5 comments about Chanel: Collections and Creations.

1. Ultimate in beauty style and class.
   Everybody loves Coco.
   A great book.
   And it smells wonderful.
   Style, my friends,
   always look for that style!



2. A great book for all CHANEL FANS! I love it. I love the pictures in it. The way the subjects are treated is very interesting and the pictures are great in it too.



3. Of course, Gabrielle, Gaby, Coco...all Paris is here. The couture, the perfumes, the hats, le style. Many colors and many memories. I love this book.



4. The book is even better than what I thought.
   Amazing, worth every penny!



5. do NOT buy this book for this price. barnes and noble sells it for $40!

5 comments about LogoLounge: 2,000 International Identities by Leading Designers (LogoLounge).

1. When i ordered Logo Lounge i wasnt to sure as to what to expect. After receiving the book I found it to be very inspirational and can really get the creative juices flowing. Especially when your stuck with a creative block (which sometime or another all designers get) It is loaded with examples of commercial and non commercial logos.
   
   The first section of the book has a detailed approach as to how some design firms came up with their design for their clients. They talk about the design process, show great examples, and talk about some of the problems and solutions they had while doing the design.
   
   The rest of the book has loads of examples of logos all sectioned out in a nice format (type logos, crest logos, animal logos, etc...)
   
   Overall it's a good tool to have on any designers shelf at home or work!



2. I'm very impressed with the wide array and organization of this book (and the others in the series). Such great colors, and layout... everything just makes me want to study every last detail on every last page. I've bought the first two... and have added the third one to my wish list. If you want to be a good logo designer but experience "designer's block," this should get you over that [...]. Thanks, Bill Gardner, and all the fabulous designers who were featured in the book!



3. The larger format of this book, hard or soft cover, deserves 5 stars. This new pocket size (5.5" x 6") proves to be awkward and detrimental to the viewing and appreciation of the graphics.



4. I bought it last year, and it has been very useful for my job. I can find many different kind of logos.... it's one of my favorite books...



5. great logos and tons of them. a little hard to understand at first how they organized the logos as far as who did what but once you get the hang of it, no biggie. A definate book to get inspiration from

5 comments about The Animation Book: A Complete Guide to Animated Filmmaking--From Flip-Books to Sound Cartoons to 3- D Animation.

1. If there was ever a 'textbook' for learning animation, this is it. I have several books on animation production, from cell to 3D, and this on the pretty much the backbone of them all. I am not a professional animator, though I wish I was. This book provides a plethora of reference films for various styles of animation (it's nice to have a somewhat comprehensive list of styles) and suggestions for production. Though, it does lean more towards the artistry of animation, rather than digital production techniques to turn a quick buck.
   
   I recommend this book as a primer for anyone who is passionate about animation as an art, hobby, or the first step in building an animation production house from scratch.



2. I just about wore out my copy of the original edition of this book years ago; i never got far into *doing* animation, but it really helped me to *understand* what i was seeing on the screen (as well as serving as a source of recommendations as to Good Things to look out for...)
   
   While this may not be quite the essential text for asiring animators that Will Eisner's "Comics and Sequential Art" (q.v.) is for would-be comics pros, it is a Very Good overview of the field as a whole, from techniques to materials to the creative aspects.
   
   There is, admittedly, not sufficient detail on any one subject to take one to a true professional level, but there is sufficient detail and commentary to let the tyro make a beginning in almost any aspect of animation (within one's financial limitations, anyway -- while costs are rather less now than they were in the day when film was the sole practical medium of choice, some aspects of animation do cost more than others to do) nd work at it enough to get an idea as to whether that's what she wants to do.
   
   And remember -- you might not intend to make animation your life's work; but Mike Jittlov was an accounting major who took an animation course because he needed an elective and it fit his schedule. The film he made for that course won him an Oscar nomination...
   
   Anything can happen, and this book is a good place to check it out if you think animation might be one of the "anythings" you'd like to happen to you.



3. This is a great book for both students of animation and anyone out there who just wants to know more about that thing called animation. Laybourne is very easy to read and goes step-by-step through various animation processes in such an accessible way that its almost entertaining.
   
   If you have a serious interest or just a passing interest, this is a great book!



4. I am using this book for background info for an animation unit I teach with my graphics students. It gives you a good overview of many different animation techniques. It answered a lot of my questions. This book is a good start, but you might also want to check out animation by preston blair, and Animation from script to screen by Shamus Culhane. Shamus will make an animator out of you by the end of his book.



5. Although it is almost impossible for a book to provide the most up-to-date info, this book tries it's best. I really think that an animation book should be specified (ie 2d, stop-motion, 3d, etc) in order to not "cheat" the reader out of more intense knowledge. However, if a broad introduction is what you seek, then this book will work (but there are less expensive books that will do just the same).

4 comments about Patterns: New Surface Design.

1. The cover is fun. It's a great size, but the content leaves a lot to be desired. The reproductions are poor. Many of the images are so small I can barely make out what they are. Some are not even patterns, just pictures. Although the book is full of images, there are only a few artists represented and their work is shown over and over (not the kind of pattern I was seeking). And the commentary is useless at best. This is not a book of the great work that is being done out there in the design world. Having said all that, there are some lovely patterns and interesting ideas here. I just wish I didn't have to work so hard to find them and learn from them.



2. This book has few words and many patterns. There are five sections, each devoted to a different type of pattern. Although I found I only really consistently liked the conversational, retro and organic patterns, I thought the range of different patterns and different mediums (digital, textile, hand-drawn, etc) was great. It would have been nice to have a little more information on how each subset of patterns has been developing, what the patterns themselves are used for, who some of the major players are and other relevant information.
   
   The physical package itself is very attractive, compact, has a good weight and feel and lovely paper stock.



3. This is a fantastic book full of wonderful pattern designs in many different styles... very inspirational! Great for textile or surface designers, or anyone interested in design. Also love the textured cover!



4. Loved this book! Tons of images and references for inspiration! Every time I see it, I discover something new!!!

2 comments about Design Management: Managing Design Strategy, Process and Implementation (Ava Academia).

1. This book presents the structure that sustains the design discipline in the (corporate) world today. You will get more info about the process, the vision and in the end - your own role in this entire structure. It is a great eye opener for the designer engaged only in designing, and a good reference for the manager involved in the process. The graphics gives engagement to the reading. Makes for a good reference book. That's the only reason I got it, since the price tag is considerably high.



2. The book is an excellent example of the successful combination between theory and practice. Structured as a hypertext the book allows you to open and read at from any page or passage. A lot of contemporary cases from all over the world show you a wide scope of design management specifics. After reading the book you'll be armed with the up-to-date ideas and concepts. This masterpiece by Kathryn Best is most useful for the design practitioners as well as for students or lecturers. Being a lecturer in design management and professional development I can note easy language, in-depth explanations and a good glossary of terms used in design management.

5 comments about The Woodcut Artist's Handbook: Techniques and Tools for Relief Printmaking.

1. This is in response to the Jeffery C. Chase review in which he incorrectly states that the work of Antonio Frasconi and Leonard Baskin were not mentioned in the Woodcut Artist's Handbook. They were mentioned and their work would have been reproduced in the book as well if the publisher had been granted reproduction rights. Frasconi's work is referred to on page 20 and The Complete Prints of Leonard Baskin by Alan Fern and Judith O'Sullivan (1984) is suggested reading on page 150. We tried to include as many artists as possible but because of copyright restrictions and limited resources we could not include everyone. Thank you for your comments.



2. How any book claiming to cover woodcut prints could fail to mention the works of Antonio Frasconi and Leonard Baskin, yet show half-baked attempts at wood engraving, or champion Barry Moser's soul-less technique as "mastery" is fundamentally lacking. While I thought the love of the medium did show through, and the coverage of the tools and techniques was sound, I think many lesser artists were mentioned, and without these two, it yields an anemic visual source for the interested artist.



3. I have just begun engraving wood and found this book to be extremely helpful. It describes the differences between carving and engraving and gives ample information on tools and printing processes for a beginner.



4. Walker has taken woodcut, arguably the oldest of printing techniques, and brought it into the twenty-first century. Albrecht Durer would certainly recognize everything that goes on in a woodcut artist's shop. It's the tools, inks, papers, and especially subject matter that have changed. This book steps clearly through every step, combining very readable text, illustration, and samples of original prints.
   
   The book starts with the block itself. That can be something as homely as a cut slab of potato for a child's effort. It can also be linoleum, a wood plank, or a piece of plywood for regular woodcut. Wood engraving, which differs mainly in the fineness of the cut marks, requires fine, hard surfaces: end-grain boxwood, maple, or cherry in traditional technique, or man-made materials that may be lest costly and more predictable. The rest of the book continues in equally exacting detail: tools and especially their sharpening, cutting with hand or power tools, papers, classic and modern inks, taking the impression with simple or complex presses, and deciding on the edition. Although specimens appear thoughout the book, the last chapter is a gallery that shows the variety of people, techniques, and subjects in contemporary woodcut. Back matter is very helpful: glossary, artists' biographies, bibliography, access to resources, and a helpful index. The resource list may age quickly, as art suppliers come and go, but everything else has lasting value.
   
   There are a few oddities. For example, Walker uses the term "monoprint" to describe images from uniquely inked cut blocks. I can't argue that usage, even though the term is more widely understood to describe prints from inked but uncut surfaces. And, despite otherwise complete coverage of multi-block printing, he omitted the idea of the counterproof. That technique inks the key block and prints it on paper, then uses the paper to transfer wet ink to the blocks to be used for other colors. Although traditional, the technique may lack the precision needed for wood engraving, and may have been overtaken by photocopying and other modern techniques.
   
   I recommend this to anyone who appreciates woodcut, as an observer or as an active printmaker. It's beautifully printed and bound, and, despite the antiquity of the technique, completely up to date.
   
   //wiredweird



5. I found the previous reviews to be helpful and true. I read it cover to cover immediately and can't wait to try some of the tips and to find a couple of tools I found quite interesting.

2 comments about Illustration Play.

1. I found Illustration Play very inspiring. While the hand of the artist is clearly evident in the included work, it brings a warm handmade aesthetic that is not just another gimmicky contrived DIY style, but the real deal. Good solid work throughout.



2. A playful sticker-bound cover gets this book off to a good start. The first artist uses fabric and stitching to concoct her illustrations - something I hadn't really seen before...that is until about 200 pages and a dozen other artists doing the same, later.
   
   Overall, this book was a welcome departure from digital-centric art. While there are various methods and media featured, this book makes it seem like every other "unique" artist has jumped on the fabric and embroidery bandwagon. They all just start to feel derivative of eachother when lumped in a book together. But maybe embroidery just isn't my cup of tea.
   
   Some truly innovative/interesting artists mixed with a bunch that just didn't do it for me.

5 comments about No Lifeguard on Duty: The Accidental Life of the World's First Supermodel.

1. Janice got down, dirty, and honest with this book in her tough journey to fame. However, she is an amazing woman who has survived much in life, while doing her best to thrive.
   
   Kudos Janice! Thank you for sharing a part of you with us all!
   
   A MUST read for everyone!
   
   Merna Throne
   
   Pocket of Pearls: A 30-day pocket workbook to start hearing a softer voice inside of you!



2. This book was AMAZING!!! SOOO good i thought it was fiction. A fantastic read.



3. This memoir delivers! Laugh out loud funny, and full of juicy show biz gossip. Janice rats out everyone in here. I like that her voice comes through 100%--it's like you are sitting with her listening to her stories over drinks, one on one. There is more to Janice's story--a darker side with a totally messed up childhood that shaped who she became. Think what you will of her, but she is never boring. A great read.



4. I must say that I truly enjoyed reading this book. There is one thing about the author that I like best and it is the fact that she is real; she tells it like it is. She has guts! This by itself makes the book worth it! I honestly believe that she shares honest and truthful tales about the modeling bussiness and her personal life. I give this book a 10.



5. So, I am a fan of crazy-gorgeous-extreme model types, because they are so much the opposite of me.
   
   Take Janice Dickinson, for instance. Janice walks in a room, and everyone knows it. Maybe they smell her heady melange of booze, perfume, and cigarettes. It could be the obnoxiously loud string of foulness that always enters before she does. And perhaps it's because she's gorgeous and has those crazy -- as in substantially unstable -- eyes that demand attention in a Charlie Manson kind of way. I don't know. Whatever it is, I want it, as do millions of young ladies.
   
   So I really wanted to like this book and experience a lot of "Oh no she di'int" admiration, but mostly, I was stumbling over the lackluster, disconnected writing. Does anyone believe celebrities of her caliber -- low, that is -- really write their own material? I suppose her "writing partner" is partially to blame for the poor quality, but having seen Dickinson in action (critiquing ANTM contestants and manipulating her way through the D-list dumpster that is The Surreal Life), I don't doubt for a second that she'd have creative control and final say on the content and style.
   
   Janice does deliver some juicy bits. For example, way back when Sly Stallone was her man, Janice was regularly given mystery "vitamins" by the Rocky that, in light of recent events, may've been an early iteration of HGH. Hm. Plus there's tons of drugs and boyfriends (and girlfriends), although I could've done without the explicit descriptions of sex ham-fistedly sandwiched into random spots. (It's like she forgot she wasn't writing a Harlequin for a couple of pages.)
   
   As in other memoirs by people who shouldn't necessarily be writing any, there's the usual childhood drama blown out of proportion. Being abused is drama enough -- why add the Lifetime Movie of the Week fanfare? It feels a little... exploitative.
   
   But I suppose that's the point. Dickinson made her career out of exploitation -- of her body, the camera, other people's bodies... you name it. I appreciate the candor she shows, and no-holds-barred "outing" of celeb secrets is balanced by kind words for others (for instance, Christie Brinkley is -- or at least was -- a saint). This could've been an excellent book if only she'd taken an intensive in English composition and pulled out a thesaurus. (At least it wasn't as bad as Iceberg Slim!)

5 comments about How to Draw and Paint Fairies: From Finding Inspiration to Capturing Diaphanous Detail, a Step-by-Step Guide to Fairy Art.

1. This little book offers a surprising amount of material, not only to a new artist wanting to learn how to get started but also to artists with more experience seeking to refresh their knowledge of the basics and to expand their imaginations. Even non-artists would enjoy the illustrations, especially the collection of fairy paintings by a variety of fantasy artists at the end of the book. Beginners can follow the step-by-step instructions, and everyone can enjoy the Linda Ravenscroft illustrations throughout the book.



2. I was looking for a drawing guide for my daughter's 11th birthday and was hoping this book would be the key. We flipped through it at the craft store and it looked like a great instructional guide. The only hesitation I have and reason I did not purchase the book is the last few pages. There are some ill-clad fairies exposing more than I want my daughter to be drawing or her younger brothers to be seeing. I know it is common to have fairies naked even, so I was grateful there was only a few pages of what I would consider suggestive fairies. But, I wanted to share this review for other "carefully modest" parents who would rather not expose their children.



3. The best How to draw Fairies book for beginners available.
   Filled with valuable drawing and paint tips, along with beautiful fairy prints for inspiration.



4. This book was not only wonderful to look at, it was very instructive also. A fantastic way to spend a rainy day!



5. this is a nice little book. but i don't think the fairy faces are very pretty. it gives you good ideas for the poses. but you'll have to have some knowledge of how you like pretty fairy faces to look cause the artists depictions are not that pretty.
   you could draw inspiration in some of the scenes and poses though. also when you do the -search inside this books pages option- the pics they show are the best pictures in the book. theres probably a more visually stimulating fairy book out there but this book does give some good instruction and i do not regret purchasing it as a gift for my niece.

5 comments about Designing Type.

1. Este livro é muito importante para aqueles que estão se aventurando pelo universo da tipografia.



2. For either those that have been loving typography for many years, or those that just recently have fallen infatuated. This exhaustive documentation of type-crafting minutiae is a MUST-have for reference and obsessive appreciation of classic forms and details.
   
   Karen's careful eye will help you dissect all the classics... Perhaps even discover missed aspects of a much-visited serif, perhaps finally understanding the commonality of a specific "m" proportion, perhaps understand the evolution of "g"...
   
   Many hours of delight await for you within its pages. Get it.
   You posted this review 5 days ago.



3. Anyone who is serious about Design and Typography will appreciate this book. It is a perfect compliment to Bringhurst's "Elements of Typographic Style." What Bringhurst does for typographic composition Cheng does for letter-form design. More imagery than text, she presents a deep exploration and comparison of typographic forms from the major historic periods. Whether you are interested in composing your own typeface or simply seeking deeper understanding of typography, this is an outstanding reference. This one should be on every designer's bookshelf. - db



4. Absolutely a must have for aspiring and junior typeface or logo designers. However, the book is not an easy read; it should be read cover to cover with patience before being used as a workbook reference. Its text requires a sound prior knowledge of typography and related technologies. And it must be read in tandem with close observation of the numerous illustrations and diagrams to be fully understood and appreciated. The information shared by the author is not available elsewhere unless one attends graduate school in type design or apprentices to a type designer. I had completed my first roman & small cap font before I acquired this book and hadn't started my companion italic yet. And though the author doesn't cover italic type design her thoroughness in her analytical and comparative approach is such that I have the book open like a workbook for every italic character and am redrawing some of my romans. I've been teaching graphic design for 30 years and though so much has changed the fundamental and essential have not though they have evolved. This book will become a classic for serious professionals because of the level of insight that it gives into the essentials of type design.



5. Most typography books I've seen are showcases of designers and their client projects. These books may have their place for readers who are seeking inspiration and brief but helpful tips for project management. However, none of these books discuss the actual nuts and bolts of creating fonts. Cheng's book fills this gap by focusing only on typographic design, and does so in such a highly informative way that anyone who designs fonts cannot afford to be without it. Not only are all the individual aspects of type examined, but different fonts are compared and contrasted to reveal their sometimes very subtle differences. Cheng showcases many examples of her own students' work as well so the reader can see creative applications of typographical principles. A brief but highly valuable section on punctuation is also included. The only caveat I have to offer potential readers is that this book does not cover cursive fonts, which makes sense and isn't worth deducting a star for. In all, this book is the one you need if you want to make your own fonts. Amazon currently only has it available through third party sellers so get it while you still can!