1 comments about Visual Communication (Advanced Level).

1. There are lots of discussions about visual communication in the book and they all effective and very well supported. This book can change your point of view about design.

1 comments about Whoops! Sketches and Drawings by Armando Huerta.

1. Saucy schoolgirls, flirty cowgirls and more fill this book of sexy and outrageous sketches by pin-up artist Huerta. These black and white sketches are a slight departure from his glossy full-color work, but they still pack the same erotic impact.

No comments about Game Development Essentials: Online Game Development.

2 comments about Black & White Photography (Black and White Photography).

1. This book has alot of great information in it. This book is great for beginning and even advance photographiers in that there is so much infomation. Also is a great reference guide if you were to forget some techinque or what filter to use. I really enjoyed this book, learned some new things. I feel that every photographier should have this book.



2. I am in a first semester photography class and this is the textbook. The book has an easy reading style, covers subject in detail, and is very attactively presented, nearly every second page is a full page black and white photo. This is one textbook I will keep. It is beautifully illustrated. As a novice photographer the short coming of the book for me is that there is no information on how the pictures were taken, film used, f-stop etc. I found the glossary and index very helpful.

2 comments about 101 Celtic Illuminated Letters (101 Celtic).

1. Mr. Davis is my favorite author of books on Celtic Design. He is a master of it and besides the designs he has a mind like a color wheel. He is truly talented.



2. "Courtney Davis ....Offers Celtic Art as displays of richness and colour, intricacy and symbolism to equal the world's finest styles" (quoted from "Arts & Crafts Magazine").
   
   I picked up this book of illuminated letters at a museum in Dublin, and if you are interested in Celtic art, both old and new, be sure to check out the artist's web site at awenpress.com. Courtney Davis has published over 50 books on Celtic art, including coloring books and books of Viking and Celtic tattoos.
   
   "101 Celtic Illuminated Letters" is a source book of decorated initials from some of the most celebrated thousand-year-old Celtic manuscripts, including the Book of Kells and the Lindisfarne Gospels.
   
   After a brief introduction, the letters are arranged one to a page, the black-and-white version facing its counterpart colored by Courtney Davis. The letters average around 3.5 to 4 inches high, and are very easy to size up or down using a grid (not supplied).
   
   Beauty is combined with humor in the letters of the Celtic Dog Alphabet, and there are also birds and human faces worked into some of the illuminated letters. This is a lovely and useful source book for anyone who is interested in Celtic knot-work, embroidery, or calligraphy.

4 comments about 77 Dances: Japanese Calligraphy by Poets, Monks, and Scholars 1568-1868.

1. Others have reviewed some of the academic aspects of this finely produced, indeed beautiful, tome on Japanese calligraphy through the ages. I agree that a few examples may not have been the best and that full inclusion of standard type kanji and kana would have been helpful. The short biosketches of each calligrapher brings some perspective of the context and content, particularly of the women writers. However, I also view the book as an artist who has studied with a Japanese Zen calligrapher and am hands-on familiar with brushes, their fluid motions, ink preparation, the arrangement and styles of characters, and the Chinese ideograms themselves. Here, the book is a treasure of personal interpretative art. Ten Post-its mark my own choice of inspirational pages, and I am certain that I will return again and again to study all aspects of line and space and to try my own hand. I truly appreciate this collection of calligraphy: its art, its history, its relationship to Japanese culture, and the personalities embedded, whether of academic seal or scribe script or of cursive styles, or of bold and direct Zen strokes. In short, I highly recommend the book to artists and art lovers and to students of Japan and Asian studies.



2. What kind of art book has nothing but writing? Either a really poor one, or else an extremely nice one on the fine art of calligraphy--one such as "77 Dances" here. Indeed, this rather substantial tome is a beautifully printed book wonderfully showcasing this distinctive East Asian art form, particularly as it developed in Japan during the early modern period (mostly Edo/Tokugawa period and a bit before). Lavishly illustrated, it features seventy-seven full-page color plates of calligraphic art works, each by a different artist--along with a great number of supplementary figures and charts. The drawback to this format is that one can't really get acquainted with the work of each artist so deeply, but in compensation one gains a very vivid impression of calligraphy's overall astounding range in style, script, media, subject matter, purpose, and effect.
   
   The book is well-written in more than one sense, too. Stephen Addiss draws upon his long-term experience in and regard for the art of calligraphy to provide this book with explanatory text of consummate clarity. He first draws the reader in, introducing the basics of calligraphy in Japan in a friendly and straightforward manner so that when we get to the actual works, neophyte and connoisseur alike are more or less starting on the same page. The works themselves are sub-divided into six somewhat overlapping but mostly distinguishable traditions, each of which Addiss describes and contextualizes historically: works of courtly waka poetry, those by Chinese culture enthusiasts, by Confucian scholars, by literati poets-painters, by haiku poets, and last but definitely not least Zen monks. And then each work and its artist are discussed in fine detail--often pointing out the techniques and particularities of a given calligraphy piece line by line. Even someone who's looked at calligraphy quite a bit before will find their eye being trained by his remarks to appreciate more consciously exactly what the artist is doing and why.
   
   On a more personal note, I've long had an abiding interest in Japanese religion (especially Zen Buddhism), philosophy, and literature in Japan, and it was intriguing and fascinating to see many old familiar faces from these fields all show up in this different--and shared--context. In a new light, no less. And in their own handwriting, reflecting their individual personality and character in a manner the printed press can't quite convey. So while this is an excellent art book in and of itself, a real feast for the eyes, it's also quite relevant, useful, and informative for anyone who follows these other aspects of Japanese culture and history with any degree of enthusiasm and seriousness. Highly recommended.



3. This collection is beautifully printed and is accompanied by perhaps the best and most sensitive descriptive analysis of visual works I've encountered. A rare chance to savor elegance and power in culturally nuanced writings created over a span of three centuries by masters in the several significant cultural styles developed in Japan. One should complement this with study and viewing of earlier Chinese calligraphy and modern practice.
   
   Mel Strawn, Professor Emeritus, University of Denver



4. The book presents a selection of Japanese calligraphy over the indicated period. The related history of the art form is also reviewed. The author provides background for the works by rendering a picture of the lives of the artists. In addition, the reader is given ideas how to look at shodou drawn either by others or even by oneself.
   
   I strongly suggest the book for both those just interested in shodou and in the related history as well as for those training the art themselves.
   
   For the "GreatGreat, I-Love-It" -type of a review is never too useful, a few things I was left missing:
   - Why were the characters of the 77 works not written out in standard font for reference? Such a minor extra would have been of a great value for me.
   - Sure the 77 works were not intentionally selected but those accessible for the exhibition were all accepted. One may ask, whether a private letter really represents the artist better than an actual work of art.

3 comments about Drawing & Painting Fantasy Worlds.

1. I have been interested in fantasy drawing, literature for many years. This book is filled with recommendations and examples to help get you thinking and show you what is possible. Once the wheels are turning it is up to you to create. I like seeing the examples of the author's work illustrating his points and also giving fuel to the fires of my imagination.



2. -To "Drawing and painting fantasy figures" Anyone interested in the subject of fantasy/sci-fi art/storytelling/animation should get both these books. The best thing to come along since "Encyclopedia of fantasy/sci-fi art techniques"



3. This book covers similar ground to Cowan's previous title, Drawing & Painting Fantasy Figures. Both cover traditional and digital media, both explore specific projects and general idea generation, and both discuss studio setup, traditional and digital art submission, and other essentials for artistic survival. It's not a total rehash, but both works complement each other to the point that it's worth your while to read both if you're going to read one. I haven't seen the third book yet (Drawing & Painting Fantasy Creatures, I think is the title), but if it follows suit it, too, will be at its best if considered with Cowan's previous works.

5 comments about Just for the Frill of It: 25 Flirty, Fabulous Styles to Make from Clothes You Already Own.

1. This book is so invenitive! I have been altering clothes for years and failing at least half the time but this book has made them all a success.It is a great instructional to get you thinking outside the box about some of your less than desireable clothes. The projects are understandable and clear and not full of out of reach materials. Sonya and her projects are relatable and inspiring.



2. not only is this book awesome, but i had the awesome luck to be at a table next to sonya at a craft show recently, and she is just awesome!!! if one were to buy books based on the character of the author alone i'd say buy twenty copies of this one becuase this girl is just about the nicest funniest person around. AND there's lots of fun things to do in this book! i can't wait for her next one!



3. Sonya Nimri's JUST FOR THE FRILL OF IT tells how to put together a hot new wardrobe - with items you already own. These can be items which have lost their luster, or are shoved in back of a closet for some reason - but Nimri shows how to turn these once-appealing clothes into new styles, from pairing a scarf with an old sweater to produce a novel tango top to stretching old ties together to make a new shirt. The focus on contemporary styles for 20-somethings makes for a fun, appealing idea book packed with easy sewing instructions and color photos: perfect for libraries seeking something different and practical for a needlework addition.



4. this book was so much fun! I bought it and sat down for a night w. friends w. wine and dinner and we all brought what we thought was "junk" from our closets... who knew! by the end of the night we had bunch of new fun outfits to wear, tshirts, shoes, my fave black dress (worn a few too many) and even a garter belt! All new fashionable stuff -- who knew! It was super simple and so easy to follow, plus this kept me from a shopping spree, and it was one fantastic night w. friends!!!! I definitely recommend it!
   
   I am sitting down w. my niece to redo her school wardrobe next week! I hope it goes as well as this!!!!!



5. This book is the best craftbook I have ever read (I'll be honest and say I've only read about 15 in my life). Anyways I stumbled across this book at my local book store last week when I was looking for a cook book. The projects in it are easy to follow and they are things that you would actually want to make (unlike most craft books). Anyone with a small dog needs this book since they also have a super cute outfit that took me no time/no money to make.

4 comments about Floating World.

1. I enjoy reading this book. Feels like befriending Mitchener on a topic we both seemed to have been fascinated with.



2. This is the definitive study of the ukiyo-e masters and the Japanese prints of the Edo era, it makes you wonder how one man can know so much about so many different things. Michener is a leader in the field of everything!!



3. Michener describes in exhausting detail his fascination with Japanese woodblock prints, discussing their origins, the collaborating history and how the subject matter may have changed as a result of political and social influences within Japan. The most enjoyable part of the book for those who have no equal fascination for this art form are the stories that Michener inserts regarding local personalities and historical origins. Also, page references to illustrations do not clearly correspond, as though there may have been some misunderstanding on this reviewer's part or a mass typographical error in this edition. Dear reader is best suited to have a keen interest in this art form in order to fully appreciate the work that Michener presents.



4. As is typical with Michener, not only does he manage to tell a great story, but somehow he squeezes in the whole universe: all the people, their thoughts, actions, backgrounds, lives, and histories of their country, art, styles, artists, etc., involved in this tale of the art world all the way from the dawn til he lifted his pen from the page.

   This is the definitive study of the ukiyo-e masters and the Japanese prints of the Edo era. It details things print by print, artist by artist. An amazing work. No wonder, as Howard Link mentions in his forward, that people were so impressed with Michener's command of this subject that he was literally given entire collections of fantastic ancient Japanese artwork. This chronicles why Michener became the world's premiere collector and savior of the ukiyo-e masterpieces. It also makes abundantly clear why Michener is a master of prose much like the artists he loved were masters of this unique block and ink medium.

   Thomas

1 comments about Look at This: Contemporary Brochures, Catalogues & Documents.

1. Yo creo que este libro no es más que una muestra simple de trabajos realizados por reconocidos artistas, pero no profundiza en nada y aún si no lo hiciera, debería incluir más material gráfico o más muestras, osea, un libro para ver en una cita odontológica, creo que debería llamarse, look at this 30 designs....