5 comments about Inside the Business of Illustration.

1. If after reading this book you still want to be an illustrator, then you may have enough drive to make it. This book doesn't paint a rosy picture, nor should it. Talent, business savvy and realistic goals are all part of the equation. Understanding the difficulties and learning how to deal with them and staying creative is a challenge. Find your niche. Strive to be the best at it and understand this career will consume you. And if you want a life outside of illustration make sure you have an understanding partner and friends who support your career!
   
   Having worked as a freelance illustrator for over 20 years, I can say from experience that there is a lot of truth contained within this book. I definitely would recommend it to anyone starting out or wanting to learn more about illustration and the history regarding this profession. I wish something like this was available when I was starting out, because it would have saved me a lot of time.
   
   4 stars because it doesn't cover other pertinent business matters such as copyright registration, self-employment issues like healthcare, taxes and such. This is not a bible for illustration, it is more of an overview. I wish it had covered more categories in depth but there are other books available out there.



2. I haven't read the whole book yet, but so far, I've learned a lot. I'm only a second year illustration student, but I feel like I'm almost ready for the freelancing world just after reading some of this. Tons of insider information that I gather most illustrators don't learn until they've been working 5 to 10 years.



3. What more can I say...I found it informative and helpful, and I have now read it more than once and refer back to it as needed. I highly recommend it to any one considering a career in illustration.



4. Steven Heller & Marshall Arisman's guidance is invaluable in today's market, this book is a must have for the struggling professional or for the newly graduate seeking to stake their claim. In fact I'd go so far as to say this book SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING at every art school in the country offering illustration courses.
   
   First let me say that for those of you reading this review who don't know who Steven Heller & Marshall Arisman are, you should, and here's why; Heller is the director of the NY Times Book Review, co-chair of the MFA design program at the School of Visual Arts (one of the best, THE BEST drawing curriculums in the county) as well as author of almost one hundred books in the graphic design field. He's been in the business a long time, seen it from the artist side, seen it from the political side and can help make or break a career at least from the perspective of a children's book illustrator. Mr. Arisman is one of the living legends of Illustration with artwork in major U.S. museums, every national magazine and is chair of the MFA program (Illustration as Visual Essay) at the School of Visual Arts.
   
   The interview-style of the introduction to this book is repeated throughout as each chapter is brought to a close with a discussion between these two legends. That doesn't mean however that the kernels of wisdom and genuine professional opinions are repetitive. First they talk about the decline, and now the re-birth of Illustration in America, the springing up of stock illustration houses, how artists need to position themselves with respect to the marketplace, developing a unique personal voice, and working with art directors. How much risk should there be in a portfolio? How much can or should an artist trust the company they are being hired to work for? "Relating to business, most illustrators are in make up class." And from there, the rest of the book takes off.
   
   There are several sections that outline the do's and don'ts - lots of them. Everything from How to interact with a director, preparing for portfolio reviews, promotional pieces and the importance of professional organizations is the foundation for much of the book to follow.
   
   Chapters include the importance of style, how you develop it and how to show it off, new media, the importance of authorship ("Therefore, it is incumbent to the savvy illustrator to build...a diversified portfolio....Your overall illustraion practice should include both works produced exclusively for clinets as well as for yourself that can be turned into original projects."), licensing & editing your works, self promotional pieces, and ethics. I found the discussions about style ("Style is driven by your view of the world, not by a technical procedure.") and Promotion invaluable. For those two chapters alone the book more than paid for itself.
   
   A third section of the book is a series of short but concise interviews with illustrators and art directors. They include: Steven Brodner, Brad Holland, Leo & Diane Dillon, Robert Parada, Nathan Fox, Ward Sutton, Robert Newman (of Real Simple), Chris Curry (the New Yorker), Richard Winkler (Curious Pictures) just to name a few.
   
   A beautiful speech by Milton Glaser serves as the icing on the cake. He talks in depth about our culture's current state of endless consumption, the effects of television on visual literacy and the relationship it has on everything around us. A totally brilliant ending!
   
   Steven Heller's other book, (which I also have and was personally a little disappointed in) "The Education of an Illustrator" seems much more philosophical and aimed at correcting art school education. If I had to choose between which one to buy, I'd recommend this one hands down, every time. Inside the Business of Illustration is NOT a follow-up, if anything it's the bare bones BIBLE for learning how to survive and thrive in the business.



5. very good inside information on dealing with clients and getting jobs...it was a required book for one of my illustration classes

4 comments about Designing Brand Experience: Creating Powerful Integrated Brand Solutions.

1. I've never seen a book so poorly designed since my junior high health book. I thought this book looked good based on other reviews on amazon but once I opened it up all I see is horrible design. The book is based on an atrocious grid, with horriblly uninteresting typography, and a "let's try to hit every base, even if it's only for a couple of lines" attitude to the content.
   
   The content is written like a junior high essay. I don't mean in the way the author articulates herself, what I mean is how she touches on subjects so briefly as if she was required to by somebody else. The intro for example contains a brief (brief brief) history of just about every part of design, but in a bulleted format like she was giving a lecture. There's just no heart in the content.
   
   Overall, the whole thing looks like a powerpoint presentation and I'm so disgusted by what I see that I can't even get past the first two chapters. I'm selling this book and getting my money back for something more worth while.



2. Good book for newbie advertising professionals. Unlike other theory books, this follows a step by step guide for creating a brand.
   
   Make sure you understand what a brand is first, though... read "The Brand Gap" first.



3. I've read all the current and classic books on branding and brand identity. No one author, other than Landa, really sees the future of branding so clearly-Landa tells it like the big guns at Ogilvy and Landor! Love the term "experiences" which includes the audience as a major player in the brand.



4. I have been creating and teaching about brand experiences for almost twenty years and Robin Landa's book is the best I have ever read.

1 comments about Design Fundamentals for New Media.

1. Was not happy with at all, did not even get product because problems before it was supposed to be shipped. Canceled order. Only good thing was I got my refund right away. If you need the product fast, don't order from this person.

No comments about Idea Industry: How to Crack the Advertising Career Code.

3 comments about From Page to Stage: How Theatre Designers Make Connections Between Scripts and Images.

1. I use this book as the text for Principles of Design for the Performing Arts--an intro to design course I teach. It's really the only book of its kind (with a design emphasis) available. While I could load up my students with four or five other books that would be far better in each respective area, From Page to Stage is the only text that brings them together in a compact and digestible form. The book is an easy read--important for a class top-heavy with studio work, and an adequate introduction to script analysis for design. That said, I think the book is long overdue for a serious second edition. Professor Ingham should consider dropping the odd, theater history chapter toward the end of the book, in favor of a massively expanded chapter on the actual execution of the design/collaboration process. The final chapter briefly touches on the actual "to stage" process. By far most of the book is devoted to the "from page" half. This is surprising as Ingham is herself a noted costume designer and would obviously have much to share in that area. There is next to nothing describing the production meeting process, communication with colleagues and directors, and the final steps in the production process. It's as if two or three chapters are missing from the end of the book.
   Don't get me wrong, I use this book, I recommend this book, and it isn't as if there is some better alternative--I'm simply eager to buy the greatly expanded second edition--should it ever appear.



2. Rosemary Ingham really captured the fundamentals of what it takes in creating and collaberating a design. Her book is full of examples of sources of inspiration, forms of play analysis, commentary on the NEA, and transcripts of directors and designers communicating ideals. This is a wonderful book and it belongs on every designers shelf.



3. This book is a great help for me since this is my 1st year at theater stage design

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.

5 comments about Ready-to-Use North American Indian Motifs: 391 Different Permission-Free Designs Printed One Side (Clip Art Series).

1. This book is wonderful because the motifs are available for you to use as you wish! I bought this after reading a review of another book that everything was copyrighted and I wanted non-copyrighted motifs. All the pages are black and white, loaded with Native American Motifs. Each motif has the name and tribe so if you make something to sell, you will know which tribe to use on your labels/ads. Reminds me of the art books we used in the 1980's for newspaper ad clip-art before the use of computers. No problem about the sizes if you have access to a copier. Happy to add this to my collection of art books!



2. The product was promptly delivered in excellent condition. I am impressed with the number of different Native American tribes that were represented in the motifs.



3. I was expecting full size patterns. However there are good
   patterns, but will have to be enlarged to use them.



4. I bought this for my son who loves drawing and he really has enjoyed it. The illustrations are great and theres good information along with the illustartions.



5. As a descendant of the Native American Choctaw tribe, I was VERY pleased with this book. The illustrations are clear and precisely drawn. The reader receives a lot of inspiration for Native American art and designs. However, of far more value to the reader, the author identifies the designs with various tribes. Naturally, I was particularly pleased to find the highly modernistic looking designs of the Choctaws. I strongly recommend this book to any students of Native Americans or students of art.
   
   Robert J. Deffeyes

No comments about A History of Advertising (Basic Architecture Series).

5 comments about Acting for Animators, Revised Edition: A Complete Guide to Performance Animation.

1. Simple writing style, easy to follow techniques. This book has it all and will allow animators to see how vital a good expression of emotions can be to a final animation. It also explains how animators have to be more than actors, they have to be creators. I highly recommend this book for any animation student or hobbyist!



2. To be successful it is not enough for an animation to dazzle the audience visually. More importantly, it must tell a story in terms of the objectives and conflicts of its characters in a way that's new and surprising. And the audience must be able to empathize with its characters. Ed Hook's book is not only about acting for animators but also about the essence of good storytelling. It provides simple, easily employed techniques to create animations that appeal to people, whether they are 20 seconds long or two hours. And this book also gets you results. Sharon Coleman's first short animated film, Badgered, won an Oscar nomination in 2006 in part because she followed the principles in this book.



3. Ed Hooks' books are a must have for anyone serious about Animation and/or any character based type of storytelling. After getting used to his concepts it becomes second nature to look at scenes and put the finger right on the problem, if it has any.



4. I wish I read this book years ago. I've been animating professionaly for years, but there's information in this book that has given me a different mind set into accomplishing what I need to create.
   I've always been able to 'see' faults in my work and fix it without knowing consiously how I made the error in the first place. Now, after reading this book I take a new vantage point and can prevent any errors occuring (usually). I think my style of animation has changed a little too.
   
   The book is fun to read and the chapters are straight to the point. Recommended to every animator.



5. This is the first book who explain the acting principles for animators, the book comes with one CD of demos from lessons.

5 comments about Illusive 2: Contemporary Illustration and Its Context.

1. Este libro me sorprendio desde pagina uno hasta el final. Si te gusto Illusive 1 este es una apuesta segura.



2. This is what you would happily expect...a book filled with page after page of astounding work from talented artists from around the world. What you might not expect (if you had not bought the first volume as I have), is that it is organized by style...and covers the gamut of design aesthetics and mediums. (by organized I mean, that there is no section by section titles that I can recall or index of organizing, but as you flip the pages you will witness the ebb and flow of similarities in the art that is displayed and the differences as you continue through the book, on to another style/medium.) I find this book (as I did the last) unique because of (1) the exceeding quality of artists and perhaps more importantly, (2) the relative "Freshness" of th work on display. As is the case with any book of this nature, the work can quickly become dated. I find that the designs and artists on display in this book are ahead of the curve to be sure... In my work, I scour the internet, read many books, sketch and visit galleries to think of styles and design approaches and have found this book (and this short series) to be a good showcase of work from which to draw inspiration from time to time. Hopefully it can do the same for you...



3. I just hope they publish this every year. I know I'd purchase it annually.
   
   It's similar to its previous version. Hardcover book about 300+ pages.
   This isn't a "How To Illustrate" book. It's a "Get Inspired" book. As a broadcast motion graphics designer, this hits most current styles. Each page is like a different mood board to get inspiration from.
   
   It covers collage, vector, traditional and others. And when I say current styles, I don't mean your "mom&pop" small town coupon illustrations. This hits more to the "Out of the Box" big city illustrations. Think clients that might have money and able to risk big (Nike, MTV, Toyota Hybrid, Diesel, etc.)
   
   Awesome buy.



4. This book is totally amazing... Some of the best graphic design work out there today. But not only on paper. Mush of this work is showcased as instillations. Really a true treasure for the graphic design art enthusiast!



5. As the firs one, a must buy for sure, if your are into illustration or like to see illustration, ore are in search of new tendencies for your ad or related, you should buy this book!