1 comments about Christian Lacroix on Fashion.

1. I saw the Christian Lacroix exhibit in Paris last month. I spent much longer than I had planned savoring it and wished I had more time to linger there. This wonderful book has provided just that. The text is engaging and the photographs accurate representations of the exhibit. It was an extraordinary exhibit and this book accurately presents it. I recommend it to everyone interested in Christian Lacroix, fashion, embroidery, fabric and the needlearts. This one is a treasure.

5 comments about Thoughtless Acts?: Observations on Intuitive Design.

1. A book that makes you aware instead of being in automatic pilot. Sit in a restaurant, at a park, or simply on a bus and start thinking about this book and how people behave. Great for account planners.



2. Overall concept is interesting. What we observe, how we are conditioned, how we respond to our environment but quality of book could have been taking further. Instead of being paperback size, it could have been a larger coffee table book with higher quality photos to illustrate points. Rather than having to refer to back of book to understand why image was included, it should have been on the same page as the picture.



3. Yet another lousy book by IDEO. The whole book is nothing but photos. The title "Observations on Intuitive Design" implies to me that they are Jane Fultons observations. Sadly they are not. They are YOUR observations from looking at the pictures. And I paid for this. No written content (to speak of). I'll save you some money; take your camera into a supermarket, a compusa, and a walmart and snap away. Then go home and review them. Done and I saved you some cash. The arrogance of these guys. They slap their name (IDEO) on a collage and call it observations?



4. Excellent book that illustrate the little things that miss our senses and observation day in day out.
   
   Opens up a world of thought for everyone around, expecially designers.



5. At my initial experience of going through this book, I must say that it has too many pictures/photos which one cannot comprehend at first glance. Though they are obscure by nature, but in fact, there are some real meanings toward each situation. It requires some proper thought and understanding of "how" and "why" we go through certain 'thoughtless acts' in our daily lives, and that's exactly the case Jane Fulton Suri has presented in this book. The IDEO process through its power of observation helps to "peer" deeper in those 'un-thought off' understandings in the pictorial situations. However, in order to grasp the meaning behind those pictures/photos, we have to somehow breakdown the boundaries of thought, and unleash our imagination to the next level to comprehend its obscurity. To summaries it all, this book is basically to feed our creative-thinking (and definitely not rational-thinking) process so that we can experience and learn to make products/services better and more versatile.
   
   However, I could have given this book a complete 5-star, with the exception of its price.

5 comments about LogoLounge 3: 2,000 International Identities by Leading Designers (LogoLounge).

1. This is another good book of logo ideas. Great for inspiration. Nicely laid out and the pages are of good quality glossy paper. Very nice book for my collection.



2. This series is a must have for any designer. Not only is it great for ideas, but a nice tool to have when a wishy-washy client just isn't sure what they want. If you are a serious designer, you must own all the Logo Lounge books.



3. Always a fan, the assemblage of brands from every corner is impressive and helpful. The Lounge has always been and continues to be a wonderful resource for jump-starting logo block.



4. Whether you are fresh out of college or a seasoned Senior designer, you will find this book an amazing resource of ideas, trends and just plain good design.
   
   We actually have purchased every volume and they keep getting better and better. Logo Lounge 3 is no different in terms of the unique talent chosen to be showcased in this edition.
   
   If you need a design spark look no further, this is the book of choice.
   
   [...]



5. Great book for inspiration and search for the right ideas. This time RockPub. is making few more pages showing how the logos work in the graphic design environment.
   
   I was excited to see foreign companies using the latest styles in advertisement, like the russian phone company "BeeLine."
   
   Wold highly recoment this book for a graphic design major and advertisement.

4 comments about Printmaking: History and Process.

1. I received this book in great condition, with no markings in it, even though it is a bit old! I got my book in time for my class, and I saved a lot of money shopping online for my textbooks!



2. If you're going to have just one book on the wide world of printmaking, make it this one. Despite its heft, over 400 pages in large format, it almost comes across as rushed. I don't mean sloppily done, quite the opposite, but with just so much to say that the pages can barely hold it all.
   
   Saff and Sacilotto start with relief techniques, the processes that are easiest to intuit and that have the longest histories. This isn't just a history book, though, it includes modern materials and techniques, all in enough detail for a beginner to get going on. The next section, on the many kinds of intaglio printing, is equally thorough. It covers the whole range of ways that people can create images on printing plates. That includes familiar etching, engraving, and drypoint techniques, but also lift, aquatint, mezzotint, mixed technique, and more. The discussion covers every step, from preparing a plate to take the ground on through to printing the edition and cancelling the plate.
   
   The section on litho, though, is where this really comes into its own. It's an exhaustive discussion of everything about the process, from the chemistry of stone or metal, to creating multiple lithographic stones in good registration, to surfacing the stone, to drying the finished prints. And, unlike many other discussions of printmaking, these authors never shy from photographic techniques and technological support. I really appreciate the fact that they see the artistic potential in everything, not just some purist list of historical techniques. The last section on printmaking covers serigraphy, and does just as complete a job as the other sections did. Final chapters cover papermaking, blind impressions, framing, and curatorial care.
   
   There's not a lot to object to here. The authors often recommend formaldehyde as a preservative, something that only the best-equipped shops would attempt to handle today. Likewise some of the more aggressive etchants - HF is so hazardous that its use seems hard to justify for most purposes. Well, in the nearly 30 years since this was written, attitudes toward work place hazards have changed a lot. On the positive side, though, it's illustrated with 675 black and white figures and forty color plates, another reason this book seems so dense. There's more information per page in this book than in any other I can think of, and far more pages than in most other books. It has my highest recommendation.
   
   //wiredweird



3. Excellent!Printmaking along with The Complete Printmaker and The Tamarind Book of Lithography are the shop manuals for Parsons School of Design and New School University Printmaking Studio.



4. This book is an absolute must-have for printmakers, professionals as well as amatuers and students. I'm an art student whose focus is in printmaking and this book was strongly recommended to me by my professor. It is an encyclopedia of information on printmaking, including not only the "how-to" but the history and development as well.

5 comments about Mr. Classic.

1. This book is an absolute must if you are into classic mens clothing. Jeremy Hackett is ofcourse a well known icon in the clothing industry and this book is a welcome contibution to this.
   
   First of all this book is BIG. It's probably one of the biggest books in my library in size, it didn't even fit on my shelve standing up. The result of this is that every picture in the book is extremely large, so one can truly enjoy the details in every picture.
   
   The pictures is what makes this book so wonderful. There are hundreds of pictures of mostly young chaps wearing a nice mix of classical clothing with certain modern elements creating a unique style.
   
   Every set of pictures is in a certain theme, and each of these themes are introduced with a short column written by Hackett himself. Mostly it is someone asking a certain style-related question and Hackett answers and educates the reader with nice anecdotes which are fun to read.
   
   But like I said before, this book is mostly about the pictures and one can draw a great deal of inspiration for buying their own wardrobe or just simply gaze endlessly at the huge photographs.



2. The book is wonderful. Get it for the pretty boys, get it for the great fashion, get it for the great photography... I HAVE worn flip flops with a tux, I have worn my better tux jacket with jeans... the thing is, you have to pick and stick with classics, it's how you live in them that makes or breaks you as Classic.



3. First, this is not a book about men's clothing in the same vein as the typical Flusser book. What little information given is one man's view of the sartorial universe, Jeremy Hackett. Now Hackett tends to be an interesting chap, with a mix of classic and odd contemporary, but I'm not so sure his view of the world is interesting enough to warrant buying this book. It's an okay coffee table book, although the quality of the photographs is rather inconsistent. There isn't enough information or quality here to hold anyone who is a student of men's style's attention for an extended period of time.



4. This is a book for men who knows and appreciates the finer things in the British way of life. It portrays the upper crust image of British men and their clothing sense. Those who know about Sloan-Rangers or upper middle class Brits will recognize the style immediately. The men from the upper crust of the British society have always twisted the classical style and managed to introduce to their wardrobes items like red socks, red pair of trousers or pink cashmere sweaters; floral pocket squares and lately flip-flops. So it should not come to you as a surprise, if you see a well healed British man wearing flip-flops with an evening jacket or a high powered financier wearing red socks with his pin stripped suit. Nowawadays, the young British men of agreeable background have also taken into wearing jewelry in a discrete way with their casual outfits. This movement is being spear headed by the young Royals. In short, Mr. Classic by Jeremy Hackett is a celebration of the new clothing style among the upper crust Brits. Those of us who have gone through the British boarding school system or studied at British universities will enjoy this book immensely.



5. No, this book isn't a manual for classic mens wardrobe. There are no rules or indications for dressing you up. It's just a compilation of Hackett columms ilustrated with amazing photos. Those are the main value of this book (and the stilism work).
   
   Some readers may say Hackett isn't a classic guy at all. They don't understand how a tuxedo can be mixed with flip-flops. But precisely that's the best input menswear can enjoy at this moment: update the tradicional wearing with moderm touches. I'm working as mens marketing executive in a spanish Dpt Stores and Hackett is a reference. The way the brand communicates its collections is fresh and notorious although it offers the same stuff other classic firms do.
   
   So, perhaps this book is not the perfect purchase if you've got to spend your money, but is a nice gift if you receive it(it was my case). If you're trying to find a cool present for a guy with fashion interest here you've got the right one.

5 comments about Carnet De Voyage (Travel Journal).

1. With "Blankets", Craig Thompson established what I think will remain as a landmark in the book/comics/cartoon world. With this one, I expected basically just a sketchbook filled with random drawings and what not.
   
   The truth is that the book was a lot more continuous than I expected, and it does read like a story. The best of this is that originally this notebook wasn't supposed to ever see print, it was Craig's private sketchbook, but as it grew, people expressed interest and suggested that he publish it. And thank God that he did!
   
   "Carnet de Voyage" is a fascinating book. It's more raw than "Good-bye, Chunky Rice" and different from "Blankets", but in its very own genre, it definitely achieves something memorable. And the intensity of the emotion is as strong as ever. I found myself laughing here, and being very concerned about Craig there. Indeed, I don't think I was ever made to care so much about someone I never met before Craig Thompson. The man is simply saintly in that sense. He is a mix of gracious humility and honesty, and his truth-like art is just mind-blowing.
   
   So what will you find in there? The telling of his travels through France, Morocco, Spain, Switzerland, and the Alps. Thompson's artistic vision shows through that book and one can sort of get an idea of how he functions. And one certainly gets to see how tortured poor Craig really is. That unpretentious notebook will make you feel closer to him, because he is so genuine in his art, doesn't hide his life from his work, and as a result, you get a window to his soul.



2. and it doesn't pretend to be, but I found it very worthwhile. I like CHUNKY RICE and I think BLANKETS is one of the great American novels, graphic or otherwise. I felt I needed a Thompson fix, and hoped this would help while I wait for the Next Book. Thinking it would be bedside reading, a few pages at a time, I read it in one sitting. His voice is as true as ever and his art is wonderful. You will meet many interesting people and suffer through his mishaps with him. It was just what I had hoped it would be, a good solid Craig Thompson fix.



3. Craig Thompson is fantastic. If you like his work, you'll love this collection of musings, sketches, and stories of life on the road in Europe and Morocco. This book provides insight into Thompson's inner life, what drives him, and what he yearns for. Side by side this there are sketches that are so accurate and evocative that I felt like I was back in Morocco myself. Thompson experiences all the highs and lows of travel on his trip and very openly shares them all. For anyone who's traveled alone, but wished for company this book will ring true. But, Thompson also shares with the reader the exhilaration of new places and new people that can be found out in the world. A fantastic quick read and visual journey.



4. Craig Thompson's epic 600 page graphic novel, BLANKETS is one of the most beautiful comics I've ever read. I was astounded at the breadth and depth of the book and wondered how someone in his mid twenties could have crafted such a massive achievement so early in his career.
   
   With the publication of CARNET DE VOYAGE, I now understand a little bit more about Thompson's work habits... he is a nonstop drawing machine. But no... machine is wrong... there's nothing mechanical about his work. Art flows out of Thompson's brush pens with the organic fluidity of a true master. He may well be the greatest natural cartoonist of his generation... hell, even a handful of others.
   
   CARNET DE VOYAGE wasn't even supposed to be a book. While traveling through France, Barcelona, the Alps and Morocco last Spring to promote BLANKETS, Thompson's omnipresent sketchbook suddenly became his next project. In his introduction, the typically self-effacing artist dismisses it as "a rather self-indulgent side project."
   
   Yes, there's lots of self-indulgence, but no more than any other writer or artist's work is self indulgent. Smarting from a recent breakup, suffering from crippling rheumatoid arthritis exacerbated by nonstop signings, sketches and portraits of locals (many of whom demand money for the privilege of being models), Thompson's travelogue is filled with the kind of subjective experience that's only interesting to others if it's told well.
   
   And in CARNET DE VOYAGE, it's told beautifully. Mixing his two styles, the cartoony whimsy of GOODBYE, CHUNKY RICE with the more naturalistic impressionism of BLANKETS, Thompson allows us to experience everything he does: The homesickness, the culture shock, the thrill of the new and the comfort of other people. His passion for beauty, be it architectural, arboreal, feline, culinary or (often) feminine is all delineated with an artistic embellishment that's more effective than any photograph could be.
   
   That's the power of comics; They can be (in the right hands) surreal and realistic at the same time. Thompson is as much a master of capturing the empirical world as he is conveying his inner demons (and he's got a lot of `em... this boy is one tortured, sensitive artiste). He may dismiss CARNET DE VOYAGE as "not (his) next book," but it's the richest, most rewarding graphic novel I've read since... well, since BLANKETS.



5. This was actually quite good, but it ends way too abruptly, with Thompson informing his audience afew pages before the end that he was only given 231 pages and then stopping right in the middle of his tour. I hope this might mean that there's a second volume, possibly? I was especially affected because I am an Oregonian as well ( though I was born here, as opposed to having moved here like Thompson) and because I lived a year of my life in Montpelier, where he stopped on his tour. It was cool seeing stuff I recognized. I also enjoyed Thompson's whiny, self-pitying and -criticizing tone which reminded me of Crumb or Pekar. It was just good.

5 comments about The Art of Hellboy.

1. Anyone who appreciates Mike Mignola's unique art style will enjoy this book. Lot's of unpublished pieces in here that I had never seen before. Definitely worth a look!



2. Mike Mignola's amazing art for Hellboy looks very different from anything else being used in comics today. His distinct linework and inking style, combined with a well-honed eye for panel layout makes his artwork a perfect complement to his stories.
   
   That said, this book is mostly a collection of finished art, covers and promotional pieces. What I really expected from an "Art of" book was process, sketches, and perhaps some discussion of technique. A fair comparison would be the recent Usagi Yojimbo art book or the Blacksad Sketch Files.
   
   Maybe one of these days Mr. Mignola will put out a "Making of Hellboy" book that fills the gaps. The few sketches and thumbnails in this book really aren't enough.



3. I would be warry of spending too many of your hard earned dollars on this book. I am a new fan to Hellboy, and absolutely love Mignola's art. However, the reason I would be heasitant about recommending this art book is that there is very little new art in it. Most of it is just rehashed covers, pages and posters. Probably about 10% of it is stuff that you've never seen before; which in my mind, does not warrant the hefty price tag. If you have all the books in the series then you already have 90% of the art found in this book. The sketches and other doodles that are only in this book can most likely be found floating around the net if you look hard enough for it.



4. Mike Mignola is the master of what not to put in a finished peice of art. While he draws loads of details with the original pencil lines as soon as the ink is applied, he buries them. What makes that technique work so well is that regardless of no evidence of the black flooded pencils the viewer knows the details are there. That masterful ambiguity is what makes the Hellboy art so creepy, menacing. From out of the shadows lurch horrors not meant for the eyes of humans. This is quirky, fun and scary without having to overwork the skilled designs and careful layouts. When I look at all the cartoony comic artists, with their minimalist leanings, and contrast them with the guys who insist on drawing every hair on a head while laying in invented overdone musculature that fairly bulges through a sweatshirt, it is refreshing to see Mignola's seeming ease and inpeccable black spotting that shapes even the things not seen, but definitely suspected, along with shambling ancient horror and explosions of combative violence in the defense of the human race against festering ancient evil.Words? In this book? My brain is full of words unread but ever present. That's Mike's other gift to me.My only question is when will we see a volume collecting his myriad other works?



5. Mike Mignola's comic books are great. You should buy them instead of this overpriced collection of Mignola art. The very thing that makes Hellboy so beautiful, the simplicity and elegance of design, means that looking at a Mignola sketch is exactly like looking at a finished comic book panel, except you can see the India ink brush marks in the black areas, and there is no supporting narrative thrust to give the picture meaning. The same goes for his pencils (of which there are few included- I don't think this guy makes a mark on paper without inking and publishing it). There is not even a discussion of Mignola's sources or inspirations, no bibliography of the occult (oh, I forgot, we're living in post-literate America). There is no insight to be gained by investing in the Art of Hellboy, because it is just a sampler of beautifully designed panels that look better in the comic books.

5 comments about Paper Dreams: The Art And Artists Of Disney Storyboards.

1. This is a very informative book about the history of Disney's story department staff and the storyboards they created. I learned a lot. I would have liked to have seen more information about their art techniques, but the information about their careers and the vast amount of images made up for it. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on Carl Barks, which shed more light on the man behind the works I've read since I was a kid.



2. Too often in animation titles, the storyboard element is relegated to a minor footnote. This book presents a wonderful insight to the creative process of animation film making. Many animators and students collect resource material from feature films, and storyboard examples are rare and treasured items. As a storyboarder myself, I was in awe of the beauty and clarity of these works, many I was seeing for the first time. However, anybody with an interest in art or animation will enjoy this book. It is an amazing and definitive collection.



3. I have most of the 'Art of' books and, though this is a little more pricey than the others, it is worth every cent. It is refreshingly reassuring to finally have a Disney art book NOT written by a Disney staffer, but by a film academic. It was great to read about the men who worked alongside Walt and knew him for all his faults as well rather than the godhead he has become to the company. This book, while showing page after page of behind-the-scenes miniature masterpieces that went into making the classic early features, also describes the not-so-happy endings that such chemistry produced among Disney and his storymen sometimes. It also covers the latter-day storyboard masters like Chris Sanders and the Brizzi twins. I have ambitions of being a Disney storyboard artist someday and this book is perfect inspiration. More than worth it.



4. If the Disney American Animated Film has one stigma, is the belief that it is made for childern. Mr.Canemaker's book disproves that notion by recounting stories by those lucky few that got to meet Walt,work with him and put his "Dreams" on "Paper" before they were made a reality on film. We are privy in the world of Walt Disney and the people who put his ideas on paper only to have Walt think that they could be better than that.The book is filled with instances of Walt cursing-four letter words and all,when his Soryman ideas did not cut the mustard. Why should they since Walt "was his own best storyman." We get to meet the men that were up to par with Walt-T.Hee and Bill Peet. But these man could be considered Lucifer to Walt's Christian God-those who wish to be better than him or take his place would end in Hell, which in a sense they did. Finally, lets not forget the geniuses Walt himself dealt with-Salvador Dali and Orson Welles. If there was anyone that could top Disney himself ,it was Orson,as described by Walt Himself.



5. This book shows off the (oddly enough) unsung heros of the Disney Animation Department, the Story Artists. Like his previous book on Disney Inspirational artists, John Canemaker piles on the rarely seen outside of Disney pre-production sketches that form the basis of all to follow. GREAT reproductions--and great to see the subject and the studio treated not only with great respect, but a healthy amount of constructive criticism, too. Beautiful job. I'm waiting for a companion volume featuring unedited complete storyboards for ALL the features(!).

5 comments about Color Theory (Watson-Guptill Artist's Library).

1. Physics is a science that deals with matter and energy. Physics includes light, prisms, luminosity and color. In his book, Color Theory, Jose Parramon discusses the primary colors of light and the primary colors of pigments. Parramon's primary pigment colors are correct according to the laws of physics. The harmonization, contrast and shadows of color are intriguing topics. The Uses and Abuses of Black and White are worthy of notation. Parramon uses prussian blue, a fugitive color that disappears when paintings are stored in the dark. The Impressionists substituted transparent cobalt blue to replace transparent prussian blue. This book has excellence. Use Parramon's Color Theory as a reference for further study.



2. Although oriented toward oil painters, Jose Parramon's color theory book is enlightening and informative for anyone who wishes to understand color. He explains the theory very simply and clearly, illustrating concepts with pertinent color examples from oil painting.
   
   As a photoshop instructor helping my students understand color both on screen (made with light) and in print, and as a photographer seeking to capture harmonious images, I found the book to be very helpful in clarifying my understanding of color. I was pleased also to learn about the color of shadows, and how colors cast their complementary color onto neighboring objects - knowledge that helps not only with painting but also in regard to touching up photographs.



3. I paint landscapes in oil for a hobby. The other day, while cleaning all my paint tubes, and while looking at the names of the colors, I began thinking about them. I then found I had José's wonderful book on my shelf for several years, still unread. I picked it up, and found I literally could not put it down. For an artist, this book reads like a "thriller!"

   One of the things I liked best about the book is that it is not necessary to read it in order, from beginning to end. I turned first to the section on shadows, as shadows are an area I am currently having problems with. José explains EVERYTHING SO WELL, and CLEARLY. When he refers to matter already covered in an earlier section of the book, he clearly states the page number, where you can go back and refer to that section. His treatment of shadows is typical of how he addresses each subject in his little book.

   José opens the chapter with a brief discussion of what Van Gogh once said about shadows, and discusses how artists currently view shadows as blue; whereas, at one time, they were viewed as similar to Van Dyck brown, or burnt umber. He explains how the post-impressionists discovered that the basic color of shadows is blue, and he devotes an entire lesson to actually showing us how that is so. Next, he devotes a second lesson to understanding the local color in darker tones, which he also points out is somewhat reminiscent of an old master's painting. In the first lesson, he gives us a sample still life painting, all in shades of blue. In the second lesson, we see the same still life painting, where the shadows are not made with blue, but only by using darker tones of the local colors. The third lesson deals with the complementary color of the local color. Here, we are given a third example of the still life, painted this time in complementary colors, which are used as shadows. José also points out that the still life now looks very much like the style of some paintings by Toulouse-Lautrec, Cézanne, and especially Van Gogh, with the contrast originating from the juxtaposition of the most opposed colors, of highest contrast. He is not advising us to paint like this, only to help us understand. The fourth lesson in the chapter deals with the finished painting. We now see the same still life painted correctly, with proper use three types of colors in the shadows: blue, the local color in darker tones, and the complementary of the local color. As José carefullly guides our eye through each step of the process, we now really understand what he wants us to see!

   I then read the other chapters, in order from the beginning. One of the best discussions dealt with looking at various landscape scenes (shown in photographs) and how each painter asks himself, "What color is it, actually?" He then takes us through a whole lesson, showing us his own thoughts (and sometimes, confusion) as he paints the landscape, trying to decide what color each thing is. This really helped me see that every painter is going throught the same thought processes, and having the same problems that I am.

   I have several unfinished paintings I am still working on, and yet, after several years, was unable to determine, by looking, just what the problem was. After reading two-thirds of this book yesterday, I looked at my paintings this morning, and can see the solutions immediately! Now I finally know what to do. If only I had found this wonderful book sooner!

   I was pleased to look on the back cover and find that José, himself, has written a number of other art books in this series, dealing with many other topics. So often in a series, each book is written by a different author. José is such a wonderful art teacher that I am delighted to see HE has written all of them. I intend to purchase several more of his books, as soon as I am able.




4. Pocas veces se encuentra un libro sobre teoría del color tan sencillo y práctico como este, tiene la teoría básica del color luz y color pigmento así como la teoría de los complementarios, y también ejemplos que pueden llegar a ser ejercicios de aplicación



5. Unlike some of the past reviewers, I liked the use of the more technical CMYK colors as the primary rather than the RGB. I especially enjoyed the discussion of additive color changes and subtractive color changes. I work in stained glass and thus work with both methods of altering colors. It is important to me both how the glass will look when looked at directly and also how the colors will look when it is as transmitted light casting colors onto the surrounding room. Highly recommended.

5 comments about Manga Mania Magical Girls and Friends: How to Draw the Super-Popular Action fantasy Characters of Manga (Manga Mania).

1. Manga mania magical girls and friends: how to draw the super popular action fantasy characters of manga is really just a book i can turn to for refrence. When it comes to the magical girls costume, he does not tell you as much as you would need to know. He says somthing like, to make it look like a school uniform. I don't like that. I want to see more pizzaz, more color, more style. But thats just me. Over all, this is a great book. But if you want to know how to draw a magical girl uniform filled with everything i mentioned above, I suggest reading up on your manga(Sailor moon, Card captor Sakura, Tokyo mew mew, etc.)



2. I've never been fond of Chris Hart's books. The illustrations tend to be overtly generic with very little detail in my eyes, so I tend to push them to the side when I'm scanning the local bookstores for new art books and How to Draw tutorials. However, when this one came out, the cover caught me by surprise. THIS was Hart's work?
   
   Well, in truth, it wasn't. Hart only did maybe five to six pages of drawings while the rest were done by a legion of other artists. Artists who I believe have a much stronger grasp of composition and balance than Hart does. (If I remember correctly, it was Nao Yazawa who created the most breath-taking images.) For those who grew up watching Sailor Moon as a kid, the nostalgia will hit you like a train, but in a good way. Everything about this book was pure classic.
   
   The instruction is mostly visual, as in while there is text I certainly didn't need to read it. It's easy to pick up and easy to practice the techniques the artists are trying to teach. I highly recommend this book, as it is one of the few non-Japanese books where the drawings truly feel authentic.



3. This book is GREAT for getting ideas; the anatomy parts are not anything particularly spectacular, but it's great for getting ideas and concepts going, as well as what to DO with these ideas. I recommend it for those who like fantasy and/or the 'Magical Girl' genre



4. An Outstanding book that teach you how to draw cartons in detail. I bought it for an 8 years old girl, she likes it too. (but, it seems a little bit hard for her) However, I borrowed the book and draw once and find out it's a great book. I highly recommend for teenagers who love Japanes Cartoon.



5. This book has better Drawings and is more inspiring than most books in this series!