5 comments about 20000 Years of Fashion.

1. I'd go so far, in fact, as to say that if you don't have _20,000 Years of Fashion_ in your library, or if you don't have ready access to a library that has this book, your credentials as a serious student of fashion would have to be called somewhat into question. This massive 440-page-plus tome could serve as a college text in costume history; and I make no doubt that, at some schools, it has filled just that role. Do bear in mind that this book covers fashion only up to about 1965 (that, however, may be no great hardship to those who believe that there hasn't really been any great couture since the last time Hubert de Givenchy designed something for Audrey Hepburn :) ). There is a truly staggering amount of illustrations in the book - over 1100, of which some 350 are full-color - and the array includes reproductions of many famous paintings and other artworks showcasing especially notable costumes. Every item of costume and couture is covered in detail, from head (hats) to feet (shoes) and in between. In contrast to some other pictorial works of fashion I've reviewed, there is a very extensive and detailed text, though, as another reviewer has noted, it was originally written in French and has been translated to English, with the possible loss of some nuances and idioms in the process.
   
   Overall, I repeat my initial judgment: this is a mandatory item for anyone seriously interested in the history of costume to have in their library.



2. I would never have passed any of my Costume Design classes in college without this book and even now find it to be ridiculously useful when it comes to double-checking period dress I see in shows or movies. You wouldn't believe how many people get the costumes wrong!!!



3. I recently purchased 8 different books on the history of costume, and I am pleased to say that this book seems to be, by FAR, the best book, while also being the lowest priced work that I purchased! I purchased the books with the intention of using them to assist in dating eighteenth and nineteenth century portraits, and this book is PERFECT for the task. When you open this book and flip through the pages, you can't help but think that it is exactly what you were seeking. It is just bursting with text and images, all on quality glossy paper that makes the images easy to see. Many of the fashion books I have examined seemed to have either too much text at the expense of images, or too many images with no additional information to assist. This book offers substantial helpings of both! I have to disagree with the reviewers who say the text is hard to follow or that the pictures are too small.... The pictures are quite easy to see, and the only ones in black and white are of origiinal works that happen to be in black and white, so I don't think this was a fair criticism. The text seems logically presented, with easy-to-follow section headings. I would never say that this book could serve as the "only" book you need if you are serious about obtaining specialist knowledge on the history of costume. However, I would certainly name it as the best "all-in-one" to start with. This book combines drawings of fashions, photographs of actual period clothing in museum settings, and plenty of examples of painted works depicting fashion trends. Being the critical person that I am, I cannot help but point out what I see as the one flaw: this book has extremely sparse information on military uniforms, so if you are interested in militaria you will need to seek a more specialized book. If you are interested in SEWING period clothing, I recommend Norah Waugh's works, "The Cut of Men's Clothing" and "The Cut of Women's Clothing". If you are interested in identifying period fashion trends, especially in small details such as accessories, hairstyles, buttons, etc. I HIGHLY recommend this book. I can honestly say that if it cost three times as much, I would still be recommending it as the best one I've seen yet. If it were an option, I would have given this book SIX STARS!



4. I really debated between giving this 4 or 5 stars. This is a book I reference when I need a little more in-depth info about a certain period or style. As some of the other reviewers have said it is not an easy or engaging read. However, the text is very scholarly and deals a lot with political and economic factors that influenced the world of fashion (many books simply describe the developments in the garments without dealing much with the "why"). There are many images to show the progression of fashion changes and Boucher includes photos of extant garments (where possible), statues, accessories, etc. alongside reproductions of paintings. Each period is introduced by a general overview of the European world of the time (politics, economy, etc.) and then divided into sections such as Spanish Costume, or Military Costume. If you need a general overview of the complete history of (Western) fashion with a lot of scholarly text to back it up, look no further.



5. This book is a great source for pictures but the text is not as useful. It is more anthropological than historical and has been translated from French so is sometimes unclear.

3 comments about Play Pen: New Children's Book Illustration.

1. A gorgeous and effortless read showcasing interesting and varied children's book illustrators from around the world. The layout is simple and clean, with biographical info about each illustrator and then three pages of their work (or in some cases, five pages). Despite a pithy (but short) introduction, this is far from an academic text. It will, however, get you thinking about the nature of illustration for children's books and may spur you onto further reading or research. Plus the visual stimulation is inspiring!



2. Beautifully illustrated, with several examples of each artist studied, this book is packed with original works. Biographical information of the artists is included. Very interesting, diverse and often whimsical, the book is well designed to introduce contemporary children's book illustration.



3. In the Introduction, Martin Salisbury has an important quote from Walter Herdeg that pinpoints why it's so important to expose children to good art: 'The smallest owner of books has his special, private art gallery and a unique relationship to it, for he pores over his favourites endlessly, staring at them with a fascination that guarantees indelible memories of scenes and subjects - French, Swedish, Swiss, English, and many others.'
   
   The book offers a varied selection of the best of contemporary children's illustrators from around the world, including Mexico, China and Iran, as well as the more accessible Western artists. There is some biographical information about each artist, and a selection of beautifully reprinted illustrations. In addition, we get a few quotes from the artists themselves where they talk about their inspiration and their style.
   
   I was surprised to learn how many work entirely in the digital medium, even though you couldn't tell the difference from looking at their output.
   
   Less surprising was the note about the more cautious and politically correct approach to illustration that American publishers have, versus, for example, their Italian counterparts, who are much more open to experimental work that is not necessarily obviously aimed at an audience of children.

5 comments about Creating Romantic Purses: Patterns & Instructions for Unique Handbags.

1. Instead of repeating what others have said, I will summarize: 1) Great Designs and Patterns; 2) Incredible and Doable embellishments to make the purses/handbags attractive and desirable; 3) Romantic but also give a vintage-feel to the purses/handbags; and 4)GREAT Inspiration for all interested in fiber/fabric arts as these can be applied to other items, dresses, belts, scarves, hats, etc. IF you are so inclined. Compared to my other purse books, I will definitely refer to this one more frequently for inspiration than any other one, yet each purse design book does provide this to one degree or another. Enjoy!



2. Unless you've got a really nice collection of antique laces, trims and appliqués, these projects are going to be expensive, and probably not as scrumptious as if they were made out of original materials. When I'm in DIY mode, I'd rather not spend hundreds at a couple stores to make one purse, I want to use what I have on hand --and be able to make substitutions, even big leaps of substitution. This book tends to use the same materials (looped fringe for example), and if I don't have it for one handbag, I'm not going to have it for another either. So a special trip for all the materials in one handbag would be required.
   
   Yes, the purses are awesome while serving their purpose: holding your stuff. But know that your project will probably be very expensive, and if you don't bother to spare the expense, you're going to be highly disappointed (if you have good taste.) Also, these are all busy, frilly, Victorian handbags, so don't buy it thinking you'll get anything but.



3. Very rich book with great ideas! It needs some experience because does not explain step by step process, but it is worth enough to get it.



4. Very good tool for the handbag designer. Love all the detailed instructions and photos. Easy to follow patterns. Fun designs.



5. The book has beautiful photos of purses which would inspire even the least creatively challenged. There are detailed instructions, a material list, preparation, and construction instructions, and there are patterns in the back of the book(which you need to enlarge). There are at least 14 bags, all beautiful and distinct. I would highly recommend this book to anyone wants to create a lovely purse.

5 comments about Quantumscapes: The Art of Stephan Martiniere.

1. This is a nice slick looking book, but everyhing has the same look to it. Ambiguous shapes and colors in space. I wish there was more insight into the creation of each piece, such as programs used, image size, etc. Otherwise a nice book overall.



2. Stephan Martiniere is in demand for his bookcovers, character design and work in motion pictures. In this edition we get an expanded look at his creative process, as he shows us step by step how he works on a bookcover. He also gives us several alterate covers, and some explaination of why they were not choosen. I reccomend this book as well as his other book.



3. Quantumscapes, Martiniere's second book, is quite good. It has a good variety of artwork, from sci fi book covers to concept art for heaven. Images are clear and rich. The book itself is large, and is printed great quality paper. Binding is very good.
   
   A great book. I recommend it over Quantum Dreams.



4. Not as good as the previous collection from Stephan Martiniere (Quantum Dreams) because there was too many sketches & and not more finished paintings. Also some paintings deserved to be reproduced in a bigger format.
   The comments by Stephan Martiniere are very interesting though and I especially like the last chapter showing the various steps he went through to paint the image on the cover.



5. Muy bueno y mejorando al anterior, Quantum Dreams, además de paisajes, personajes, bocetos y una muestra del trabajo paso a paso.
   
   Totalmente recomendable

No comments about Style School Volume 2 (Style School).

5 comments about 250 Stencil Designs from India (Dover Design Library).

1. this book has nice Indian inspired stencil designs. These are designs meant to use for making stencils, as the title indicates.



2. i thought i was getting stencils not stuff printed on paper! oh well its fine for that price and i think i can figure out how to use it with my henna stuff.



3. This book consists of small motifs and patterns. While the patterns are nice they are just black and white pictures. I wanted precut stencils which I could use to decorate. This book is for those who can use these patterns to perhaps make their own stencils. Not what I expected or wanted.



4. This book has many beautiful stencil designs in it. It is definitely useful for any artist looking for India designs.



5. Actually this book is not a stencil book but it's very inspiring if you're intrested in Indian motifs.I used some of the designs in my authentic graphics.

5 comments about Complete Digital Photography, Third Edition (Digital Photography Series).

1. Complete Digital Photography (4th Ed) is a good basic explanation of how digital photography differs from film. Having browsed the 3rd edition before buying the 4th, I found much of the 4th Ed to be repetitive and there was not substantive new material. That does not diminish the value of this book if you are getting started in digital photography. This book should be of value to the novice photographer as well as the accomplished amateur who is switching from film to digital. Warning: if you are looking for a book to guide you through the artistic side of photography -- the 'how-to-take-a-great-picture' instructions, this is not the book for you. This book explains how things work, why they work the way they do, and can serve as an excellent reference for the novice digital photographer as he or she gets more into the craft and wants to try new things. As a relatively accomplished amateur film photographer, it has eased my transition to SLR-digital.



2. While Ben may have some good ideas, he clearly lacks in the knowledge of the cameras. This shows through time and again. For example, the fact that he will choose a camera of a specific brand over a better camera from another brand only because of the name printed on the body is simply laughable. Very biased towards certain products without regard for what works best. Sometimes when he gives advise that is completely wrong simply because he doesn't know enough on how to use a particular device or technique.



3. In depth yet easy to understand topics regarding digital photography and use of dslrs. highly reccommend.



4. I have never written a review on anything, but I felt compelled to write a few lines about this book. It is simply AMAZING! I went from nearly zero knowledge about digital photography to producing great looking images with my Nikon D40. As a matter of fact, I just put one of my first photos in a frame and I'm ready to hang it and display it in my home. The feeling of accomplishment is just great.
   
   This very thorough book begins with a non-intimidating review of technical aspects of digital photography (focusing on digital SLRs), follows with tips for better shooting (composition, exposure, etc), and finishes with post-processing (color and tone adjustments) and output (printing). It truly offers EVERYTHING you need to dive into digital photography. The post-production tutorials are particularly useful. I would suggest that you download a trial version of Photoshop CS3 or get a copy of Photoshop Elements in order to enjoy tutorials in the included CD.
   
   Five stars! No question about it.



5. I got this book for a digital photography class and I love it. It is easy to undersand and well put together.

5 comments about The Art Nouveau Style Book of Alphonse Mucha.

1. The Art Nouveau Style Book is exactly what it says; many examples of Art Nouveau style over a broad range of uses, from wallpaper to silverware, chandeliers to posters. There are other books available which cover Mucha's posters, or life drawings, exclusively. This book instead gives us a broad overview of Art Nouveau as a style.



2. This is a reproduction of Mucha's portfolio "Documents Decoratifs" which is a lovely selection of Mucha's work. It includes not only many nude women and flowers (which one would expect) but also designs for furniture, silverware and lots of jewellery. If your looking for a source of information on Mucha this is not it but if you just want to gaze lovingly at a wide selection of his work you will adore this book.



3. Hey it just does'nt get any better than this for me! The Man is just one of my favorites Artists. What can I say?



4. This is one of the books of Mucha; how can I complain? His distinctive art style, that nearly defined all of the known conception of Art Neuveau(curse my bad spelling), is on full display. The flowing designs of Mucha have stood the test of time. His art is loved by art-traditionalists and my punk-music loving buddies and proves true art is loved by all.



5. mucha was great....i laughed,i cried,i saw excessive yet tasteful amounts of nudity...lets hear it for the slav epics.....and his nudie girls....that crazy slavic painter....he studied at nyu....i think....with whistler?.....lots of nudies....worked from photos,loved photos....this book reflects muchas artwork by showing pictures of it....guns and roses.

2 comments about Learning 3ds Max 2008 Foundation.

1. I picked this book up hoping to begin learning 3DS Max 2008. What I got was a book filled with errors that is mostly written in a "paint by numbers" style. In the first project alone, it is very easy to keep messing up, or missing steps, because the book had incorrect words, or was unclear at steps, or was just plain missing instructions. Adding to that frustration, was that the first project did not explain to you why you were doing so many of the steps "Change this to 0.5, then check this box", etc. Great, but why am I doing that?! I would instead recommend "Mastering AutoDesk Viz 2008" by Jon McFarland. It is a way better book.



2. Sometimes a bit challenging to follow, but that is the fun of learning! When you finally work through it...it is great fun. The process is really good in how it slowly begins to take you through the processes of learning the ins and outs. It can be a bit frustrating in that you don't want to mess up a project step...because each tutorial leads into the next...but if it gets too bad...the accompanying DVD allows you to get back on track.

No comments about Looking Closer 5: Critical Writings on Graphic Design.