mexico the images came from, no clue to the actual creators of the signage or designs. An interview with even one of the sign painters would have made all the difference for me. I felt like a tourist in the worst sense, a hip tourist, but a tourist nonetheless. At a bricks and mortar bookstore, I would never have purchased this book.



2. For once, a graphic book that lets the images speak for themselves. Outstanding printing, true to the essence. Highly recommended!

5 comments about Sentences:: The Life of M.F. Grimm.

1. i heard him on "fresh air" on npr and he sounded pretty interesting and well spoken and like he had alot of worthwhile interesting ideas; and without saying that im a fan of them generally, i like comic books sometimes. this ones alright, i actually like the npr segment way better though. cant deny that its an interesting story, and i was excited to read this book, but i thought it was only ok, and was wishing itd be great.



2. A student leant me this book; I read it in a day. He gave it to me because he knew this might be a book I would really like. Here's my letter to the student:
   
   Thanks for letting me read this novel, and at first I really liked it. I was enthralled by how this world of MF Grimm could be captured in book-form, and I marveled at this African-American writer's ability to replicate the "sound of the street." After a while, however, at the author's urging, I started to realize that this book sounded like any of those movies we see about the tough streets and could have been written by anyone: white, black, Asian, whoever.
   
   As for the story itself, I won't lie. I think it was after all of the lists of the great hip-hop artists, page after page, that I got bored. Then I realized while I KNEW I was supposed to be identifying with this dude, with all of his tough times, with how horrible the world was treating him, page after page, I couldn't help but see that he made one stupid choice after another. Sure he takes responsibility in a little thought bubble here and there but it never seems authentic, never changes his next actions.
   
   I skipped final pages `cause like "he" said in a slightly different way, I am not that interested.
   
   I guess I am supposed to be mesmerized by how tough this dude is, by how cool he was to have known the hip-hop greats, by how horribly the world and white folks, treated him, but I'm not.
   
   The way he tells the story (even that final moment when he draws himself standing up at the end because at least he can do that in his own personal book) seemed like whining.
   
   "Dude, your mother was right!" You made a boat-load of mistakes, never learned from one, wrote a book that is a platform for you to whine...
   
   The question is...why did Vertigo ever publish this? Guess they thought guys like you and me would want to hear this guy's story. But I need a story that has something; something more than an "epic" graphic novel about self-pity and the refusal to own up to mistakes AND to learn from them.



3. REAL RATING = 4.5 STARS
   
   First off, let me say that MF Grimm is one of my favorite rappers of all-time. This is saying a lot, considering that rap music is basically everything I love. MF Grimm represents everything that can happen to real gangsters. His life is not only one of the most interesting biographies you can think of, but it should also serve as a model of what NOT to do. So when I heard that there was going to be a graphic novel released on his life, you can understand how happy I was that this was being acknowledged.
   
   When I finally picked up a copy, I read the whole book in about an hour and a half. Of course, I knew this was going to be the case, and you should understand this too so you don't end up disappointed with the short read. Graphic novels tend to run very quickly. As fast as the read was though, it was definitely one of the best recent publications I've read. As much as I researched his biography when I was just a fan of his music earlier in the millennium, there was nothing like reading about it straight from the man himself, with images to back it up. Even an avid fan would learn a thing or two about Grimm's life from the 128 pages, like more details of the events that led up to his unfortunate downfall (I would go more into detail but I don't want to include any spoilers to those unfamiliar with the man). There are many details about his friends, family, and everything around him that made his life what it is, which should hold a fan's interest as much as the story itself should hold a casual reader's.
   
   Still, I feel that the book might have been truly 5-star worthy if it was a bit longer. There are so many events in Grimm's life that I can see many people getting lost in the fast-paced action. The book does only scratch the surface of Grimm's life, possibly because of space limitation, but what is included is still very enthralling and informative. I believe that the nature of the graphic novel might just achieve Grimm's goal of helping lost kids get back on the right path. This novel will serve very well to wake the public eye to the life of MF Grimm. I just hope that Grimm does a follow up with more detail, or maybe even a full length autobiography. Who knows. All that matters is that this book is amazing, even if you might not exactly be Grimm's target audience, because Grimm's life is, to put it simply, very, very interesting. So do yourself a favor and make the purchase. It's worth the price.



4. I heard Percy Carey on Terri Gross' fresh air. He's what happens to you when you DON'T learn how to argue well, and stay stuck in the scorched-earth policies of the dog parks: he hurled his body through life, eventually got shot, and ended up in a wheelchair and crawling around in prison. Now I don't usually care about such stories because I've been around too much craziness, but it was a good and scary-sweet/little-big story precisely because Percy Carey is so humbled and becomes like this Zen master guy, without turning into a frail white vegan guy with a crew cut and glasses.
   
   After blustering around like a peacock with all the other boys, he finally turns into this seriously major MAN. Someone you quietly nod respect to. He's amazing and I hope he does well from here on out. His book is an amazing gift and he's truly good people.
   
   People who were never bad can be scary boring and suddenly snap and stab you. But people who never grow out of all that kid stuff are downright tedious. But not this man. You can tell he not only went through a physical death, but a spiritual death and has come through it. Anyone who had to crawl around a holding cell without his chair...whoa, I've only spent a day or two in jail and being that close to the ground for multiple days is enough to make you a holy man right there.
   
   And you've gotta really die to live, right? Well his life and Truth radiates through the pages.
   
   Anyhow, buy Percy Carey's book NEW because you want to support an artist like that who's trying to do his own thing after all that hell. He doesn't get a cent off the used copies for sale here. Besides, it's a beautifully illustrated story on glossy paper. Do you really want someone else's greasy, grubby fingerprints on your new book? You've heard those studies about all that stuff they find on people's dirty hands on keyboards and doorknobs, right? Buy his work new! It's worth it.
   
   --Erika Lopez, San Francisco



5. There is a lot to this book and the story left me wanting more -- Maybe a movie and even a novelized version.
   
   It's the confessions of a rapper, dealer, convict,and eventual producer/author. That's the gist of it but you've gotta see how it all unfolds.
   
   He chronicles the triumph of rising in the Hip Hop world and then the flip side of gang banging, dealing, and incarceration. The ups and downs never end as he goes through getting shot, paralyzed, incarcerated and how he comes back. There some interesting things he observes while he is incarcerated as well. I could definitely get into a more detailed and longer treatment of his story.

No comments about Robert Ryman.

3 comments about Fantasy Clip Art: Everything You Need to Create Your Own Professional-Looking Fantasy Artwork.

1. I love this book! More like a toy. It offered me a chance to play (without having to draw) like a comic book artist or fantasy artist. Easy enough the kids can play too.
   Complete with CD. With all the things you would need to make your own artwork, use as screen saver, hang on the wall or whatever.
   Comes with backgrounds, accessories( some I had never dreamed) figures, monsters, and much more.
   Great for a rainy day or I'm bored day.
   If you want to sell artwork, afraid you'll have to do it the old fashion way. Maybe the legal way, draw your own.



2. I was going to buy this book when I saw it in a local bookstore. I decided against it, however, when I read the highly restrictive license the authors/publishers placed the book and CD under.
   
   Basically, I'm prohibited from using any derivative works I create with this book for any reason, any time, without paying royalties. So, if I really like the look of the _arm_ of one of the characters in the book and attach it to a character of my own creation in one frame in my 30 page, 180-frame comic, I'm screwed.
   
   Other clip art books (e.g., Dover) wisely note that the clip art is for actual use, and as long as I don't try to sell their clip art in a clip art book (thereby competing directly), or make a derivative work that is mostly their stuff, they allow me free use of the art I purchase. Unfortunately, Crossley (or his publisher) doesn't understand the purpose of clip art books, and sadly places his "valuable" intellectual property safely out of my reach in any practical way.
   
   Thanks, but no thanks.



3. This book provides a wealth of top-quality fantasy art resources which can be used for all sorts of creative projects - including board, card and even video games. It's a really attractive book to own, with top quality color printing throughout. If you know your way around Photoshop, but don't have the talent to create artwork for yourself then this book is a complete gold mine.

1 comments about Discoveries: Chardin: An Intimate Art (Discoveries (Abrams)).

1. Bravo! I bought this book to learn more about Chardin and I came away with so much! It is a small book crammed with information and photos. Worth the time and money!

2 comments about Oil Painting Techniques by William F. Powell.

1. I was given a very good recommendation to this book, and found it to be quite a valuable resource, showing how to create textures and the many different applications of oil medium. Powell shows many Painting knives techniques.
   It's a great book for those new to and exploring painting knives.



2. I have mixed feelings on this book. On one hand it's small and very to the point, with lots of color photographs which explain things better than lots of words. On the other I think there is not enough coverage of the knife techniques and too much coverage of the demonstrations. For example there are no exercises for practicing the knife techniques, which is something I got out of another book "Learn to Paint With a Knife" that I found extremely helpful. The hardest part of learning to paint with a knife for me was to put down paint over wet paint. This book dedicates just a few sentances on the subject, which were not enough to help me at all. More than half the book is demonstrations, like "this is how to paint a rock" "this is how to paint a cloud" etc. I am sure it's good pratice to learn how to paint these but I feel it's a cookie-cutter approach and when the reader wants to paint something else, like a building or a still life for example he will be lost. Why do these books always use a mountain for the big demo at the end? In the end it just seemed a little too much like Bob Ross for me. Search google for the author and if you want to paint like him (he does very nice work, just not my style) then this book is for you. If not, I still recommend this book for the color photos and because it's not expensive.

No comments about Art History and Its Institutions: Foundations of a Discipline.

No comments about Frida: Viva La Vida! Long Live Life!.