5 comments about Game Art: Creation, Direction, and Careers (Game Development) (Game Development).

1. I am an instructor for a 3D Game Content course and Game Art is one of our books. The industry art pipeline and procedures are very well laid-out in this book. Would love a second edition covering the next gen techniques that will be surfacing.



2. Great book that covers modeling techniques for game companies, uv layout's , future Tech Compontents such as Normal Maps, etc. A well good purchase for anyone who wants to know how it's done or to improve there knowledge.



3. I have read this book and find it extremely informative. The book is written with the readers perspective in mind. It gives beautiful insight into the industry and the dynamics of it. It also has great walk-throughs with media on a CD that you can use as part of the "practical" experience.
   
   Good Job!



4. I was an art director in the video game industry for a number of years and one of the most frustrating aspects was interviewing artists that wanted to be part of the industry but did not know how to prepare themselves. This book addresses that problem in a thoughtful and comprehensive way.
   
   For any aspiring artist that wants to be in the video game industry, this is the book. The examples and explanations are clear and easy to follow. Using this book, you would be able to prepare a very capable portfolio.
   
   Buy it, read it, and put the knowledge to use.



5. People don't think alike. The person who can handle the programming complexity of doing a graphics engine is often not the person who is capable of designing the characters, scenery, and equipment needed for the rest of the game. In this area, the digital artist comes into his/her own. Note this says digital artist. This requires two separate skills, one is the ability to create vizualize what art is needed, the other is to use a computer rather than some other media to generate the desired image.
   
   The game design business represents an opportunity for the digital artist to obtain jobs with real companies that are relatively well paying. This book gives an artist's perspective into the game industry. It talks about the industry, the work, and gives insight on how to get a job. But mostly it talks about what kind of art is needed for gaming. It shows the detail that is necessary to produce a visually pleasing game.
   
   The CD included with the book includes numerous illustrations and files from Maya and ds max. It also includes a trial version of Rt/Shader software. The book presumes that you have a workingknowledge of at least one major 3D program (3ds max or Maya) and Photoshop.
   
   This is a splendid book that is positioned to take an aspiring digital artist and carry him to the next level -- employment doing a job well beyond flipping burgers.

5 comments about Exploring Interface Design (Design Exploration Series).

1. It's short concise and to the point. That's what I like in a book. I think it's good for an introduction book, but has a lot of useful information for the seasoned veteran.



2. I bought this book for a class 2D interface Design class I was taking and even though I was "coerced" to buy it, I'd say its pretty decent.
   
   It runs you through Interface design concepts rather competently, but that's where I have a problem with it. It never seems to push itself or the topic matter very hard. Its good reading but a bit dry and tedious in parts ... in fact it's as if it where ... (surprise, surprise) a text book ...
   
   Nothing about it really stands out to me, there are no color illustrations and even the actual illustrations are unremarkable. Overall its a competent but unremarkable book. It will get you up to speed on all the things you need to know and i think it makes a decent reference book but outside of that I wouldn't spend money on it unless it was dirt cheap.
   
   Try "Don't make me think" by Steve Krug instead



3. I teach a course in User Interface Design. I have used half a dozen different textbooks, never finding one that had the desired balance of theory and practice. I have just finished my first pass through Marc Silver's book and am please to report that I have finally found my book.
   
   The book is very well written. Each chapter starts with an overview of what he is going to tell you and ends with a summary of what he has told you.
   
   I would recommend this book to anyone that wants a good initial overview of user interface design both for Internet based application as well as client based applications.
   
   Robert Springer, PhD



4. This is an excellent and thoughtful book on interface design. It's very practical and covers a lot of ground- how to create clear navigation, visually organize elements on a page, format text, improve your writing style- basically how to create interfaces that are intuitive for users. I especially appreciated the many images that illustrate examples of both good and problematic design, and the suggestions on how to improve them. The exercises really help you think through the most elegant solutions to different design problems.
   
   The chapters on menus and controls and navigation are great for reference, explaining the advantages and disadvantages of common interface tools. I also really enjoyed the chapter on creativity and idea generation, and look forward to trying out the suggested techniques.
   
   The author has a friendly, entertaining, and easy-to-read style. For students or people who are new to the field, this book is an excellent comprehensive introduction to interface design. And for people who are more experienced, it's a great reference and source of inspiration. I'd definitely recommend adding this to your library!



5. This is an excellent book. It works on many different levels. It gives the artistic and psychological theory of interface design and it offers nuts-and-bolts practical information on working with clients and getting projects done. It works as an instructional text for a beginner and it works as a reference for a practicing professional.
   
   In addition to providing a solid and comprehensive foundation in the principles of design, this book provides innovative and orignal design ideas and creativity boosters.
   
   And it all comes in a well organized, well written package!
   
   As an instructional designer (and big fan of design in general) I will keep this book in arm's reach between my books by Donald Norman and Jakob Nielsen.

No comments about Basics Design Colour (Basics Design).

5 comments about Japanese Prints: The Art Institute of Chicago.

1. A true pocket-size book of Japanese prints from the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, this little guy packs in a good size punch in terms of number of woodblock prints (276 in all). Only 4 "x 4 ½" in size, the color reproductions of the prints are surprisingly good. Good and bright colors and one print on each page. Yeah, they're small, but you don't need to squint, and hey, you can stuff it into your pocket easily. The book is divided into four print categories - Primitives", "Courtesans", "Actors" and "Landscapes" and contains many less-known ukiyo-e artists - Eishi, Shunsho, Buncho, and many others that you would not see in other usual publications on Japanese woodblock prints. At the end of the book, there is an index on Kabuki actors represented in the prints and one on all the prints in the book (the latter is a rather interesting one). A nice "little" book filled with some pleasant surprises.



2. I agree with the other reviews when they say that it is nice, but a very small book. I hadn't paid attention to the size when I ordered it. It is very informative, though, and I did learn a lot from it



3. Many or the pictures are only 1-1/2" x 3-1/4".
   The largest are about 2-1/2" x 3-1/4".



4. I was terribly disappointed in this book, because it is so tiny, and your eyes have to have 1200 dpi scan to really see everything. Why would an art museum such as the Art Institute of Chicago allow such a one-off throw-away book be published? If you want to see anything, you have to purchase another book. Too bad.



5. This filled a space in our collection of art books to research our collection of prints.

5 comments about Spectrum 1: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art.

1. I love art books and I want to collect all of the spectrum books. When I got this, I was sooo happy! I can't stop looking through it. It's inspiring and I can't wait to buy the rest of the series! Very vivid art!



2. Anybody who is interested in Sci-Fi or Fantasy artwork should be a big fan of this series. Spectrum 1 is actually a reprint of the original. The reason that I won't give it 5 stars is that since this was the first, it's format is that of a directory of illustrators. For an even better experience, pick up books 9-11, they're worth the cost.
   
   Panda



3. This book is totally weird. The pictures have nothing to do with
   anything. I was not inspired, my mother in law, an accomplished
   painter, saw nothing of interest. Check this book out carefully before
   you buy it, because it may not be what your looking for



4. These are truly spectacular collections: I have most of them and this is my favorite. Always count on finding many works that are stunning, breathtaking and thought-provoking. Potential buyers should be aware that there is usually some nudity and sexuality, and a few of the pictures in any collection will horrific or even grotesque. It is hard to imagine a better buy in representational art for an extremely varied collection of gorgeous, powerful, witty and clever works.



5. This is a great book and so are the other 9 in this series. I have them all and I haven't been disappointed with any of them. The book contains artwork that can be seen on book covers, magazine covers, CD's, Video Game Packaging and Comic Books to name just some of the ways this artwork is shown. I recommend this to anyone who is a fan of Fantasy, Roll Play and other venues of the imagination. This book will be one you won't get tired of looking at year after year.

No comments about Today's Botanical Artists.

1 comments about Cutting-Edge Patterns and Textures (Book & CD Rom).

1. I wanted this book from the moment I glimpsed it on the amazon website. When it finally arrived momentarily I was put off because in my mind the book was larger than life. I needn't have worried, its packed with creative people's output and each creative has a website so getting more is easy. I love it.

3 comments about The Web Collection: Flash MX 2004, Dreamweaver MX 2004, Fireworks MX 2004, Design Professional (Macromedia Flash Mx 2004, Dreamweaver Mx 2004, and Fireworks Mx 2004).

1. This book attempts to cover topics in Flash, Dreamweaver, and Fireworks all in one book, with huge screenshots taking up every page. As a result, you barely scratch the surface of these complex programs. I am a beginner myself, and already there are things I want to learn that I can't find in this book. Its clearly written for slow college students, and while I'm a college student myself I find this book to be too slow and elementary. I covered almost the whole flash section in about two days. If you are completely new to working with images, video timelines, and web publishing, this book would probably be fine, in fact, perfect for you, as it pays close attention to the beginner's details. However, I've worked with Adobe Photoshop and have done some web publishing before, so the step by step instructions are rather intuitive. Also the examples used throughout the book are incredibly unprofessional and unrealistic for practical use, so you feel like you're learning to draw stick figures and make goofy personal web pages when you're trying to learn to make something professional and marketable.
   
   If you aren't particularly serious about learning these programs and just want to play around with them, and if you don't have any, meaning zero, experience with photo applications and web publishing, buy this book. (You can buy mine if you want. Send me a message.) Otherwise, you'll get through it in about a week and find yourself wondering, now what am I supposed to do with this thing?



2. This book was our text in a Dreamweaver and Fireworks class I took. It offers a good introduction with hands-on experience. You can download files from the internet to do the exercises. The directions are quite clear and easy to follow. I found the dimensions a bit annoying - too wide to set by the computer on a small desk, but the content served it's purpose. Nice layouts too. Lots of eye candy!



3. Great book for bigginers, takes you to the next level you'll be using Macromedia Suite in no time! did me a lot of good...

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 Plan Graphics, 5th Edition.

1. Plans are the most basic and the most important drawings in architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design and planning. They are used in schematic, design development and construction phases of projects. When properly drafted, they can convey the most information to the clients and governing agencies and project team members.
   
   "I have long believed the design process is like a journey along a braided path. The path is marked by crossroads, difficult terrain, and barriers that are hard to negotiate. At times, the journey may seem impossible to complete because workable solutions to overcome obstacles are hard to conceive, and even harder to implement. At other times, the path is an enjoyable stroll through a process of research and discovery, conceptualization of solutions, and the documentation of ideas..." David A. Davis and Theodore D. Walker wrote.
   
   They continued to discuss various aspects of plan graphics, including plan graphics and the creative process (setting up your drawings, text and hand lettering, etc), color graphics, site analysis, conceptual design, construction documents, and finished rendering, sections and elevations. "Plan Graphics" is a compilation of good sample drawings for different design phases provided by nearly 50 professional firms. It is not a step-by-step drawing instruction book.
   
   "Plan Graphics" has 224 pages, including 48 pages of full-color graphics gallery and many black-and-white sample drawings. It is a great collection of sample drawings for architects, landscape architects, and urban planners.



2. The book had excellent graphics, but was all pictures. Didn't learn enough for my purppose, Showed proper presentation procedures. For that, it's great



3. I was expecting a book which showed you how to draw beautiful plans and explain the techniques used to produce these drawings. Instead this book hardly touched upon the techniques. This book is nothing more than a collection of copied architectural drawings bound together for display.



4. I teach Visual Communications at a College of Architecture and find that the 5th edition is a book that is an absolute necessity for anyone planning a future in architecture or landscape architecture. The selection of work represents a great variety of graphic communication techniques for the student and professional to review. The work is slanted to site issues, but can only help to reinforce the integration of site and structure. Not only does it present a variety of techniques, but also a collection of ideas that the student can learn from. It is also a great resource for the practicing professional. I use both this book and Color Drawing by Doyle in my course and find they make an excellent pair.

   William Allen, Professor of Architecture, RLA