5 comments about EVERYDAY MATTERS.

1. A very enjoyable read and inspirational. I went out purchased a sketch pad and started drawing after finishing the book!



2. This is a great book! I read it in an hour and a half. I enjoy knowing the process people take in order to deal with life's occasional hiccups that knock the world out from under you. It helps to know that you're not the only one sometimes. It's always a relief when the person works it out positively and thinks enough to want to share it with others. Thank you, Danny!



3. love it, love it, love it !!!!
   a wonderful inspiring little book.
   perfect smaller size (6"x8") to carry along with your sketchbook to keep you encouraged in your drawing.



4. I suppose I had some misperceptions of this book. I was assuming there would be more inspiration that would cajole me into journaling and artwork. I also thought is was he who was disabled - it was his wife. There was little mention of how his wife's diability figured into the whole pictue of his life. As a disabled person, I thought there would be some insight into overcoming disability to do what you want. I do however, love the way he draws and journals. In the end I saw this as a simple journal that anyone might have done. I still have his other book and I have higher hopes for that.



5. i loved it! i recived the book for valentines day and finished in a day...its very intresting to examine dannys drawing and learn about his life in nyc..

5 comments about Sketchbook Black cover 8 1/4 x 11".

1. I bought this sketchbook as a gift for my brother who is an artist. I know how picky he is, so I searched throuth many before deciding on this one. Here's why:
   
   The Sketchbook has a thick black cover that lies flat on page one or page 176 when opened. This is PERFECT for him, because he is LEFT HANDED. No wire bound or spiral bound notebooks to worry about. This leaves the smoothest drawing surface possible.
   
   There are a good number of blank pages in this book. One Hundred Seventy-Six to be exact! All in ONE book for ONE low price here at Amazon.
   
   Also, the pieces of paper are high quality pages. (Thick and Strong). He's not easily worried about tears. Another upside of this is that you can erase all you'd like and not worry about creating a hole, or tearing the page in half.
   
   Don't you hate when you have a conpleted book of art, you put it away and then a couple of years later, you're looking for a specific drawing. When you take it out, you're disappointed because the page has yellowed like an old newspaper in the sun. Well, NOT with this paper. It's Ph levels are guaranteed not to show this fault.
   
   I know he's used pencil, (colored and lead), chalk, ink and charcoal as well. This paper is even strong enough for watercolors! The Prismacolor Pencils work great with this blank book.
   
   All in all this book has many uses and doesn't disappoint! I highly recommend this to the artist in the family or your little up-and-coming artist that loves to finger paint! It's a nice size with thick paper and absolutely built to last!
   
   Pick one up! You'll be glad you did!!



2. The pages of this book are thick and of high quality. The book itself is heavy and substantial but easy to open and work with. The cover was slightly scuffed which is why it's getting 4 stars and not 5. This is a new item and should have arrived blemish free.



3. I bought this for my 12 year old. She loves to draw so I figured with a book she can draw anywhere. The outside of the book is as pictured. The pages are a good quality and she was very excited to have it. I'm not sure if she'll draw in it or use it as a journal either way I was happy with the quality of the book.



4. I'm personally not a designer or artist... but I got this book as a gift for someone who is an artist. I was surprised at the quality of the book when it arrived for the price. Seems like an amazing value to me! Once it was given to the artist who it was intended for, she absolutely loved it and said it's the best sketchbook she's gotten in a long time... and she seemed even more fond of it than the prismacolor markers I gave her with them! Go figure.



5. When I purchased the black sketchbook it was for a student of mine that has an interest in art and drawing. However when I received the sketchbook it was of suck fine quality that I wanted to keep it for myself. I gave the student the sketchbook but I am going to order the exact same one for myself. The paper quality was great and the cover beautiful.

No comments about The Complete Kake Comics.

3 comments about Modernism: The Lure of Heresy.

1. I have not yet finished this book, but its content matter has inspired me to write a review anyway. Peter Gay has simply done a phenomenal job here. Of course he is famous for his biography of Freud, among other things. I consider myself a traditionalist, in belief if not in practice, and thus was a little hesitant to buy this book. But about ten pages in I realized I had made a good purchase. I began reading "The Picture of Dorian Gray" at just about the same time I did Gay's work and must say I think I have a greater understanding of what Wilde was doing in his work, thanks to Gay.
   
   I've never understood Modernism really, always just sort of shyed away from it because I did not understand it:ignorant really. And though I will not say I have a new appreciation of Modern Art, I still loathe it mostly, I can at least understand the roots of it, (keep in mind I have not finished this work yet.) Peter Gay's work is very easy to follow, one may say fairly, I think, that it was written for the layman. What is better, it is enjoyable, and the combination of these two aspects makes it a welcome edition to any library...



2. Now that Modernism is seen as a historical moment in the arts, it is useful to look at its full artistic context. This is also a big undertaking. The author seeks to capture the nature of Modernism in visual arts, dance, literature and so on. This is bound to be an uneven treatment. Who can be equally conversant with such a broad array of disciplines? The reader faces an equal problem. To fully understand the analysis of Modernism in the work of a particular writer or artist one must be already quite familiar with this person's work. The real specialist, however, may find the analysis covers familiar (and not necessarily new)territory.
   Having said this, I still feel that this is a worthwhile book for anyone trying to rethink the significance of the Modernist movement and its relevance today. Some will take issue with the choice of a particular composer or architect, but this can be the springboard for interesting discussion.



3. The history of Modernism will never be written; we know too much about it (apologies to L.S.). Yet time and again some intrepid soul takes up the challenge and plunges ahead.
   
   I am happy to report that Peter Gay, while by no means having written that elusive definitive opus, acquits himself splendidly and has produced a compulsively readable introduction to this vast topic. Discussing both the usual suspects in concise chapters (Baudelaire, Picasso, Cezanne, Duchamp, Joyce, Schoenberg, etc) and some less so (Ensor, dealer Durand-Ruel, museum curator Lichtwark), Gay weaves multiple stories together to make a seamless whole that carries the reader across Modernism's multiple manifestations: dance, sculpture, architecture, music, film as well as painting and literature.
   
   Apt illustrations punctuate the text and the book's production as a whole is lovely. I would only criticize the dearth of illustrations when discussing paintings: verbal description can't do the visual arts justice. And like much of Gay's previous writing, Saint Sigmund hovers over the entire enterprise, thankfully never becoming too intrusive.
   
   Having written definitive explorations of European culture in the 18th and 19th Centuries, it is a pleasure that Gay has brought readers into the 20th with this new volume, certain to be one of the most accessible introductions to Modernism for some time to come.

1 comments about Design Matters: Brochures 01: An Essential Primer for Today's Competitive Market (Design Matters).

1. This is a great reference and learning tool. Clearly laid out and concisely written, Brochures 01 is very handy!

5 comments about The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait.

1. for those who love the work of frida kahlo this book has lots to look at im very pleased that i found it



2. Frida Kahlo's diary has amplified my admiration for her. Her beautifully disturbing drawings and poetic words in this book are more than what I had expected. Though her handwriting is hard to read at times, the translations in the back are a big help. I shall cherish this book for a long time.



3. When I find out there was a book of all of Frida's actual writings and drawings from her diary, I was amazed! And this book totally fit all my expectations. It includes everything from her infamous red leather bound journal that she sought refuge in until the final moments of her life. You can actually see the ink from the next page leaking through the page before it, so you feel like your reading the actual thing. Its in big, bold, deep colors just how Frida liked it, and it translates and explains everything in english in a detailed and sufficient way. Definitely a MUST for all fans of the AWESOME Frida Kahlo =)



4. Enrique Torres' review is 100% accurate, so I just want to add a few additional comments.
   
   The reproduction of the diary pages is nothing short of amazing - apparently scanned with a high quality scanner, or perhaps photographed digitally or with film and then digitized. The colors of both the writing and the images appear exceptionally accurate - Frida used many different colored pencils in her diary. Even penciled notations look like pencil, ballpoint ink looks like ink, and all pages are printed on high-quality semi-gloss paper.
   
   The second half, which contains the English translations, also contains small black & white reproductions of each page translated and of each image described/explicated. Makes it easy to return to the first half and look at the original full-color page.
   
   CAVEAT & RECOMMENDATION: The book I have is the 2005 hardback ed. published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc. I have not seen nor can I speak of any other published editions. I would buy this edition - the price is more than reasonable and the quality top-notch.



5. Fantastic illustrated diary, in her own handwriting an absolute must for all Khalo/Diego fans.

5 comments about 1,000 Greetings: Creative Correspondence Designed for All Occasions.

1. I first saw this book at a local bookstore. Being a Graphic Design Student I've been struggling to find a decent collection of well designed promotions, to give me some inspiration. It figures that I finally discovered it the last semester of my senior year... but you know, I think that this will still be much used. This is by far one of the best design book I have seen. Typography is used in ways I never thought could be done before. Basically, it's teaching me things I've never learned in my schooling. What fascinates me most, is the way papers, text, and color come together. So, for all you Graphic Art/Design Students, or even if you are an artist of any sort and you start feeling the need for inspiration. Just open up this book, and an explosion of new ideas will fill your head. Make sure you have a sketchbook handy... :)



2. I have a lot of problems with this book.
   
   The first being that while the designs are split into categories such as "brand identity", "invitations" and "self branding" (among others) the individual pieces have virtually no information given on their purpose or use. It would be very helpful to know standard information like the target audience or main goals attributed to the selected works shown. It isn't enough to simply lump sum all this work into a category and offer no explanation on demographics or psychographics. A directory at the end of the book lists who designed the work, but that's really all you get.
   
   The second thing that irked me is that the pictures are very small. Each page may have half a dozen or more pieces shown but no detail shots of any. This further adds to my first complaint. The viewer can't even deduce for themselves what most of the work was intended for since the images are so small. Some of the photography is very lovely and truly works to show off the best qualities of the selected pieces but without detailed shots or full page displays the viewer is left unsatisfied.
   
   While all the designs shown are very good, many are based off of common ideas. Lots of Pseudo-Asian, lots of decomposed and grunge. While they're attractive, they're not particularly inspiring.
   
   Over all I think this book would do more good in the hands of a craft minded individual and not a designer. I can see many of the invitations lending themselves well to home projects and offering some inspiration for personal correspondence stationery.
   
   An acceptable coffee table book, but not a design tool.



3. Love this book. It's jam-packed with inspirational greetings that can be applied to all types of graphic design projects. I plan on buying their other 1000 series in the near future.



4. I bought this book and used it everyday until I lost it. I felt completely off base without it for several months until I couldn't take it anymore and purchased it AGAIN! I absolutely love 1000 greetings and recommend it to everyone.



5. While this book is filled with 1000 different images, you don't get any details. What does the card look like when opened? What type of client was this project done for? Also, the images are incredibly small so you can't read any of the copy, which for some of the designs, is critical to their success. I wouldn't have bought this book had I been browsing in a store and been able to see it first.

5 comments about The Dore Illustrations for Dante's Divine Comedy.

1. Book arrived in promised condition, and in a timely fashion. I would buy from this seller again.



2. This guy is pretty much in the same league as Jack Kirby. Whereas Kirby's all soft lines and images pancaked on the page, Dore looks like he's carving his cartoons into a tree. And all these scary demons and things look tired, like they've been running marathons all day. The victims kind of look like they're enjoying it, so I guess if you're into S&M, I could recommend it. Me, I prefer "Spawn" by Todd McFarlane. The Violator? Now that's a monster you can sink your eyeballs into. And I know it's like super-uber hip, but I don't know why these illustrators feel they are so special when they work exclusively in shades of black. Like my momma used to say, "A little rouge really accents the cheekbones."



3. The quality of this book - along with an amazingly affordable price tag - quickly persuaded me to pick up a copy. Its really everything you could ask for in an art book;
   
   The pictures are all very big, but not overwhelming; Its easy to see minute detail, and the overall scope of the image. I actually blew up some of the prints in photoshop and printed them on huge poster paper for my room, while not sacrificing a drop of detail.
   
   Also, I had to put quite a good deal of pressure onto the spine of the book in order to get a good scan from them, and im happy to say that doing so didn't even leave an annoying "bookmark" crease in the book, and the spine didn't even crease. Dover books really did produce a fine quality book, and the note on the back really is true: This book IS permanent.
   
   If you have read or are reading the divine comedy this book is a great reference to glance at every now and again to truly suck you into Dante's epic poem, and bring you to the Heights of Heaven, The Depths of Hell, or the pain of purgatory in a way you could never have imagened.
   
   The woodcuts done here by dore are so elaborate and vivid you could spend a good portion of a day just gazing into the faces of cursed souls writhing in hell, or the beauty of millions of angels soaring in the highest heaven. Dore illustrates every picture so full of movement and depth its the next best thing to a movie.



4. I have looked at a variety of Dante artists. Some well known and some are not. Suloni Robertson, John Flaxman, Willam Blake, Sandro Botticelli, Sandow Birk, Herb Roe. Do a google search to look at the works of some of these like Sandow Birk. There are some that are more obscure which in a way documents the Comedy, more specifically the Inferno. I'm not going to say who I don't like but Dore is the best. I am rather specific about artists. Dore makes the grade. He is good, really good and when you look at this book, you feel like you are in the terrible depths of hell. I like purgatorio too. I feel the religious prayer songs in my head as I see Beatrice's entrance. There is so much symbolism in these pictures, especially in Paradiso. Though I do disagree with the depiction of Muhammad in hell, the rest is fantastic. I mean that he looks more like he's British then Middle Eastern. I imagine him with blonde hair in the plate. The tortured look on Dante's face in the plate with Betrand de Born, (The cover pic) is extraordinary. I felt how he felt. That is why Dore is so good. I had also hoped for more detail with Ugolino because his story is fantastically horrifying.
   
   The book is a must for any Dante fan. I look at it a lot, even if I have seen the pictures hundreds of times. I really don't think that you can get bored with this. There is always something new to look at. Some detail you looked over. Buy this book because the scans online don't give the justice that this book has. Buy it, look it over, get inspired by it. Maybe we will see your work on Amazon in the near future.



5. The Illustrations from the 1st canto in the Inferno to the last of Paradiso are great because they help as a visual aid when reading the Divina Commedia. One can really see how and in which ways Dore, when he design the illustrations, followed the text very closely.

5 comments about Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers.

1. This book has been very important for me in its ability to explain something that is hardly explainable - more to suggest the essence of Wabi Sabi and let the reader take it the rest of the way. Particularly in the second half of this slender book does the nature of Wabi Sabi come to life. It is a book I will continue to read on occasion, and it sits next to my Tao te Ching ready to be accessed at any time.



2. A good introduction to the history and basic concepts of Wabi-Sabi. It has good examples that are relevant to our culture and lifestyle. I wish it had better photos. But overall I recommend it.



3. This was a great intro to the ideas of wabi sabi. the use of modern art as a reference point is a very constructive way to describe "what is" and "what is not" wabi sabi. I definitely recommend this book for any artist or creative mind.



4. This is a small book, but takes awhile to appreciate and process. I am therefore still reading it, but am glad I bought it. It was highly recommended by a photography instructor - with specific recommendations on this author since there are many books out with this title.



5. An informative and enlightening introduction to the concept of 'wabi-sabi', that also succeeds at inducing the actual feeling of wabi-sabi, leaving you not only with a sense of heightened awareness, but wanting to linger in that pensive, slowed-down state-of-mind into which you are deftly drawn.

5 comments about Ed Emberley's Drawing Book of Trucks and Trains.

1. Ed Emberly's books are so great. If your child can follow visual directions and draw a line, circle and color in, then he or she can draw these things. My son is five and can draw these. He is quite smart and loves trains and trucks, so those are probably factors. When he isn't drawing from the book, he loves to look at it. Great for boys.



2. This is a book that uses stick figures and basic shapes to help children learn to draw more complicated pictures. This is an interactive book to teach drawing. Every little artist will enjoy the simple step-by-step drawings and colorful illustrations that Ed Emberley's Drawing Book of Trucks and Trains contains. Smaller children will learn new words while their older siblings can use the book to learn how to draw more complicated pictures than just stick figures. However, it is somewhat difficult for the four-year-old child. An age recommendation on the book itself would make buying the book a little easier for parents and gift-giving relatives.



3. Every little artist will enjoy the simple step-by-step drawings and colorful illustrations that Ed Emberley's Drawing Book of Trucks and Trains contains. Smaller children will learn new words while their older siblings can use the book to learn how to draw more complicated pictures than just stick figures. While Mr. Emeberley works with some stick figure designs, he cleverly weaves in triangles, circles, rectangles and squares to make learning fun and easy. An age recommendation on the book itself would make buying the book a little easier for parents and gift-giving relatives. While amazon shows an age of 4-8, it was too complicated for my almost four-year-old son to use. It is, however, a book that children that age could grow into with time.
   
   Christine Louise Hohlbaum, author of DIARY OF A MOTHER (2003)
   SAHM I AM: TALES OF A STAY-AT-HOME MOM IN EUROPE (2005), resides with her husband and two children near Munich, Germany.



4. I bought this book because my son loves trains and is not very good at drawing. He is six years old. While I could follow the instructions, it was really rather complex for my son and the pictures were rather complex too. I wanted to help him make simple 6 year old drawings that he could be proud of and this wasn't the book to accomplish that.

   While alot of the drawings in the books simply require you to be able to make a triangle or a square etc, often it's a tiny traingle placed in an obscure part of the picture. You are also required to change color to follow along step by step or you can get lost, instead of just being able to draw the out line in one color first, then filling in the details. This was just too complex for what I was trying to accomplish.




5. My grandmother's house had train tracks running near by and I spent lots of time watching the trains go by. I loved trains and therefore loved this particular Emberley book. I drew hundreds of complex train and road scenes as a kid.