2 comments about The Thames & Hudson Dictionary of Graphic Design and Designers (World of Art).

1. This book was of no use in a history of graphic design class I took for which the text was Megg's History of Graphic Design.



2. I think this book is ok, it is informative but i also think that there is a lot that is being left out. There is a lot of design terminology that i think should be included for this to be called a real Dictionary of design.

5 comments about The Business Side of Creativity: The Complete Guide for Running a Graphic Design or Communications Business.

1. This book is a wake up call to the Creative! It completely opened my eyes to the many things to think about and plan for when leaving your secure job, and going out on your own. Extremely well written, with a plethora of knowledge on the subject. A complete eye opener. A MUST HAVE for the Creative who is planning on going freelance, or starting their own business. Very informative and necessary to read in order to succeed on your own. Very exciting, I could barely put it down!



2. I'm starting a sole-proprietor (one-person) freelance design business and I have found this book to be extremely helpful. It manages to be realistic about what to expect while also providing encouragement that if you prepare well and work smart, you have the opportunity to reach your financial goals. The book has made me consider contracts carefully and has given me valuable suggestions (for example, setting up standards such as "I can't accept jobs for which I can bill less than 8 hours' work"), thinking about what kinds of clients I want to attract in my business, and so on. It has important points to consider if you are locating your business outside a large metropolitan area. I recommend it for anyone who is starting out - or considering starting out - on a solo creative business.



3. According to the author's website at http://www.creativebusiness.com/books.lasso The Business Side of Creativity addresses freelancing and the basics of pricing, selling, and running a SMALL design or marketing communications business. The Creative Business Guide to Running a Graphic Design Business focuses on the management of a MULTIPERSON organization. The website gives a summary on the various chapters of each book.



4. I started out excited about this book, then quickly realized much of what the author had to say was outdated at best, not the best advice on numerous occasions, but yet the book contained some valuable information. A bit stoneage as far as business marketing practices. One hundred pages on setting up your own studio/small business with personnel (No, thank you). If working as a freelancer in the graphics or copy arenas is your thing, its worth paying $20.00 to get something out of it.



5. This is such a comprehensive book. If you have any question about how to run a business, let alone a creative one, this book is the only one you'll need.

1 comments about Marvel Visionaries: Stan Lee.

1. (REVIEW WRITTEN BY BILLY INNES)
   
   For the generations whose first exposure to stellar comic-book writing came from reading the likes of Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, the Hernandez Brothers or Art Spiegelman, then Stan Lee might seem a bit wooden or stilted by comparison. Still, it is pretty important to remember that many of the fine writers listed above may not have ever written a word for comic-books if not for the ground-breaking innovations brought forth by Stan Lee.
   
   During the height of the "Marvel Wars"...when the artists who had worked for Marvel (including such greats as Jack "King" Kirby) were fighting to get their original artwork (a way of generating extra revenue for these artists is to sell their original penciled pages)...there was much criticism hurled towards Stan Lee. Criticism towards Stan Lee regarding his business practices...after all, it was Lee who failed to relinquish access to the Marvel artists' original artwork...may have been justified. In the midst of that controversy, though, came criticism aimed at Lee regarding his writing abilities. Rumors began to spread that Lee seldom fully scripted or plotted a full issue of the comic books that bore his name. Some rumors went so far as to claim that Stan Lee could not write a complete sentence in English to save his life.
   
   All one needs to do is look at other of the books in the MARVEL VISIONARIES series to dispel such rumors. Granted, Stan Lee was often as good as those with whom he collaborated (and with artists such as Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and Wally Wood...just to name a few of many greats...one could not ask for finer artists) and, without a doubt, such artists were often elemental in helping Lee with plotting and pathos. Still, if one looks at the MARVEL VISIONARIES book devoted to the work of Jack Kirby, one notices that the finest stories are those where Kirby is given the credit as artist and Lee is given the credit as writer. When Kirby is credited as writer (issue 200 of CAPTAIN AMERICA or the issue of THE ETERNALS), the art remains majestic, but the writing is stiff and wooden. In other cases...such as Kirby's "What If" take on what life would be like if the Fantastic Four were the Marvel Bullpen, the writing is downright cringe-worthy.
   
   The collection devoted to Stan Lee is probably the finest of the MARVEL VISIONARIES series. Much of this is due to our being able to see Lee's development as a writer (going from one-dimensional stories from Marvel's Golden Age to stories of great might and power as represented by the DAREDEVIL and SILVER SURFER issues included in this collection). And, of course, another joy of this book is being able to feast one's eyes on the wide range of talent that comes from the palette of wonderful artists who laid pencil to paper for Marvel.
   
   As one who remembers many of these issues when they first appeared, reading this volume was much like a happy trip back in a Time Machine. It brings to mind the days when I found the soap-opera-like story of a superheroes true identity to be every bit as engaging (if not more so) than the grandiose battles of good versus evil. It brings back memories of story-lines that crossed over various comic-book titles, so that one had the feeling that the Marvel Universe really existed on some other plain (all one need do is read the titles from DC titles...or the lesser Charleston or Dell to see how profound this method was). Lee elevated many of the characters from cardboard caricatures and breathed life and believability into them. Sure, they've probably not aged as well as our imaginations remember many of these comic-books and characters, but they still are often breathtakingly a wonder to behold when one considers just how innovative and revolutionary these works were!

5 comments about An Essay on Typography.

1. Aunque Eric Gill es un personaje de grandes claroscuros, su trabajo como artista es impresionante. Este libro no solo toca el tema tipográfico, sino sus ideas del arte y la relación con la industria de su época.
   
   Es un poco difícil separar los grandes ideales que escribe y la realidad de su vida, en algunos momentos suena falso y vacío.
   
   Aun así es un gran libro, un clásico de la tipografía. Escrito por alguien que no logró integrar en su vida lo que decía y lo que hacia.



2. This book has the details and history anyone drawn to printing and writing will savor.



3. This essay on typography is actually an essay on far more. It goes well with William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement, in its nostalgia for the 'humane' individual craftsman over the commerce and industry. Gill comes back, again and again, to question the proper places of mass production and handwork with respect to each other. He was an idealistic, but still realized that industry was here to stay - it could not (and still can not) simply be wished away. The real goal is "an industrialism ... [with] many noble and admirable features."

   Gill uses typography and printing as the vehicle for his social thoughts, and offers a good bit of advice on typography throughout. He discusses letter forms as ethetic, practical, and historical objects - especially interesting from a man who made so much typographic history himself.

   I never did quite work my way through all of his social arguments, however. He seems to hold "engineers" as the opponents of art and perhaps creativity. I known that many engineers then and now lack training in esthetics and visual presentation. Anyone who's seen the Brooklyn Bridge or Eiffel Tower knows, however, that engineering is also a creative act. Gill ridiculed the practice of one worker designing a font, a second preparing it for transfer to metal, another cutting the master tools for each letter, and so on. I have to agree, the assembly line mentality is not suited to all tasks, especially when each product is as unique as a letter form. Still, among all arts, printing is perhaps the one most typified by team effort and division of labor. It would be a very rare individual who could create a text worth reading, create the font in which it is presented, set the type and run the press, and carry out all the other tasks needed to create a bound book. The question is not whether parts of a job should be handed to different specialists, but which jobs should be subdivided - a question I never saw answered.

   This is a wonderful work by a man whose livelihood, art, and spiritual life all worked closely together. I recommend it to anyone who works in the arts, not just those with an interest in type.




4. I noticed few reviews for this book, so it had to be said. At once a historical view of typography as well as universal ideals still applicable to modern design. Eric Gill was a genius, and his timeless typefaces were the only window I knew him through before I read this book. This is the sort of book that you finish and then go look for more books like it; my favorite kind.



5. This multi-faceted book is a gem. It was written in a period when Industrialism was increasingly establishing itself over Craftsmanship. Gill starts by analyzing the clash between these two worlds, then goes on to situate typography in this melee. Most of the book concerns Gill's views on correct typography, some of which seem quirky. Gill is unique: his forward style and searing insight are inspiring and refreshing, even after six decades. The last section of the book is Gill's proposal to convert written English into phonetic writing, avoiding spelling/pronunciation inconsistencies and increasing efficiency. It makes great sense - typical Gill

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 Concept Design 2: Works from Seven Los Angeles Entertainment Designers and Seventeen Guest Artists.

1. I bought this item from my son's wish list as a gift, so I personally don't know how to rate it.



2. First - What's wrong Jaw Line? Did you not get accepted to Art Center or were you rejected by Industrial Light & Magic? You're not even a blip on the radar of these artists until you do something worth recognizing so please indicate where your book is on Amazon or keep your envious mouth shut.
   
   Now, on to the review - The book is comprised of some of the better artists working in film and entertainment design today. Please keep in mind, this book is a nice reference tool for artists looking for a way to keep motivated and learn a few things along the way. I agree, there could have been more sketches and character development, but I'll take this for what it is - a pleasing reference tool for those of us who obviously haven't reached Jaw Line's impeccable talent.
   
   Enjoy the fine work.



3. You should definitely get this book if you want to learn how far self-promotion can take you. Or alternately, you could save your 30-some-odd bucks and just take this review to heart.
   
   I bought the book to keep around as inspiration--printed out jpeg's just don't cut it and they don't last, right? I also bought it to check out what my competition was doing out on the Left Coast, sort of to light the fire under me.
   
   Well.
   
   The book is printed nicely, and I felt that a lot of the text was pertinent and interesting. The images, though?
   
   Well.
   
   The bulk of the book (the first part) is the seven LA guys showing off their work, and a lot of it. Some were pretty ok, but there are several guys who may be experienced, commercially viable pros, but whose work blows. I mainly found the best images to be in the "and friends" part, which is the second half of the book where various other guys get an image or two displayed.
   
   There are some nice visual pauses that come from z-brush and sculpy images, but there are just too many instances of very high-tech high school art. There were no Craig Mullins, Dussos or Syd Meads in the bunch, it's safe to say.
   
   So, take the tip: even if you suck or are abysmally average...promote, promote, promote--and one day, you too can get seen!



4. An interesting book as these artists are now moving on in their careers and we see the results of their work in film and other entertainment.



5. I bought this book on a wim. The title and the size of the book led me to believe it would have some descent sized pictures and would be a good collection of original ideas. I wanted something that would inspire me to work harder on my own work. And that is exactly what I got.
   
   I am quite pleased with this book. It is worth the price. There is a good variety of subjects, some that impress me, some that don't. But all the work is skillfully done. There is little in the way of artist comments or direction on how to achieve the effects they achieve, but that is the way I like it. This is more about the work. More text would mean less space for artwork. The artwork is mostly digital, however, there is an appropriate amount of sketches, too. The last few pages have information on the artists and their websites(if an artist has one).
   
   I am disappointed there aren't more sketches or character designs. Most of the work is mechanical or environmental. It needed more character designs to balance it out, in my opinion.
   There are some artists I didn't care for, subject matter I didn't care for(the concept cars for one), but nothing irritating or offensive.
   
   The wide range of subject matter means there is something for everyone in this book. I gave it four stars, mainly because it doesn't contain more of the type of work I'm interested in. But if I could give it 4.5 stars, I would. It works great as reference material and is a good addition to any digital artists collection.

1 comments about Fabric Painting and Dyeing for the Theatre.

1. The name turned me away at first, as I am not dyeing for the theater. That was a mistake. While I don't need the chapters on how to set up a dye shop for a theatre, other information provided in this book is hard to come by elsewhere. Covers fiber reactive dyes, acid dyes, 1:2 metal complex dyes, direct dyes, basic dyes for acrylics, disperse dyes, metallics, textile paints, screen printing, 4 different discharge dyeing pastes, batik, blue printing and brown printing on fabric (or whole garments) using light, marbling, airbrush. Much more thorough treatment of potential hazards than any other dyeing book I've seen. Lists of carcinogenic dyes to avoid. Actual test results of fabric feel and fastness of many different textile paints, each on six different fibers. Good index.

5 comments about Pink Panther: The Ultimate Guide to the Coolest Cat in Town!.

1. I have very mixed feelings about PINK PANTHER: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE COOLEST CAT IN TOWN by Jerry Beck. On the one hand, I've enjoyed the book quite much, and usually get it out when I'm watching a Pink Panther film. On the other hand, I believe it has some serious shortcomings. It covers both the live action films, such as those with Peter Sellers, as well as the animated Pink Panthers. I wish the balance were more in favor of the live action, but that's a personal preference, largely dependent on which aspect of Pink Panther you enjoy the most.
   
   Originally, the Pink Panther animated character was created just for the credits of the Peter Sellers films, but later the animated Panther took on a life of his own. So some people are more into one, some more into the other. I love both, so I'm glad the book covers both. However, some of the live action films are given really short shrift here. A few get pretty decent 4-page treatments, but some get only 2, with much of that taken up by graphics and photos. Those graphics and photos are well-chosen, but they don't leave much room for information. And as many reviewers have noted, "Return of the Pink Panther" with Sellers is absent entirely, which is unfortunate to say the least. At the other extreme, the 8 pages given to the 2006 "Pink Panther" with Steve Martin as Clouseau is way too much, as that film deserves less, rather than much more, attention than the Sellers films. Today I'm finally watching the 1969 "Inspector Clouseau" starring Alan Arkin as the Inspector, and while this book has 2 pages on the movie, there's no explanation of the strange situation that neither Blake Edwards nor Peter Sellers were involved in making the movie, and an entire page is devoted to clips from the animated opening credits. On the other hand, many pages are given to quite minor characters from the animated Pink Panther films, such as The Blue Racer, Hoot Kloot, Crazy Legs Crane, and others. Now, if you're mainly into the animated Pink Panthers, this is great, but I'm baffled as to why the book was done this way. A longer book than the 144 pages this one is could have solved these problems.
   
   Probably the biggest strength of the book is the overall look of it. The graphics are great and bountiful, with many good photos from the films, Pink Panthers galore, and lots of fun merchandise shown too. The book is much fun to look at, over and over. While there's not a huge amount of information here, it's still substantial, including a nice homage to Mancini's music, info on the making of the films, and a general history of the whole phenomenon. The data pages on the animated films are also very helpful. Furthermore, I don't know of any better book about the Pink Panther empire, so while I've been critical of some aspects of this book, I still recommend it with reservations to Pink Panther fans.



2. This book has lots of great pictures, full color, and info on episodes and the creators. One of the best books on the Panther.



3. This is a fun guide for anyone interested in the Pink Panther movies, cartoons, and all the DePatie-Freleng cartoons that came after the cool cat. It has at least two full pages on each of the cartoons--and there are A LOT of them. Some I remember seeing from my youth (The Pink Panther, of course, The Inspector, The Ant and the Aardvark), others I've never heard of.
   
   The book follows the Pink Panther and his friends through the decades with history, all sorts of tidbits of information, full color screen shots of cartoons & the inspector movies, and photos of period memorabilia. My favorite part of the book is at the back where it offers an episode guide, including release dates and brief synopses of all the cartoons--which is even more useful as they are starting to release some of these cartoons on DVD. The cartoons featured are:
   The Pink Panther
   The Inspector
   The Ant and the Aardvark
   Roland and Rattfink
   The Tijuana Toads
   The Blue Racer
   Hoot Kloot
   The Dogfather
   Misterjaw
   Crazy Legs Crane
   A great book to curl up with and admire all the wonderful photos and illustrations celebrating the history of "the coolest cat in town." If you like The Pink Panther and those charming classic cartoons (as well as the inspector movies), this book is a must! It is 144 pages beautifully put together with tons of photos, episode guide, and index.



4. I bought it after groing up going to the theater and watching all of the Pink Panther cartoons brfore the main attraction. As a fan of animation just loved watching all these cartoons and laughing all over again.



5. This book tells of much information about The Pink Panther. It gives many historical information and how The Pink Panther cartoon/movies progressed, and it is VERY detailed. I think you should buy this book if you're a Pink Panther lover. He is definitely an all-time favorite and classic.

2 comments about Art Deco Designs CD-ROM and Book (Dover Electronic Clip Art).

1. Have searched wide and far for some decent Art Deco designs. This CD-ROM is brilliant to say the least! It has inspired a group of people who are doing charity work for their decorations for a fundraiser. Great book/CD can absolutely recommend it - great value!
   
   Carlie



2. This book was exactly what I needed. It has tons of clip-art from the Art Deco era. I don't know why but it seemed harder for me to find a good compilation of Deco images, than it is to find Art Nouveau.

1 comments about Tapestry Handbook: The Next Generation.

1. I have several instructional books on tapestry weaving but this book beats them all by far. It clearly describes yarns to use for warp and weft. It also gives guidance in beginning setts, Both of these points are unfortunately glossed over in other books leaving the beginner both wondering what to use and open to making costly mistakes. The practice weaving "sampler" is outlined which each step containing new techniques that allow the beginner weaver to develop the skills necesary to venture forth on their own upon completion of this book. A must have for the beginner!