5 comments about The Bible of Illuminated Letters: A Treasury of Decorative Calligraphy (Quarto Book).

1. Excellent from the beginning to the end. I used it for a class for Seniors, everyone was impressed with the knowledge, many ordered this book for future reference.



2. There's little question that this is a beautifully produced book, and a delight to flip through. Just fine, if this were marketed as a coffee-table book. The product description is quite misleading, however, giving the impression that the book contains step-by-step instructions that anyone could follow. However, completing the projects as described requires not only a sizable investment in various paints, inks, tools and other materials (vellum and gold leaf are two examples) but also the skilled hand of a fairly well-accomplished painter. Moreover, each chapter showcases only one letter from the alphabet covered in a step-by-step, color format; the rest of the alphabet is printed in small, black-and-white renditions, with little or no guidance regarding colorschemes, etc. Overall, this book reads like the pet project of a collection of affluent artists in this genre, concerned primarily with showboating and of the opinion that few buyers of the book will ever use it as anything more than...like I said earlier...a coffee-table book.



3. I have a couple of books on illuminated letters, but this one is the book I reach for first.
   
   It is ABSOLUTELY gorgeous!
   
   It is produced by the "Barron's" company [which also publishes "The Calligrapher's Bible" by David Harris], and they know how to publish calligraphy books - their books are SPIRAL-BOUND so that they lay flat when you are using them, and every detail has been thought of and included.
   
   Just the cover alone is beautiful, but once you open the book it is evident that the author and publisher are truly on the "same page". Illustrations on every page. Gold ink where it belongs. Color everywhere.
   
   Gorgeous!
   
   But that's not the end of it ...
   
   Chapter 1 : Tools & Techniques
   Chapter 2 : Preparing to Work
   Chapter 3 : Alphabet Directory (including "Borders & Motifs")
   Chapter 4 : Contemporary Gallery (examples of actual work by artists!)
   Glossary
   Resources
   Calligraphy Societies
   Further Reading
   Index
   
   I can't gush on about this book enough. If you are interested in calligraphy (especially illuminated letters) then DEFINITELY add this to your collection!



4. As a struggling illuminator and scribe for the SCA, I find this book to be a teacher when I need one and a great beginner to advanced book for callig and especially illumination. Due to time constraints and the fact that I am a willing, but poor (in talent) paint and ink artist, I haven't spent much time in art classes. This book has helped me get through more than a few hurdles I have had and inspires me to do more. This book was well worth the money and I would highly recommend it to others.



5. This is my favorite illumination book and I have many. As a scribe in training in the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism), I am learning all the facets of calligraphy and illumination. This book is the one I refer to the most. I have purchased copies for friends and recommend it highly. It has detailed step by step instructions from painting to gilding. It is easy to read and has beautifully illustrated images.

No comments about Latin American Graphic Design.

5 comments about Clothes and the Man: The Principles of Fine Men's Dress.

1. WHEN A MAN GETS TO A POINT WHERE THEY DON'T WANT TO LOOK TRENDY ANYMORE,AND START TO FOCUS ON QUALITY AND STYLE, THIS IS THE REFERENCE BOOK TO READ AND OWN,TEACHES YOU HOW TO TIE A BOWTIE AND SEVERAL TIE KNOTS,ALSO COVERS WHAT SHIRT COLLAR FITS YOUR FACE,THIS IS A UNIVERSAL REFERENCE BOOK FOR FINE DRESSING......



2. If you could buy only one book to have as a reference on men's clothes, this would be it!! If you are choosing between this book and A.F.'s "updated" later version, get this one. The updated one has less information and also a questionable section on modern casual wear. The book's illustrations are excellently clear, and it is a great learning and reference tool.



3. This is a quick, one-day read, but a lifetime keeper for reference.
   
   Mr. Flusser covers all the essentials in detail: suit coats; suit trousers; sport coats; blazers; dress shirts; neckties; handkerchiefs; hose (socks); shoes; hats; and jewelery.
   
   He covers sportswear such as cable-knit pullover sweaters and cardigans very briefly.
   
   Mr. Flusser asserts the lines, look, and feel of all fine mens wear can be traced to the timespan of the 1930s - 1950s. This was the Golden Age of Hollywood when men dressed well (Cary Grant; Fred Astaire; Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.; Adolph Menjou; and England's Edward, Prince of Wales). Mr. Flusser's point is that if you want a suit that will not be out of date in five or ten years, ensure it is grounded in 1930s - 1950s style, with emphasis on the 1930s.
   
   The only thing I disagreed with in the entire book was his reverence for the four-in-hand necktie knot in all settings. This knot is asymmetrical and does not belong in the boardroom or office. It is a knot that is to be worn casually to a club or in some other social setting. The Windsor or Half Windsor should be worn to the office.
   
   This is somewhat a digression, but there is more to fine dressing than just the fabric against your body, or the leather upon your feet. Care must be taken to groom the hair inside your nose, so that it does not protrude outward. The hair on and in the ear must be cut. Nothing looks worse than looking at a man in fine clothes and seeing he has a thick patch of hair growing out of each ear cavity. Andy Rooney eyebrows are also verboten. Hair, beards, moustaches, eyebrows, ears, nose, teeth...all of these must be groomed/maintained properly to accentuate the look of fine clothes. Without these grooming basics in place, no suit is going to make you look good. Mr. Flusser elected not to cover grooming as essential to the "total package," yet he devoted many areas of the book to items that were not strictly related to clothing. I feel it was a mistake to neglect grooming.
   
   Clothes and the Man is now 21 years old. It is as relevant now as when it was written. This book is a timeless masterpiece, fully deserving five stars.



4. I have Dressing the man which is almost as good. Clothes and the man was the first book I bought on mens clothing just as I was starting out on my own 14 years ago and I am glad I did..
   Flusser taught me everything I know about clothes and then some. This book is well wiritten with practical advice on how a man should dress.



5. I've now read several highly recommended books on men's style. This book is the best out of all of them. In my opinion 'Clothes and the Man' is a little better than Flusser's more well-known 'Dressing the Man' (seen stacked in Ralph Lauren stores). 'Clothes and the Man' delves deeper into the subject laying out specific guidelines to build season-specific wardrobes. Unfortunately the book is out of print now...fairly easy to find on the net though!

5 comments about World Of Warcraft: The Art Of The Trading Card Game (World of Warcraft).

1. I am another person who bought this book who doesn't even play Warcraft but is just a lover of Fantasy art. I've always loved the Warcraft universe, which seemed like an expansion of/variation on the fantasy universe first created by Tolkien.
   
   When I got this book I was surprised by just what a hefty volume this is. This is a very thick book printed on the finest quality heavy-duty stock.
   
   Not only did this book live up to my expectations, but I found that the great variety of styles and artists included has also helped me to clarify my own tastes in Fantasy art, and has even introduced me to some great new artists I had never heard of before.
   
   The spectrum includes everything from the breathtaking photo-like hyper-realism of Clint Langely (check out his great new solo book "The Art of Clint Langely" by the way!), to the brilliant use of colour in the works of Jim Murray (very Bisley-esque) and Michael Komarck, to well-established artists like Todd McFarlane (--why are both of the pieces credited to him signed as "Greg Capullo"???) and Udon Studios, to the cartoony cuteness of the works of the book's editor Samwise Didier (sorry Samwise, but just gotta say YECH~!)
   
   It was also interesting observing the differences in the variety of mediums used (--I found I preferred good ol' non-digital art.) And a few pieces of preliminary sketches are also included to give us a brief taste of the process from concept to finished work (In some cases I found I liked the initial sketch better than the finished product. Samwise Didier, you ninny, what were you thinking? [...])
   
   The book is organized into sections according to Warhammer race of the subject of the painting. And in the back it also includes indexes of the works by title and by artist, making it easy to look up other works by an artist you may find you particularly like.
   
   I am happy to highly recommend this book, and look forward to further volumes in this series (this book says "Volume 1" on it, hooboy!). I really feel like I got my money's worth with this one. Well done people!
   
   And to all you publishers out there, I hope that other series of trading card art will be made into beautiful art books like this. (--Hear that Wizards of the Coast?) It's such a waste just having it on those tiny little cards. It deserves to be enjoyed properly like this!
   
   And to you people over at Blizzard, how about some art books for Diablo and Starcraft too? I love them too!



2. I bought this as a gift. The person who received it just loves the book. He really enjoy the art work. So if you need a gift for someone who plays world of warcraft I'd recommend it as a good gift.



3. This is a wonderful book, and any fan of fantasy art, or Warcraft, would absolutely love it, I've had it for over a month, and i still open it up and just stare at some of the wonderful artwork. Just buy it, you won't be disappointed.



4. I am not a World of Warcraft gamer, but the beautiful art in this book drew me to it the moment I saw it on the shelf in my local book store. This book is filled with page after page of gorgeous renditions of highly stylized creatures and monsters that entrance the viewer. Discovering some of these artists for the first time was a treat for me, so much so, that I had to go online to find out more about some of them. This is a wonderful book with some great art in it. I highly recommend it for both WoW gamers and non-gamers alike!



5. I was looking for the perfect book to display the beautiful works of art I had seen in the world of warcraft franchise. This book certainly delivered. There is nothing low quality about this book. It included many of the pictures I'd already seen on the internet and many beautiful paintings I had never seen before. I'll let each buyer see for themselves, but the book is organized in a very simple and interesting way. It is so full of paintings, even after a month, I can look through and find a painting I'd never noticed before, and as an amateur artist, I find plenty of inspiration. A valuable book for any fan of warcraft or fan of fantasy art.

No comments about From Image to Stitch.

5 comments about Animals: 1,419 Copyright-Free Illustrations of Mammals, Birds, Fish, Insects, etc. (Dover Pictorial Archives).

1. This book has the most awesome animal drawings I have ever seen. The fact that they are wood engravings is more than remarkable!



2. A present for my daughter-in-law and the illustrations were incredible. She is an artist and will make good use of this book.



3. Wow - the enormous numbers of animal life is astounding and the book clearly shows this. Unfortunately the images are quite dark and the book is very thick (you get your money's worth - image-wise), so scanning them for use in various artistic media is difficult. Therefore, I bought two of the books and plan to cut one of them up (that hurts to say for I treasure books of all types). This way I can control the scanning and modification using software to bring out details and highlight an image to my satisfaction. And finally, the classic images are impressive and I applaud the author for his selection of animals from all realms of life on earth.



4. Used several of these drawings in projects. Books like this are great for those of us designers who aren't the best freehand drawers.



5. This is just packed full of brilliant illustrations of birds frogs fish girafee spiders butterflies you name it , throughly recommended for any one who loves botanical illustrations or engravings , really good source material for artists or designers.very nice book but rember it is a paper back not that that matters to me.

5 comments about Graffiti Women: Street Art from Five Continents.

1. A must have for any art lover! If you are interested I recommend you to start first with the "Graffiti World: Street Art From Five Continents" book from the same author.



2. Street artist/fine artist Nicholas Ganz, author of Graffiti World, offers urban art enthusiasts a second round of exceptional research and art compilation, this time concentrating on the pioneering contributions of women to contemporary graffiti writing and artwork. Having always been a part of the street art front lines, female graffitisans are typically overshadowed by the men in the ranks due to sheer numbers rather than any lack of innovation or talent. Ganz, along with author Nancy Macdonald and co-conspirator Swoon have produced an exhaustive narrative that tells the intricate story of graffiti writing women. Included are the artist's personal stories and their insights into the male-dominated urban art world.
   
   The Ganz collection, like his earlier work, promotes the efforts of praiseworthy, marginalized artists. In the case of Graffiti World that marginalization occurred as a result of the art form itself. In Graffiti Women, it's not the "second-best", urban artist that is lauded but the women who are graffiti writers that receive the exhaustive and well-deserved coverage. Although the author's intent is not to be divisive, it is unfortunate that our cultural approach to acknowledging one another centers around labeling people as either "blank" or "female blank". In Three Artists: (Three Women), Anne Middleton wrote:
   
   To identify an artist this way, as a woman, has never been a merely parenthetical remark. The qualification has customarily been offered as a limit to, rather than a guarantee of, suitability for the artist's role - with mostly irritating results for the artists themselves. (2)
   
   Nicholas Ganz does a unparalleled job of describing the contribution of almost two hundred women who work in the urban art genre. His book will continue as a permanent part of my small but well-loved collection and I will continue to wonder whether the world is best served by keeping the commendation of exemplary women separate from that of men.



3. This is just like graff world book, chronicling the movement into other areas of the world. This is the same, but for women in graff.



4. Graffiti Women is a great book for either the collector, or the first time buyer of street art, also this edition comes with a dust jacket that is also a fold-out poster of art within the book!
   Never before has there been a better compiled book on Women artists from right around the world, also includes background and history of Artists.



5. Great pics of graffiti by women. Bought as gift for my son and he LOVES this book...says every time he looks at it he sees something new. Can't put it down.

3 comments about From Pencil To Pen Tool: Understanding and Creating The Digital Fashion Image.

1. This book is obsolete the croqui is not proportioned and you never culd used in the industrie or for any job.



2. The text, as the previous reviewer writes, is excellent. I love the preliminary chapters for content and ability to communicate various concepts of fashion thinking. However, in the tutorials there are enough missing or unclear steps to frustrate someone attempting to learn new software. It would be helpful if the reader/user has previous familiarity with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop in order to work past these issues. Needless to say, the text components that integrate Illustrator and Photoshop tools are quite helpful and promote realistic ways to use the software applications together. I am pleased with the text, but do look forward to a second edition.



3. Very insightful, very useful, easy to understand. Totally worth the money.

3 comments about Design Secrets: Products 2: 50 Real-Life Product Design Projects Uncovered (Design Secrets).

1. Got this as a birthday present for my fiance (who is studying industrial / product design), and he loves it. It takes you step-by-step through the design process, and includes pictures/illustrations. It includes a variety of products (from kitchen products to snowboarding products), which he appreciated.



2. I was actually looking for a book to help me with my portfolio development... though it doesn't cover rendering techniques (it doesn't claim to) this book actually gives you such a clear idea of the entire design process, there are hardly any doubts left in your head after that. and it's so well written... oh and the pictures! they are just fantastic. This book is the second in the design secrets - products series... so it is very up to date and covers very recent products. I recommend this to anyone, not just aspiring designers, if products in general interest you. you'll never look at anything you buy the same way! it's just a brilliant book. and as for anyone looking to pursue design, you NEED it. if its too expensive for you, at least get a used copy!



3. I recently purchased this book for one of my design drawing classes. The teacher had specifically asked us to find examples of product design sketches. After looking everywhere for books on the subject this one turned out to be the most up-to-date in terms of techniques and the most complete. I also think it's a great reference book and gives a good overview of the product design process. I recently purchased this book for one of my design drawing classes. The teacher had specifically asked us to find examples of product design sketches. After looking everywhere for books on the subject this one turned out to be the most up-to-date in terms of techniques and the most complete. I also think it's a great reference book and gives a good overview of the product design process.

5 comments about Art Forms in Nature (Dover Pictorial Archives).

1. I have to say that out of all the books I own,this one is my favorite.If you are an artist,in any media,and have a love for the beauty in geometry in natural forms,this book is a keeper.



2. Though the images are stunning...I thought some would be in color. Not full color...but a monotone or duotone...not just black and white.
   
   My professor had this book, but the images were monotones and duotones. So I am dissapointed. I guess I ordered the wrong one, but I really didnt have other choices. hmm.



3. Depending on what you are purchasing this book for...my interest was for fiber art work which it fits the bill totally. The drawings from Mr. Haeckel are superb. I only wish they were in color...which you can purchase the more expensive color plate book. But still this is quite worth the money.



4. I recommend a different version of this book, also sold on Amazon - link below. I am not sure if it contains the same set of illustrations, but many of the illos are in color, and it includes a CD containing all the pics from the book.
   
   [...]



5. great book to just stare at. the amazing part is that it's real.