5 comments about The Grammar of Ornament.

1. Ok, its beautiful, the colors are stunning, its all rather lovely, well articulated with notations, but the text and images are itsy-bitsy! I believe that the "search inside preview" is actually bigger than the book itself. And that's the conundrum.



2. I was disappointed when I first received this book. I had bought it as recommended reading for my design course and ordered it blindly. I don't know what I had expected but this wasn't it. Then, one day, I pulled it off my bookcase, looking for information on a certain type of design - and suddenly found myself enthralled with the beauty of this book. Let it not fool you, it's a beautiful little gem packed with design and information. Not a centimetre wasted.



3. If you are looking for pure details for specific styles, this book is for you. If you are looking for overviews or full pictures, this may not be for you. If you are into design, I think it is a great resource to put on your shelf!



4. I have the thin booklet as a reference to the CD, which I purchased some years ago. If you do Webpage design this CD is a must have. Unlike other CDs of Grammar of Ornament this one has the images in EPSF, JPEG and PDF form. Others I've looked at only had PDF and that doesn't do me any good. I've used Fireworks from Macromedia's Studio MX Suite to make backgrounds and buttons for webpages made with Flash and Dreamweaver. If you can get your hands on this CD or any of the other CDs Direct Imagination has created, do it. I do think Grammar of Ornament is the best of all the ones Direct Imagination produced. Having the book for reference with it is handy, but if you can only get the CD alone, do it anyway. After a while you just know which plate has which graphic.



5. This book was first published in 1856 and is a design classic! Owen Jones was born in 1809 and is a key figure in the history of British design. He was an architect and designer who taught in London during the 1850s.
   
   He traveled in Europe and the Near East, were he helped to bring back ideas to improve the quality of Western design. This collection is a result of his comprehensive analysis of patterns. The sumptuous illustrations are presented in these sections:
   
   Ornament of Savage Tribes
   
   Egyptian Ornament
   Assyrian and Persian Ornament
   Greek Ornament
   Pompeian Ornament
   Roman Ornament
   Byzantine Ornament
   Arabian Ornament
   Turkish Ornament
   Moresque Ornament from the Alhambra
   Persian Ornament
   Indian Ornament
   Hindoo Ornament
   Chinese Ornament
   Celtic Ornament
   Mediaeval Ornament
   Renaissance Ornament
   Elizabethan Ornament
   Italian Ornament
   Leaves and Flowers from Nature
   
   The original Preface to Owen Jones's original folio edition has been preserved and included. The general principles in the arrangement of form and color are listed so you can see which are advocated throughout this book.
   
   If you are interested in reading about over 2,350 classic patterns (color engravings representing a vast range of ornamental styles), this is the book for you! More than likely, you will gravitate to one form of the other and concentrate your reading efforts on those sections.
   
   The actual pictures are all numbered and the mediaeval section is especially beautiful.
   
   Iain Zaczek has contributed to the commentaries in this work. He is an art historian and has written on a wide variety of subjects. He is also the author of The Essential William Morris, The essential Art Deco, and the Art of Illuminated Manuscripts.
   
   ~The Rebecca Review

3 comments about Cowboy Style.

1. "In the typical cowboy-chic living room, overstuffed couches and deep Molesworth-inspired club chairs invite lounging while oversized upholstered ottomans offer a variation on the traditional coffee table, providing softer edges, a more casual feeling, and extra seating." ~ pg. 54
   
   Cowboy Style is filled with warm comforting styles to reflect a casual sophistication. Intricately designed armoires and Tiffany lamps are as welcome as the more organic designs made from ponderosa pine.
   
   Wood furniture shimmers in the glow of fireplaces and creative chandeliers in rooms layered in comfort. Intricately designed carpets and designer bookcases make the spaces inviting.
   
   A magical artist's studio built in Wyoming showcases a cut-metal lamp by a California craftsman, Tony Alvis. His fireplace screens are of especially high interest in this book because they are scenes of cowboys overlooking deserts and the interplay of the light behind the silhouettes makes for a fascinating magical experience.
   
   Other interesting features include the details about sheep wagons used by sheepherders in remote mountains, cozy cabins and stories about the artists featured throughout this book.
   
   ~The Rebecca Review



2. I needed pictures to help me figure out how to design a Country Western style art gallery. This book had beautiful pictures, gives an overview of the history of the western culture, and provides names of companies and/or creators of furniture pieces. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the Rustic/Country Western style home; this book was absolutely wonderful!



3. I enjoyed the book, but I was a bit disappointed, since there wasn't enough technical decorating information on color schemes, regional variations in styles, etc.

   Great pictures, though.

5 comments about The Magic Mirror of M.C. Escher [25th Anniversary Edition].

1. Escher's work is so engaging and interesting. Everyone has seen Escher's work, even if they don't know the name. I've used his work to teach math, graphics, and problem solving. My college students love analyzing his work.
   
   I bought this book as a gift, and it was an excellent choice. There are many example works in the book, plus interesting explanations.



2. 
   I just picked this book up thinking that there has been a "NEW" book published on M.C.Escher's work.When I got it home ,I checked it against other Escher books and was disappointed to find it is the same book published several times before and by different publishers.
   As you can see the ,publication date of this edition is shown as April 6,2007.Therefore, the reviewers here must have been looking at a previous publication,possibly the one also listed here as a paperback in 1987.The copy I had was even earlier,published by Ballantine in 1976.
   The quality of this Taschen Edition is very good, in fact, superior to the paperback editions I have seen; and will be enjoyed by anyone who likes M.C. Esher's work ;but the material included has not changed.
   I believe this is an excellent book ,and agree with the reviews already written on other editions.
   I guess what we have here is A 25 Year Celebration of its first publication.
   This is an excellent chance to obtain this book and will be enjoyed,particularly by people new to Escher's work.The fact that this edition has now come out speaks volumes about what a great book this was,and it's great to see it available again.



3. The work of Escher has captured the imagination of many people and in this book Bruno Ernst (a personal friend of Escher) expands our understanding of the artist. After a brief but concise biography, the author throughly analyses the most important facets of Escher's artistic output: the illusion in drawing, the use of perspective, the creation of impossible realities, simultaneous and contrasting realities, crystals, and the infinite. Escher was an artist who was unique in in his work, he stands by himself, and this book is a helping tool in understanding and appreciating the unparalleled magic of his work.



4. The greatness of this book on the work of M.C. Escher is that it shows how he worked up his ideas for various pieces. It also gives a thorough explanation of his thought and design process. It is truely a shame that this book has gone out of print. I sincerely hope that the publisher brings it back.



5. In The Magic Mirror of M.C. Escher, Bruno Ernst, an acquaintance of Escher's until Escher's death in 1972, presents a thorough summary of the life and work of Escher. Ernst devotes a chapter to the life of Escher, and uses the rest of the book to describe his amazing work. He includes the different themes and styles that Escher used, and devotes a good amount of space to each work discussed. The book is extremely thorough and includes large clear illustrations of the works themselves and also of earlier drafts of the works and mathematical descriptions to assist the reader. This is the most concise book of Escher and his work I have ever seen, and Ernst has done a fabulous job on it.

No comments about Design in the USA (Oxford History of Art).

1 comments about Designer's Packaging Bible: Creative Solutions for Outstanding Design.

1. Great book, very inspirational, but it does not have the production details of the packaging items shown.

5 comments about Best of Business Card Design 7 (Best of Business Card Design).

1. pue and clear pictures. easy to understand. inspirational for graphic artist who wants to be inspired



2. The best of the best business card design. A great assortment of different design styles. Fun to look at and very inspirational. I'd say if one HAD to find a gripe it would be that they seem to include a bit too many designs that require special printing or die cutting that are beyond the means of many clients. But hey, that's not really the point of the book is it! It is full of designs that will make your mouth water!



3. on time, great delivery and perfect condition, overall 5 of 5. Will shop here again.



4. Rockport books are always great for getting an updated idea of what's changing in graphic design around the world. Graphic Design is always changing, just like clothes styles, art, movies, music.



5. Wspaniala ksiazka! Polecam serdecznie grafikom, designerom i wszyskim innym zajmujacym sie projektowaniem wizytowek. Jest skad zaczerpnac inspiracji. Po takiej ksiazce Twoje wizytowki juz nigdy nie beda takie same... I chyba o to chodzi.

5 comments about David Hicks: Designer.

1. A great book for those wanting to recreate timeless interior design.
   Fascinating insight into his life. Good balance of editorial and images. Given the pinacle of his career was the late 1960's / 1970's, some of the photos will appeal to those in the current 1960's 1970's retro style. However saying that, there are aspects of all the images that could be used and adapted for both modern and classical room styles.



2. I loved the cover, wish I could of seen inside photos. I am a designer and love to learn from books of all eras. This one however left me with lessons on what not to do, rather than models for success and beauty. So if you hope to see beautiful interior work on grand villas, palaces etc, buy Roomscapes by Renzo Mongiardino instead. The photos are stunners of a full life's in such places, and the text he wrote is so insightful in how to diagnose the problems of a room and how to listen to a room that it is worth the most to me in my design library. I always go back to it for inspiration and guidance. The Hicks book is a celebrity bio that shows how you can get paid a lot of money by installing interiors that shock most and cow nay sayers by their boldness. But that doesn't make it beautiful.



3. I waited an extremely long time for this book to be delivered. I have to say that is was worth the wait. This gives a great look at at great designer from a perspective of someone who probably knew him better than anyone. The photos are great and his designs are still very relevant today (probably more than ever). I recommend this book to any fan of Hicks or a fan of high end 70's modern design.



4. Amazon needs to get their act together. This book is great - but I would order it somewhere else. I ordered these books to give as holiday gifts and they came without the dust covers. I had to go ahead and give them anyway, but Amazon can't seem to locate any covers for them. They shipped 3 more books to me but they didn't have covers either. It has just been impossible to get in touch with anyone there that can help and I can't seem to talk to anyone other than a phone operator in India to help with the issue.



5. Ashley Hicks has created a lasting memorial to his talented father, David Hicks. The book is stunning. The writing is fresh and enjoyable. Much, much more than a "David Hicks on..." title--more like a family scrapbook done to the highest level!

No comments about Package Design Now (Midi Series).

5 comments about Beautiful Botanicals.

1. If you want to learn to draw and paint flowers and plants from a botanist point of view, this is probably a great book for you. I have the DVD that can be purchased to go with this book and it is also great. Bente Starke King is an incredible artist with an impressive background in botanical illustration. She begins with teaching about basic form and perspective and then teaches about the use of graphite pencil in botanical drawing and how to depict a 3-D surface using 2 step-by-step demonstrations. Next, the book progresses to Pen and Ink with two stepped demonstrations. Next, you learn ink wash and again, demonstrations are given. Chapter 5 is Transparent Watercolor and 7 step-by-step demonstrations are given. Chapter 6 is Mixed Media, where watercolor is combined with other media such as pen and ink and colored pencils, along with 6 step-by-step demonstrations. The end of the book ties the loose ends by including how to choose a mat, framing,exhibiting,
   copyright, etc..
   
   This a beautiful book that can teach you a lot about drawing and painting flowers and plants. It is well-designed and written. I like the way Bente King combines the medias and demonstrates how this method enhances the richness and textures. Her DVD is excellent. I would recommend buying both the book and DVD if you want to speed up your progress. She is a wonderful teacher.



2. This gorgeous, well-written "how to" book for drawing and painting
   beautiful botanicals is a treasure! It is spiral bound so the book won't flip closed on you. It is written by Bente Starcke King, a Botanical Illustrator who teaches at Cornell University. She covers everything from form and perspective, materials that she uses in her demonstrations, and beautiful illustrations.
   
   She covers, with clear, easy-to-follow instructions, lessons in drawing with graphite pencil, using pen and ink, ink wash, transparent watercolor and mixed media. It's like having an instructor in a book, and you can go at your own pace.
   
   The most fascinating aspect to me is how she layers watercolors to create her luminous color illustrations. Fabulous.
   Sharyn from Portland, Oregon.



3. Whomever thought of the spiral binding inside the traditional binding should be knighted. That was a stroke of genius. If I am trying a new technique, I usually scan and copy a page but with this book, I just leave it open.
   
   Bente's book would be useless (as well constructed as it is,) if it weren't for her terrific explanations. She shows the same painting in different stages, tells the reader where she or he can take short cuts and is over-all a great book for the beginning or advanced student.



4. As someone who is just beginning in botanical illustration, I could not find a better instructional book. The author teaches you what materials to buy, what typse of paper to use, and leads you step-by-step through a number of lessons covering several different types of media.
   
   I could not believe how well my first efforts turned out! I've looked through a lot of drawing books, and this is by far the best I've come across if you are interested in botanical drawing.



5. It is a beautiful book with easy to follow instructions arranged in a very organized way to help a student progress step by step. The spiral binding inside the traditional binding cover also makes it really easy to actually use this manual. It stays open flat on your table for easy reference while not looking cheap when standing in a bookcase. This book is actually worth buying and keeping. Unlike a lot of others, it doesn't disappoint and is truly informative rather than just being another pretty flower book.

5 comments about Udon's Art of Capcom.

1. A very nice compilation of Capcom art. A must have for true Capcom fighting game and action series fans. Lots of content



2. This is a great book with lots of beautiful artwork of the Capcom universe, including Street Fighter, Darkstalkers, Rival Schools, and more. My only complaint is that I'm not incredibly fond of the choice for the cover, I love the picture but just don't like looking at it all the time. If you love Capcom and fantastic artwork, then this book is a must have!!!



3. Ok, the other reviews are correct in saying not all of Capcom's art is contained into this book. BUT it's UDON's art and not all of Capcom, Udon is just one of the many contributers to Capcom's artworks. If you want something that encompasses more of Capcom's titles you may want to check out "Capcom Design works" it's kind of hard to find in the US and about 3x the price of Udon's title, but it's a good buy.
   
   As for Udon's book, as soon as I took it out of the box I was in a good mood. Raised printing, glossy pages, and an impressive 4 page spread of the Street Fighter characters inside. I also enjoyed how they showed their process of creating the cover in the back of the book (even though it's not extremely detailed). If you fallow Udon this is a great book and the fact that it doesn't have many of Capcom's title should not subtract in you buying a copy... After all it is UDON'S Art of Capcom... not Art of Capcom.



4. This book is full of colorful illustrations, I really enjoyed it. My only qualm is that it had very few pictures of game titles like Onimusha. Still, it is a really cool book.



5. UDON's Art of Capcom is a great purchase for any fan of the Capcom Video game series. It features covers from video games such as Street Fighter, UDON's Street Fighter Graphic novel/comic series, and other famed fighting game series'. If you are a collector of Videogame artbooks, be aware that this is actually made by and from UDONs artists themselves and does not feature any of the Art from Capcom's own Graphic Artists. This book is drawn extremely well, has rich details, and amazing colors.