5 comments about Fantasy Art Masters: The Best Fantasy and Science Fiction Artists Show How They Work.

1. This book is an excellent introduction to fantasy art.



2. I got this book for christmas present and I was suprised, great illustrations from alan lee, john howe, brom, dave mckeane and chris moore. highly recommended!!



3. This 4.5 star book covers a wide variety of illustrators of traditional and computer media. Although this book is lacking in showing how the illustrators work it shows a good amount of artwork in progress by each of the illustrators shown. In my opinion Don Maitz and Brom are the only ones in this book that deserve the title on the books cover.



4. This Book is Fantastic. I know some people may have been dissapointed that it didnt mention as many Fantasy artists, but for that, you need to buy the "Spectrum" fantasy books. This book is Fantastic BECAUSE It took a few of the many great artists, and let them tell about themselves and how they made it to where they are and what theyve done, as well as some sketches and behind the masterpiece work. There was a wide variety of both fantasy and science fiction, paint, drawing and digital. Great for detail. But if you want an overview of MANY artists, its not what youre looking for, (as I said). The color and layout of the book is done well. Great book to have, especially if you're an aspiring fantasy artist.



5. When I first recieved this book I was very disappointed. I've gone back to the book on a few occasions and I've come to the conclusion that, for me, it's decent enough. Some of the work in here doesn't come close to being considered masterpieces. While some of it is very good (Brom, Alan Lee, John Howe and Rick Berry particularly look good) some of the other work looks contrived and uninspiring.I'm not going to lambast the artists who created the work I didn't like. There's no point in being rude and I respect that these artists may very well have labored sincerely at their craft. Some of their work was even decent. On the other hand, I have to ask myself if they were the person on the street would they respond to images that look like spliced photos of leather clad fetish inspired fembots with what looks like gun barrels (?) for heads? I had to study that piece to make out that they were female even as they they had the basic scrawny model physique. While some of the work I didn't like communicated ideas I could relate to, others married the shocking with visuals in attempts to call itself art. Sensory response can be achieved by kicking a dog, however it's not likely to be considered art.Too make matters worse, while some of the work is graphic it's also over-stylized. If fantasy, as it's known to be, can be shocking (or just disturbing) as some of this work is, than once again we reduce the form to the lowest common denominator. "Wow! This is so cool." "Why?" "Cause I never saw this before." Is fantasy art be lowered to that most contrived form of visual impact that is called "conceptual art"? Please, count me out. Even worse is the fact that, for me, the unusual pieces were later viewed as just tacky and even later, boring. That's where I use the "contrived" label. Most of the other digital art was nothing short of boring even as it was unusual. What's the point of being unusual if it's still boring? Most of the traditional paintings were all right but, again, some of it was boring. What was the point the writer and editor were trying to highlight? In conclusion, there is some very good work in this book but there are also some works that left me wishing for straight up paintings and drawings again. The digital age has promised a lot and delivered very little. And none of it has inspired me to buy a print, frame it and display it. I'm still hopeful that it progresses beyond what's presented here.

2 comments about Beginner's Guide to Mosaics.

1. I purchased this book to start my very first mosaic project. It was very easy to follow and showed exactly what you need to do. I was never stuck wondering how to do something. My first project was the fruit bowl, which turned out very well and looks professional. There are excellent projects for the beginner and projects to work into as you get more advanced. Highly recommend!



2. This book is full of great ideas that can be copied or adapted. A must for the learning mosaic artist.

2 comments about 50 Mosaic Murals: Projects and Step-by-Step Techniques for Decorating Kitchens, Living Areas, Bedrooms, Bathrooms, and Nurseries.

1. This book had some interesting ideas, but I bought it thinking it was a book of 50 ACTUAL murals in mosaic. I was really disappointed to see they were all just computer generated patterns for mosaic. There were no photos of real projects made from the patterns. I can't recommend this book to anybody. Sorry.



2. Nice book, it touch me how to make the murals, show me the Projects step-by-step, colors variation, come with Panel Transfer Grid, it will help me very of my work.
   Its worthwhile shipping to me, in Brazil'this book.

2 comments about Love: A Celebration in Art & Literature.

1. "Celebrate" is the perfect word to describe the content of this wonderful testament to creativity inspired by love. Poems, stories, artwork, and photographs testify to the perennial energy we call love. It's a bargain at the price, especially for those who want to give a gift slightly off the beaten path of crystal, china, and siverware. The book itself is a large, impressive hardback ("art book"), with a beautiful cover. Enjoy!



2. I just found this book at a book sale. It is like I have received a windfall apple. I didn't know what I was missing until I saw this. It is full of stories, quotes and fabulous art reproductions focusing on Love. The feeling you get when you look at and read this book is a profound longing for your loved one. It is really overwhelming. I was hooked from the author's introduction (and I rarely read the introductions). This book is a celebration of love between man and woman. Some of the stories are humorous sketches from authors such as Mark Twain, or poems from e e cummings or an excerpt from Hawthorn's Lady Chatterly's Lover. Overall, This book is a rare and powerful approach to such an awesome subject. (This would make an AWESOME wedding gift).

No comments about Matthew Barney.

1 comments about Masterpieces of Japanese Prints: Ukiyo-e from the Victoria and Albert Museum.

1. Unexpected earnings from the Great Exhibition of 1851 (at the Crystal Palace in London) were used to establish the following year the Victoria and Albert Museum, the world's largest collection of applied art and design. In 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry made his famous expedition to Japan, which had been isolated for 250 years, and set up trade agreements. Examples of Western technology (locomotive, telegraph, camera) were given to the Japanese, and Japanese artifacts to Westerners. Of particular impact were Japanese woodcuts of the 17th through 19th centuries, called ukiyo-e or images of "the floating world," tens of thousands of which ended up in museum collections throughout the world. Many (perhaps most) American and European artists and designers were influenced by the then-strange stylistic traits of these prints (crisp black outlines, bold flat areas of color, asymmetrical arrangements, and dramatic cropping), among them such people as Whistler, Manet, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Gauguin, Aubrey Beardsley, and Frank Lloyd Wright. "All my work," wrote Vincent van Gogh to his brother, "is in a way founded on Japanese art." This stunning volume is a full-color treasury of 130 of those woodcuts (introduced and annotated by scholars) from the many now in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. (Copyright © by Roy R. Behrens from Ballast Quarterly Review, Vol. 14 No. 3, Spring 1999.)

No comments about Pin-Up Nudes II (Artist Archives).

2 comments about Mira calligraphiae monumenta: A Sixteenth-century Calligraphic Manuscript inscribed by Georg Bocskay and Illuminated by Joris Hoefnagel.

1. I love this volume! It has an amazing variety of virtuoso calligraphy combined with marvelous illuminations of fruits, flowers,and small creatures. It's a sampler of everything a very imaginative calligrapher could put on a page. The text is interesting and informative. It was a good buy!



2. This is an excellent reproduction of an exquisite manuscript produced during the last phases of the hand-written, hand-illuminated book. The introductory texts are concerned primarily with the history of the two artists responsible for the creation of this work, with some space devoted to its provenence and patron. The majority of pages are, of course, devoted to the plates themselves; no words can do justice to the art displayed therein. Commentary on the plates is mostly limited to identification of the various flora and fauna displayed on the pages

No comments about Reasons for Knocking at an Empty House: Writings 1973-1994.

5 comments about Collectors Encyclopedia of Hall China.

1. A lady I know worked in Halls china in East Liverpool Ohio, she loves looking at the book and telling stories about the plant and the time she worked there. She has a lot of the china and I find myself collecting it. This book is a great help, and I am very thankful to have found it.



2. This is a must have for Hall China enthusiasts. The format is clear and easy to follow. There is so much great information with pictures and pricing info. for a wide variety of Hall China pieces. I carry the book with me whenever I am shopping at Antique Stores looking for Hall China.



3. The edition is as complete a guide for the mian lines of Hall China as you can probably find, however I think the photo layout and quality were better int he previous version.



4. The Whitmyers obviously worked for years and simply produced "The Informative Reference" to the wonderful Hall China Company and its long production of products. If you love Hall China, this is the book that you HAVE to have in your library. Packed with facts, photos, information found nowhere else but in this volume. Through the help of dealers, collectors and friends; they were able to show Hall's artistry and employee craftsmanship at its finest.
   The color photos pop from the pages as the digital up-to-date photo process allows for this volume. It is so wonderful to see so much Hall China and accessories one might never have a chance to see otherwise if it were not included in this book. Hats off to the Whitmyers and all those who allowed them to photograph such fabulous collections.



5. This is one of the best collector reference books I have ever seen. It is laid out in an easy to read and refer format and the pictures are fantastic. It contains well over 100 pages on teapots alone. Descriptions are clear, interesting and well written.

   This is a perfect addition to the Hall China or teapot collector's library.