5 comments about Magic Eye, Vol. 2.

1. I purchased this item for my children, since in reading about this type of viewing exercises-that vewing these 3D stereograms is great to strenthen your eyes-and since the computer is often being used for so many different things. I thought if we had a book of these they could be used in any of our free time when doing them on the computer is not an option. This has worked out well. The kids love the book. The only reason I did not give this rating a five is because the drawings seem so much harder to view than the ones on the computer. My kids have been able to do it alright, but I get too impatient. Perhaps. it is an even better eye exercise done from the book Vs. the computer, but to me they are slighly frustrating.



2. I really love these books. I am fascinated by the technique used to get the 3-d affect. I have everyone out.



3. What I love most about these books (I have Magic Eye I as well) is how I can practice 'receiving' an image. In order to see the image, you have to be very focused yet very open. You stare at it with soft eyes and readiness, then when your eyes are in the right position and the 3-D image starts to appear, you can't start 'grabbing' it with your eyes or it disappears. You have to be very still and wait and then it's as if someone turns a nob and this crisp picture shows up with amazing depth. It is a mindset that we don't practice much in our busy lives of doing and accomplishing things. A great lesson to be reminded of, showing how easy it is to let the most precious things come to us, if we can be still and present enough to receive and perceive. I look at the pictures at night before I go to sleep, or when I want to 'download' information from my subconscious mind. I know that practicing this 'receiving' muscle helps my intuition. These books are worth every penny!



4. I love ALL these Magic Eye books! After a while, all you have to do is glance at the picture and you can immediately see the hidden object. You never know what will pop up!



5. This book has been around since 1994 and is still a lot of fun.These 3-D images seem to have reached their peak in the early 90's ;as far as I know anyway.I particularly enjoyed the Forward.Tom Baccei talks about their resident wizard."Some say that although his bulb seems good,his filament is short a few twists." In the words of Wizzy "Life is like a single beautiful butterfly in a gentle swirling snowstorm.When you find your own center,you'll find the butterfly.Then you can hop on and go on a ride forever."
   When you've found all the 3-D images,try looking for that butterfly in the snowstorm and enjoy life.

4 comments about The Dynamics of Fashion.

1. It was little late, but this was so~~~cheap, so I was safisfied with that.



2. This book is an excellent tool for all fashion students, or those just interested in learning more about the #1 money making industry in the U.S. Information on topics ranging from textiles to merchandising to cosmetics to retailing, and so much more. Very detailed, lots of pictures, helpful internet resources, glossary, and also the authors list of her 100 top apparel designers starting at Adolfo, ending at Yohji Yamamoto. This book was very helpful to me when I took the class Introduction to Fashion Merchandising.



3. I am fortunate enough to have met Ms. Elaine Stone herself and find her style to be that of great elegance, sophistication, grace, and poshness. She is by far the most fashionable person I have yet to meet. Reading The Dynamics of Fashion as my textbook for my FM114 class I found it very informant and recommend it to everyone, even those who are not a student of fashion.



4. I am fortunate enough to have met Ms. Elaine Stone herself and find her style to be that of great elegance, sophistication, grace, and poshness. She is by far the most fashionable person I have yet to meet. Reading The Dynamics of Fashion as my textbook for my FM114 class I found it very informant and recommend it to everyone, even those who are not a student of fashion.

5 comments about Animation from Pencils to Pixels: Classical Techniques for the Digital Animator.

1. This book has a little bit of everything where animation is concerned. It has a lot of solid advice, though it can get wordy at times. This book touches on many concepts that other books go into with greater depth. You sort of follow the author through the production of his pet animated product, and the author teaches the principles of animation and animation production as we follow along, though the author himself admits many of the concepts he teaches on aren't even adhered to in his own production. If you are interested in animation and want to take a nosedive into this world, give this book a whirl. If you are truly seeking in-depth animation techniques, look elsewhere.



2. Wonderful! A current and deep book! A book that shows the whole technique of the contemporary animation. Written by one of the great names of the animation. It is a wonderful reference for everybody that love animation. Pretty!



3. I'm glad Mr Tony White wrote this book because in it he doesn't shy away from the fact that traditional 2D animation is an art superior to computer animation. He doesn't hit anyone over the head with that view. He doesn't have to; it makes itself known on nearly every page.
   
   As one who is utterly bored by the digital revolution I am glad there are still skilled men like Tony White out there showing us the fundamentals of an art that may (or may not) be on the verge of extinction. His first book, THE ANIMATOR'S WORKBOOK is a masterpiece, a work in a class by itself, and is one book that I wished I had had when I was still young. Had I had that book in my hands in my formative years I have little doubt that I would have made a career in animation. That fine book cannot be recommended too highly and every aspiring tradional animator should have it.
   
   This new book is excellent, too, in that it tries to keep the art of 2D alive while acknowledging the fundamentals of the current hot toy, 3D computer-based animation. For those in the 3D world who want to break away from the infantile and over-the-top productions currently in vogue and wish to bring back (if that is possible) some genuine art into this new animation realm this book will be a godsend. For many reasons this book is to be highly recommended. It shows again what a fine skill the author has, and it has inspired even me at this late stage in my life to begin to learn tradional animation. Buy it.
   
   If I have one gentle criticism to make regarding this excellent book, it would be that the authors and book editors need to know that the reading public is growing increasingly tired of reading "he or she" when simply "he" will do nicely. Have we not all now grown up enough to realize that women are not offended when the pronoun "he" is used only, and that it is totally unnecessary to include a "she" after every "he"? Gosh, I hope so.
   
   Lastly, the cd that was enclosed with the book included a delightful little production called "Endangered Species", Mr White's lament to an art being lost. On my copy the narration was recorded so low that I could not hear what was being spoken. Hopefully future editions will correct this problem.



4. I have studied animation for the last several years. I am a Flash designer specializing in E-learning in the Seattle market. I am not just a casual reader of this topic.
   
   Why I like this book. When you go to school for animation you have a lot of stuff thrown at you and no matter how good your notes are you can not remember it all. You need to refresh your skills. This book was not only good at that but also much more. It is a fun read, an interesting read.
   
   This book covers the complete process from picking up the pencil to marketing/distribution. Tony knows his stuff, he should he has been a professional animator for many years and you have probably seen his works. If you have seen the Pink Panther Strikes Again ("does your dog bite?") you have, he did all the animation for the film.
   
   Traditional animation is an art form and it seems like it is finally getting some of the respect it deserves. 3D is the rage these days, Pixel does an excellent job and nobody does it better, unfortunately there are more bad 3D feature films than good. Even Disney is hiring back some traditional animators and creating some old school, that's cool.
   
   If you want to learn animation pick up this book and The Illusion of Life and you will learn so very much. But the learning process also requires doing. Like the saying goes, "A dream and a number 2 pencil will take you anywhere".
   
   Keith Johnson
   Manager of the Seattle Flash User Group
   Flash Animator/ E-Learning Specialist



5. Lacking an understanding of traditional 2D animation skills is a complaint many times heard when talking with CG Animation studio employers. They'll tell you that plenty would-be animators know how to click the right button in the software, but far fewer understand the foundational concepts and principles of WHAT they're doing and WHY. If you're looking for a well-written title on the subject of applying classic animation techniques and principles to the digital world, 'Pencils to Pixels' is an excellent resource. Covering story development, the rules of filmmaking, the principles of animation, and an overview of creating 2D animation from start to finish, the book should fill in many of the 'gaps' new 3D animators possess simply due to not coming from a 2D traditional animation background.

No comments about Engineering Graphics w/AutoCAD 2008.

1 comments about Trees and Leaves CD-ROM and Book (Dover Electronic Clip Art).

1. I got a copy of this book/CD to have images for our wedding invitations and envelopes. I was more interested in leaves than trees and I think the book is stronger on trees, but there are many nice examples of both. The CD provides images in many formats and sizes (for print vs. web applications) and it worked out great. As usual Dover is pretty much the only company with anything like this and it's reasonably priced.

5 comments about Fashion Computing: Design Techniques And CAD.

1. This book was a huge disappointment. I am so lucky I purchased a different book to teach me Illustrator (Creative Fashion Design with Illustrator by Kevin Tallon). Tallons book actually has extensive step by step tutorials where Sandra Burke simply skims over her exercises.Many of her exercises don't even work corrently. One could never master Photoshop or Illustrator using this book.



2. Out of the 4 books that I have read so far teaching Adobe Illustrator this is the best - my graphics have improved immensely in the short time that I started using this book (and I'm only a third of the way through the book).
   
   The only downside is that with the update in Illustrator (CS 3) some of the instructions for Illustrator do not work and I have had to search through the Illustrator Help menus to download updated instructions.
   
   So the book needs a little updating, but generally I would recommend this book over others so far.



3. I have started using Illustrator software recently and this book have served a good support for flat sketching the garments for women,men and kidswear.Is also gives tips to prepare portfolio, but you already should know basics of how to use Illustrator programme. It is nicely illustrated book and one can get ideas. But again its a basic book and does not cover all the aspects of flat sketching.



4. Great book! Even if you are a complete beginner you will find this book an informative and useful resource. It gets you up and running quickly with really simple, step-by-step, illustrated techniques for fashion computing using current software.
   
   In my fashion design studio, we predominatly use CorelDraw, Illustrator and Photoshop, and found this book informative for each of these packages. It covers the basics - how to create flat drawings from vests, skirts, shirts, dresses to pants, and then moves on to producing mood and design boards, visualizing your design ideas using Photoshop. The section on creating a digital portfolio is also vital in todays digital world. Plus it covers womenswear, menswear and childrenswear.
   
   It is well illustrated with great examples of flats, illustrations and fashion presentations from illustrators and designers in the fashion industry and from top fashion schools and universities globally.



5. This book has great pictures of fashion illustrations and is helpful because it gives instructions for 3 different CAD platforms, but as far as giving explicite directions on "how to", I found it lacking in substance. It seems that the really great stuff in the book was still hand drawn,scanned in and manipulated a bit with Photoshop. If you are absolutely brand new to these programs and need help gettting started it might help you. For me, it will be more of a pretty book to look at once in a while rather than a reference for problem solving.

2 comments about Creating the Perfect Design Brief: How to Manage Design for Strategic Advantage.

1. I found this book after looking for a book that would help me in leading an in-house design firm at a non-profit. I think I instinctively knew some of the key principles in this book - however this book really spelled those out and gave me the tools to begin to implement them.
   
   Fundamentally the author's point is that designers must learn to deliver real value for the organization and in a language non-designers understand and appreciate. A well constructed design brief is the vehicle through which much of this can happen. As a result, "do you like it" is less likely to be the question we ask, rather it should be "does this solve a business problem".
   
   A simple but invaluable read, this book is designed for those of us who wrestle with the tension of leading designers who want space to be creative at the same time as we wrestle with "clients" who seemingly don't know what they want until they see the finished product - which of course they don't like.
   
   Well worth the read and highly recommended



2. This book was very helpful and precise. I work for digital media designers, so this book not only helped me improve my skills, but helped me look more professional. :)

5 comments about Gothic & Lolita Bible Volume 1.

1. I just recieved my Gothic & Lolita mook through the mail today! I jumped and squealed like a little girly when i saw the package waiting for me just outside my door. Well...i have to say i wasnt disappointed! The glossy cover and huge pages are really awesome-plus all the great articles and amazing pictures!XD Still i hope to see more skirt and blouse patterns instead of accessorie patterns in the future. So yeah-i'm totally in love when this mook! Really recommend it for all lolita lovers out there! :DDD



2. I agree with hikikomorihime's review - I bought this book hoping that there would be patterns for tops and skirts. There were just patterns for accessories. Most of the book is about the fashion and culture which you can find easily on the internet, but it's hard to find patterns on the internet. I plan to send Tokyopop some feedback and hopefully they will add better patterns in later issues. :-D If you sew and were expecting patterns, I suggest you do the same. Be nice though. ;-)
   
   Also, the description mentions that this book covers 4 volumes of the original Gothic & Lolita Bible, so the assumption is that this covers volumes 1 through 4. However it doesn't - it covers volumes 15, 16, 21, and 23. That makes sense since they wouldn't want to give us dated fashion information. I just thought I'd mention that in case you were expecting translations of 1 through 4.



3. Really, my biggest problem is that they condensed so many of the mooks into this one, but only included a few accessory patterns, and none of the "how-to" craft/clothing mod instructions. Really, they wouldn't have to include full patterns, they could easily just dedicate a few pages to printed Japanese words commonly used in Japanese patterns and craft instructions, along with the English definitions. At that point, we could just locate the words, and figure out on our own what to do with our original mooks. Of course... that still wouldn't be of much help to those who just discover it, and want the dress patterns, the aprons, the pinafores, etc. Still, I'm hoping that they'll make that change in a future translated mook, if not at least host something of the sort on their site.



4. Wow! The photos of the girls in their Gothic and Lolita fashions are incredible. It was neat to see how the style varies from individual to individual. I only had a broad idea of what Gothic and Lolita fashion was prior to getting this magazine. Both the photos and interviews with girls gave me a more in depth understanding. I enjoyed the article about Japan rock star Nana Kitade. I also had no idea how cutting edge Japan was in the fashion world. I will definitely be buying them every month!



5. i have been waiting soo long for this to come out in English! i had expected so much but they were all blown away.. thank you soo much.

5 comments about Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons; Revised and Updated (Plume Books).

1. I purchased this book for a class, it was the textbook we used. It was interesting and seemed to encompass a fair amount of history. I do wish he'd expanded more on the history of computer animation, but it's pretty extensive in and of itself.



2. The book I ordered was in perfect condition and delivery right away. I got it about half the amount of business days I was supposed to get it. Plus the book isn't mind-numbing to read as it's about the coolest subject ever.



3. When I think of the history of animation, I tend to divide things into three periods: The Golden Age, noted for early Warner Brothers cartoons and the classic Disney movies such as Snow White and Fantasia; The Age of Mediocrity, where creativity seemed to reach its nadir, as seen most notably in the bland Hanna Barbera cartoons; and the Modern Era, with the resurgence in cartoon creativity, which, starting with The Little Mermaid in the movies and the Simpsons on TV, animation reached a new level of popularity and respectability. Leonard Maltin's book, Of Mice and Magic, shows that my own view of cartoon history is roughly correct but also overly simple: there was plenty of mediocrity in the Golden Age and plenty of decent stuff in the Age of Mediocrity.
   
   Maltin starts off with a chapter about the silent era, when animation was just beginning. Over time, experience would refine the process, but the big leap would occur with sound, in particular with Walt Disney's Steamboat Willie featuring Mickey Mouse. After the silent era chapter, there are chapters that serve as "biographies" of the major animation studios, starting with the biggest of them all, Disney.
   
   The Disney characters are among the most popular in cartoon history (or film history in general). Mickey Mouse may have been the biggest name, but he didn't have much of a personality, so he started being pushed aside in favor of more developed characters, especially Donald Duck, the first major Disney character with any sort of edge. In fact, this is a constant theme in the book: that the weakest cartoons from any studio were the ones that featured characters with no distinct personalities.
   
   Success would often come with the most offbeat and edgy characters, such as Donald Duck, Bugs Bunny, Popeye and Daffy Duck. But some of the studios had a mercenary nature that would put quantity ahead of quality; probably the worst in the bunch was Terrytoons where good cartoons were the exception, not the rule. Although even Terrytoons would have some memorable characters - in particular, Mighty Mouse and Heckle & Jeckle - even many of the cartoons featuring them were not very good (which is why in the world of cartoons, the Terrytoons characters will never outshine even some of the Disney or Warner Brothers second-stringers).
   
   Space limitations prevent me from going as in depth on this subject as I would like, but suffice it to say that after reading this book, I still do feel justified in defining an Age of Mediocrity. It was not that every cartoon in that period was bad, but the good ones were few and far between and classics were very rare indeed. The Age of Mediocrity was filled with bland cartoons that were more cute than funny, often repeated the same gags over and over again, and had few remarkable characters.
   
   What about what I call the Modern Age? It would have started right after this edition of the book was published (1987), so it is understandably, but sadly omitted. Also missing is any real look at TV cartoons, so Bullwinkle, Underdog, Yogi Bear and the Super Friends, among others, are only mentioned in passing. Maltin admits up front that this book won't cover these TV cartoons, nor non-American products, hence the omission of international fare such as the Italian Fantasia-like movie, Allegro non troppo.
   
   The strengths of this book, however, far outweigh the shortcomings. While my opinions sometimes differ from Maltin's on the quality of various cartoons, these are a matter of individual taste (overall, he tends to go easier on the films than I do; for example, he has a more favorable opinion on the UPA cartoons than I do); besides, this book is more of a history of cartoons than a critique of them. In addition to good writing, we gets lots of pictures (only a few in color) and an extensive filmography for all the chronicled cartoon studios.
   
   You probably need to be a certain age (probably at least 30) to fully appreciate this book, as younger readers may not have really grown up with these cartoons and may not have even seen them as adults (and since many of these cartoons were geared only to kids, they would not even have much appeal to those over 10). But if you remember these cartoons and look back at them with fond nostalgia, this is a great book.



4. I found this book to be an excellent reference source for cartoons produced to be shown in theaters. However, entitling it "A History of American Animated Cartoons" is not exactly truth in advertising. I think most people (except for perhaps some obsessive purists) would agree that the cartoons produced for television from the 40/50's onward would also be considered American Animated Cartoons. But none of these great cartoons (i.e., Gumby, Beany and Cecil, Clutch Cargo, Hanna-Barbara's Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, Pixie & Dixie, and others through the present) are included here in any detail. Also missing from the appendices of studio output are the more obscure products like Warner's Private Snafu and other animation produced for corporate clients. Mr Maltin would do cartoon lovers well by commissioning a second volume to complete the story.



5. Leonard Maltin has a real knowledge of animation and his passion and enthusiasm for cartoons is apparent. The book traces animation from its beginnings at the turn of the century up to modern day. Extensive coverage is provided to all the major cartoon studios and many of the key directors. The illustrations are excellent. Maltin provides a fair amount of detail but not too much to overwhelm the casual fan. Anyone interested in the history of animation or just wants information on which films to see is well advised to pick up this very well written book.

4 comments about Design Essential Index (Kit).

1. The Design Essential Kit contains three books that look really great and have many, many examples to give you good ideas making (better) designs.



2. Both my daughter (a regional marketing analyst) and I (a high school graphics design teacher) share several of the Jim Krause texts, and we are very satisfied using them as think-tank references.



3. This is the second book set I bought from this author and I've enjoyed them both. This set contains the updated book of color along with two others. Great reference books and fun to flip through.



4. As a budding designer, this series of books is a jolt of stimulating air!
   No bewildering and incomplete tutorials, just inspiring visual stuff.
   Jim is such a brilliant communicator and artistic mind that one cannot help but be totally seduced and informed by his vivid passion.
   Simple and pure creative sparks here...