5 comments about Nineteenth-Century Fashion in Detail.

1. This big glossy picture book is a big let down because all it shows is parts and pieces of garments. The details are useless without getting to see the effect on the whole garment. Who needs a book filled with collar and cuff close-ups? If you are looking for great pictures of 19th century dress- This is NOT the book for you!



2. This book is a visual feast for the eyes! I have gone through it over and over again, and each time I find something new! The coverage of the detail of each type of design is explicit, right down to the buttons and the thread. The book details things like the innovations in fashion, as well as common reviews of the time. In some cases, it also talks about the people behind the items that are featured, such as when they wore the items or their lifestyle. Beautifully done - exceptional photography!



3. Don't bother ordering this through Amazon - They're out of stock and haven't been able to get more copies since February. My order keeps being delayed the day that it lists that it's supposed to ship. It's more expensive elsewhere, but at least you've got the option of actually getting it. I broke down and paid double the price listed by Amazon just so that I could stop waiting for it to arrive each month.
   
   I've heard this is a fantastic reference. Now if only I could get a copy!



4. I found this book gives so many fine details of the clothing made in this century. It's a great help for ideas in trimming my own costumes, and shows how it was done in line drawings. The examples are awesome.



5. This book is chock full of close-up photographs which show the details of garments that have been well preserved from the period. Laden with eye-candy for costumers, history buffs, and those who appreciate beautiful things. Readers will be amazed at the fine hand-work and examples of needlework shown on each garment. Not just a beautiful "coffee table" book! Well worth the purchase price!!

5 comments about New Fashion Figure Templates: Over 250 Templates.

1. Probably OK for a beginner as quick template to try ideas out on. Stiff looking and one would have to change them alot to give them some style and attractiveness. Dated looking- seems like most of these books were written in the 80's and need updates, or should be more generic (if that possible in fashion).



2. I bought this book after reading the reviews of others. I am truly glad that I purchased it. It has been a great help. thanks for the reviews folks! :)



3. i love to draw and some times drawing figuers is time consuming and they have great templates for a fashion design and i love and body in fashion design and in collge for this its a great book a must buy



4. This book is ok. I agree with the other reviewer that it is best for entry level drawing. The croquis are decent minus the stringy hair, broad shoulders, and large, manly necks, but those are things you can fix. The color is horrible and many of the drawings just look downright strange and very much like strippers. I highly suggest to use this book as a starting point, no more.



5. This book has mostly everything I need. I can't draw male figures to save my life. And in this type of industry, I need to learn a lot more and do a lot more. This book gives me a lil boost up on different figure positions in a fashion design prospect. I recommend it to any level entry who wants to design or get into a fashion illustration field.

5 comments about Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination (Vintage).

1. An absolute must-read for not just any Disney enthusiast, but anyone interested in the history of American pop culture in general. Gabler's effort to gather the most comprehensive research on the man behind the mouse is evident throughout, but even more important is his ability to weave that research into a page-turner of a tale which parallels the themes of the Disney features themselves, most importantly struggle against adversity, good versus evil, and the glory of success versus the misery of failure.
   
   Enlightening, invigorating, and inspirational. A pleasure to read.



2. I have read all of the most popular biographies of Walt. By far, this is the best. The best researched, the best written, the deepest, the most fair and unbiased of all of them. It won the LA Times Book Award and it definitely deserved it. I think one of the best qualities of this book is how Gabler treats Walt as a human being, with all our faults, but one that had great talent who found that success did not necessarily bring happiness nor the "Magic Kingdom" which he longed for in his mind since a child.



3. For one of the 20th century's more mythologized figures, it appears Walt Disney made for an easier character study than one might have expected. Given how his movies are known for watering down some very graphic tales, perhaps it shouldn't come as a surprise that Disney was the salt-of-the-earth daydreamer Gabler portrays. Gabler's take on the man and his life's work sometimes veers a bit into self-parody territory, as the unpretentious Midwesterner who was so unpretentious he loved polo and so Midwestern he chose to live in California when he could have lived anywhere, and Gabler doesn't seem to see any contradiction. But still, there's no reason to doubt Gabler is accurate in his portrayal of a man who built an empire on his longing for a mythical small-town paradise.
   
   Speaking of accuracy, Gabler expertly knocks down a number of myths about Disney, most notably the belief that he was cryogenically frozen when he died, and sheds light on controversial issues such as Disney's purported anti-Semitism. Which makes it all the more maddening when Gabler inadvertenly repeats the misleading-at-best claim that Disney wore a Goldwater-for-president button on his lapel when he accepted his Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Johnson in 1964. While probably not completely false, that story has been blown wildly out of proportion and deserves far more scrutiny than Gabler gives it. (He mentions the incident only in passing, leaving unchallenged the definitely-false impression that it was a large and prominently displayed button.)
   
   Gabler's research is undeniably impressive, and his vision of Disney is remarkably consistent across the different stages of his life. This inadvertently leads to my one serious criticism of the book: sometimes Gabler is TOO thorough, and there are lengthy stretches that simply aren't very interesting. That's an occupational hazard for biographers, and some are better at overcoming it than others. The ending is also a bit abrupt, with no information to speak of on what became of Disney's family, close friends, and the workings of his company in the aftermath of his death. After all those hundreds of pages, we feel like we know them, and it's a bit frustrating to be left with no epilogue at all.
   
   Still, overall, this is a very impressive source on a subject that was very much in need of a definitive record.



4. Simply amazing book. The depth of research and objective look into WD's personality is an awesome feat. The willingness to set aside the national collective notion of who and what Disney is and let the facts speak for themselves is refreshing when delving into the world of Disney. So much of the copious copy on the man and the World that is recycled in numerous books, simply supports and fuels the myth that has endured. Gabler's book minutely documents how the mythological force of Walt Disney came to be in the first place.
   
   It's a long book (I felt accomplished to have read the whole thing) but there is so much research done- with primary sources that every page is packed and dense with information. I never felt the text to ramble on.
   
   Gabler didn't shy away from the touchy subject of whether Walt was a good guy or bad guy and simply presents the human who was Walt Disney. That said, I would have liked to see a little bit more information on Gunther Lessing. It seems as if the lawyer was extremely influential on Disney yet only mentioned in passing in the book.
   
   It would be great to see an equal book to this chronicling the history of the Disney company after Walt's death to the present.



5. When I saw this book in my local library and saw that there were 26 CDs, I thought, "This better be a good book!" I did not want to be bored to death by someone droning on about Walt Disney. I was not let down. It fulfilled my image of Walt Disney and gave tremendous insights into his life and quest to achieve perfection.
   
   I was very impressed and enjoyed the book a great deal. I am an attorney by trade and a study of successful people by hobby. I have read numerous biographies and consider this one of my favorites. There were times I laughed out loud and, by the time I reached the 25th CD, I cried with his family at his death. It was an excellent read and the 26 CDs go quickly!

5 comments about Fashion Design Drawing Course.

1. I bought this book acually wanting to draw and create clothes but I didn't do any of that. On the other hand it does teach you the right way to do certain things like how to get inspiration and how to get it on paper but again you don't actually draw.



2. But about how to draw inspiration from common everyday things. It`s really not about rendering or drawing fashion, but more about the thought process in making the garments.



3. This book is more about collection development than it is about fashion drawing. And the worst part is... it's so sparse on the information even for how to develop a collection. Everything is in a nutshell. It's like picking up a children's book-- you don't get much out of it other than the obvious.



4. Very basic, it goes on a summary overview of areas of fashion design. So, it's great for a beginner that is looking for a quick introduction to what fashion desing drawing would include. Not for someone that has a general idea on what fashion design entails and is looking for more "hands-on" more sophisticated projects. For example, I was looking on how to actually draw clothes wore by people...there was only one area for that, it covered actual drawing of the human body; about 4 pages. A lot of general, finding your style, mood boards, etc. To the title I would add "101" so it is not misleading, then it would be an excellent book!



5. The title is an absolute lie. There aren't even general sketches to look onto as templates! This book, chock full of details on how to become "inspired", may help if you need assistance focusing on what motivates you--but otherwise, it's not going to teach you at all about fashion illustration.

5 comments about Graphic Design Solutions, Third Edition.

1. This book presents itself in a professional manner, but my copy had many typos in it which I found distracting. What I liked most was the collection of art throughout the book. I didn't really get anything out of the book, but perhaps a 2nd reading might change my opinion.



2. This book was for a advanced graphic design production class I took. Overall the book was very comprehensive covering a wide range of topics for graphic design and advertising. However, due to the vast amount of info each topic was only touched on, nothing too in depth. There are however many reference materials the author suggests throughout the book and in the back. For the price though, I would have thought there would have been more meat to the book. Definitely not a book for advanced designers... great book for beginners and/or people who have taught themselves graphic design.



3. I bought this one through an Amazon seller. Although secondhand, the book is like new and it was very very cheap. The book is a valuable source of ideas, visual references and good examples of Graphic design. Recommended for all levels.



4. I just finished reading all but one or two chapters of this book for a class where this was the primary text. I have to say that this book goes everywhere with me and has become a favorite. Compared to the other text books I had this semester (and many others as well), this was a breath of fresh air. The writing was never dry and it never dragged. What I read really stuck with me and I looked forward to my weekly reading. Also having the exercises at the end of most of the chapters is wonderful for a student for further learning that truly is self-paced. I plan on doing most, if not all of these exercises for further practice. I am definitely going to have to look into Landa's other titles as well.



5. Was advised to buy from instrucor as additional class materials and found I love this book! Covers from core information to breaking down new media and cutting edge styles. Would not go without this book if you are interested in learning about graphic design as an art and a science. Great organization and use of information -good for any level designer.
   
   Don't pay retail... GET IT ON AMAZON!

5 comments about The Elements of Graphic Design: Space, Unity, Page Architecture, and Type.

1. This book was the course material for a beginning graphic design class I took. It was very fitting for a beginning class. The book goes over where graphic design came from in history regarding movements and art. It also covered design principles.



2. I found this book very useful as both an introductory into the field of Graphic Design as well as a reference source for future projects. This book will remain in my permanent collection!



3. Great book for visual graphic design on how to get your message noticed, weather it's a business card, sales flier, or logo. Highly recomend it!



4. The cover page is very good at describing what the book is like. It is super-dense, with so much information and advice on each page that if you are looking for a light read, skip this one. At the same time, the cornucopia of information can become a little overwhelming. My suggestion is to read this book slowly and carefully, practicing the principles as you learn them.
   
   The book reads more like an organization of the author's learning and experiences over time and so can sometimes be a little less "objective" than one might wish for. However, the author makes clear up front that fashion is an inseparable part of design so that what "looks good" today may be passé or even "bad design" another day. The one consistent theme throughout these design books is this: if you want to be different, be bold, not a wuss. Breaking rules is good if you break them like you mean it!
   
   I have yet to encounter a more detailed treatment of white space and how it affects design but for the other topics you will need specialized books such as Lupton's "Thinking with Type" to get a deeper understanding.
   
   All in all, excellent value for money.



5. The layout of this book is confusing and really, really bad. The content is repetitive and dull, and is very basic. I hope nobody learns to design like the author, his book is a trainwreck.
   
   I like The Non Designer's Design Book for really basic stuff, and I am a huge fan of Designing With Type for typography.
   
   Don't buy this book, it is dissapointing

3 comments about Lanvin.

1. PRETTY can have a negative connotation....but NOT here. Truly PRETTY PRETTY illustrations and clothes. Lanvin clearly very different from the other greats. Her clothes are,well, dare I say PRETTY in the very best sense. Lots of pics and a real delight to see her work in depth. I can't speak to the text because I buy books for the pics. Also, very little on the current designer. Almost all the book on the original Lanvin...which is to my liking. I must say some of the 'new guys' stuff is fun too though.



2. This book makes the hair on the nape of my neck stand up. The research, the photographs, the interviews, the sketches - it's a masterpiece. If you don't have this book, run out and buy it.



3. THIS BOOK IS WELL RESEARCHED HOWEVER COMPARED TO SOME OF THE OTHER SIMULAR BOOKS I WAS A BIT DISAPOINTED IN IT. IT NEVER TOLD OF CASTILLO AND MYRL LANVIN ETC.

5 comments about 3D Game Textures: Create Professional Game Art Using Photoshop.

1. the final textures are excellent. the only problem is sometimes the insructions are a little vague and the software in the book is outdated



2. There's a lot to like about a book like this for the beginning texture artist, such as myself. It gives you the fundamentals of how to recreate a texture from the ground up without actually having to paint hardly anything! Just use what Photoshop has to offer and you can follow this book all the way through.
   That would be the downside though, must have Photoshop! If you don't then I wouldn't see you getting much out of this book except the techniques, which may or may not be done in another paint program.
   This is just a beginner's book because it doesn't cover anything about skin or human painting and texturing, which is what I'm now looking for in another book. This just covers inanimate objects, but it just blows my mind how easy it now is using his techniques. I'm no longer intimidated by a blank white screen with no textures, and am now cranking stuff out a lot better looking (not professional yet, but getting there).
   Deffinantly worth getting for beginners or people apprehensive towards texturing.



3. I already know texturing and wanted to take my texturing to the next level. I compared textures before and after, and I noticed a difference. Its easier to make hand painted textures for me now.
   There are step by step examples of how to make bricks, windows, doors, etc.
   It even discusses how to take pictures of textures yourself, and how to make your 3d scenes seem more real by placing objects, breaking up plain parts, etc.
   The only thing missing is how to create history on textures and as far as I can tell, there are no books.
   I recommend going to cgsociety and check out the forums. Stephen Morrell has a good pdf on texturing somewhere.



4. This book is useful as a jumping-off point for using Photoshop to create textures, and covers most of the basic topics that someone new to both Photoshop and texturing would need to know. However, you'll need to search for additional resources to complete the journey that this book starts you on, since it's a pretty basic overview with a few confidence-building exercises that give you a taste of the possibilities.



5. Unlike the rewiever who gave this book 1 star, I am giving 5. Because unlike him, I find this full-color book very well written and very useful. It goes beyond basic texture creation tutorials. The first half of the book explains theory behind good textures and texture creation as well as ways to take pictures for your own textures. It gives lot of examples to demonstrate various points. The second half of the book is the tutorial part. The tutorials are detailed and easy to follow. The only negative thing I find about this book is, that the tutorials give you exact values for everything without explaining why these values were actually chosen. However, it is up to the user to make his/her own tweeking and see, how changing these values effect the final result. Also, I would like to see how these textures are applied to a specific UV layout, which the book does not discuss. But then again, the book is about creating textures, not applying them to your model, so I do not hold it against it. After all, the textures that are created in the tutorials are nicely done and you certainly can find a good use for any of them. So, five stars it is.

4 comments about 2008 Artist's & Graphic Designer's Market.

1. This book is a MUST read for anyone looking to earn money from their art. The information provided is invaluable and they answered questions I did not even know to ask! Will DEFINATELY purchase every year.



2. well, you get what you pay for. It's a good resource for someone starting out who isn't ready to dish out hundreds of dollars for a mailing list. But half the listings are obsolete, or old adresses, old art directors.
   
   Also it hasn't really kept up with the times... most illustrators these days aren't looking to design flower patterns for dixie cups. 3/4 of that book is irrelevant to me. Of course it's probably targeted at part time crafters, flower pattern designers, and the mid life crisis "Im going to write and illustrate a children's book" rather than professional illustrators.
   
   If somebody published a seriously updated & comprehensive illustrator's market book I would pay a lot more than $20 for it though.



3. This book is quickly becoming a source of information that I frequent. It is much easier to quickly find information in a combined source than weeding through thousands of websites and "googled" information to find the contact information that is relevant for my endeavors.



4. Every year these rip-off artists (i.e., people who specialize in the business of ripping off other people), publish an "updated" book. The updated books supposedly have been "completely revised" and feature new entries. I am here to tell you that not only are there very few new entries, but many are out of date, no longer pertinent and/or simply give inaccurate information. What is most frustrating is the author's insistence on marking several entries as "new" that have appeared in many previous editions. Perhaps they think if an entry has not appeared since 2002 they can throw it in the 2008 edition and call it new. Some of these places aren't even doing business anymore. Bottom line: I am extremely disappointed with this edition. I also must report that I have found no leads from these books, yet I have been successful finding leads on the Internet and through other forms of research. If you feel you need this book, go to a bookstore and take a pen and notebook with you. Just don't waste your money on buying it!

5 comments about Starting Your Career as a Freelance Illustrator or Graphic Designer.

1. so you want to go freelance... you really, REALLY want to go freelance? Tired of working for a boss? Want your own hours? Sleep late? Get this book, read it and then decide. It'll give you a well-rounded education of what they don't tell you in art school because what your professors were really interested in at that time wasn't your education, but getting a piece of co-ed you-know-what while they collected their paycheck.



2. This is simply one of the best books for starting a freelance art career that I've ever read. This book gives you very practical information about almost every detail of freelance illustration and graphic design. You'll find information on creating business and financial plans, setting up and managing a studio, billing procedures, creating a portfolio and marketing yourself to potential clients. I find a lot of books of this nature don't talk about the raw mechanics of business so much as they offer token inspiration and motivation. If you're interested in a book that will actually give you useful information about the business side of freelancing this is the one to buy.
   
   The only areas where it seemed to be a little on the thin side were dealing with taxes and the legal issues concerned with working for youself. Other than that it was wonderful.



3. I love this book! It's great for those just starting up and has covered each aspect of becoming a freelancer. Each time something has come up, I referenced this book and found the answers! Highly recommended!



4. 
   I really liked this book a lot. It was a very good first-hand book written by a small business owner about his experiences starting, managing, and prospering as a freelance illustrator and/or graphic designer. His writing style was not exactly stellar. But it certainly was clear. The 20 chapters included in the book fell into the following 4 topics:
   
   1. STARTING THE FIRM
   >>Where Do You Start?
   >>Off on the Right Foot
   >>Creating a Plan for Your Business
   >>Developing Your Financial Plans
   >>Forms, Charts & Templates
   >>Pricing Your Work and Getting Paid
   
   2. MANAGING THE FIRM
   >>Why Should You Freelance?
   >>Setting Up Shop
   >>Managing Your New Studio
   
   3. RAINMAKING FOR THE FIRM
   >>Bring in Clients
   >>How to Get Noticed
   >>What Goes in the Portfolio
   >>Marketing on the Web
   
   4. POSSIBLE MARKETS
   >>The Magazine Market
   >>Selling to the Newspapers
   >>Working with Advertising Agencies
   >>Selling to Book Publishers
   >>The Greeting Card Market
   >>Working with Art and Design Studios
   >>Selling to Small Business
   
   Since I am not an illustrator or a graphic designer I did not have much use for the fourth topic. But it was interesting to read about. I regularly counsel wanta-be entrepreneurs about how to start a small business; I'm a volunteer SCORE counselor. And the material covered in the first three topics above are exactly what I talk about with my SCORE clients. I highly recommend this book to anybody wanting to start their own small consulting practice. It does a wonderful job discussing the topics.
   
   My biggest complaint with the book is the tendency of the author to recommend outsourcing so many functions: accounting, taxes, and Web site design and construction. I think these things should be fully understood by the small business owner and probably done by the owner herself. When the business grows to have a few employees, then the employees can do those tasks if the owner wants to do that.
   
   I would have written the section on choice of business structure differently. Keep in mind that LLCs can be either single member or multi member. An LLC can elect to be taxed as a sole proprietorship (single member), a partnership (multi member), or a C Corporation. Also, a multi member LLC will have to file a partnership tax return. A good book on the subject that I recommend you read to supplement this book is Structuring Your Business (ISBN: 1593371772). I highly recommend forming an LLC and electing to have it taxed as a C Corporation. Just give yourself a bonus at year-end so the corporation retains no earnings. If your business is a corporation it is less likely to be audited by the IRS. 5 stars!



5. At first, I had heard that this author talks "down" to the illustrator when he is explaining things, but this book I actually found very helpful, true to life and there weren't any sugar coatings. I enjoyed how he wrote and he put things into perspective, he didn't talk down.