1 comments about 3,800 Early Advertising Cuts (Dover Pictorial Archive Series).

1. This book had literaly every kind of object that you would want to look at. Everything from flowers to fruit, to cars and planes, to houses and buildings, to people and their tools.

5 comments about Martial Arts Sudoku Level 9: Black Belt Sudoku (Martial Arts Sudoku).

1. Great challenging puzzles and easy to take along with you so you can do them while waiting for doctor appointments, etc. Just stick it in your pocket. Wish there were more like this one.



2. Frank Longo is the only sudoku writter that I will do. This is a great little takealong book. It has a hard cover so you can write without another surface. It has good paper for erasing pencil marks. The puzzles are difficult and incorporate many of the stratagies he has put forth in his instruction book. All in all, a great little book, I only wish it had more puzzles.



3. Good, difficult puzzles, but I was a little disappointed that the book was smaller than the 2nd Degree Black Belt Sudoku that we purchased earlier. This book only has one puzzle per page instead of two, and I probably wouldn't have bought it had I realized that.



4. I love this book and have all of them from level 6 up. Almost all of these can be solved without any forcing. I enjoyed every minute of this book. I wish there was a level 10, 11, and 12 so the enjoyment could go on. Alas, the search for more truly hard sudoku books continues now that I have done every puzzle in this book twice.



5. I enjoy the toughest Sudokus, I do solve them all; when really at a 'dead-end', I rely on "Ariadne's thread", aka 'smart-guessing' (once I have narrowed down dozens of relations). This book drives me to that process more than any other, including more often than with Frank Longo's other good book "Second-Degree Black Belt Sudoku".

No comments about The Stroke: Theory of Writing.

1 comments about Full-Color Japanese Designs and Motifs (Dover Pictorial Archive Series).

1. I went to the san antonio museum of art. In the gift-shop I found this book. It has many many FULL COLOR designs and patterns. It is a great book for artists or teachers that need a japanese deign or art reference. This wonderfull book is your average book: a bit bigger than 8.5/11 (normal sheet of paper), glossy covers, and a quarter inch thick. It has many deigns that are fun to copy and sew. I am a japanese enthusiast, and if you are even remotly curious and even clicked on the picture and reading this review right now it is a must.
   
   Some product details:
   * bit bigger than 8.5/11 (normal sheet of paper
   * glossy covers
   * a quarter inch thick
   * Wide veriety of art designs and Motifs: from lanscapes to birds to dragons this book has it all.
   
   A definit Must Buy

1 comments about Maxfield Parrish Identification and Price Guide (Maxfield Parrish: Identification & Price Guide) (Maxfield Parrish: Identification & Price Guide).

1. Incredibly useful. I believe Flacks has written the most accurate and convenient pricing guide available for Maxfield Parrish collectors and anyone else who wants to figure out what a Parrish item is worth. If you're looking for a great coffee table book, I suggest Alma Gilbert's The Masterworks. -- James Halperin, sf novelist (The Truth Machine & The First Immortal) and Parrish collector.

1 comments about Mythological and Fantastic Creatures CD-ROM and Book (Dover Electronic Series).

1. Page after page of creatures of myth and ancient culture, yet not a single name to go with the face (or fish, or stone carving, etc.). What a disappointment. As a picture book, its ok. As an art tool, its a bit frustrating. Many of the images are instantly recognizable, but many more are a mystery - I would have loved to see a brief notation stating where and when each of the creatures contained in this book originated. All told, if you just want a book of strange things to look at, this is for you. If you have any interest at all in what it is exactly that you are looking at, please pass this book over.

3 comments about Authentic French Fashions of the Twenties: 413 Costume Designs from "L'Art Et La Mode" (Dover Pictorial Archive Series).

1. This is NOT the book for the many collectors of pochoir art and fans of Gazette du Bon Ton, Art Gout Beaute, etc. A really sophmoric effort full of lifeless black and white drawings and minimal text. A waste of time.



2. How can you messure disappointment in stars? I found this book resembled my childs colouring book & felt it should have come with a box of crayons. Not one 'proper' photo. I flipped through it & returned it almost immediately. Very disappointed.



3. I thought this book was a great reference for 1920's fashion. It offered an abundance of authentic fashion sketches with a lot of variety. The sketches were beautiful and well-detailed. I also enjoyed the summary of the decade in fashion at the beginning.

5 comments about 30-Minute Rubber Stamp Workshop.

1. if you are looking for specific project to make and have a certain type of aesthetic, then mccall's 30 minute rubber stamp workshop is for you. mccall's book has 27 projects, from decorative push-pins to bookends to a clock to wearables like pins, bracelets, and barrettes. the several pages of lists of tools and supplies was a bit daunting (but very very practical and useful); if you don't have most of these things already you will have to lay out some money. however, you would need most of these supplies to make any kinds of nice-looking projects using rubber stamping; once you have them, you can use them for projects other than the ones in mccall's book.
   
   i have to say that for the most part i don't share mccall's aesthetic. a number of these projects look fairly "crafty" to me and a few are even a bit crude-looking to my eye, although i also think that some of these same projects are also conceptually quite inventive. for instance, the clock project in the book is largely made from cardboard that just gets stamped on, and it never looks like anything other than a cardboard clock. however, an artist with some imagination could find a way to elaborate on mccall's great concept and use her directions to make something that looks more "finished."
   
   besides the clock concept, in this book my favorite projects (many of which i would use my own aesthetic to make, something that i think mccall fully intends) include the "art-a-tacs" that are pushpins with a flat ended marble attached. i really like what people are doing with the flat-ended marbles these days, making anything from these push-pins to jewelry with them. the tacks themselves are great, but again, i'm not particularly fond of the cardboard "utilitarian" look mccall incorporated with the pushpin holder. i also like the small book project, the leather spiral notebook (she shows you how to make your own wire spiral! nice.), the shade pull, and the shrink plastic button. mccall's examples with these projects are also the most visually appealing to me, and seem to have the most potential for people to build on based on their own color sense and stamp collections.
   
   i am building a library of books about bookmaking, papermaking, and rubber stamping, and at the moment i probably won't buy mccall's book. i checked out a copy from the library to evaluate it, and in the end i decided that given my limited book-buying budget, i won't get the kinds of instruction and the number of widely-applicable ideas that i'm looking for (the most bang for _my_ buck is what i guess i'm saying). nevertheless, i do think the book will be best for people who want to make the specific projects in the book--mccall's instructions are terrific, clearly laid out step-by-step with good photos to follow along as you go. and, later on, after i've bought what seems to me to be the most "foundational" books i need for my library, i probably will add on mccall's book.



2. I received this book promptly and in great shape. So far,I am enjoying the book and the new projects to try. Definitely was not disappointed.



3. What a fun, idea filled book! The step-by-step- photos and instructions are easy to follow and beautifully printed. I bought this book for my niece who is a new stamper because I thought the title referred to a rubberstamp workshop where you learn how to do all the basics in 30 minutes. Boy! How wrong was I? As soon as I saw the book I had to have one for myself too. There is so much information on both product and technique. There are also lots of time saving hints for those of us who need them. The whole book is written in an informal, entertaining style that is irresitable. I read it cover to cover and I RARELY do that with an instructional book. You will definitely get your moneys worth with this book. This artsy book is on "making gifts" and not "stationary" although there are some excellent stationary ides in the book. I've used several of McCall's ideas as a jump off point- tweaked them to make them my own and they have since become best sellers at my craft shows! Thanks McCall!



4. Unfortunately I read the reviews and very excitely order the "30 minute stamp workshop" and while the style is definitely artsy, the proposed projects are very goofy. Sorry, I just don't know anyone that is going to wear the stamped barette I make them or use the cardboard stamped clock. I really was looking for a book showing "non-cute" greeting card, stationary and journal designs that I can whip out in 30 minutes or less thanks to step-by-step instructions. Yes, many of todays paper art magazine like Inspiration do show artwork and list supplies but I wanted more than that, like this book, but in stationary form.



5. This book is somewhat mistitled. There are detailed projects but even better it is full of well spoken product descriptions and objecive recommendations.Tools are included as projects are carried out. A refreshing change from most stamp project books.

1 comments about Fantastic Creatures: 122 Bizarre Beings (Dover Pictorial Archive Series).

1. If you are looking for a book of cute little critters then this one is not for you. The figures are rather odd but very expressive. Most are neither person or animal; many with armour, cloaks, single socks and scabbards. It is a truly bizarre collection but for someone looking for something very different, this book is a gem.
   
   The drawings are line drawings with a little 'texture'. They would be great for altered books, collage or card art. I've taken to painting mine with twinkling H20s for a vibrant watercolour which suits these unusual creations.
   
   As with many Dover books - you can use up to ten images in your art copyright free. These are so delectable that one is all you need to make a statement.

3 comments about The Digital Biomedical Illustration Handbook (Graphics Series).

1. This is a fantastic book with great info and tutorials. However, be aware that the CD with all the files for the tutorials, plus the demo software, is for Windows only. Unless, I've completely missed it, I don't see this indicated in any of the product information here on Amazon.
   I would still highly recommend this, but it's not as useful if you have a Mac.



2. Mr.de la Flor has written a unique tutorial oriented book on doing medical illustration using Photoshop CS, and 3dMax. (and Anark Studio for the web.) Although the book is for slightly earlier versions of these programs everything covered can by done by PS CS2 and 3dMax 9.
   These are two powerhouse programs that are used by professional illustrators. Although there is plenty of literature on the use of these programs, there is very little hands on, detailed literature dealing with medical illustration. This book covers that gap in a very thorough way. I personally believe that the tutorial step by step approach is an excellent way to learn. This book takes the reader through 2d and 3d illustration.
   Being a true artist the introductory chapters provide an interesting historical perspective on medical illustration. Being a practical working illustrator Mr. de la Flor provides advice and info on making a living doing medical illustration.
   Finally, Mr. de la Flor is a nice man. He very generously corrected some deficiencies in the copy of my book that I received from Amazon.
   (I am a forensic pathologist doing illustration primarily for court.)



3. This book is great! It's a how-to-draw-medical-illustrations-electronically book. I've always wondered just how to get started, and this book explains it all from sketches to saving the final file. And the author does it in a clear step-by-step easy reading style with lots of color pictures and screen shots. Each chapter takes you through color schemes and brush stroke settings. It even provides a CD with some trial programs so you can follow along with the also included tutorials. If you already have artistic drawing skills (not like Da Vinci, but know the basics), have some Photoshop navigational ability, have anatomy knowledge (or can look it up on the web), and have an electronic drawing tablet, then you've got to have this book. It doesn't just show you a bunch of pretty final gallery masterpieces of medical illustrations, it shows you how to go about them--how to achieve the effects that make a biomedical illustration attractive and, most importantly, educational. The author gives you his secrets. The chapters cover not one style, but several. I can honestly say, if you're only going to buy one book on this subject, then get this one. I'm very glad I did, and I am amazing myself at what I can do because I followed the steps in the book.