5 comments about Conan: The Ultimate Guide to the World's Most Savage Barbarian.

1. This book is excellent because it pertains to comics by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema. It also contains Dark Horse Comics. You'll really enjoy this book. Back during the Seventies Roy Thomas at Marvel obtain the rights of Conan. Barry Windsor Smith drew the first Conan comic. Now it's currently done by Dark Horse and it's even better! Also during the seventies Marvel printed up Black & White magazines on Conan, Soloman Kane, Kull & more about 68 pages. There's a lot of neat stories, articles, and information about REH = Soul & Inspiration.
   
   Also recommended: Two Gun Bob, One Who Walked Alone, Blood & Thunder,The Life&Art of REH, The Last of the Trunk, Black Stranger Lord of Samarcand, Selected Letters, Kull, Bran Mak Morn, Soloman Kane (Vampire killer), Cormac Mac Art, Crimson Shadows I & II The Best of REH, The Black Stranger that has a story scarier than Poe, Hitchcock, & Lovecraft entitled Pigeons From Hell, Conan - Dark Horse Comics which is superb and on the last page they have sayins of REH called Two Gun Bob.



2. First of all id like to say that the delivery of this product was on time and in perfect condition. Having that said, now about the book.
   I have been a Conan enthusiast and lover since i was a little boy when i first saw "Conan The Barbarian". Since then i have picked up numerous "new" conan stories written by numerous authors, every Conan DarkHorse comic up to date, and the McFarlane toys that were released. I must say that the new release paperbacks of Robert E. Howards original Conan stories are utterly amazing and should be read by all lovers of this fantastic Barbarian. As i was browsing through Amazons book section i stumbled across this, encyclopedia if you will, and HAD to have it. As of now I cant put the book down. This book has everything ever mentioned in the books, comics and lore of Conan as well as pictures and descriptions of gods that have been talked about in his stories. If you want a serious inside look of the Age of Conan then you MUST pick up this book.



3. This book is fantastic! The detail and artistry make this a must have for any serious Conan collector.



4. Very nice illustrations from all the Conan's greatest authors of all time. The text is good and Thomas puts order on the multiple Characters and adventures of the cimmerian.But we miss Red Sonja, never mentioned on the book (maybe for questions of copyrights).



5. A very nice, bigarse square book, by Roy Thomas of Conan comics fame. It goes chronologically through Conan's adventures in the comics format, and is profusely illustrated throughout as it details his history, as well as the history and geography of the lands of the Hyborian Age.
   
   Fans of Conan comics will dig it, but Conan fans in general should be happy to have a look at this.

5 comments about The Story of Art, 16th Edition (Gombrich, Ernst Hans Josef//Story of Art).

1. For somebody interested in art, a book with many pictures is easy to read and enjoy.



2. The convenience of the pocket edition is incredible and the quality of the images and analysis is excellent.



3. The Story of Art is a classic introduction to the history of fine art. The sweeping scope is matched only by the driven narrative that will fascinate the neophyte and the well versed. This book is THE introductory text for any study of art.



4. As his title indicates, in The Story of Art Gombrich presents the whole of western art history as a chronological narrative -- from prehistoric times on up to his own times -- clearly setting out everything from ancient sculpture to Renaissance painting to modern architecture.This book can change the way you look art.Intellectually and physically pure delight.



5. Having already been exposed to art history and criticism, I felt at times that this book was overly simplistic. (It was originally written for "young people" after all...) What was harder for me to appreciate were the frequent passages in which Gombrich gives vent to his own personal opinions (gushing on about Rubens for instance.) He makes a token effort to be objective but his Eurocentric bias toward the superiority of Classically-inspired Renaissance art is clear.
   
   However, as an introduction to Art History and Art Appreciation, you could do a lot worse. Gombrich is easy to read, he states himself clearly, he presents the history of art (in Europe) as a steady evolution of ideas, rather than a compartmentalized series of Eras & Styles as so many academic textbooks do. He selected illustrations that most effectively elucidate his point. Useful as his book is, it would be a mistake to treat him as a final authority on the subject. _The Story of Art_ is merely an INTRODUCTION to art. Once Dr. Gombrich has opened the door for you, you should leave him behind and continue your explorations on your own, or at least with a different guide. Form your own opinions; that's part of the experience of art.
   
   About the Pocket Edition specifically: The text is in the front (printed on very thin "Bible" paper) and the illustrations are in the back. Phaidon has provided two built-in ribbon bookmarks so you can keep your place in both sections. It's an interesting solution for making the book smaller. I can vouch for the fact that it's easy to carry around, since I took it with me on two trips while reading it, but the arrangement does have its drawbacks. Having to flip back & forth to look at the pictures as they are referred to in the text, and having to hold two places simultaneously while reading means that you have to use both hands. I like to read while I eat (yeah, I'm one of THOSE people) but found it was impossible with this edition. If portability and price are your top concerns, then this is the edition to get. Otherwise, shell out the extra $$ for the full-sized version.

5 comments about The Art Spirit: Notes, Articles, Fragments of Letters and Talks to Students, Bearing on the Concept and Technique of Picture Making, the Study of Art Generally, and on Appreciation (Icon Editions).

1. The Art Spirit is a classic. No artist should ever be without a copy. This book invites reading time and time again. It brings us back to the principles. The value of things. Right thinking. Relationships. As a practicing artist, I can think of few books that have meant so much.



2. Any artist who does not have this book in his or her library is being cheated out of great insights:
   
   "There are mighty few people who think what they think they think."
   
   "Be willing to paint a picture that does not look like a picture."
   
   "...pictures which do not represent intense interest cannot expect to create an intense interest."
   
   "Effects of perspective are made or defeated by sizes of strokes or by their tonality."
   
   And this is just the teaser.



3. George Bellows, Edward Hopper, Patrick Henry Bruce, Stuart Davis, Rockwell Kent, Guy DuBois, Alfred Maurer, Carl Sprinchorn and countless others studied with Henri and went on to do great work. There are too many for this to be simply coincidence. The "Art Spirit" is the closest thing we can get to the Kool-Aid that flowed in Henri's classroom. One can glean quite a bit from the pages of this book. It is both practical and inspirational. I have to say that it can be a bit frustrating not being able to see anything or ask a question, but its much better than nothing (thank you Ms. Ryerson!). Buy a copy and read it.



4. 
   The Art Spirit. Now there's a bold title. The implication is not only that there is such a specifically identifiable thing as an "art spirit", but also that the author, painter, and teacher, Robert Henri knows these specifics; a bold implication indeed. The difficulty (wherein lies the boldness) whenever one attaches the word spirit -or spiritual- to anything, there are, of course, as many understandings or perceptions of that word as there are hearers and readers of that word. This may exist to no greater degree and appear no more obvious than in the world of visual arts. Henri himself acknowledges this, writing in the forward, "...the opinions are presented more as paintings are hung on a wall, to be looked at at will and to be taken for what they are worth. If they have a suggestive value and stimulate to independent thought, they will attain the object of their presentation..." And later, "There is no idea that anyone should agree with any of the comments or that anyone should follow the advice given. If they irritate to activity in quite a different direction, it will be just as well." Although he embraces this free thinking, to-each-his-own, take what you will from it approach, it is merely one of the specific personality characteristics evidenced in the Art Spirit. Henri intends to show there is an "art spirit", and it is the province of every human being.
   This is the crux of the issue for Henri, his point of departure from other artist/writers, and the chief value of this book: The Art Spirit is attainable by anyone, can be exhibited by everyone.
   Other works on the subject tend to be either the less specific, more nebulous notions where we are expected to buy the fancy explanations and just accept that there is something spiritual, or of the spirit, going on here, or the very specific, artist-only oriented varieties. For example, consider Mandarin's grid "composition" series and his writing about them. While his theosophically induced explanations may help some to a degree of understanding, we are essentially left to take his word for what we are supposed to be seeing in the canvas. In his "Concerning the Spiritual in Art", although Kandinsky presages Henri -discussing psycho-emotional, expressive, and contemplative states of artists out in the real world and before the canvas- he ultimately leaves it with the artist, not really taking it out of the studio and into the factory, construction site, or office cubicle as Henri does. Whereas Kandinsky seems to digress at times into a sort of "how -to" instruction guide for defining and placing spiritual elements into a picture, Henri takes it further, defining his Art Spirit, then setting about showing us how to tell when it's present. This every-man definition is offered at the very beginning of his book:
   "Art when really understood is the province of every human being.
   It is simply a question of doing things, anything, well. It is not an outside, extra thing.
   When the artist is alive in any person, whatever his kind of work may be, he becomes an inventive, searching, daring, self-expressing creature. He becomes interesting to other people. He disturbs, upsets, enlightens, and he opens ways for a better understanding. Where those who are not artists are trying to close the book, he opens it, shows there are still more pages possible.
   The world would stagnate without him, and the world would be beautiful with him; for he is interesting to himself and he is interesting to others. He does not have to be a painter or sculptor to be an artist. He can work in any medium. He simply has to find the gain in the work itself, not outside it."
   Henri then spends two hundred and forty five more pages illuminating and reiterating how one is -or can be- an inventive, searching, daring, self-expressing creature; how to live life to the fullest. The Art Spirit manifests itself in the appreciation of the non-material things in life; in the "true student" who self-educates and explores feelings, meanings, who contemplates, who really sees, who learns to express "who is you"; in what comes from the external world and inside you; in the full enjoyment in the living of life; in doing a thing well ... anything.
   Henri accomplishes a difficult task here; a book with specific and important information for the artist, yet within that structure filled with insight and compelling ideas for the non-artist. One is urged to make a full reading, since quite often both are mingled in the same sentence or statement. For example, a non-painter might be tempted to skip the ten-page section on brush strokes (pg. 62-72), seeing no need for it. The unfortunate reader would then miss out on many little gems of insight and information. What is a brushstroke but a purposeful committed action by an artist? So then, consider the message in these statements when you substitute the word "stroke" with "action" or even "attitude" (parenthetical insertions are mine ):
   "Strokes carry a message whether you will it or not. The stroke is just like the artist (person) at the time he makes it. All the certainties, all the uncertainties, all the bigness of his spirit and all the littleness are in it."
   
   "There are more strokes which laugh, and there are more strokes which bind laughter, which freeze the face into a set immoveable grimace."
   
   "(There are) bad strokes which are bad because a brush (a method) or a condition of paint (situation) were chosen which could not render them."
   
   While Henri plays to both artist and non-artist audiences, it is at these times when he addresses the artist more directly he more closely aligns himself with Kandinsky. Both men bring their great passion for the subject into their text in their strong, clear, and pleasing voice. Kandinsky, sounding alternately-yet only slightly more- poetic here, technical there; Henri with a bit more enthusiasm. They share the same territory on many issues, such as the shape, direction, and function of line, intention of every stroke, careful planning followed by exuberant expression and more. Yet, while they may travel the same road, they do not share the same vehicle. There is an important distinction in each man's approach to spirituality, or the art spirit. For Kandinsky, there is a spirit world out there, and a spiritually inspired painter can -and should- find ways to represent both that indwelling spirit and that exterior spirit world to which we are all connected. Henri says (when) we search the external world with appreciation and wonder, and we search within ourselves, and when we become more self-expressing creatures, we have the art spirit...we are the art spirit. Kandinsky believes only non-objective images can reveal the spiritual, Henri says it matters not what you paint but how you paint it-compelled by the spirit. So while Kandinsky can use the "psychic effect" (pg. 24) of color to manipulate the viewer's emotional state toward a comprehension of the spiritual, Henri says the artist's mark itself can manifest the Art Spirit. While, in both cases it takes a more or less purposeful opening up to the notion of the spirit, for Henri it is not trying to grasp the spirit and record it, it is about internalizing and building the spirit inside ourselves, and our resulting expressions will, by definition, represent the Spirit. And it is possible for all of us.
   The long quote above (from pg. 5) is written exactly as printed in the fifth edition printing not only as expository text, but as a means of illustrating Henri's bright, clear and energetic voice that runs throughout this book. The subtitle for The Art Spirit reads, "notes, articles, fragments of letters and talks to students, bearing on the concept and technique of picture making, the study of art in general, and on appreciation," and that is exactly how it reads. Much of this is due to Henri's considerable gift of communication, and the balance is credited to the physical layout of the book. There are no chapters, even very few headings to sections, lending itself very well to opening to any page and beginning to read. At times, a lecture, or perhaps advice to a single student goes on for five, six, seven pages. Other times, pages are divided into two or three sections, or set up in individual sentences which concern the same subject, yet stand on their own. The resulting effect is the feeling of being in the very classroom of Professor Henri. There are also considerable instances of repetition here, albeit in subtle variations. The index, however, is usefully repetitious as well, helping to differentiate between those subtleties when one may be in need of a specific quote or reference.
   The last thirty pages are exact notes taken by Margery Ryerson, a Henri student who eventually compiled the notes, fragments, etc.(in the revised edition, she is credited as Editor). This is an excellent addition to the book. Reading Henri's comments and insights in her necessarily abbreviated, note-taking style provides fresh psychological weight to the reality of Henri's classroom.
   One area of disappointment concerns the photograph illustrations of Henri and his work. In the fifth edition, the plates are in black and white. Although understandable at the time of inclusion (1930), they do not allow for close comparison with Henri's ideas and techniques about painting elaborated in the text. The real disappointment is to find that the current edition available from booksellers has not updated to colorplates, but jettisoned the pictures entirely, save for the full color cover.
   I recommend The Art Spirit to anyone involved in the creative process. It is a must have, particularly for those times when one may be experiencing a creative burnout, or to shake off the cobwebs. I am recommending The Art Spirit to non-artists as well -anyone who is looking for a little spark, a little positive push toward self-actualization.
   For the artist, I am not recommending The Art Spirit over the Kandinsky classic; I see Henri's work as more of a continuation, or a rounding out of what Kandinsky started years before. Artists and aspiring art appreciators must read both if there is to be any hope of understanding



5. If you are an artist, have an interest in art or even just like to read thought provoking quotes then you could do a lot worse than have this on your shelf. The book is collection of conversations, thoughts, writings. There isn't much of a structure to it - more a random collection although the index helps somewhat. It lends itself to just opening the book at a random page and reading whats there. It contains one salient point after the other on the how's, whys and wherefores of painting, drawing and sculpture. This book should be on every artists shelf.

2 comments about Start Your Engines: Surface Vehicle Sketches & Renderings from the Drawthrough Collection (Air Vehicle Sketches).

1. A very good book! It must be different, because Scott Robertson, is a phenomenal artist!
   Very good same!



2. This second book from scott robertson is just as amazing as his "lift off" book. This book has real world examples of the creative process that it takes to create a vehicle from a simple idea to a final render. Tons of amazing sketches are inspirational and just candy for your eyes. I love this book and never get tired off looking at it. I recomend it to anyone in the design field who is looking for fresh ideas and work for inspiration

5 comments about Stencil Graffiti (Street Graphics / Street Art).

1. it's a cheap book, and it's got cheap information. nothing much to it. i would probably spend a bit more and buy a book that's more in depth with the culture and such of graffiti art. but if you must, like me buy this book to be a part of your growing art book collection, then by all means, no one is stopping you.



2. I like this book. It's a thin book. It's not too much stuff in the book but I think it's a nice book to have in your collection just to have something different. Since I'm not too much into stencil graffiti, this book is just right to have it in my collection. I like it. It has great work of art in it.



3. Its a great book, but Stencil Pirates is better.



4. This book is being reviewed quite heavily these days and after reviewing it myself, I can only conclude that this is because of the Publishers' credentials in publishing books on street art. I found that this book fell short on my expectations, even though much of the material was interesting. While it was enlightening to read the brief articles on the history of stencil graffiti, and how stenciling started back to 22,000 in cave paintings, the book quickly lost steam. Many of the artists featured here are well known, however there are many photos featuring industrial uses of stencils which neither are graffiti art, stencil graffiti or art in any type of form. This really detracted form what I assumed the book was featuring. Most of the interesting features were on European artists such as the "bananensprayer" in Cologne, Germany, or Bansky who mixed political satire with his various works. Although many stencil artists are features from all over Europe, and the United States as well as a whole page spread of works from Morocco, I really missed the interviews which should have accompanied these images. While I would not purchase the book for my personal collection, many of the photos showcased the dizzying array of effects which were possible to achieve with something as simple as a stencil.



5. I have my own website dealing with Sticker Art/Stencils. I found this bbok through a friends website and it wanted me to make moore awesome stencil. I can't believe how detailed some of these stencils are with 5 or more colors on one stencil. Our favorite stencil artist is Bansky....

No comments about Short Course In Photography, A (7th Edition) (MyPhotographyKit Series).

5 comments about Under the Sea (Beyond Projects: The CF Sculpture Series, Book 3).

1. This is a very small book. I had no clue it was what I would call a pamphlet. The instructions of the few projects inside are wonderful and the pictures are perfect, there just is not much there. When you look at the insie of the book and hit surprise me a couple of times, you have seen the entire book. It is less than 50 pages. It's best asset is the photos, particularly the piece building sequences.



2. Such a fun book! Christi is highly entertaining. Her lovely personality comes shining through Loud and Clear!!! I have a great time pulling out these books and following along with her step by step. I am always very satisfied with the results. And usually I am not a step by step kinda person. I am more of the no rules/color outside of the lines kinda gal but, Christi makes it fun to follow along! I can't wait for the rest of the series. So far I've made a few frogs, a dragon, a sea-horse, and some flowers, vines and foliage.
   
   I recommend the entire series. Even my young nieces and my mother-in-law creating projects from these books!



3. This is a very cute book that is so funny and enjoyable to read and study. I would love to meet and get to know this author and artist in person. What you learn in here is laced with so much humor it makes it so much fun to learn the techniques. It was the first time I read instructions all the way through for anything!!
   I'm a diver and this gave me so much inspiration to do some ocean figures.
   Also, fantastic condition for a used book. I saved lots of $$ by buying them through Amazon, used.



4. I love this pamphlet. The projects are beyond cute and the author has a sense of humor that makes the instructions clear and humorous. I intend to buy the series.



5. Having just received this book, I just wanted to say how fun and different it is from most polymer clay books. This is the first of the series of books from this artist that I have bought.
   I haven't had my clay out for a few years but it's coming back out now! I have so many ideas for gifts for my friends and family. This artist has written a great book to stimulate the imagination and if you don't have one, you can just use hers. I am very happy with this purchase!

5 comments about The Collins Big Book of Art: From Cave Art to Pop Art.

1. I am a professional artist and teacher. The Collins Big Book of Art offers a view of various periods, styles, genres, and trends in a way I have not found in any other reference book. Its terrific and useful.



2. This book was not what I thought it would be. I thought it would be a nice coffee table book - that it would be cool to pick up and flip through - but it reads more like a college textbook, and if I could, I would sell this book back to the college bookstore.



3. Much repetition and too little of artists neither western nor white...or male for that matter. Though the sections are a lovely idea the same art is used in each. A not terribly risky venture, this.



4. This volume takes you through the history of art in a way that embraces the reader like none other. There is order here in the way the material is presented. It is very logical and helps explain quite a bit of what has gone on since the first artistic expressions were created. You can feel your way through history and find a clear development of artistic techniques and styles. There is a definite reason behind these and it is explained with great feeling. There is quite a bit of psychology about the subject matter of what is on the canvas. Why does an artist or group of artists choose to capture something in a particular way? This is a quite a book.



5. This is a great book for anyone who wants to know a little (or a lot!) more about art. It has numerous illustrations, a timeline, and also goes into themes and how certain art movements have depicted a specific feature (eyes, for example). You can open the book to any page to get a quick glimpse and learn some fun facts, or you can read it from the beginning. The Collins Big Book of Art is beautiful and the best general book about art I've seen. I received it as a gift, and I'm going to be buying it for others this Christmas.

3 comments about Sketching and Drawing for Children.

1. I gave this to my 9 year old niece, who likes to draw. I had a book very like this one (probably an earlier printing) when I was small. She loves it! She particularly likes the way it helps her to draw the "difficult" things--proportions, perspective, etc. She has already gotten a lot of use from the book and I am glad I gave it to her. It's not a bit outdated it seems, although it was originally published 50 years ago.



2. We purchased this book for our 7-year old daughter. The book is written and illustrated where she can read it herself and learn as she goes. She was able to improve on her drawing of an apple withing 5 minutes of using this book. It has great drawing techniques that a young child can easily pick up and learn themselves or with the help of a parent or older sibling.



3. I purchased this book for my daughter who is twelve years old. She has always had interests in art, and drawing in particular. This book clearly demonstrates techniques that will allow her to develop her existing skills as well as add new ones. I wish that it was one of a series of books rather than a single publication. She loves it.

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

1. 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.



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



3. 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.



4. This slim book presents 55 of Arthur Rackham's fairy tale illustrations from several of his books. The illustrations are reproduced on high quality paper. Almost every image is at least 5x7 or 6x8 inches in size and suitable for framing. While I don't usually recommend deconstructing books for their illustrations, this book is well-suited for the purpose and preferable to taking apart an older book for its plates. No fairy tales are presented, just the illustrations with their titles and sources. If you are a Rackham fan, buy one copy to take apart for framing and another one to keep on your bookshelf. Most of these illustrations are not available in any size for art prints. Many of the illustrations are not available in print in any other source at this time except for the original antique books in which they appeared.



5. when i ordered Rackham's books, I was taken a childrens lit class and was surprised to see the Grimm nature of stories for children. The very detailed and dark paintings help to show this and also harken one's mind into a world of fantasy and magic-a crucial element in any children's work. Enjoyed it and his rendetion of Wagner's ring, although it lacks (by nature of the Operas tragic tale) the vigour and innocence of fairy tales and insted enters the relem of Epic.