5 comments about Exploring Drawing for Animation (Design Exploration Series).

1. This book has very little to do directly with animation.
   
   Plenty of the drawing principles explained are quite valuable to an animator. Rules of proportion, anatomy, perspective, etc... that are the foundation of most any form of drawing, This book is a decent primer in these principles, although there are plenty of other books that cover them better.
   
   But if you thought you were going to learn the about drawing in the manner & style of 2D animation, think again. Clean-up style linework is only covered briefly and most of the examples of it aren't that great. Most of the art in this book is too rough to be suitable for animation, which is fine for life drawings, but the rest can be little more than conceptual work, which can come from any style of art, really. There's not enough structure taught to create usable artwork for characters, backgrounds or even layouts for animation.
   
   There's definitely things you can learn from this book, but you're better off finding them somewhere else.



2. I bought tis book a few years ago. It has some good stuff of how drawing relates to animation. It also sheds more light on to the process than a lot of books. However, after a few years of animation art school, I realized how bad the drawings were. If you want to learn about drawing for animation, check out Glen Vilppu's books. (he worked as a drawing instructor/trainer at some of the bigger studios in L.A.)



3. Oh my, where to begin...
   
   I posted some images of a few of the drawings from the pages of this book on the customer images link above. Feel free to take a look at those to see where I am coming from.
   
   The authors of this book need a few drawing lessons themselves, though I'm not sure that would actually help, because they're beyond hopeless. The drawings in the book are beginner level, amateurish drawings and it's really sad to see that these guys are actually teaching students in an art school.
   
   Aside from the obvious lack of personal drawing skill on the authors' parts, there is a lot of bad advice from an animation drawing point of view, like too much emphasis on measuring and copying the model and a completely misunderstood/misrepresented view of the all-important line of action.
   
   Stay away from this book. These guys should be ashamed of themselves for putting this crap out there.



4. I made the mistake of buying this book, and I would like to warn you guys please , please dont waste your money on this title...This book is nothing more than a long overview on drawn animation , It is not and I repeate it is not a how to book , although the authors have tried to present it as a text book, its no more than an introduction to animaton drawing ,the authors try very hard to explain drawing and go all blah...blah...blah....but they dont tell you what to do , whats mentioned in this book can be known via a simple search on the net.I would advice customers to buy a copy of, Vilppu Drawing Manual by Glenn Vilppu and Animation : The mechanics of motion by Chris Webster. These books are practicle , simple , cheaper and would prove to be a thousand times more useful to the animation student.



5. I have worked as an animator, teacher and fine artist for over 30 years and this is the first art text I have ever seen that discusses how solid drawing skill relates to creating drawings for character designs and 2D animation. Most animation `how-to' books include some drawing instruction but do not address the important bridge between drawing and animation.
   
   The authors present an entertainingly written book in an easy-to-read conversational tone along with illustrations that show the well-honed professional drawing and painting skills of this book's creators. It is obvious to the reader that the authors are seasoned artists and educators.
   
   While this book is predominantly for learners of beginning to intermediate levels, anyone with an interest in the interdisciplinary issues within animation and drawing would benefit from picking up this gem of a text. Unfortunately, the title of the book suggests that it covers the technique of 2D animation in-depth, but this is a misnomer. Fortunately, 2D animation is commented on in a more important context: the development of effective observational drawing skills that will produce better animation drawings.

5 comments about Sensual Crochet: Luxurious Yarns, Alluring Designs.

1. Veautiful projects, clear instructions. I would have liked more for the price, but there was some really nice stuff inside.



2. This is the best crochet book I have ever seen. Fabulous designs throughout. I want to make every item.



3. Nice book, nice sweaters. Wearable crochet but nothing very different as far as stitches go.



4. This is a very well-produced book, with designs that I think represent some of the best in crocheted garment design today. (I have not made any of the patterns, so I can't say how accurate they are, otherwise I would give it 5 stars.) The crocheted items are beautifully photographed. Stitch diagrams and schematics are included. To substitute yarns, info is given on the total required yardage, weight and composition of the yarn, and knitting gauge (usually found on the skein wrapper and in catalog descriptions of yarn). Information is given about the properties of the fibers used. The crocheter is encouraged to use fibers which feel good, look good, and will last a long time. This I think is good advice, but some of the recommended yarns are extremely expensive. For example, Lorna's Laces Angel seems to sell for about $14 a 50-yard skein. The cover sweater is made in Angel and requires 21 skeins for 28" bust ($294) and 35 for 44" bust ($490). Besides the cost, that is a heck of a lot of ends to weave in! So, the yarn substitution info is likely to come in handy.
   
   There is a range of items, from revealing strapless top to the relatively covered-up sweater featured on the cover. Many tops will require a camisole underneath, but some are quite bare and would be hard to wear a foundation garment under. There are several skirts and a dress. Most are, in my opinion, beautiful designs, but a few are pretty ordinary, like the 2 boleros, a small bag and a white scarf/belt. There is one scarf made in a very fine silk (with steel 8 hook) that I think is quite pretty. Sizes range from 28" to 50" bust for some articles. Quite a few items use fairly fine yarn and hooks from C to G, and a few use H-J hooks.
   
   Most of the designs are by Amy Swenson, and other designers include Robyn Chachula, Annie Modesitt, Debora Oese-Lloyd, Amie Hirtes, Dana Codding, and Amy O'Neill Houck.



5. I purchased this book because I own Sensual Knitting, and like most of the designs there. Sensual Crochet, on the other hand, is terrible. The only thing I would consider making from it is the sweater on the cover - everything else looks cheap and tacky to me. However, lots of other people who have reviewed this book seem to like the designs, so maybe it's just me - but I would recommend you look at the designs before you buy the book. I'm very disappointed.

5 comments about Portfolio Presentation for Fashion Designers.

1. This is the textbook for my portfolio development class. All I can say is this is one of the best investments I've ever made. It initially seemed costly, but it is completely worth it. It gently talks you through the process of setting up your portfolio, and gives a ton of ideas for a stunning presentation that will leave an impact.



2. I don't think that I can say anymore than whats alreasy been said about how ABSOLUTELY GREAT this book is.

   It really is a great resource to own. It has everything from layout (which one is the best and which ones aren't), to resume, to interview information. It also encourages you to think out of the box a bit by showing you what everyone wlse os doing.

   Once agian excellent resource for up-an-coming fashion designers/students and even those who have left and are returning to the fashion industry.




3. A great book for more advanced Designers, show you different presentations of portfolio...Great but I wish that the pictures were in colors not in B&W.



4. I purchased this book to help me with my portfolio layout for acceptance to the Fashion Institute of Technology. Although I needed to follow FITs guidelines, I feel that I gained a lot of great knowledge and excellent ideas and inspiration by referencing this book before submitting my portfolio to FIT. I am proud to say that I was accepted and will now be referencing the book to put together my portfolio for interviews in the industry.



5. For someone who loves to sew and is looking on how to bring their designs to the next level, then this is the book for you. It chocked full of great tidbits and even provides several portfolio options for the novice beginner. For great inspiration, it features sketches from up and coming designers and the established guard before they were on the map. Great reference book for hard core design fashionistas!!

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

5 comments about The Design of Dissent: Socially and Politically Driven Graphics.

1. I bought this as a gift for my brother. It is one of his favorite art books (he has several bookcases of art books). I have briefly skimmed through the book on a few occasions. The quality of the book and printing is very good. The content is vivid and well organized. Of the many political art books I have seen, this is one of the best.



2. I bought this book for my son last year, and ended up reading it and going through it myself as I start to think more about collective intellligence, five minds, group IQ and such. Dissent and diversity are so important to all of us, that I am moved to suggest this book--which Amazon is offering at a price way below its actual value--as the perfect Christmas present for any college student or any adult.
   
   Start at the end of the book, with the interview of Milton Glaser by Steven Hellor, "Dissenting Conditions," and the directory of contributors.
   
   I think this book is a classic work, and I hope the publisher will issue an updated or follow on version at least every five years.
   
   This is a GEM of a book.
   
   See also:
   Forbidden Knowledge: From Prometheus to Pornography
   Five Minds for the Future
   Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration
   The Tao of Democracy: Using Co-Intelligence to Create a World That Works for All



3. I received this book from a friend for Christmas, and I really enjoyed studying the art inside. I was surprised at the balance the book struck between the different sides of controversial issues and the art that accompanies them, since I generally expect art about "dissent" to only be favored if it is from the popular end of an issue.
   
   The book is great, but I would prefer it to have some more modern things inside it. That's the only reason I gave it four instead of five stars. ^_^



4. In the present world full of hatred, cruelty, racial discrimination, communal riots, war, human degradation and erosion of values, what a graphic designer can do with his/her talent and compassion that is what the authors trying to show us loud and clear. In the context of the present situation, I strongly feel that this is a book which every graphic designer should buy and inspire.



5. We've all heard the adage "a picture is worth a thousand words"--to which I would respond, "it depends on the picture." Graphic design can be simply a picture, but in general it is a combination of image and text that communicates a message or point of view, hopefully in a compelling way. Assembled by design icon Milton Glaser (of I NY fame), this book is survey of the use of design to express dissent in various arenas and mediums.
   
   In the interview with Glaser in this book, "dissent" is defined as being both a response and challenge to existing power and can be either destructive or constructive. Destructive dissent often takes the form of violence, which, while sometimes an effective methodology for achieving change, also grants carte blanche for overwhelming use of force or oppression in response. Glaser views dissent via design as a more constructive approach that may be less directly effective, but is nonetheless subversively provocative in a useful way. In his words, design can be a "form of activism" in that "we all have the responsibility to be good citizens"--which means becoming involved (ie. passivity endangers democracy). Fortunately, design is a field that is open to all-- while "you have to know something about the nature of communication, either by instinct or training," all it can take to make an impact is a good idea and moderately capable execution of that idea. Finally, in Tony Kushner's foreword, the proposition is made that successful dissent design embodies three elements: it should be shocking, funny, easily grasped, and perhaps, forbidden or dangerous.
   
   In keeping with the book's theme, the contents are arranged somewhat counterintuitively. The table of contents appears at the rear, along with the introductory interview and foreword, which theoretically set the tone for what follows (or rather, precedes...). The bulk of the book is comprised of hundreds of examples of designers' work grouped into the following themes: Communism, Palestine and Israel, Ex-Yugoslavia, Iraq War, Peace, Equality, Animal Rights, Corporate World, Media, Gun Control, Government, and the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election. Almost all of these examples are from the last twenty years, with the occasional foray into the 1960s or 70s. These are often very striking and compelling individual pieces accompanied with credits and succinct contextual notes, but as with many such portfolio or survey books, one gets the distinct sense that some designers and topics have been favored or over-emphasized based on Glaser's personal preferences.
   
   More problematic is the emphasis on relatively recent works--a more apt title might have been "The Design of Modern Dissent." However, the most distressing aspect of the book is it's near universal emphasis on the leftist or liberal end of the spectrum. One could make a valid argument that since dissent is by its very nature in opposition to the powers that be, that of course the bulk of the examples are going to be anti-corporate, anti-military, anti-war, and anti-establishment. However, it would have been a much stronger presentation had there been examples from the entire political spectrum. For example, there's no doubt that the right-wing in America has some powerful visual imagery at its disposal (especially in regard to abortion), or even that some hate groups like the KKK and neo-Nazis have some very striking design components in their arsenal of dissent against the mainstream. However, its clear that Glaser has no interest in providing examples from beyond his own limited range of the political spectrum and thus he does a disservice to the topic.

1 comments about Linoleum Block Printing (Dover Craft Books).

1. Haven't read the whole book, am using it for reference. To the point, good tips. Would recommend.

3 comments about What is Exhibition Design? (Essential Design Handbooks).

1. I haven't received my book yet. Can you please inform me, it is really very urgent! Regards, Cigdem DEMIR
   
   My address is: Ata Bilge Sitesi Baku Apt, No: 38/25-06530- Cayyolu-Ankara
   
   The book I ordered was:
   What is Exhibition Design? (Essential Design Handbooks) (purchased on
   07/27/2008)
   by Lee Skolnick



2. As a graduate student studying Exhibition Design and totally new to the field, this book gives a fantastic overview of what the practice really is. I find myself going back to the book a lot to find inspiration for projects. The best part of the book is the list of companies and and examples of work they have created. It gives you an idea of who you may want to work with in the future. I also met all 3 authors and Mr. Berger and Mr. Skolnick frequently visit my classes and they are great down to earth guys. They have a genuine interest in meeting with students and helping us to develop our ideas since we are the future designers in this industry. Whether you are a designer or not this book is great read, and has lots of pretty pictures. It provides a foundation of what the practice is about; past, present and future.



3. This is a great introductory book to exhibition design. I keep it at work and my co-workers always want to borrow the "pink book". I was primarily intersted in seeing the way that other firms produce design documents. Since only 6 pages of the book are dedicated to this, it gets 4 out of 5 stars. The book is divided into three sections: Issues (such as "What is exhibition design?", "Who do we design for?", "But is it art?"), Anatomy (types of exhibition design from museums to trade shows to visitor centers), and Portfolios (16 leading firms are covered). The photographs of existing exhibition design are what make this book a must buy if you are interested in the subject. You'll come back to it over and over again when brainstorming to generate ideas for your projects. Happy reading!

3 comments about Madame Gres: Sphinx of Fashion.

1. Stunning! Well-written story of Madame Alix Gres in four chapters: 1 life and career, 2 the grecian gown, 3 ethnic influences, 4 sculpting with fabric. Full page (> 12" x 8") photographs of selected works over her entire range of career; the photographs are high-definition. Some fashions have multiple photographs from different angles. Photographs are full page, so they are often not on the page where the text is that describes the fashion, and there is occassional lack of reference to the accompanying photograph(s) (inconsistent use of stating which plate the text is referring to). I wish every fashion and every advertisement described in the text had a photograph.



2. I read about the Madame Gres exhibit at the NY Fashion Institute of Technology in the New York Times recently. Upon finishing the lengthy article I raced over to my laptop and was excited to order this book. For those who love,crave and have to surround yourself with beautiful visual images this is the book for you. To look at the actual photographs of her original pieces along with her photographs made me feel privileged to read about this amazing woman. The thousands of folds,tucks and pleats in her garments were obviously a lifelong labor of love!



3. I only knew a little of Madame Gres and this book brought to my attention that she was one of the major designers of our era--someone who "invented" the use of draping and fabrics, unlike they had ever been used before. Not just a product of its time, Madame Gres' fashions are timeless and have influenced everything since her time. I would highly recommend this book not just for the fashion, but for the very interesting text by the author, as well, who really puts the work in context.

1 comments about Silhouette Designs for Artists and Craftspeople.

1. This is one of my favorite and most-used clip art books - full of fairies, dragons, mermaids, butterflies, dancing people, and more. I typically use it as a resource for making handcarved stamps for my journal. I highly recommend it!

5 comments about Type, Image, Message: A Graphic Design Layout Workshop.

1. Whether you are looking to learn something new, get ideas, or simply pass the time looking at wildly varied, yet always beautiful imagery, Nancy Skolos, Thomas Wedell, and a cross-cultural cast of Designers have created the book for you. I don't feel the need to write much, this book speaks volumes for itself. Buy it.



2. Skolos and Wedell have captured their knowledge and enthusiasm for graphic design in this invaluable book. They generously share their own inspiring creative processes, while educating the reader through eloquent text and a unique compilation of design excellence from around the world. This workshop motivates a designer to open one's mind--to look past rigid combinations of type and image, and embark on a new adventure with photo-typographic works. Design practitioners, educators, and students alike will discover new depth with each read.



3. Natalia Ilyin has it dead on (so be sure to read her review).
   Really amazing examples inside by top world design firms from the USA, Europe, Middle East, Korea, Japan, etc. such as Bruno Monguzzi, Gunter Rambow, cyan, Lucille Tenazas, Why Not Assoc., Catherine Zask, and last but not least Pierre Bernard.
   This is the kind of quality hard back design book at a great price that is worth every penny.
   It would also make a great gift for a soon to be or current graphic design major at any art and design school or university. They would love it!



4. "When type meets image, there is automatically a dialogue between them, and each can pull the other in many different directions," write Nancy Skolos and Tom Wedell. Partners in life and in business, they affirm this in their intelligently written and premised workshop primer on how to design with type and image.... Neither portfolio-style eye-candy, dry-toast scholarship, or how-to textbook, this book will find its own niche with design students and professionals. Despite its subtitle, it is definitely, thank goodness, too sophisticated for the DIY crowd.



5. Finally, a graphic design book about form with more than eye candy - although there's a banquet of visual inspiration here. This smart book provides a taxonomy that explains strategies for combining typography and imagery. Designers will find that they can apply these methods (beyond style) in their own work to achieve their conceptual objectives. The book itself is both form and content - the book's innovative design demonstrates its content.