2 comments about Philippe Starck (Universe Architecture Series).

1. I Love to get designers books. And in this case, the Philippe Starck one is one i picked up a while ago.
   I had this book in my hands before, and its so nice, that i decided to pick up one for me, and an other for my girl friend!
   
   I recomend this book to any design-lover



2. An entertaining and thoughtful journey through the career and the mind of this prolific celebrity designer. Illustrates hundreds of furnishings, objects, interiors, and architectural projects; some of which are documented here for the first time. Clean and interesting graphic layout by Keith Lovegrove captures the spirit of the "Starck aesthetic". Conway Lloyd Morgan's essays and commentaries by Starck himself do much to explain the inspiration and creative process of this enigmatic and controversial most-modern designer. Numerous books about the work of Philippe Starck have been published over the past several years, some on par with this one however, at the published price (and even less through amazon.com) this is a wealth of entertaining information for a small price.

   Karl Taps.

5 comments about Your Modeling Career.

1. i wasn't very impressed. i bought the book for an airplane ride and was very disappointed to find how often the author wrote (these are examples) "you can find great ones online" or "skin care tips online" or "list of top best photogs worldwide online." i didn't have a computer and i wanted to know what they were talking about. if you don't have access to a computer 24/7 this book is not for you. EVEN if you have access to a computer 24/7 this book is not for you cause than you CAN look it all up.



2. I think this book can help me a lot for what i want to do in my career because i had always wanted to be a model. People always say that i should be a model because of my body and beauty i really want to get into a school of modeling but i dont know which one i cant find one right now i'm 16 yrs old and i want to start now. So i wish to order that book to know whats up in modeling.
   Thank You



3. This book concentrates both in text and photographs, on runway modeling. Generally, runway models (outside small towns) are models who have already 'made it' in print modeling (editorial and advertising). This book is sorely lacking in the fundamentals of modeling -- like finding out where you fit and where your potential lies.



4. Because I am in New york I have a lot of chances to get into the modeling world. Finally I have a good guide to help me get started. I especially love the runway photos which are exciting and very well done. This is a great book.



5. For someone who lives in a country outside the United States,it is a good thing to find a book like this one which emphasizes theuse of the Internet to find out about the modeling business. I would recommend this book to anyone who is thinking about becoming a model but does not know where to start. There is so much info in it, that having used only a tenth of it, and I'm already happy with my investment.

1 comments about Animal Illustrations CD-ROM and Book (Dover Electronic Clip Art).

1. This Dover book/CD-ROM and the one on books, reading & writing are my two favorites (well, I like the food one too...and the Egyptian....) All the animals are from 19th C. illustrations. The volume is a terrific addition to the expanding Dover CD-ROM library.

3 comments about Celtic Design: Animal Patterns.

1. Not my favorite in this series, and not one I've been able to do much with. Your art may vary. As with all, a bit of history and then a lot on constructing the various animals used in Celtic illustration. If you want to know how to build your own knotted dragon, to fit the dimenions of your artwork, this is the book to own.
   
   It's four stars if you're doing Celtic animal work. If not, you may not need to own this one.



2. Aidan Meehan has made himself into an advocate for the resurgence of Celtic design. After years spent studying art in Ireland and Scotland, Meehan can claim not only historical expertise, but a wealth of technical expertise as well. Meehan writes of the elements of Celtic design as something alive and vibrant that can be a welcome addition or inspiration to any artist's palette.

   This small volume is a presentation of the use of animal patterns in jewelry and decoration from the Sutton Hoo burial, the Celtic gospels, and many other sources. Meehan provides a basic historical discussion, but his focus is on how the designs were created. Using a patient style and countless pen-and-ink drawings in a book that is an essay in the calligrapher's art, Meehan has produced another valuable, living reference in a long series.

   Whether you are a jeweler, designer, or a tattoo specialist, there is much to draw on here. The only thing I ever miss in Meehan's books is the inclusion of photographs of the original works. I'm sure Meehan has very good reason's for the omission, but for the curious, this is a bit of a challenge.




3. This is an excellent book for those looking to create celtic designs.

   This book teaches the origins of animal style. It shows various belt, buckle and brooch designs. It then goes into dog, bird, and people patterns.

   The book is best used when accompianied by Aidan's other Celtic Design books. I have 7 of the books in this series and love them all!

   All in all this is a great book for someone looking to create celtic designs.

1 comments about Adolph Menzel, 1815-1905: Between Romanticism and Impressionism.

1. During his lifetime which spanned most of the 19th century, Menzel was perhaps Germany's foremost realist painter and graphic artist. He illustrated both the great events of contemporary history, such as the 1848 Revolution in Berlin and the Franco-Prussian War, as well as the mundane events of daily life. This catalogue, which was published to accompany an exhibition of the artist's works (and seen in Paris, Washington, DC, and Berlin) is the most complete English-language account of the artist's life and his art. The essays are written by expert curators and art historians. The volume is profusely illustrated, and include his key works, from his graphic illustrations of Frederick the Great to his Iron Rolling Mill of the mid-1870s. The catalogue will be of interest to historians, art historians, and the general public alike.

5 comments about Installationview.

1. I bought this book for one of my classes (I am an Art/graphic Design student) to do an interactive in Flash about Ryan McGinness. This book was the best thing I found for it. It was fairly inexpensive for it being such a high quality, extremely colorful book ($26 bucks I paid) and it's almost an 1" thick. EVERY page is filled with colorfull art! It also demonstrates his process and his inspiration, and as the title says, it gives a lot of photos of his installations and the process of making them. I collect books about artists, and most are f***ing expensive, but this one was cheap, and it is probably the best one I have!!



2. This book provides a ton of pictures of Ryan's work and some inspiration for those aspiring artists. There was also some details of his installations which can be helpfull.



3. My daughter's boyfriend is a graphic artist and very quiet. For graduation he really wanted books to add to his library for inspiration. After some sneaky work by my daughter we ordered this plus a gift card for another book. He was very excited and appreciative. Turns out this was the one book he really wanted.



4. While primarily a portfolio of Ryan McGinness' various screenprint creations of symbol and floral heavy artwork pieces of the past few years, Installationview also treats itself as a guide into the inner workings of McGinness' art style, from inspiration through sketches and onto the walls of galleries and households. Although there are only a few pages of random interviews with the artist, this focuses the importance on the details and process of reinterpretting and displacing symbols and ideas that we are accustomed to.



5. This book is an amazing showcase of Ryan's newest works, but is also is a fairly good retrospective on some of his older pieces as well. The reproductions are exquesite (think Communication Arts), with plenty of close ups so that you can really see what's going on in these multi-layered works. Scattered throughout the book are dozens of preliminary sketches along with the completed illustrations-an excellent insight into his visual process.
   
   I just got this book last night at the Beautiful Losers show in Tampa and have not yet had a chance to read through the essays, but at a quick glance they also seem to be thoughtful and enganging.
   
   Highly recommended!

1 comments about Fashionable Clothing from the Sears Catalogs: Late 1930s (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. Yet another fine book from Schiffer's growing series of this kind. The images from the catalog are reproduced clearly and sharp. The colors also look well defined. The focus is primarily on women's fashions, as there usually is in this series, and there is a sampling of men's and childrens clothing, too. We will probably never see fashion like this again. The level of detailing seems almost "fussy" (bows, buttons, embroidery, pleats, gatherings, shirring and the like) but it can be pretty to look at and I can almost begin to admire the level of effort it took to maintain such a feminine image.

2 comments about Helmut Schmid: Gestaltung ist Haltung / Design Is Attitude.

1. This is a simple and good book. Clear, concise, and a primer in pure typography, Schmid reveals the essence of ink on paper. And he is not afraid to speak confidently of the role of the counterform, the pure whiteness of the paper, the skin upon which the writer's words take wings in the deft hands of a typographer such as he.
   
   The Basel School influence is evident. However, the designs carry the influence of the East as well. Working from Japan, Schmid has absorbed not only the early teaching of mentor Emil Ruder, but the simple, quiet elegance of Japan -- the Japan of the rational tatami mat, the clear design of the Katsura Palace, the bold stroke of the calligrapher's brush, and the Taoist essence of the tea ceremony. It is the immaterial that imparts essence. That is evident everywhere in this elegant book. If design is attitude, it is not in your face. It is simply there.
   
   
   Rich Kraham.com



2. If you like a swiss typography this is a book for you.
   It only use lower case in this book. Helmud schmid was a student of Emil Ruder and if you had a Emil Ruder book this has a similar feeling. The type is very small with three grid coloums.
   I recomended to my friends and they ordered the book after I showed the book.
   Truly wonderful book

2 comments about Antonio's People.

1. Antonio's People is a wonderful book that share about his life and subjects. It shows the inspiration of the colors, movement, and style that Lopez is accredited for. It is a book for someone who wants to learn about Lopez's art during the 1980's and the famous people that he drew.



2. Antonio Lopez and Juan Ramos were two men with fabulous style. In this book, you get a sense of how they saw the world and how they tried to make it a prettier place. Paul Caranicas has created an homage to these two men and their work. It should be required reading for anyone interested in Fashion, Art, Illustration, Culture, and most of all STYLE.

1 comments about Scandinavian Folk Designs (Dover Design Library).

1. This graphic production was a bit of a disappointment. The plates are nice but not authentic Scandinavian designs. The floral motifs are similar in nature to those used in painting, however there are none of the historical classic details seen in Scandinavian folkart.