1 comments about Art Talk: The Early 80s (Da Capo Paperback).

1. I was required to read this book for a graduate course I am taking. Having no background knowledge in 80's artist and only hearing of a handful of these artists prior to reading this book, I felt in the dark most of the time. Not being familiar with the artists' work(s) created a missing link for me while reading this book. I may have been more interested in what these artists had to say if I was more familiar with their works. Even the few pictures the book did reproduce, were not that helpful. If you have a fairly good grasp on the works of these artists, read this book. If you don't like art or are not really familiar with the interviewed artists, this is not a book for you.

5 comments about Color Harmony Workbook: A Workbook and Guide to Creative Color Combinations.

1. COLOR HARMONY WORKBOOK is one of the most disappointing purchases in recent history. You would be better off with a five-dollar Colorwheel or using the Live Color feature in Adobe Illustrator CS3.
   
   Separated into ambiguously named sections like "Romantic," "Earthy" and "Welcoming," this book depicts photographs of interior design and/or paintings. It then samples the colors and presents them in monochromatic, tertiary, complementary, analogous, and split complementary palettes. Most of the suggested combinations are very vibrant or Avant Garde. On page 32 there is a photo of a room with bright orange walls, light beige cushions surrounded by tan wicker and dark green accents. When you get past the monochromatic colors as depicted on page 25, some unrealistic combinations emerge.
   
   Perforated color combinations appear on each page -- allowing you to go hunting through some of the most awful non-returnable custom paint available. To be fair, not all combinations are bad. Just consider, you can pick up swatch books with interior photographs for free from you local paint store.



2. This book begins with a presentation of 96 colors in a color wheel and then explores color combinations based on these 96 colors, plus grey which is added at the end.
   
   The colors are divided in 22 groupings, according to the effect the colors would have: powerful, rich, romantic, vital, earthy, friendly, soft, welcoming, moving, elegant, fresh, traditional, refreshing, tropical, classic, dependable, calm, regal, magical, energetic, subdued, and professional.
   
   Each grouping is represented with a particular color, containing a brief description of that color and its effect, and followed by color combinations which are sorted into monochromatic, primary, complimentary, analogous, split complimentary, split, clash, and neutral. These color combinationas are provided in two formats - one that would remain in the book and another one consisting out of swatches, which can be taken out of the book.
   
   At the end of the book are given CMYK values of 96 colors, plus 10 consisting of white, black and the nuances of grey.
   
   All in all, the book is very well organized.



3. As a web designer, I have found this book to be invaluable. I am on my 3rd copy of this book (my other copies met with a strange demise). Each time I need to buy a new Color Harmony book I search for others but come back to this one. It is a great primer for color combinations and how they can create different moods. It also has hundreds of different examples of combinations and does a decent job of explaining color theory. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to use color with the confidence that comes from understanding how colors work to convey a mood/message.



4. I saw this book at a friend's house and instantly fell inlove with it. As an upcoming Graphic Designer this book just opened my eyes to a bunch of new ways to use color in my designs and especially in the enviorment that they usually have to be presented in; this enhances the impact your design might have on the customer and still be totally correct for the theme you're looking for.
   This is also a great way for artists to give a better atmosphere to their pictures or to simply expand their personal palette when they work on a piece.
   
   Overall I think this book is a must have for artists and designers alike because it teaches you to work with color like the powerful tool that it is.



5. This is a great book for figuring out which colors go best with each other, however it's not really a "workbook" per se. Although I was a little disapponted about that, I'll still give this book 5 stars because the color combinations are spectacular.

No comments about Classic Chic: Music, Fashion, and Modernism (California Studies in 20th-Century Music).

No comments about At Memory's Edge: After-Images of the Holocaust in Contemporary Art and Architecture.

No comments about Rodin: His Art and His Inspiration.

5 comments about Start with a Scan (2nd Edition) (Start with a).

1. I bought this book solely for reference on scanning line art and fonts, but have found that it has much, much more to offer. I disagree with a prior reviewer that this book is only for beginners and that much of the information is out there on the web. I have been searching, without success, for specific directions on scanning line art and fonts and converting those scans into usable art. (Just two chapters in this book.) This book not only gives one specific instructions for this, but goes much further and delves quite deeply into the actual creation of real art from a simple scan. The book also provides a lot of information on turning photos into graphic art. I had considered myself a fairly advanced user of photo software, but this book has opened my eyes to an amazing range of techniques and ideas on image usage.
   
   I was expecting a technical guide to basic scanning techniques, and this book provides that. It also takes one much further beyond mere technical skill and is a wonderful guide to both the creation and use of computer generated graphics.



2. I was graphics-challenged till I read this. The most I ever did with graphics was pretty much to resize them or add a little text. This book gives you a whole range of possibilites with color, texture, cropping, layering, etc. - more than just applying a fancy filter or tweaking the brightness and contrast. Now, based on the wealth of ideas in this book, I look at clip art and photos with a new eye, and have applied the various ideas to make a much wider variety of graphic images. The best thing about this book is that it's DESIGN-centric, rather than SOFTWARE-centric, so it's not limited to what a handful filters might do. Instead it expands your thinking to combine a whole variety of techniques to create something really unique.



3. I ordered this one. I will return it. Yes, there are very good ideas in this book, but nothing great that you cannot come up by yourself if your are creative. Trust yourself.
   
   There are many references to using photoshop (I am an intermediate photoshop user) that you can find elsewhere, not pertaining specifically to scanning.
   
   Technical discussions on file types, resolution are OK but, once again, if you have read other books, doesn't add anything.
   
   I think that you can find better tips and ideas surfing the Web.
   
   Simply not for me.



4. I have already reviewed the first edition of this book. There is a second edition with *all new* graphics and more about making art for the world wide web. It is so good that I was moved to come back here and say this... here goes...

   This book is the best book I have ever read about scanning. It is also the best book I have ever read about the principles of GRAPHIC ART itself. Everything that I learned formally about graphic design in years of study I found expertly summarised within these pages. This book must be the bargain of the century. Most artists would jealously guard these great secrets, tips and tricks. Look carefully at every illustration (I am still making great discoveries) analyse the appeal, reproduce in your own way and reap the artistic and financial rewards. Real insight freely and abundantly given into how professionals make the grade.




5. Enthralling. That's a pretty strong word to use about a technical manual, but this is no ordinary book about scanning. Everything in here is an utter delight. The history and theory of scanning are clearly explained. Yes, it may well start with a scan, but it ends with rekindling your enthusiasm for computing and graphics in a very big way. If you read it with your system booted up and immerse yourself in the chapters, you can see why these guys are so passionate about their work. Wonderful value for money. Apart from revealing hundreds of ways to turn lacklustre clipart and other sources into money-making graphics, it doubles as a handy guide to the features and versatility of Photoshop. This is a tour de force from two very generous authors. Arriving in the same package as Lynda Weinman's excellent "", I can't remember when I was last so happy just reading. Thanks!

No comments about Cengage Advantage Books: Understanding Art: A Concise History (with ArtExperience Online Printed Access Card) (Thomson Advantage Books).

1 comments about Food in Painting: From the Renaissance to the Present.

1. -
   
   "While in essence it remains a history book of art, Food in Painting never loses sight of the food, the dishes, and the meals. It is a wonderful investigation of how we see food in relation to ourselves: the book celebrates what chefs celebrate in their everyday work..."
   
   Read more at:
   http://www.superchefblog.com/2005/09/food-in-painting-kenneth-bendiner.html
   
   -

3 comments about Art Up Close: From Ancient to Modern (Up Close).

1. This is a fabulous art book. If you love I Spy Books, you must have this book. It is an oversized book with pictures spanning both pages. Around the work of art are 10-12 circles the size of half dollars. These circles contain an image for the reader to find in the piece. It's easy for the oil paintings, but mosaics, Jackson Pollock's painting and Chinese symbols aren't as easy to find. I'm 26 and I couldn't put this book down, but it would also be great for kids (probably 6-7 years and up.) Great buy!



2. This book was reviewed in Parents magazine and I thought I would give it a try.
   It is wonderful. It is an I Spy type book with copies of famous paintings spanning hundreds of years and there are 12 small circles that are on each page and you and your child need to try to find each of the small areas in the larger picture. My 5 year old son loves this book.



3. This book was reviewed in Parents magazine and I thought I would give it a try.
   It is wonderful. It is an I Spy type book with copies of famous paintings spanning hundreds of years and there are 12 small circles that are on each page and you and your child need to try to find each of the small areas in the larger picture. My 5 year old son loves this book.

3 comments about Paint Flow and Pigment Dispersion: A Rheological Approach to Coating and Ink Technology.

1. Every paint maker must have this book on the shelf. It covers an area which would be otherwise almost completely dark, since there are not many books which deal with paint components, paint making and paint rheology in the same volume.
   For artist's paints formulator, everything is useful in this famous reference.
   For those who make industrial coatings, even if the formulas of industrial paints have changed since its publication, the principles of dispersion and the theoretical knowledges exposed here are still accurate and have still to be known by engineers. This book presents them clearly.



2. The book is very important for every person who want to enter the realm of coating technology.But the weakness of this book is also obvious:it is too old to keep abreast with the increasing development of coating industry,for instances the emergence of green coating :high build,solventless,powder coating ,water-borne coating etc.,the new application procedure ,such as cvd,dvd,self-leveling.I think it is time for Mr. Patton to roll up his sleeves to review the theory and practice of coating that have come up since 1979 .God bless Mr. Patton to present his new edition to his readers who is waiting so long for his new book.



3. This is an old book, but much has remained the same since it was written. It effectively lays out the requirements for the dispersion of pigment in to polymer solutions and emulsions, using various types of dispersing equipment.