1 comments about Drawing: How to Draw 1 (HT1).

1. I love to draw and this helps to give me the skills that i enjoy having

5 comments about Medieval Calligraphy: Its History and Technique.

1. Medieval Calligraphy; Its history and technique, is a comprehensive book on the whys and wherefores of Medieval Calligraphy.
   It covers the development of different scripts and letterings. It gives a bit of background on each script, how it was used and when it was used. It then gives details of each letter and some variations as well as how to form the letter.
   As well as the focus on calligraphy itself this book puts scripts into context. It gives individuals the tools to use the scripts to complete a project with a medieval tone and flavour. It talks about page layouts, how to alter scripts for capitals, additions of ligatures and numbers. The book also covers materials that can be used to produce a completed piece that looks very close to medieval without going to all the bother of making the inks and other items yourself- although this too is covered.
   This book is fantastic for anyone with a serious interest in calligraphy in the middle ages.



2. The book provided an excellent history of the evolution of letter formations used in medieval manuscripts. Especially interesting was the impact that the Emperor Charlemagne and a Benedictine monk had on standardization of text forms throughout much of Europe.



3. Pros: Nearly half the book covers the history of calligraphy as well a selection of various scripts. The other half covers basic technique and specific instructions for 13 different scripts plus numerals.
   
   Con: No colour images of period examples.
   
   Great for SCA/reenactor



4. This is an excellent book with the exception of the glaring lack of colour in the photos.
   Great explanations, good connnections between the different eras and styles, but again, if one is depending on a book for colour suggestion, this is not the tome.



5. Medieval Calligraphy by Marc Drogin is comprehensive and historically informative, certainly worth having in your collection.

5 comments about The Acme Novelty Datebook.

1. beautiful drawings...no matter how self critical mr. ware was back in the day. the book really allows the reader into the head of a master illustrator. if you're looking more for a graphic novel, don't start with this one (try his first real freshman work jimmy c, or his ACME novelty library, probably my favorite - you get a real sense of what ware is all about - clean lines, insane, or better put, anal details). anyway, back to this one...great book, if you're a fan of ware, there's no reason not to get this one, and if you're not yet convinced, this is a nice piece just to have - these same drawings and doodles that once inspired ware himself, now get me thinking. love it.



2. I didn't think I would like this one. But after owning everything else the man ever made, I asked for this one for x-mas. Wow! I love it! There are spontaneous portraits of people on the bus, views from friend's rooftops, the rudiments of strips like: God, Jimmy the robot etc...
   If you are a Chris Ware fan YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK! If you are not familiar with Chris, best to start somewhere else.



3. The book is a record of an absolute monster drawing talent!
   It collects tentative investigations, as a scrapbook of ideas and odds and ends. The amazing thing about it is its vitality.
   Anything and everything becomes a source of inspiration and investigation into the nature of drawing. A coffee cup, a telephone in a waiting room, a washing machine, such mundane things seem to begin as notations but are transformed by Ware's observation of line and tone into their inner vitality - much like Van Gogh's peasant shoes. There are beautiful portraits. And beyond the observed notes, the book is positively brimming with characters, mutations, and cartoons from his eccentric imagination. The fantastical musings and the observed notations blend, merge together, separate like DNA strands through the book, adding up to a rich record of creativity



4. I just finished reading this, and it's a real treat. Fans of Jimmy Corrigan or Acme Novelty Library will enjoy drafts of these but expect differences in style. This gives a better look at Chris Ware than his other publications that I've read. You can really feel his frustrations in this work. I reccommend this to both fans and non-fans.



5. If you want to see inside Chris Ware's head, this is the book. There's next to no Jimmy Corrigan or Acme Novelty, just raw sketches of inspiration and internal struggle spanning 9 years of Ware's life (1986-1995). As an illustrator/designer, I found this book to be the most inspirational book I own, and I own many inspirational books. I definately recommend it.

3 comments about M. Joan Lintault: Connecting Quilts, Art & Textiles.

1. Ms. Lintault describes how she developed as a fiber artist. Her philosophy is very inspiring. Finding your own voice is important but not always easy while you are being assaulted by others' images and ideas. But per her philosphy, if you continue on your own path you will be rewarded.



2. I thought the pictures were amazing. It just wasn't quite what I expected. I found the book a little hard to read.



3. I was so impressed by the cover of this book that I preordered it. I gave it four stars instead of five because, although I found it inspirational, it is not really a "how to" book. It seems more like an artist talking about the way she came to making unique and impressive quilts.

3 comments about The Conspiracy of Art.

1. I always thought that Baudrillard's ideas were interesting. I always thought that they were an interesting way to look at certain issues, a new lens of sorts. However, upon reading this book, I finally understood Baudrillard and as a result found his theory to be inane. Baudrillard makes a lot of sense before you really read the evidence (oh, wait he doesn't use evidence) or rather analysis he provides.
   
   The first problem that I found with the book is its utter lack of defining terms. If a reader has not read Simulations and Simulacra, then this book would be completely unaccessible. However, Baudrillard just throws terms around, seemingly knowing the definition himself, but withholding it from the reader. Words like 'event' come to mind. Actually 'null' is also strangely ambiguous in this book. The 1970s seemed to pass over Baudrillard and this was written as though post-structuralism never happened (was that an event). So what does this come down to? A lot of Baudrillard's criticism is then nothing more than a linguistic problem... He says that a certain thing happens as a result of art, but then that is just a word, an undefined floating signifier that leaves me, and probably will leave you, uncertain as to what is the worth of anything written.
   
   Another gripe that I have is the sequence of the articles and interviews. (Actually I think many of the interviews could have been left out entirely, since many interviews were nothing more than the interviewers massaging Baudrillard's late-inflated ego.) Some of the essays make absolutely no sense until later essays are read. It seems as though they were thrown together randomly or perhaps intentionally in the most incomprehensible way possible.
   
   At the end of the day, I thought Baudrillard was cool. I thought his ideas were interesting, but upon reading this book I really lost faith. It isn't that I think that Baudrillard's ideas are irrelevant to current discourses, but rather that the analysis he provides is often questionable and so against the laws of logic and rationality. His ideas are interesting if you take them and attempt to formulate them into your own worldview, but otherwise I can't say that this conspiracy of an assertion-fest is worth reading.



2. This is a fascinating collection of some of Baudrillard's most polemical writings on art. He freely admits in one of the interviews within that he is, by no means, an art expert. He doesn't appreciate it and he doesn't necessarily *like* it. He does respect traditional/classical art's beauty and importance. This positions him in an excellent place to offer remarkably disinterested observations. He's not partial to any one movement, any one school, or any one artist (with the possible exception of Andy Warhol) and he pulls no punches in his critique of the meaninglessness of contemporary art.
   
   It is important to note that Baudrillard is NOT an art hater. From his interviews and from other writings, I get the impression that art is simply "not his thing". I believe this is a positive factor because he isn't required to tip-toe around issues for fear of being rejected by the art community, a community he is happy to avoid altogether.
   
   As a student of contemporary art, and as a contemporary artist myself, I don't always agree with Baudrillard, at least to the extent that he goes. In his essay, "The Conspiracy of Art", he tends to make sweeping generalizations. Such is the format of his polemic - a brief essay. Had he developed these ideas in a longer format, I'm sure some points would be smoothed by further explanation and clarification. Fortunately, this book includes and number of interviews where he explains some of his points and gets a chance to defend himself against his many critics.
   
   I believe this text would be most useful to any student of contemporary art. Baudrillard does raise many important issues, even if his conclusions are questionable. Even if you hate every word, it's at least an amusing read. I've always enjoyed his style. It's very conversational - a welcome relief from reading the prolix, convoluted texts of Deleuze and Lacan. He is clear, cogent, and concise.



3. Contemporary "art" endlessing pleasing itself with how "clever" it is - how "important" it is - how "valuable" it is. Baudrillard sees through it all and offers some great critiques. Again, to some he may seem the seer of the obvious but others put up great resistance to his ideas because it destroys their privileged, little cozy world. The film Zoolander does much the same thing with its hilarious send-up of the "fashion" world - the "Derelique" campaign, turning the "look" of homeless people into the latest haute-couture. The fashion world is a conspiracy and so is the contemporary art world. The commodification of the banal - the banal world turned into "brilliant" concepts by art stuporstars. I think Baudrillard would agree with Hansel in Zoolander when he says: "Derelique" my balls.

2 comments about Mary Cassatt: Family Pictures (Smart About Art).

1. This is a wonderful book about Mary Cassatt. It is done from the perspective of a child who admires Mary Cassatt paintings and is in the process of learning more about her. She even copies some of her paintings in photography and drawings. Very sweet and helpful in motivating a child about painting or learning more about painters. They no longer have to fear being a nerd, learning about painting is cool!



2. I thought this book was really charming and that its combination of prints by Mary Cassatt and the line drawings of the child who is telling the story made this very appealing to me. But I am an adult and don't know how a child would react to this. Perhaps I can field test it on a great-niece.

1 comments about Gardner's Art through the Ages: A Concise History (with ArtStudy CD-ROM 2.1) (Gardner's Art Through the Ages: A Concise History).

1. It's a good book with plenty of definitions and references. If you want to know about the History of Art and the Cultures that go along with it, I suggest this book.
   
   Of course, I am a college student at an Art school and so I didn't have much of a choice as it is a required reading for one of my classes.

5 comments about Designs by Erte: Fashion Drawings and Illustrations from Harper's Bazar.

1. This book shows why ERTE` was so admired and so popular during the 1920's-1930's and beyond.
   
   I have always wanted to see ERTE's drawings from Harper`s because those drawings are what ERTE` was (and is) known for. Well, this large paperback book introduces the reader to some of the exciting and creative designs that ERTE` created and printed in HARPER'S BAZAAR during the 1920's and 1930's.
   
   "WOW", is the word I have to apply to the Harper's drawings created by ERTE`!! His designs were ABSOLUTELY ahead of their time! His designs were completely amazing and creative! Erte's drawings showed the type of clothes worn by famous Hollywood actresses during the 1920-1930's!! (I can visualize Joan Crawford wearing a fabulous Erte` design!)
   
   There are a few colored HARPER`S magazine cover reproductions in the middle of this book, but the black and white line drawings that ERTE` included in the HARPER's magazines are what draws the reader to this book.



2. This book is great. Erte was a genius. I love looking through this book and only wish I could sew some of the fashions.



3. As a designer of embroidery designs, this one was a winner for me. I love all of the publicatins from Dover!



4. Great graphics, imaginative design, fabulous period reference. Outstanding in every way!



5. Vogue editor Diana Vreeland once said that no one in the 20th century had a greater influence on fashion than Erte, this desite the fact that he worked for a competitor, Harper's Bazaar. That's an indication of just how revolutionary his work was for the times. Working with virtually no direction to blunt his creativity, Erte published paintings and sketches of ingenious fashions that are as playful and lighthearted as they are luxurious and exquisite. He envisioned modern women (from 1915 to 1926) as goddesses, ultra-chic stars, children of nature, and totally feminine creatures to be adored and exalted. His fashions reflect this, individualistic and charming, colorful and startlingly functional. The 8 color covers and many B/W illustrations show insight into a dimension of fashion that one normally sees only on the show runways: the never-ending well of creativity brought to life by a truly inventive mind unhampered with concerns of marketability. Peruse the illustrations and notice allusions to gardens, paper-weaving, architecture, tennis, various members of the animal kingdom, ceremonial draperies, sailing ships, and flames. Dresses, coats, masks, swimming costumes, sleepwear, and gowns all ornamented with beads, fur trim, sheer draperies, corded lacings, silver embroidery, leather and straw. Practical? Not really. Mass manufacturing? Not in a million years. This is extreme fashion, the stuff of couture, such as would be worn to the salon of writers and intellectuals. Erte loved best to design for the stage, and the drama and fantasy of theater is in evidence in each ornate illustration. Although for 3 years he produced designs for Altman and Bendel in NY, most of his work was strictly conceptual, and many readers of Harper's saved covers and sketches to muse over as they would an art history volume, as evidence of another world. Ignoring fashion trends, Erte generated innovative and outre designs that still amaze and delight those of us who appreciate true originality. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in textile or fashion design, but also to graphic designers, sculptors, and those who really enjoy art for its own sake. This book is, in one word: luscious.

5 comments about Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain.

1. It works!
   
   I've picked up a few drawing books and always found myself losing interest after an exercise or two. With this book, I not only made satisfying drawings from the beginning, but found that I couldn't wait to get to the next exercise. Some of my portraits (but not all) were faithful to the subject in spirit as well as mere appearance.
   There are some objections to be made. The statements about consciousness may be mere assertion-or they may be exactly what's needed to sedate an overly analytical brain.
   But the objections, while they may be true are completely unimportant. What matters is that by following this method without sabotaging it, a complete novice can learn to draw quickly and have fun doing it.
   
   Lynn Hoffman, author of New Short Course in Wine,The and the workable bang BANG: A Novel



2. Some may quibble over the left-brain, right-brain theory, but this is still that rarest of things-a book that actually delivers everything it promises. Experienced artists probably don't need it, but anyone who yearns to draw and thinks they can't will be amazed.
   
   I was 40 years old when my husband bought me this book and some drawing materials as a birthday gift. All those years, I'd been convinced I couldn't draw a thing. Using the instructions in this book and a beginner's class, I was thrilled to find myself producing some excellent drawings, including very realistic 3-dimensional portraits. Thank you, Betty Edwards, for one of the few books that really did change my life.



3. This book gives a very good understanding on how to use and control your creative side of your mind. Good how to's and good reading. i would also recommend her other books she has written. all are well written and gives a good insight on how to improve your talents and creativity.



4. An amazing book. Note that it has been updated so there is an updated version too. This includes 12 chapters that are outlined here: 1) Drawing the the art of bicycle riding, 2) Expressing yourself in drawing: the nonverbal language of art 3) your brain the right and left of it 4) Crossing Over: Experiencing the Shift from left to right 5) Drawing on Memories: Your History as an Artist. 6) Getting Around your Symbol System: Meeting Edges & contours 7) Perceiving the Shape of Space: The Positive Aspects of Negative Space 8) Relationships in a new mode: putting sighting in perspective, 9) Facing forward: portrait drawing with ease 10) The Value of Logical Lights and Shadows 11) Drawing on the Beauty of Colro 12) The Zen of Drawing: Drawing Out the Artist Within and an afterword-- is beautiful handwriting a Lost Art and a Postscript.
   This is the most widely used and highly praised drawing insruction book in the world. It has sold millions of copies and has been translated into at least 10 languages. As it says on the back cover-- it can teach you to draw even though you feel you have little talent and doubt that you could ever learn. It will allow you to gain skill even if your drawing is still childlike. If you're already a professional artist or artist in training it gives you greater confidence. First published in 1979 it is a classic. Most importantly it talks about the dual nature of human thinking -- verbal, analytic thinking mainly located in the left hemisphere and visceral, perceptual thinking mainly located in the right hemisphere. It follows the work of Rober Sperry psychobiologist who received the Novel prize in 1981 for his studies. According to the author, the key principle is that "drawing is a global (or whole) skill requiring only a limited set of basic components. It has some similarities to other global skills that are key to live-- driving, walking and even skiing. The author even talks about the perception of the whole (the gestalt). R mode -- right mode may seem difficult and unfamiliar -- and even off the wall. BUT learning to draw also helps one to control how one's own brain handles information.



5. All the stuff about "R-mode" and "L-mode" is really just pop-science. Like Freud before it, and as is the current trend with "memetics", it's a popular idea which people use to pigeonhole and explain social and psychological phenomenon which rely more on theory than anything else. Edwards makes the all-too-often assumption that any difficulty facing a potential artist is the "right-brain's fault". And after the first few chapters it gets really tedious. I wouldn't be surprised if she read this review and said to me that my "right-brain" is tricking me into thinking it's not really doing anything ;o)
   
   However, Edwards does indeed make a few valid points. She argues that drawing is a skill, much the same as reading as writing, and therefore it can be taught and learnt by almost anyone. Makes sense to me. She further argues that the reason why most adults can not draw is because drawing is not considered a survival skill and isn't stressed in the education system. Makes sense, too.
   
   The underlying theme behind the brain-hemisphere nonsense is simply perception. To draw realistically requires that you actually process the visual information of what you want to draw, rather than relying on any preconceived information. It's a bad habit, really, but hardly a "right-brain" conspiracy theory as Edwards makes it out to be.
   
   The book is broken down into various exercises, all of which force the reader to get into the habit of perceiving things "as-is", such as "vase-faces" and upside-down drawing, and well-established concepts like negative space are also discussed. This is where the book shines.
   
   Good for both beginner to intermediate artists, the overall theories, instructions and exercises make it worthwhile... if you don't mind sifting through the junk, that is.

No comments about The Everyday (Documents of Contemporary Art).