3 comments about The Grammar of Ornament: All 100 Color Plates from the Folio Edition of the Great Victorian Sourcebook of Historic Design (Dover Pictorial Archive Series).

1. 
   Englishman Owen Jones first published his monument to design, the Grammar of Ornament, in 1856. It was originally published in installments for subscribers. Jones's illustrated plates and design motifs drew from nineteen different cultures including the ornament of Oceania, Rome, Byzantium, ancient Greece, Renaissance Italy, Rome, and Moorish Spain.
   
   The Grammar was adapted to architectural decoration, fabrics, textiles, tile design, furniture and wallpaper during the second half of the nineteenth century. It has remained influential among designers worldwide.
   
   The quirky colorways are decidedly of another era and worthy of study. I have effectively used them to thwack my creativity out of occasional dead ends or potholes. This is a respected, classic reference. It is deserving of space in every designer's reference library.



2. This book is excellent for artists, web designers,students. there are well chosen designs of many countries and eras and more than just a few for each catagory.It is a reference book that is a total must.



3. FREE use of graphics is permitted ... it is a great resource for web designers. It has great designs and textures which, if used properly, can really enhance your website. A lot of the graphics can make for lovely textures and backgrounds. The graphics are from history .... ornaments from Oceania, Egypt, Greek, Pompeian, Roman, Byzantine, Arabian, Turkish, Moorish, Persian, Indian, Chinese, Celtic, Medieval, Renaissance, Italian ... loads of Ornaments from all over. A must buy IMO!

5 comments about Exploring Drawing for Animation (Design Exploration Series).

1. This book has very little to do directly with animation.
   
   Plenty of the drawing principles explained are quite valuable to an animator. Rules of proportion, anatomy, perspective, etc... that are the foundation of most any form of drawing, This book is a decent primer in these principles, although there are plenty of other books that cover them better.
   
   But if you thought you were going to learn the about drawing in the manner & style of 2D animation, think again. Clean-up style linework is only covered briefly and most of the examples of it aren't that great. Most of the art in this book is too rough to be suitable for animation, which is fine for life drawings, but the rest can be little more than conceptual work, which can come from any style of art, really. There's not enough structure taught to create usable artwork for characters, backgrounds or even layouts for animation.
   
   There's definitely things you can learn from this book, but you're better off finding them somewhere else.



2. I bought tis book a few years ago. It has some good stuff of how drawing relates to animation. It also sheds more light on to the process than a lot of books. However, after a few years of animation art school, I realized how bad the drawings were. If you want to learn about drawing for animation, check out Glen Vilppu's books. (he worked as a drawing instructor/trainer at some of the bigger studios in L.A.)



3. Oh my, where to begin...
   
   I posted some images of a few of the drawings from the pages of this book on the customer images link above. Feel free to take a look at those to see where I am coming from.
   
   The authors of this book need a few drawing lessons themselves, though I'm not sure that would actually help, because they're beyond hopeless. The drawings in the book are beginner level, amateurish drawings and it's really sad to see that these guys are actually teaching students in an art school.
   
   Aside from the obvious lack of personal drawing skill on the authors' parts, there is a lot of bad advice from an animation drawing point of view, like too much emphasis on measuring and copying the model and a completely misunderstood/misrepresented view of the all-important line of action.
   
   Stay away from this book. These guys should be ashamed of themselves for putting this crap out there.



4. I made the mistake of buying this book, and I would like to warn you guys please , please dont waste your money on this title...This book is nothing more than a long overview on drawn animation , It is not and I repeate it is not a how to book , although the authors have tried to present it as a text book, its no more than an introduction to animaton drawing ,the authors try very hard to explain drawing and go all blah...blah...blah....but they dont tell you what to do , whats mentioned in this book can be known via a simple search on the net.I would advice customers to buy a copy of, Vilppu Drawing Manual by Glenn Vilppu and Animation : The mechanics of motion by Chris Webster. These books are practicle , simple , cheaper and would prove to be a thousand times more useful to the animation student.



5. I have worked as an animator, teacher and fine artist for over 30 years and this is the first art text I have ever seen that discusses how solid drawing skill relates to creating drawings for character designs and 2D animation. Most animation `how-to' books include some drawing instruction but do not address the important bridge between drawing and animation.
   
   The authors present an entertainingly written book in an easy-to-read conversational tone along with illustrations that show the well-honed professional drawing and painting skills of this book's creators. It is obvious to the reader that the authors are seasoned artists and educators.
   
   While this book is predominantly for learners of beginning to intermediate levels, anyone with an interest in the interdisciplinary issues within animation and drawing would benefit from picking up this gem of a text. Unfortunately, the title of the book suggests that it covers the technique of 2D animation in-depth, but this is a misnomer. Fortunately, 2D animation is commented on in a more important context: the development of effective observational drawing skills that will produce better animation drawings.

No comments about T-Shirt Factory.

5 comments about Color Theory Made Easy: A New Approach to Color Theory and How to Apply It to Mixing Paints.

1. This is a good referance material for comprehensive study of colors. I find it very useful when I have to use complementary colors and choosing colors from different brands. The author did in deepth study on how to mixing different colors with various outcome. It helps me a great deal to choose the colors I want to use in my paintings.



2. Because watercolor colours name's aren't the same as acrylic and oil, it just doesn't make sense at all to me, and to say "made easy" I didn't think so, but i'm sure it's a great book for watercolorists!



3. Combined with Michael Wilcox's book, "Blue and Yellow Don't Make Green," this book will help make sense of the enormous number of colors available to the watercolor artist today. Many watercolor artists recommend specific colors just because they've been using them for years, or they confuse the issue by trying to talk about staining versus non-staining, opaque versus transparent, granulating versus non-granulating. Those are all important qualities to know about a paint, but even more basic to that is what color it is and how it will mix with other colors. If you understand the color theory presented in this book and in Michael Wilcox's book, then you will be quite capable of creating a wide range of quite satisfactory colors from just a few well-chosen basics. (Not that you have to stick with just a few basics.)
   
   What I found particularly valuable in this book is that the ideas *work.* I am not so sure about his theory about *why* they work, but the fact is that they do. The information in this book both overlaps to some extent and is complementary to Mr. Wilcox's book, so I highly recommend that you get both books. Between the two, you will have enough grounding in sound, applicable color mixing procedures that you will be able to confidently mix any two colors you want and have a very good idea what you will get as a result.



4. I just finish the book. i am not a painter but this book gave the basic, and more, theory on colors and how to use them.
   I study graphics and design in computers and today I can select colors and understand why i was selected them.
   this book belong to all of those that want to know how to understand colors and how, for instanse, to make a deap design or how to manipulate your color in the artwork.
   use this book!



5. This book teaches correct color theory and gives a great deal of useful information. The scientific explanation of cyan, magent, and yellow being the primary colors is very convincing and makes a lot of sense. There's a lot of practical information in this book. I don't know if there are any better color theory books, but at least this book is a good one and not a waste of money like Quiller's book, "Color Choices."

No comments about Icons of Graphic Design, Second Edition.

No comments about The Layout Look Book.

1 comments about Graphic Design History.

1. Steven Heller, is at the helm of yet another book. He has editied this volume of contributions, which contains many interesting takes and stories on Design History. You will find this book of value if you did not sleep during your history classes, and if you enjoy exploring in depth, the topics and people mentioned in the various articles.

No comments about The Culture 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.

5 comments about Balenciaga Paris.

1. I bought this book, but was somewhat disappointed with the format. There were still a lot of photographs of Balenciaga's and Ghesquere's designs, which I liked. However, the text was rather clinical and chronologically formatted. The format was almost scrapbook like, and the quality of paper was akin to thick newspaper with too many black and white photos. I would have appreciated a decent quality paper, sharper photographs, and a more engaging text. Unlike the other reviewers, I liked a lot of Nicholas Ghesquere's work, since it was less structured and assymetrical, whereas Balenciaga's work was a bit too architectural.



2. As a history of Cristobal Balenciaga, the founder of the original Balenciaga house of haute couture, this volume is quite good in its informative and studied approach to the origins and success of M. Balenciaga. However, as an exhibition catalog it is, in a word, worthless. Nowhere in its 227 pages does it show any of the creations displayed in the Parisian exhibition. All associated with this publication should be ashamed for offering this as an exhibition catalog and should have paid heed to such genuine exhibition catalogs as The Philadelphia Museum of Art's 2003 Shocking! The Art and Fashion of Elsa Schiaparelli by Dilys Blum (at this juncture the absolute gold standard for Costume exhibition catalogs) or The Costume Institute's 1996 Christian Dior by Richard Martin and Harold Koda. Ms. Blum accomplishes what Balenciaga is unable to accomplish, the mix of history within the context of a present reality. By this I mean, she offers the reader a detailed, exciting read by supporting her text with specially commissioned photographic examples of the creations actually displayed at her museum during the exhibition. For me, such exhibitions are marvelous, as one is afforded to see just how certain creations have weathered the storm of time, something not afforded in the Balenciaga catalog.
   
   Also, while I grasp the marketing reason behind this particular catalog, it should be pointed-out that Balenciaga, as it exists today, is no longer a house of haute couture, but a resurrected brand of ready-to-wear apparel. Anyone viewing the original creations of M. Balenciaga should be able to see at once, how ill-suited is Nicolas Ghesquière to be passed-off as the torch bearer of Cristobal Balenciaga. It's perfectly horrendous to view page after page of M. Balenciaga's exquisite creations to then be faced with the ugliness of M. Ghesquière's.



3. This book is good if you are interested in contemporary reviews of Balenciaga shows and information about the house and the designer. But it is not as well illustrated as I might have wished. For fashion retrospective books such as this, I want hundreds of clear color photos of garments! I am not as interested in reading about fashion as I am in looking at it. At the risk of sounding like a kid who can't read, this book has too much text and not enough pictures.



4. This gigantic book by Pamela Golbin (author of the excellent overview "Fashion Designers") really tells the story of two houses of Balenciaga - the original, helmed by the great Cristobal Balenciaga, and the modern-day couturier. I'm not a huge fan of the 2000's Balenciaga lines, so I won't say much about them here - though, in all truth, this book does cover modern-day Balenciaga quite thoroughly for anyone who's interested.
   
   The real heart of the book for vintage-fashion mavens, however, is the first half of the book, detailing the work of the illustrious Senor Balenciaga. The gentleman was probably the finest designer of the "New Look" era after M. Dior himself, and worked for much longer than Dior did. He excelled particularly, in my own opinion, at lush, silken, flowing gowns, which are copiously - and beautifully - detailed here. It's all here; biographical information, design sketches, behind-the-scenes photographs, catwalk shots. If you've been having trouble finding Marie-Andree Jouve's huge (and very expensive) Balenciaga retrospective, this is a perfect way to satisfy your desires!



5. A beautiful history of the great Balenciaga. His work was wonderful.
   
   A true artist and a fine gentlemen.