2 comments about Italic Calligraphy and Handwriting: Exercises and Text.

1. Lloyd Reynolds was a successful professor of calligraphy at Reed College where he was admired by professional calligraphers as well as his students. The book reflects his classroom practice and experience. The success of his students is testimony to his worldwide reputation.
   As a teacher of art, including calligraphy, "Italic Calligraphy and Handwriting: Exercises and Text," has been my choice since 1970. The principle reason is its succinct text and focus on only Italic style.
   Presentation is classic: left page directions, opposing page examples. Point by point, the logic of simple to complex takes the reader through workspace, comfort, tools, materials, and patiently leads to writing. Letters appear according to related construction, not alphabetically. For example, the letter O is made with two inked strokes and the letters a,e,d,g,q,b,p use the first or second stroke of O. Lower case letters are covered before upper case letters are addressed. Helpful excercises and reminders lead through the letters individually to the related subject of personal handwriting.
   Low cost and convenient size are added benefits to the beginner
   In short, the text works. Students learn and like it. They can and do succeed. That, to me, is its highest value.
   David E. Marsters, Poulsbo, Washington. (Husband of Tommie L. Marsters)



2. This book distills the life-work and teaching of one of the most influential calligraphers and better-handwriting crusaders of of our century into a manual small enough to enter a jacket pocket without bulging. Brief text -- with a wealth of hand-calligraphed illustrations -- takes the budding pen-person from the basics of the ABC on to easy (yet elegant) handwriting, fun projects, and even the essentials of professional book-design. The work surpasses many others in the care taken with its letter-forms; also in the instructions for practice, which are clear and "do-able" without being over-simplified. Buyers of this book might like to know that information on a companion video-tape series (taken from a TV course, based on the book, which aired during the author's lifetime) is available from Oregon Public Broadcasting (www.opb.org) -- I hope that AMAZON will soon carry this as well! The only ways in which this book falls short of perfection: /1/ some of the additional resources the text and bibliography mention are no longer available from the sources he gives, and /2/ there is perhaps not enough attention given to solving a few of the calligraphy-pen "snags" that cause problems for many beginners.

No comments about 1000 Ornamental Designs for Artists and Craftspeople (Dover Pictorial Archive Series).

5 comments about Vaughan Oliver: Visceral Pleasures.

1. This is a really great book. I have been a real fan of Vaughan Oliver's work ever since I bought a dusty Colourbox 12 inch in a record store in Michigan in like 6th grade. He has maintained a consistent edge in his graphic sensibilities for longer than any other designer I can think of. His prolific work for the 4AD label in the UK is unparalleled in the current design world. And his subsequent companies 23 envelope and v23 have been hugely influential in the design community for almost 2 decades now.

   What remains constant is his connection to the text and image work of the early 20th century avante-garde designers of russia, germany and france. he has a great slant on using image and text in a way that creates depth and bold contrasts. his work can be both blindingly graphic and casually beautiful, almost simultaniously.

   this book represents an entire career of his work for 4AD, including album covers, promotional materials, poster artwork, and also an overview of many of his other clients, many of which have also shared his sensibilities in design, and allowed each project to both compliment his previous body of work, but also mark out some new creative statements. Its really a great source of inspiration for designers, and music lovers alike!




2. If you know design AND happen to be a discriminating music lover, you almost certainly know who Vaughan Oliver is. This pioneering founder of 23 Envelope (later v23) collaborated with 4AD records in the UK since 1981 to help launch the careers and identities of such seminal acts as Cocteau Twins, Pixies, the Breeders, Modern English, Throwing Muses, The Wolfgang Press, His Name Is Alive and many others (Oliver rarely worked with Dead Can Dance--4AD's most successful act). "Visceral Pleasures," which should fit nicely on your shelf next to Oliver's other monograph "This Rimy River," explores more than just his record sleeve work. We get a look at Oliver's more broad career and background as a graphic designer, and get some great inside information and insight into his process and the experience of working with 4AD and its artists. It goes without saying that this book is gorgeously produced and a beautiful thing simply to hold in your hands.



3. The book itself is a testament to Vaughn's design skills. It is elegantly crafted, with a classic and subtle typographic style which complements the overall clean book layout. This creates a subtle visual landscape which allows the actual works being shown within it's pages to burst out and demand notice. It speaks of Oliver's ability to subjugate his own ego and serve the message.

   After flipping through the book in it's entirety, one gains the proper perspective regarding the magnitude of Oliver's impact on the 4AD brand. His is the visual expression of the sound which has come to be associated with the bands on this label. 4AD itself is more than just a label, it is the product of one man's dedication to independant music. Together, Oliver and the people which make up 4AD, struck that creative chord which can't be formulated. It was a matter of the right people at the right time getting together and playing off of each other artistically, to create a visual and audio brand which is still viable today. Creative relationships of that sort don't happen often, and when they do, it almost always furthers the medium, as evidenced here.

   Vaughn Oliver's work has influenced an entire generationf of designers who most likely discovered his work through their love of the music on the 4AD label. The book does an amzing job of "telling the tale." It not only showcases Oliver's works, but provides a visual and textual history of his relationship with 4AD. Rick Poyner is a long time writer of the design business and design in general, making him the perfect choice to tell this tale.

   For most of us in the design realm who listened to these bands in high school and college, this book is a record of the soundtrack and "visualtrack" of that particular time in our lives. And, for those who are just getting familar with Oliver's work, this book does a great job of giving the appropriate amount of textual and visual information to form a portrait of one of design's most influencial and innovative figures.




4. If you like 4AD - you'll like the book. If you like music - you'll like the book. If you like 4AD's music - you may not like Mr. Oliver, but you'll love the book.



5. I recently purchased this book after months and months of waiting. When I heard that a book was to be published about Vaughan Oliver and his wonderful career thus far in graphic design, I just couldn't wait. After all the wait, I am happy to say that I am quite pleased with the content of this book.

   Unlike the last book, 'This Rimy River' which was a catalogue of all his work 1988-1994, this book contains a good balance of text and pictures. The text, which was lacking in other books, gives an in-depth look at Vaughan Oliver and his history of design. The pictures are beautiful especially the new ones that were made especially for this book.

   Many designers will enjoy all the older pieces found throughout the book while there are many samples of his more recent work. This book is a definite must since many of his previous books are hard to find and out of print.

5 comments about Exploring Illustrator CS (Design Exploration Series).

1. Over the years, I have bought a pile of "How to" books on After Effects,Première Pro, Photoshop and Illustrator and I did not feel any urge to write anything about these books before buying Ms Hartman's Illustrator guide.
   
   I liked the writing : unpretentious, simple with a warm tone that clicks with the reader.
   
   The first lesson in itself, is worth more than half the price of the book.



2. This book is a guide to learning Adobe Illustrator CS and digital illustration. The approach is divided between reading sections and step-by-step exercises. Each chapter is divided into several short lessons with accompanying images describing the steps. The key combination and minor interface differences for Mac and windows are explained when necessary.
   
   Overall, this was a good book that provided a smooth experience to learning Illustrator and design in general. The basics of Illustrator are easy to understand through the reading and exercises provided. Although the lessons are short, there is plenty of opportunity to practice on your own. You are initially walked through an exercise, but then usually given a chance to finish part of it on your own. The "Exploring On Your Own" sections provides extra practice and places to look for more information on the various topics discussed. The rest of the book in dedicated to providing useful information on design concepts such as color chords and art principles (line, fill, value etc). The color chords such as analogous, dyad or monochromatic will definitely help on my color choices on my next project. The CD provides all the needed lesson files and any additional samples for practice.
   
   As for problems, most were really minor with this book. There were only a few minor errors spotted such as steps with missing detail or incorrect menu paths. Also, I did think the review questions at the end of each chapter would have been more helpful if the answers were provided. Actually, the biggest issue I had with this book was the novel sized format it was published in. The book is small and the pages are difficult to keep open. Even my document holder was barely able to keep the pages open. For most of the book I had to use one hand to keep it open while working the mouse with the other. I am probably just being a little finicky since most of these minor problems had little effect on actual content.
   
   In the end, this is still a fine book to quickly get up to speed with Adobe Illustrator. The coverage on related design principles was just a bonus. Since this is a short book, do not expect deep coverage on Illustrator techniques. If you need more advanced concepts and/or less on design, then another book will probably work out better. However, the material that is covered is done so well and it should provide a good start for any beginner.



3. This book honestly is like a guide line. Especially if you need to look up something you can't remember, you can probably find what you need in the book.



4. I am a computer programmer/web designer familiar with adobe photoshop, but I wanted to learn more about designing with illustrator. I knew how to get around the program, but was not confident in using it. This book was wonderful - it's great for beginners, and I love how it encourages you to use keystrokes to get things done, instead of the mouse (much faster).



5. This book really showed me, step by (illustrated) step, the way to make the most out of using Illustrator. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes the hands-on approach to learning. In the very first lesson, the author helped me create a logo that was really great looking, which gave me a boost of confidence to go on and do more. This book is just great for a beginner, to learn all the essentials of Illustrator.

2 comments about 1000 Signs.

1. This collection of 1000 signs covers everything from postings you see every day to those that are unique to various locations, such as Australia's kangaroo crossing sign. Chapters are: Animals, Man, Stop, Dog, Transport, Children, Miscellaneous, Danger, Weapons, Toilets, No! and Work. Not much text, printed in English, German and French. Photos are in color. Photographers and locations credited, but no index. This is a goofy but fun book, and interesting to leaf through.



2. The title of this intriguing chunky photo book has a word missing, it should have been '1000 ROAD SIGNS'. Actually probably about 940 official highway signs and the rest being privately made but still relating to roads. The three-language text for the twelve chapters (Animals, Man, Stop, Dog, Transport, Children, Miscellaneous, Danger, Weapons, Toilets, No! and Work) is on single pages and mixed into the relevant photo sections. Considering that the subject matter is rather uninspiring, visually this book looks rather good, photos are twelve, six, four or one to a page and there are plenty of spreads with one photo.

   There are some pretty weird signs, too. One from South Africa has an explanation mark in a triangle with three words below, 'CAUTION ROAD STOLEN', Australia has a no swearing sign, a red outline circle with a red diagonal across the body of a man, by his head there are five marks, *!#"?.

   I'm not quite sure who this book is aimed at, highway engineers and transport planners, graphic designers, or readers who go for quirky books (me) but as it was produced in conjunction with Colors Magazine (Taschen published their '1000 Extraordinary Objects ISBN 382285851X) you can be assured of something a bit different to leave on your coffee table.

No comments about Modern Swedish Design: Three Founding Texts.

No comments about How to Grow as an Illustrator.

1 comments about Pose File Ultimate Edition Supersize (Posefile Reference Action Pose Collection).

1. The book is nearly 400 pages and most pages has 8 pictures (poses) on them. The poses and the models are terrific. Lots of different models, lots of different fighting poses seen from a lot of different angles, and a number of different weapons (guns, swords, knifes, fists etc).
   
   The problem though is that the pictures are very very low quality. It's like taking a 8x10 photo, shrinking it down to 2x3 or so, and then photocopying it in black and white with a really cheap copy machine. That's how the photos look. So for example there will be a photo of a man with a marine outfit and a gun. The outfit is complex and has all kinds of crinkles and pockets and color variations and such, but you really can't make out any of it because the photo is so bad. All you can really make out is the shape and a very small amount of detail.
   
   The book is still good for some uses, and I'm glad that I have it. It's still good for getting the basic shapes of the poses right, but that's about it.

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

5 comments about Alphabetic Labyrinth: The Letters in History and Imagination.

1. This book on the history of the alphabet is focused on Western and Semitic scripts; it pays little heed to the alphabetic scripts of South Asia. This book seems more concerned with mystical and artistic elaborations of the alphabetic symbols than with its actual use as a writing system. It focuses on things like the Kabbalah, calligraphic styles, and the changes wrought on attitudes to the alphabet wrought by the invention of printing. Parts of it seem a history of concepts used by other scholars attempting to determine the history and origin of the alphabet, rather than a new contribution to the alphabet's history.

   Those who wish a more sober account of the alphabet's history, and tracing the family tree of the various alphabetic scripts, will get more mileage out of David Diringer's -The Alphabet: A Key to the History of Mankind-. The information presented in this book, however, is interesting, if only for the fanciful ideas various people have devised around the alphabet.

   My copy seems to have a number of typographical errors and other mistakes in it. A long passage discusses the thought of "Marcos the Gnostic." From the context I am reasonably certain that Marcion, not "Marcos," was intended. The people of Mount Seir in the Bible are identified in the book with Kenites and Midianites; if my memory serves me, the inhabitants of Mount Seir were Edomites and Horites. These mistakes tend to make me less inclined to trust the many passages that present data that is entirely new to me.




2. This book presents so much information, but does it in such a way, that I could not put this book down, with the exception to absorb what I had just read.

   This is an excellent book for anyone interested in not only the genesis of the alphabet and it's morphology, but of other symbols as well, including alchemy symbols.




3. A reader reviewed this book by Joanna Drucker as not being enough informative on the alphabet history in itself. It's unfair and not informate to review the book like this. Its manifesto is all in the evocative title: The Alphabetic Labyrinth: The Letters in History and Imagination. Joanna Drucker traced an history of the alphabet from the very beginning talking about the interesting and often left apart complex variety of meanings of the letterform, embodied by mystery, symbolic, alchemic, religious, esotheric and many other values, offering an unique showcase of the history of writing. Saying the book is unsatisfying equals to say you have not even read the title, which explains quite well its content!



4. Going against the flow of reviews here, I found this book disappointing.

   For a book of this scope, it is woefully short and lacking meaty details.

   It rather ends up giving more space to the subjects of mysticism and the like, than to actual discourse on historical writing systems.

   For instance, the "section" on runic languages is effectively two pages long, and half of those pages are taken up with diagrams; while parts of entire, multiple chapters are dedicated to illustrating calligraphic styles thru the ages. Fascinating on its, but perhaps better studied in a different volume.




5. Johanna Drucker gives us a comprehensive history of the alphabet, or should I say alphabets. She tells us about everything from the history of type face, to groups using various alphabets to justify their existence as a nation. Drucker also examines the various ways individuals have interpreted the alphabet; as a divine gift from a higher being to a necessary creation of "civilized" governments. This book was a fantastic read, although some sections required more than one reading for complete comprehension. A very informative book.