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. :)

3 comments about The Big Book of New Design Ideas (Big Book (Collins Design)).

1. There is some good stuff in here, but I think most of it looks pretty dated to me.
   Your mileage/opinion may vary.



2. A great companion book to Carter's book on color in design. Lots of great ideas and I love the flip book layout which makes it easy to find what you are looking for.



3. I am a design teacher - and like to fill my presentations of real-life work that parallels my classes. Excellent source of scanning material, and gives you the exact colors.

5 comments about The Shape of Content (The Charles Eliot Norton Lectures).

1. What's good about this book is that it defines art and discusses what it should be. Shahn says art is conventional and noncomformist, and it should be objective and subjective. The definition of art is the key point I found useful. I did, however, think that he could've kept it a little shorter. He digresses a lot. It's still a quick read (131pgs). I recommend this book to artists, whether writer, painter, etc., who are having trouble finding subject matter to depict or are unsure about what appeals to audiences.



2. This book was dull and I would not recommend it to someone who is not a fan of Ben Shahn and his work.



3. This book is one of the clearest explanations of the creative process of an artist available anywhere. Shahn speaks of painting, of course, but his lucid, interesting text, his ideas and explorations, apply to artists in any field. Highly recommended.



4. Ben Shan's "The Shape of Content" in many ways truly defines the thinking of artists in a time that might be considered the height of modern american painting and art. It is an enormously human and genuine dialogue on art of the fifties. Few books so clearly establish how and why one becomes an artist. It is written with soul, intelligence, and great humanism while totally avoiding the sophistry of the critics and journalists writing about art at that time in American society. A great book!



5. Based on a series of six lectures given by Shahn at Harvard University in the 1950's, this collection gives an overview of Shahn's ideas and opinions on such topics as the education of artists, the creative process, the nonconformity of artists, and appraisals of various modern art movements and artists. Shahn is a surprisingly gifted writer. His arguments are clearly reasoned and his tone is that of an art historian or philosopher. At the same time, the book is an intimate look at Shahn the artist. It is illustrated with numerous pen and ink sketches by Shahn

4 comments about Don Bluth's Art Of Storyboard.

1. Admittedly, I was drawn to the book (no pun intended) from the many hours I spent as a child playing the animated game, Dragon's Lair. The book is great for the examples that it provides from Bluth's studio animations -video games and feature film animations. It provides great insight into the process, although you can tell that it is a little dated in technique (computer references are a little lean). But the drawings, pages and pages of storyboards, and the transcripts from pre-production conversations are invaluable for providing creative insight. I would highly recommend this book to accompany other materials on the storyboarding process (such as Storyboarding Design Course by Giuseppe Cristiano). This is a great book and a has a wealth of content.Don Bluth's Art Of Storyboard



2. "Don Bluth's Art Of Storyboard" is a great "crash-course" for those interested in storyboarding. I loved the references to musical tempo as well as the commentary on the boards of past Bluth films.
   
   The storyboards for "The Secret Of NIMH" are covered in detail, and are among the most beautifully staged boards I've seen! Bluth (and crew) used pen and grey markers to convincingly portray texture, perspective, and relatively sophisticated lighting (personally, markers and I never got along, so I can appreciate the difficulty level). Many cinematography and acting cues seen in other, more technical books are cleverly and entertainingly utilized in the storyboards of films like "NIMH", "All Dogs Go To Heaven" and "Anastasia".
   
   Overall I'd say this is an excellent tool for beginners. It can also be a great gift for the experienced story artist who just happens to be a Don Bluth fan...



3. Very helpful book on stroyboarding from the master himself Don Bluth. Really enjoyable and fast read.



4. I think this is a decent overview of the storyboarding process. OF course each of his subjects could require a college-level class and large book to seriously cover, but I appreciate Bluth's perspective on what he views as the signficant elements of the workflow and his explanation of why they are important.

4 comments about 4000 Animal, Bird and Fish Motifs: A Sourcebook.

1. My wife asked for this for her birthday. She absolutely loves it. So much so that we recently purchased 6 more as gifts for her friends in different crafting groups. She insists that 4000 Animal, Bird and Fish Motifs has inspired her with tons of quilting/craft ideas. This book is a great gift. We also purchased the other 4000 book of Flowers.
   
   Sam Hendricks, author of "Fantasy Football Guidebook: Your Comrehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football" and "Fantasy Football Almanac"



2. This book is amazing. It is very organized and full of various types of animals from different cultures. A lot of them are recognizable and some are new to me. This a book any artist should have.



3. There is, indeed, an encyclopedic amount of creatures in this book, all arranged ark-like by kind; that is, fish are together, birds together, and etc. The images are in black and white making them very usable for a variety of arts and crafts. The images also come from many sources, both historical and geographic. This is a useful collection for artists and a great reference for those interested in the history of image. The only improvement I can think of is in terms of usability: a spiral binding would have been welcome. Recommended.



4. This is an excellent publication for craftspeople, artists and teachers of all artforms. The beautifully presented fauna motifs of all our major art "epochs" will not fail to inspire. I have recommended this book to other artist friends who have also purchased it.

5 comments about Little Nemo: 1905-1914 (Evergreen).

1. After having only had the opportunity to read a handful of Little Nemo strips in the Smithsonian Collection of Newspaper Comics (another great book), I was happy to find that this was available. Even though the size of the pages are smaller than the original newspaper prints, I think this collection is definitely worth it, particularly since it's a fair price for so much material.



2. I discovered Winsor McCay only 2-3 months ago when reading the Sunday book review supplement in the San Francisco Chronicle. The column was about several different books and authors, however one of them was about the recently (July 2007) published Dream of the Rarebit Fiend (complete), edited, published, masterminded, etc. by the German Ulrich Merkl. I probably wouldn't have noticed the review but for a graphic showing several of McCay's sketches. It turns out that they were from the front cover of Merkle's book. They are, of course, illustrations from McCay's Dream of the Rarebit Fiend series. I was immediately taken with McCay's obvious genius and I immediately looked up McCay at my local library and checked out a copy of Little Nemo in Slumberland, the "Best of..." book edited by Richard Marschall. I was highly impressed by this and looked online and bought this Taschen/Evergreen version and at the same time the inexpensive but very nice reprint of the 1905 book published by Frederick A. Stokes of early Dream of the Rarebit Fiend strips.
   
   The Taschen/Evergreen (the book reviewed here), it turns out, has renderings of Little Nemo in Slumberland that are evidently taken from the same source as those in the Richard Marschall book I just referred to. The colors and even the occasional imperfections are the same, as well as the size. This volume, however, has many more episodes, over 400, probably. The Marschall has a few that are not in this, but they appear to be mainly late (after 1920) episodes, and are generally not up to the quality of the earlier work.
   
   Looking at the reviews of the Peter Maresca 2005 version of Little Nemo in Slumberland ("So Many Splendid Sundays"), I was highly impressed and I discovered that my library had a copy, and of course I checked it out. The full size presentation and superior production was so astonishing that I decided to buy a copy of my own, and it arrived yesterday. I'm still glad I have the Taschen/Evergreen because it has more than three times as many episodes as the Maresca (which has about 110 episodes) and it's nice to have that for continuity (there are often serial runs of episodes). This book is adequate to get the stories and conveys a lot of the majesty and McCay's genius, but having seen the Maresca it's hard to be satisfied with the 2:1 reduction and the inferior colors. They are certainly OK, but the Maresca is breathtaking.



3. This book is the quintessential collection of Winsor McCay's "Little Nemo" Sunday strips. Every single page is lovingly reproduced herein, guaranteed to delight the devotee and novice alike. I cannot and will not try to expound on the oft-repeated acknowledgment of McCay's brilliance. The focus here is the completeness of this compilation. It's all here, in one handy volume for all to see and be dazzled by. The only thing that could have been better would be full-sized reproductions (hint, hint). My thanks to the editors and everyone else who brought it into reality!



4. This is an excellent collection to own.
   
   The visuals in Little Nemo are excellent, leaps and bounds above what most filmmakers can do, even with technology and money.
   
   And Little Nemo was probably one of the ten most important comic strips of the early part of the 20th century.
   
   And this is a reasonably affordable edition that contains all (or at least claims to contain all) of the strip.
   
   That being said, I'm not sure that Little Nemo is really something that would hold the interest of a lot of contemporary readers, comic and otherwise. This was kind of a hard thing for me to write because it is an important work in terms of comic history.
   
   If you do plan on buying this, think of it as a reference book or a picture book (when I bought this at the comic store, the employee said it really existed solely for the art and, history aside, I'm not entirely sure I disagree with him). It is incredibly useful in that regard. In terms of an actual plot or characterization, don't really go in with high expectations. This is an attractive volume worth having on a shelf and consulting every few months but it isn't something that you are probably not going to read cover to cover.
   
   Little Nemo has little to speak of in terms of plot or characterization. And, like the Walt and Skeezix collection, racial stereotypes come in occasionally, something that would probably have flown in 1905-1914 but something that is unacceptable now (though I regret that the dislike of such things often comes at the expense of a reasoned view of the historical context).
   
   And I really wish that I could give this a better review due to its historical importance. Overall, it gets three stars but with a qualifier of some kind.



5. Little Nemo in Slumberland was introduced to America over a century ago, and these pages still have the power to astonish and touch anyone that reads them. The utter timelessness of this strip, both in artwork and vision, is the kind of testament to genius that very few graphic artists ever receive. Winsor McCay was such a genius and his major work, Little Nemo in Slumberland, is a vastly rich exploration of human dreams.
   
   What is it about Little Nemo that was so special? First and foremost, we have the pure draftsmanship of Winsor McCay. The man could (and with his imagination, often did) draw anything. Where a great deal of comic art from the time was somewhat static and stiff, McCay's figures had fluidity. His characters seemed to be caught in motion, captured in very difficult angles and postures to draw. McCay handled it all with incredible ease. When McCay drew Little Nemo climbing over a wall, it captured perfectly the struggle of a nine-year-old boy, fighting both his own small size and his pajamas. The man had a sense of perspective and composition that was nearly superhuman. He could portray an entire make-believe city, with shimmering towers and distant castles, in a single panel and give it a quality of detail and depth that barely seems possible.
   
   Secondly, of course, was the breadth of McCay's imagination. Sometimes little Nemo dreamt beautiful fantasies, sometimes disturbing nightmares (Nemo's journey toward Slumberland at times resembled Dante's journey through the nine circles). Suffice to say that the details of these dreams are simply mind expanding. One can only imagine the impression they made on a 1905 comic strip reader.
   
   Lastly, and for me most importantly, was the character of Nemo. McCay's portrayal of a six year old boy was completely spot on and timeless. Anyone that has ever had a boy child will instantly see their own son in Nemo, and this superb characterization was done more visually than with text or dialogue (if this doesn't make sense, have a look at the strip to see what I mean. Nemo's very posture suggests all the heartbreaking vulnerability and innocence of a young child). There is a subtle and complete sweetness that underlies the entire work that makes it emotionally memorable and captivating. The staggering beauty of McCay's panels often overshadows the fact that Nemo was nearly always the terrorized victim of his dreams. Yet no matter how hostile and threatening his dream world became, he never responded with anything but trust and hope (amazingly, this quality never seemed sentimental but always rang true - such was the power of McCay's art). It is the kind of work that has a place in both your heart and your mind.
   
   This is a very affordable and worthwhile edition of McCay's historic series. The colors are well reproduced, the paper stock is excellent, and the binding is superb. Lovers of the graphic arts should be very grateful to Evergreen for producing this well-done and reasonably priced book. I highly recommend it. ---Mykal Banta

3 comments about The Complete Etchings of Rembrandt: Reproduced in Original Size.

1. We first saw this book as a reference source in an art gallery that was selling original Rembrandt etchings. The book provides an explanation of how the etchings were produced and provides photos of all (found) Rembrandt etchings in their original sizes. Since we were not very familiar with Rembrandt's etchings or with the differences in the appearance of originals produced later using the same plates, this book helped provide us with a means to evaluate the ones being sold at the gallery.
   The book is also priced well and makes a great coffee table book.



2. Rembrandt didn't invent etching, but he very nearly reinvented it. He did more with mixed processes, especially drypoint and etching, than anyone before him. He was also among the first to use etching as a drawing medium, giving it a freedom it had never had before.
   
   One distinctive feature of this book is that each print is reproduced full size. That gives the viewer unique insight into each work - was it small enough to fit the hand, or so big it had to be worked on a bench or table? Just how fine was that texture of lines? Even the biggest prints are presented full size, in a set of oversized sheets that come with the book.
   
   Probably hundreds of authors have written about Rembrandt's art, especially his drawing and etchings. I don't have much to add except what I personally have learned from his work. As well as light and dark, Rembrandt modulates a picture in levels of detail. Look at B76, for example, "Christ presented to the people." The central figures have expression and nuance. Outliers, like those towards lower left are barely sketched in. It's a fascinating way for the artist to guide the viewer's attention.
   
   One author (I forget who) was asked to name the finest printmaker of all time. He started by eliminating Rembrandt, on the grounds that this master went so far past any mortal skill that he was outside of merely human history. This book shows just where that claim came from.
   
   //wiredweird



3. Although budget-priced, this edition is a winner, in my opinion. All of Rembrandt's etchings are reproduced on a heavy-stock paper that is of the proper degree of shine necessary to bring out the full, crisp nuances of the etchings. The result are vividly life-like etchings that show all their intricate details. Faces and people come alive, almost jumping out of the page. The Dover people were right in thinking that only a shiny, heavy-stock paper could bring out the full details of the etchings, to create reproductions that are as closely realistic as the original impressions. Also, almost all of the impressions seem of the proper degree of sharpness and darkness necessary to bring out their details. My only problem is that the book is somewhat heavy and bulky, but this is the price to pay for the heavy-stock paper needed for excellent reproductions, each of the same size as the originals. There are also some extra inserts in the book that reproduce in full size several etchings that are too big to fit life-size within the dimensions of the book. The inclusion of these inserts is considerate on the part of the authors, showing their dedication to bringing out the full artistry of the etchings, and ensuring that the common budget book-buyer has full access to these etchings in their most vivid, almost museum-like form.

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.

5 comments about Brian Froud's World of Faerie.

1. I purchased this book for a gift and was very disappointed that it didn't look like the book advertised. It was missing the paper jacket cover with the faerie holding the mask. Is there anyway I can get the original cover for this beautiful book?



2. If you like Brian Froud, this is a must for your collection. Here we have a welcome return to the magical lands that only Froud has the gifts to take us to. The production values of this edition are first rate, the colours are rich and the subject matter alone justifies the oversized format. The added mini-books within the book are a special surprise, showing just how individual and innovative volumes of this genre can be. If you have been following Froud's work for some years (like I have) you may notice some of his earlier works from other publishers reprinted here, personally I don't mind, this collection is of higher quality and should hold up better over time. So sit back, grab a nice cup of tea and visit or revisit the dark and dangerous and sometimes silly Lands of Faerie, brought to you by the man who sees it best.



3. This is Brian Froud's best book yet. I subscribe to his newsletters, and Froud has been raving about how excited he is about this book for months. I received a copy for my birthday, and I totally understand his excitement. It contains pieces of art that have never never been published before, as well as old favorites from his other books such as Faeries, or Good Faeries, Bad Faeries. Reading through the book is a magical experience as Brian Froud leads you through the World of Faerie, helping you discover things along the way. He takes you behind the scenes of some of his work and points out hidden things, symbolism, and the folklore behind the image you are looking at. Froud delves into the personal meaning in some of his pieces, as well as the circumstance in which he painted it. I've been a fan of his work for ten years now (I'm only twenty-two), and have realized new things about his work that I had not noticed before reading this book. I highly recommend it to any Froud fan. It is a must-have for your collection.



4. What else can be said about Brian Froud, other than the fact that he is brilliant and overwhelmingly talented? I own every one of his publications, including a first edition 1978 book, "The wind between the stars". Brian's imagination can't be touched. I, too am an artist and his drawings and movies inspire the living daylights out of me.



5. I do so love Brian Froud's work... unflinchingly insisting that faeries do in fact exist, he shows us the good and the bad, not just the pretty ones. But even the ugliest fae are full of life and mischief. I am joining in the dance, quite sure that the human race is not alone.

5 comments about An Essential Introduction to Maya Character Rigging with DVD.

1. This is a great book. I've been rigging for 10+ years and have read almost every rigging book out there (including Body Language, (just ok)). This is the best book I've read for rigging beginners. I am reviewing the rigging section specifically. The way this book differs from all the rest is that it's structured like a class which is incredibly valuable. Key concepts are introduced clearly and concisely at first and then we proceed to a step by step tutorial applying the concepts to a character you are rigging throughout the book. Foundation level rigging know-how is introduced in a very clear and methodical fashion. Basic rigging concepts that beginners need but most lack. The book has excellent and clear screenshots, superior printing quality, flowcharts, illustrations, it's well written and has color coded pages. It would function well as an instructor guide as well as a self contained course. The student work and anecdotes are a great touch. I'm sorry but based on this book I think Cheryl (I don't know her) knows what she is doing as both as an educator and as a rigger. Good attention to detail and a patient easygoing style of writing. I felt compelled to write this after reading the "riddled with flaws" review which is inaccurate and seems to carry a hint of personal animosity. This is a great book and I've finally been able to recommend a book about learning to rig to my coworkers and friends who always ask. This one. Encore!



2. I don't feel like the title is misleading like a previous reviewer. The book is INTRODUCTION to Maya rigging and it does just that. It's a light read and the concepts are perfect for beginners. I do agree that a little too much of the book is spent on modeling. Perhaps a better title would have been "Introduction to Complete Character Creation". You might not get much out of it if you are already proficient with common Maya Character Setup methods. I always recommend this book to animators that don't have much interest in rigging nor do they care about the actual explanations of concepts but want to rig their own creations for the purpose of animating them.
   
   If you are looking for deeper content like creating "stretchy" limbs, Maya Muscle, and setting up multiple character pipeline workflow tips, pickup BODY LANGUAGE: ADVANCED CHARACTER RIGGING.



3. The only good thing about this book is that it goes over every little detail on what to do with rigging. It's basically a very descriptive walkthrough. You don't even have to understand what you're doing. That of course is also one of the bigger flaws of the book, but the biggest one is that it's obvious from the start that this book was not edited by anyone, at least anyone who knew what they were doing. I go to SCAD and am taking the rigging class with another professor who has to use this book, and he spends the whole class revising what she said and having to re-explain it to us. Pictures are out of place, object names are suddenly changed back and forth, and she'll even refer to the wrong object, like the shoulder joint instead of the forearm joint. It's as if she worked from two different projects and copied and pasted the scenes and documentation where she thought necessary. She should have at least spent an extra quarter testing the book out on the students, and having them circle all the errors. Instead, it's now the first book you see when you type "maya rigging". This is apparently the only maya 2008 rigging book so far, but the only difference I've seen in 2008 is the IK/FK blend switch. My recommendation: get a maya 8.5 rigging book and search online for tutorials on the new rigging features in 2008. I doubt the second edition will be coming out any time soon.



4. This book is great if you are just starting out in rigging. It has step by step instructions and pictures to go along with them. I have used this book for all of my rigs! It is definitely worth reading.



5. When I bought this book my expectation was a book that dealt mainly with rigging (as the title implies). This however is not the case. To be fair there is a large portion of the book that is all about rigging, however the first half of the book deals primarily with character design and modeling (with a small portion on texturing).
   
   With that said, this is a good book for beginners who would like to start from the beginning, go through all the steps, and create an animated short. The text is easy to follow with enough pictures to make following along easy.
   
   If you are familiar with Maya and already have knowledge about modeling, I would recommend something a little more advanced.