1 comments about American Modernism: Graphic Design, 1920-1960.

1. 
   Roger Remington has written a fascinating survey of American graphic design and I enjoyed looking at the dozens of illustrations especially those from the late fifties onwards when I was familiar with the work of so many American designers. The work of Otto Storch on McCall's, Lou Dorfsman at CBS and naturally the typography of Herb Lubalin was a strong influence on my work as a publication designer.
   
   The author writes about the development of Modernism in Europe and how it spread to the US with the arrival of many European graphic designers escaping the oppression in Europe during the Thirties. In America they found a receptive country open to new ways of designing for print, which flowered, with the explosion of creativity in the Fifties and Sixties. On page 179 there is a list of many great designers, whose work is the basis of this book, who have died and Remington rightly says that their absence denies emerging young designers creative role models.
   
   The design of the book is first-class (a tip of the hat to Brad Yendle) the images are well selected with a good mix of posters, advertisements, corporate graphics, magazine covers and logos. I would have preferred to see more magazine spreads and at least one example of the amazing 'Upper & Lower Case' publication. All the illustrations have good long explanatory captions.
   
   If you are involved with commercial graphic design and want to learn about its history in America this book can't be beat. I mentioned earlier two designers whose work I love and the following two books are well worth searching out, 'Dorfsman & CBS' by Dick Hess and Marion Muller, 'Herb Lubalin' by Gertrude Snyder and Alan Peckolick. The book that really got me interested in expressive typography and I still think is valid in this digital age is 'Typography' by Aaron Burns, published in 1961.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

5 comments about Essential CG Lighting Techniques with 3ds Max (Focal Press Visual Effects and Animation).

1. I have read this book from cover to cover and multiple times for some chapters. There are two reasons I like this book
   
   First, most chapters start with basic theories and offer some tutorials which reader can try themselves. The tutorials are very easy to follow. The structure help learn new concepts as well as how to use Max.
   
   Second, this book almost touches every aspect of CG application in Max, such as radiosity, indoor, outdoor, MR, texture baking for games, shadow etc. By reading the book, it also help navigate and read Max help contents which are usually boring to read.
   
   In short, it is a good book especially for persons who already know something about CG and interested in 3ds Max.



2. 416 page which explain how to use light on 3ds...once finish it you'll be a light creator master!



3. Advanced user aren't going to learn anything revolutionary, but over all this is a good beginner/intermediate level guide to CG lighting. As with many other Focal Press titles, much of this book's contents are covered in Max 9's own tutorials and user reference.



4. This is a good looking book with full color prints. One of the tutorials was highlighted in 3D Magazine as an example of 3 point lighting. I experienced some difficulty with some files when I tried to use the radiosity plugin. Also, one tutorial has missing files. The instructions kind of jumble together in think prose. Not easy to follow. The material, however, touches on light theory, shadows, HDI, and renderers. The HDI tutorial is a good one to introduce you to the concept and yes, HDI maps are included. I think this is a good cocktail table book. Nice discussions and great graphics. Can't take learning specifics about Max lights seriously. But good discussion and some good examples.



5. It is a good book. It really helps to understand different notions about the cg lighting. Well structured and uses everyday language.
   Tutorials are good, sometimes maybe to long, but they help to structure and have an overview of the matter.
   I recommend the book to everyone who want to have an understanding of how to set up lights in 3dsmax with maximum efficiency.

5 comments about Drawing Crime Noir: For Comics and Graphic Novels.

1. Great tips for using expressions, postures and shadows. Package arrived in good conditions and on the expected time.



2. Great job of deveoping this genere. Hart, gets to the point-it is all about the mood and drama! His artistic ability to state the obvious shows that he dosen't mess around with the sissified PC crowd. Attitude with brooding emotion is what this life is all about and Hart is the master at pushing you in the right direction to capture this in your art.



3. I've purchased a number of Christopher Hart's books on drawing certain genres and facets of comic books; as a self-taught artist, I'm always looking out for the next book to help me out. Paging through "Drawing Crime Noir" I was initially impressed, and decided to pick it up.
   
   This book offers a number of interesting sections: discussions of character, clothing and accessories, drawing composition, and, of course, the all-important chiaroscuro shading. However, nice to look at as all of this is, little of it is really "teachable" - in other words, this book talks a good game, but frequently doesn't really "show" you, step-by-step, how to develop principles in creating your own scenes. Probably the most useful section is on drawing costumes for femme fatale characters - it will help a great deal those who are having difficulty drawing the more "cutting edge" fashions. Most disappointing is what one might think would be the most important section, the one on shading. It shows you some different shading options, but doesn't really delve helpfully in how to apply these principles across the board.
   
   Overall, this is a well illustrated book, but it lacks a really hands-on, helpful tutorial style. Definitely for artists of the intermediate skill level and above.



4. Nice little intro to the concepts and style of crime noir comics. Covers basic fundamentals of drawing and mood for genre. Great for neophytes and novices. A little too specific in dictating the author's view of how the genre should be depicted. Overall a great little book that's fun and insightful.



5. Many images. Little explanation.
   As another reviewer wrote, Watson-Guptill is very good at cutting cost in producing books.
   Christopher Hart books are theme-centered books designed with publishers to titill you curiosity and your wish to study art.
   His books are only complemental books. No foundation of study/construction here. Its marketing hype just like the almigthy marketing power of microsoft.
   If you want to study art seriously, get the real bibles of Art by Andrew loomis.
   1.Figure drawing for all it's worth
   2.Drawing the Head and Hands
   3.Successful Drawing
   4.Creative Illustration
   5.Fun with a Pencil
   I would not be surprised if Christopher Hart himself studied from Andrew Loomis.
   Beware though, Watson-Guptill has done it again!!!!!
   The revered Drawing the Head and Hands has been trimmed to another book Drawing: The Head (HT197) of only 32 pages and
   Figure drawing for all it's worth trimmed to Drawing: Figures in Action (HT191)
   Get the genuine ones. They are pricey but it's worth every penny of your cash!
   NB: It's a pity these loomis books don't have a 'search inside' facility.
   Many students are passing by just because they can't get an evaluation of the contents.

4 comments about Traditional Japanese Stencil Designs (Dover Pictorial Archive Series).

1. I am soooo glad I got this book. The designs are superb, and can be used in a zillion ways for design, fine art, etc. Just the inspiration I was looking for, and more. Good flow to the designs in terms of pattern, light and dark, and variety. Good for graphic design basis and logo thinking, too, but I will use it in my paintings and sculpture textures.



2. Unlike the first reviewer who gave this book 1 star, this is actually an excellent book showing designs taken from one of the many complex arts and crafts traditions of Japan. These are actual designs from stencils, which were carefully cut from mulberry paper and used for printing designs on cloth.The stencils are called katagami. Some of these are still being made, and by the fine traditional craftsmen of Japan working with simple, traditional tools to produce amazing patterns. The first reviewer has not bothered to look carefully into Japanese art forms, and so is, I believe speaking from ignorance. Not a book for tatoo designs, granted, but I think most people who would like design references from a somewhat obscure Japanese art tradition would find this book of interest. If you'd like more detail on the art tradition of stencil cutting or carving, you might want to look at
   "Carved Paper: The Art of the Japanese Stencil." You can also see an example with some explanations here: http://www.sohe.wisc.edu/depts/hlatc/pixelsexhibit/katagami.html
   Although these stencils were/are made for the purpose of dyeing cloth, they can be considered artforms in their own right. (I own a couple of these.) The Dover book is a nice reference.



3. As a previous reviewer has noted, Clarence Hornung's "Traditional Japanese Stencil Designs" is not the book to purchase if you are seeking inspiration for tattoos. It is, however, of exceptional value if your interests include Japanese aesthetics in general and textile motifs in particular or if you are seeking sophisticated patterns that can be manipulated and reproduced as graphic designs.

   The stencils included were originally designed for monochromatic printing on cotton textiles but are also typical of the patterns imprinted on deer-skin goods and traditional Japanese wrapping papers. More than any other volume in Dover's generously-sized library of books on Japanese design, Hornung's testifies to the Japanese genius for manipulating a few design elements into subtle and classically beautiful patterns. Some of the patterns are abstract and without specific meaning, but the overwhelming majority are rich in symbolism. Hornung's introduction discusses the most important of these symbolic meanings. However, the usefulness of the introduction is compromised by his failure to number the stencils and then identify for the reader precisely which plates represent each thematic motif.




4. If you are at all trying to find sources for Japanese art, this is NOT the place to do it! Not only are the designs in the book non-Japanese they are worthless if you are using them for illustration or any reference to draw from. If you are looking for a source book for tattooing like I was, this is not it. To say this book was weak is a compliment. The biggest waste of money I've spent in a long time!

3 comments about Cowboy Boots.

1. This book is so fun! My passion for cowboy boots started several years ago, but it hasn't been till recently that I started paying for the best. This book is better than bad sex for sure! The craftsmanship that goes into some of those books is amazing. Every page is like a new piece of tantalizing candy. I love it so much that I show it off at my restaurant in Seattle for all to enjoy!



2. Cowboy Boots picks up where Tyler & Jim's "Art of the Boot" leaves off. This book has more than 51 known makers, and nearly 400 pairs of cowboy boots... all photographed in crisp detail by Jim Arndt. Wow.
   
   Here are just a couple of the very speical pairs:
   
   Page 143. "The Mexican" is a remarkable pair of boots made by the El Paso company called Tres Outlaws. Your eye is naturally drawn to the 22 rare Mexcian coins inlayed across the pair...but what is more astounding is to discover that the tooling pattern on this "matching pair" each completely different on the right and left boot. The difference is difficult to detect because the design is so well balanced. An amazing tribute to the rich history and culture of Mexico.
   
   Page 25. "Ray Jones Boots 1960-1970s with Eagle Inlay." Ray Jones was famous for the "plain" stitched boots he made for working cowboys. These boots show us another side of this maker's skill.
   
   This book's small size lends itself to endless page flipping. After 3 years, I'm still inspired by the boots I find inside.



3. TYLER AND I THINK THAT THIS IS ONE 'KICKIN' BOOK !!!
   A GREAT COMPANION TO OUR OTHER BOOKS, 'THE COWBOY BOOT BOOK', ART OF THE BOOT', AND 'ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF WESTERN WEAR'. ENJOY!
   TYLER AND JIM

5 comments about Design Your Self: Rethinking the Way You Live, Love, Work, and Play.

1. An inspirational personal design book written by one of the masters of modern product design. Though parts of the book can be preachy and out of touch with middle-class society, take what he recommends and apply it within the context of your own life. No, I'm not going to replace my wardrobe with 30 matching white, silver, and pink microfiber shirts, but I will be more design conscious about decisions when it comes it each facet of life (Live, Love, Work, Play). If you're tired of traditional self-help books, this comes recommended.



2. This book struck me first in their design and then the content. I must say some of the things in there are pretty common sense, things you already know but it just sort of reminds you that you need to do this or that to get your life even more ironed out.
   
   I especially like the what to do at which age part. As with any similar kind of book, you need to be doing the things in it to benefit.



3. Rashid talks about designing your own life by your own rules. Somewhat ironically, he provides you with many of his own "rules" for doing so. But don't let that steer you from this book. He provides an amazing approach to building and growing in today's modern world. You don't have to agree with all suggestions and ideas, but it will help you understand what it means to live a life that is substantially more fulfilling than the typical paint-by-numbers, status quo lifestyle that is all too common.



4. I have to say I really enjoyed this book. --Though you have to take his advice with a grain of salt. In the book, he describes the ideal way to live... It doesn't mean that all of us are equipped to live this way. For instance, he says to donate your clothes and buy a whole new wardrobe every year. As wonderful as that would be, I can't afford to do that.
   
   He describes his idea of a perfect world, and wants us to strive for the same world. It doesn't mean we are there right now. But the simple changes that he suggests we make can get us one step closer to a better society.
   
   I loved the book and would like to read his others soon.



5. I found this book to be pretty inspirational and I do appreciate people who inspire or try to inspire or who care enough and Karim Rashid seems to do this. Maybe in a simplistic and naively optimistic way, but then again, nobody every accomplished anything by pessimistically knowing better. He's certainly accomplished a lot, more than most of us so maybe there's something to be learned here. Layouts remind me of Wired mag, good to page through form time to time, doesn't really require it to be read cover to cover.

4 comments about Quantum Dreams: The Art of Stephan Martiniere.

1. I am a heavy consumer of art books and I also enjoy conceptual art books. I love to look at collections by artists and for conceptual art, you have many books that are dedicated to a film such as "Star Wars" or "Batman".
   
   And if you do enjoy those films, certain names tend to come up. One name I find is Stephan Martiniere. A Frenchman known for his work involving theme parks, animated television shows and special effects for films such as "Virus", "Red Planet", "I, Robot" and "Star Wars Episodes 2 & 3.
   
   His book "Quantum Dreams" is a collection of digital paintings and concept art created for book covers, computer games and personal paintings all created on Adobe Photoshop.
   
   Each page (or to be specific every two pages) feature Martiniere's concept and what he was trying to accomplish for a given cover or artwork.
   
   There is no explanation of how he created it but at the end of the book is a one page several paragraph segment of how he works with Adobe Photoshop, the various layers and distortions and opacity levels that he does to create his work.
   
   The majority of the work featured are not from his films but from various book covers and his own personal work. The photos are large and you can see the detail in his paintings.
   
   I love these type of books that have the photos very big, especially if you need a book to be used as a reference. I for one, have used it to get ideas on lighting and ideas of how he was able to work with clouds and various areas in his work.
   
   But for those expecting "how-to's", you're not going to find much in this book.
   
   And for those expecting a lot of reading, you get a foreword by "Myst" creator Rand Miller, a two-page introduction and a page explaining of how Martiniere does his work but the main focal point are the images and a paragraph or two on how he came up with the idea of the artwork.
   
   There are a lot of concept art books out there, many that cover digital painting as well. But what I like about this book is that it can be found online for a great price and whether you are a fan of his art, a student who is looking for a reference or just a person who enjoys perusing concept art books, this is a fine addition to your collection.
   
   I am passionate towards Martiniere's concept art work and very glad to see the book being printed but showcasing the covers fairly large in order for us to see the detail of his work.
   
   All in all, a very cool book to own!



2. Definitely worth the money. this book is a great inspiration for me from a great artist. Amazing prints on good quality paper. I was very impressed with this purchase.



3. Work is very visually arresting, but lacks the depth of some other gifted ideators. One is left to wonder how a person might actually live inside one of those scenes.



4. Stephan Martiniere shares some of his excellent art and a bit of his technique in this well put together collection. The book is relatively short compared to some other art books but it is priced to match. Essentially if you like the cover you can expect more of the same kind of work inside. He tends to use a combination of extreme photo manipulation and painting to achieve his look. I found the book to be a worthy addition to my collection of art books, and I would recommend it to those who are interested in digital illustration.

1 comments about The Filmmaker's Guide to Production Design.

1. This book, I found, keeps talking about production design; its importance, relevance (somewhat repeticiously), definition, but never really gets into how to do it. A dissapointment.

5 comments about Make It Bigger.

1. I ordered this book late November in 2006. It was not in stock, so expected to ship sometime in February. Every 3 weeks I received another email notifying that the expected ship and delivery dates were pushed back another month or two.
   There's NO reason that this should happen - so I googled the book and eventually found a publisher's site to order from.
   
   Great book, but BOO amazon.



2. A great read for anyone who is ready to make the jump from art school to working clients. Scher goes into excellent detail about working with illustrators, the structure (and politics) of agency work, her strategies/approach to design. She also shares good insight on how to work most effectively with clients who may not know a whole lot about design. I found this very practical, and a very easy read. I am also a big fan of her work, which spans several decades.



3. Paul Scher hit me. No, literally. On a student tour of the Koppel/Scher offices, I was standing by a closet--Paula flung the door open and I provided the rubber stop. Though it's been a struggle, the last 12 years have softened my emotional pain. Make It Bigger provided some very necessary closure.
   Also, trust whatever Randy Silverman (a previous reviewer) says about anything, especially anything concerning design. Frighteningly insightful.



4. I have to say I'm not a big "fan" of Paula Scher's visual style, it's far too "horsey" and "big-boned" for my taste, but I am a fan of what she has to say about the design profession and her experience in it.

   This book is an excellent reference/story book on the frustrations of dealing with clients (which are many, as I can relate) who have poor taste or are just clueless. I agree with everything Paula says here and enjoyed the grain of salt with all that's said. I can feel the frustration and exasperation Paula speaks of as anyone worth their blood has designed something great, only to have a client with tunnel vision ruin it. Sigh.

   Any serious designer should read this book, or already has. I would have no problem calling anyone who hasn't read it a poseur in this profession!




5. Too often designers see their own result(s) and design solutions without the knowledge of the 'client process' . . . a truly remarkable reality in this business. ALL design students should be made aware of this aspect of the profession, possibly even before seriously considering if one wants to be a designer. There is so much more to it than having an 'AHA' on one's own. Ms. Scher has presented this in a manner both pictorially and honestly with examples and explanations . . . and, of course, with much experience in the real world of design (which must also include some humor). I have been a designer for thirty years and would recommend this as part of required reading from the start for future "wannabes" and for all of us who need that reassurance that this is indeed how it works.

3 comments about Striking Images: Vintage Matchbook Cover Art.

1. I think all the books I've seen on this subject merit high praise, but Striking Images stands out for its layout and focus on the artwork itself. The juxtaposed covers allow for many great samples to be consumed by the eyes at once, while other blown up images assume a Pop Art painting quality. So do not mistake this for a book on vintage matchbooks; this is about the art on the cover. At this price I feel this book's a deal considering the design and thought devoted to it by Mr. Beauchamp - well done! I've encountered his unique passion and perspective on other ephemeral subjects in various issues of Blab!, another book I've collected and highly recommend!!



2. As the back cover says 'Striking Images is a must see collection of vintage covers...More than 500 images inside!' Good enough for me because I love books about popular visual culture and this one could join the other three I already have about match art.
   
   However I was rather disappointed in the book because of its production. The main problem is that every matchbook has been reduced to a square of either the front or back and then presented butted up (mostly) four to a page so they hardly look like matchbooks at all. It's as if a book about stamps had all the perforations cut off and then joined together. Many are shown whole page, making them too big and over-emphasising the crude printing quality. The book really ends up looking like a collection of badly printed, colorful and exuberant, advertising graphics. Though divided into eight sections there are no page numbers except on the chapter openers and with the covers crammed into all the pages it is annoyingly difficult to find a particular section.
   
   It could have looked so much better like the earlier Chronicle Matchbook Art by Yosh Kashiwabara. Here many of the matchbooks have their front and back shown but the main thing is that they have plenty of page space surrounding each one. Another book: Close Cover Before Striking: The Golden Age of Matchcover Art (Recollectibles) is a handsomely designed title with thirteen chapters of well presented covers. Both books show how fascinating these throw-way bits of art are.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover,



3. Even if you don't care about matchbook art or matchbook collecting, this book is highly recommended. It collects these beautiful pieces of pop culture ephemera and presents them as art, which they truly are. Each page packs a graphic punch that will knock your socks off. Not only are the endless variety of matchbook designs visually stunning, but Mr. Beauchamp treats the medium itself as part of the piece, enlarging the images so the texture of the paper and even the impression the ink makes become art. A very tasteful and classy treatment for this disposable art form. (I was going to say "unmatched" but I stopped myself.)
   
   The selected artworks run the gamut from restaurants to mascot characters to cars to strip clubs. There's a whole chapter devoted to inspiring, art deco imagery from World War II, any one of which would make a great poster.
   
   Given the limitations of the medium and the printing budget, many of the matchbooks are designed with just two or three colors, making this a textbook for the graphics arts student. In an era in which any ink jet printer can reproduce millions of colors, it's fascinating to see what yesterday's artisans did with such a limited palette.
   
   Some of the matchbook covers are close to actual size while others are blown up to fill the page. Given that there are as many as four pictures on some pages and the book totals 272 pages, there are in excess of 500 pieces of art reproduced here. It's impossible to find a favorite among so many gems.
   
   If you're looking for a good summer book to enjoy at the beach, prepare yourself to read "Close cover before striking" a few hundred times. But if you want to soak your eyeballs in America's rich graphic heritage, Striking Images is a must have.