5 comments about The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947 - 1957.

1. I purchased two of these books, one for my daughter who will be entering Fashion Design school in the fall and one as a gift for her beloved teacher who retired this year.
   
   The book is a beautiful coffee table book for anyone interesed in fashion particularly Paris and London during the years 1947-1957. The classic designs of this era and their designers are featured along with gorgeous photos. There is even a photo of a Dior gown as it was originally on a model. This same gown in later years was shortened and altered to suit the time and is on display in the Dior exhibit. Seeing it as it was intended by Dior is priceless!
   
   A must for all interested in classic fashion!



2. La belle epoque. Very glamorous book. Lovely story of the golden years of high couture. Finesse. Elegance. Absolument tout.



3. I attended the Golden Age of Couture display at the Victoria & Albert Museum last October. It was sensational, but as I was travelling back to Australia was unable to purchase the book at the time. The book is exquisitely presented and provides images and words to almost transport one there. I highly recommend it to any fashionistas.



4. Haute couture and fashion enthusiasts have had a very bad time try to get hold of this wonderful book, but I have to say it's worth the wait for those of you impatient and desirous of owning your own copy. This 224 page book has color photographs, black and white illustrations and in depth descriptions of what exactly the New Look was, how it was created and how it was developed. Aside from Dior and Balenciaga, Jean Desses, Jacques Fath, and Norman Hartnell (and a section dedicated to London couture) are also discussed and beautiful photographs of their work are displayed.
   
   This is a must have for New Look enthusiasts and fashionistas alike.



5. I own this lovely book. The photography is stunning and the oversize format allows one to see the details of the exquisite clothing from this iconic era.

No comments about The World's Coolest Hotel Rooms (The Cool Hunter).

5 comments about Trolls, Elves and Fairies Coloring Book (Dover Pictorial Archives).

1. These are beautiful coloring books because they are so different then the ones that are out there. Beautiful intricate pictures that not only children will love but adults as well.



2. These illustrations do not conform to Dover's usual brilliant interpretation of great art into a coloring book format. I have been loving Dover coloring books since my first copy of "Ancient Greece" which I shared with my mom when I was two. I was looking for an alternative to Disney fairies for my four-year-old, but these illustrations have neither the charm of Margaret W. Tarrant nor the simplicity of Dover's usual interpretations. The illustrations have a Gothic quality and the faces leave too little to the imagination.



3. This is not only a great coloring book, but it also has a lot of information about the beliefs that that people used to have about fairies, elves, etc. It's fun and educational!



4. I love this book it can be hard sometimes to find adult coloring books that are worth coloring but I love this one.



5. I have given this coloring book to my girls two years in a row. This is an excellent alternative to Disney characters and other more commonly found coloring pages. The creatures in this book are beautiful and contain enough detail to challenge and inspire creativity in an older child, while the quality of the paper can stand the abuse of a toddler. Highly recommend.

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 Ralph Lauren.

1. I read about the Ralph Lauren book in a book review. I was interested in the book because we love the Ralph Lauren brand in our household. The first thing that struck me upon receiving the book is the size. It's huge! But, once I started reading it I spent the entire afternoon pouring over it. I couldn't tear myself away. It's stunning and typically iconically classic. It also looks great on my coffee table!



2. This is a great book. And HEAVY! Lots of pictures and his own writings of how his career came to be. Highly recommend for the RL fan.



3. I love Ralph Lauren clothes and the book gives me ideas in creating his look. I read the book in one evening. It was fast reading, I loved looking at his past styles from the 70's to current and it shows his style is CLASSIC. If your a Ralph Lauren fan it's diffinetly worth purchasing the book. I have to admit I felt I was reading a story book. The book is also very heavy to lift. You need to be strong.



4. This is one great book! I highly recomend it. It's expensive, but it's worth the money. Any Ralph Lauren fan or fashion fan should own this book. I look at it all the time. The pictures are beautiful!



5. Nothing short of stunning imagery and style unmatched in the world of fashion. Never chasing trends or playing second to any one else's dreams, Mr. Lauren clearly lives his vision, his stories, the epic movies he creates with a passion and dedication not found anywhere in fashion these days. He allows us all a peek into his very private life with his lovely family in a huge Italian made book filled with his creations, inspirations and humble "American Dreams Come True" zest for life. His name is on the book and his life's portrait is painted for all to see and appreciate. There is a certain honesty and respect for Ralph Lauren that for 40 years in the industry he has maintained his direction and unwavering philosophy for what life is really about... Family, working hard and sharing.

3 comments about Area_2.

1. Excellent overview of current state of design. Although the book is a bit too heavy, don't try reading this in bed or on a plane, it is worth every penny. Compared to Area (the non-numbered first issue) this book focuses not only on paper based graphic design and I really don't know how one can assess or put a value on such a broad field of possibilities. It is still brilliant. For anyone assuming an investment in graphic design be it a box, a shop, a book, stationery or whatever needs an outside with colours or patterns, this book is a must-have, must read.



2. Makes a good companion to the first area book. Each ones shows off the best of the best in current design.



3. This is most certainly one of the best books Phaidon has published yet. Completely blows Area out of the water. Worth every penny.

4 comments about Color Index 2: Over 1500 New Color Combinations. For Print and Web Media. CMYK and RGB Formulas..

1. This product is a jewel for all designers alike. It eliminates all some time in the theory period of designing and allows you to work.



2. I thought the book was a little whacked until I realized my monitor was out of calibration. I used the Eye-One Display 2 Monitor Calibrator to calibrate my monitor and now I am getting colors that are VERY close to the book.
   
   There isn't much to say about it except that is it very easy to use, very intuitive, and will have you making better color choices without having to learn one single thing about color theory. You can be completely color-theory illiterate and still make great choices using this book.
   
   In fact, you could be writing hex code for html on a monochrome monitor, while using this book, and still get it right!
   
   The book is split up into sections based on color. "Combination of blue hues" is the first section cluster. Within that section is "Blues + neighboring hues", "Blues + opposing hues", "Blues + neutral hues", and "Blues + black and tints of black." These section clusters continue for Reds, Violets, Orange, Yellow, and Greens. At the end you will find "Mixed combinations of Saturated Hues", "Mixed Combinations of Semi-muted Hues", "Mixed Combination of Neutrals and Muted Hues", Mixed Combination of Neutrals and Saturated Hues."
   
   I highly recommend this book, just be sure that your monitor is calibrated before you start complaining about the book's color numbers being wrong (like I initially did.)



3. This book is really helpful when you're stuck using the same color palettes over and over. His first book was good too, but this one is grouped by colors instead of being so random. It's a small book and great to have near computer for when you need a creative boost.



4. this book is FULL of color combinations to the point it may be borderline overwhelming. the CMYK formulas are extremely helpful and is a handy small book to jog your inspiration. the side of the book shows what colors are where so you can easily turn to the section of the book you need and flip along. if you do lots of graphic design, this is great to have within arms reach

No comments about Painter in a Savage Land: The Strange Saga of the First European Artist in North America.

5 comments about Altered Curiosities: Assemblage Techniques and Projects.

1. Altered Curiosities: Assemblage Techniques and Projects
   
   I have this book on my coffee table so that I am reminded to look at it many times a week. I am now collecting the odd pieces I come across in a day and am enjoying seeking out that "special object" at garage sales for my new art project(s). The book provides great ideas and direction to give you that creative push into found art work.



2. A good book if you are interested in making jewellery, not so much for the artist really, but some beautiful images. The techniques are quite complicated and you'll need a lot of things to buy to achieve what the book shows you, but hey, if you're into that type of thing, go for it.... I guess the title isn't really that clear, perhaps should really have referred to jewellery making...........



3. "Creepy cover" was mentioned by one reviewer and yet I found the cover the major reason for my interest in the book. I have had this book for some time and consider it a favorite in many ways. I love the charm of how each project is layed out on the page (e.g. the SECRET INGREDIENTS design marker for each project), GREAT step-by-step images following the descriptions on how to proceed for each project, the use of many objects already laying around the house that are given a "new" life through various applications and transformations of the various projects or techniques described, and the best reason are the numerous artist's descriptions for each project and sections elaborating reasoning behind her design process. I particularly enjoy the "Adorn Yourself: Jewelry with a Story" commentary. These sections are true motivators for me and often crack my periods of artist blahs when I don't feel an ounce of creativity flowing through me. When I read a few of these sections in Wynn's book, my mind begins to whir! The techniques are great in gaining confidence for creating your own designs; however, I do have to say that I absolutely love the octopus necklace design. I made my own, quite a bit different than the author's but with enough flair to see where I got my idea from. I think others will enjoy this book for a variety of reasons - the quaintness of many projects, the bizarreness of others, the sound techniques (with a few minor quirks that may be remedied by an revised edition down the road, I've heard), and most importantly, the motivation provided by the author in a multitude of ways throughout the book. Use this book for many reasons - reference, guide, motivation, resource, etc. It is definitely in my top five of multi-media artwork books available. Enjoy!



4. I am a working artist and am currently exploring collage and assemblage as an alternate form of expression. I bought this book based on the cover. I found the doll's head intriguing and hoped to find other projects in that same vein. While the book includes detailed instructions for a variety of assemblage projects, I found it bordered on being a "craft" book. Many of the projects include instructions for metal work, which I am not interested in. The author also has several projects that are shrine-like in character. And sadly, there were no other "doll" projects, except if you count using doll arms to make jewelry. I ended up giving this book to a friend of mine who teaches assemblage at art school.



5. I bought this book along with another book on collage assemblage. I read the other book first and found this one not as interesting a read but it does have some good assemblage details that the other book did not have.

5 comments about Magic Moving Images: Animated optical illusions (Animated Optical Illusions).

1. I bought this book for my son (6 years old) and he like it so much. good present to motive his imagination.



2. I love this book for being simple and yet smart enough to bring up an animation from static images. Low price also makes it very affordable. Could be a great gift to one who likes optical illusions.



3. A fascinating concept. The illusion is very real and deceptively simple. This book does a good job of presenting a very clever idea. Everybody who sees it is flabbergasted.



4. this is the coolest book i've ever seen. it should entertain kids that come to visit for a long time...and you know how hard that can be...



5. If you're one of those who loves the zoetrope at the local museum, this book makes you feel like you took a piece of it home with you! My whole family enjoyed it. I think it will make a great birthday present for some of our young friends.