3 comments about Lift Off: Air Vehicle Sketches & Renderings from the Drawthrough Collection (Air Vehicle Sketches).

1. I'm no 3d master, but when I wanted to get back into it I was looking for some inspiration. This book didn't let me down. It's filled with mind-bending stuff from really talented people.



2. Scott Robertson is an educator as well as a designer. That shows in this book, editorially, since he reveals early thumbnail, development sketches and final renderings. If you want to see a designer's process laid bare, here's a helpful resource. Don't forget Scott's Gnomon DVDs, as they further expose his process and techniques.



3. For those craving more futuristic design books, the Robertson works are highly desirable. He's no Syd Mead or Ron Cobb, but his works are slick, and well-rendered. A note of caution however; he is a much better artist of ground vehicles than aircraft. Most of his air vehicles are obviously derived from passenger car sketches, sans wheels. If you have the funds for both of Robertson's books, great. If you can only buy one of them, buy his book on ground vehicles.

5 comments about Collage Techniques: A Guide for Artists and Illustrators.

1. I was very disapointed in this book. I was under the impression that it would not only be instructive but that all of the work in it would be Gerald Brommer's. It was neither.



2. This is a good book for beginner and intermediate collage artists. It contains basic historical and theoretical information, as well as basic application techniques. You may also consider Nita Leland and Virginia Lee Williams' book CREATIVE COLLAGE TECHNIQUES. The techniques are challenging and open ended, so they truly encourage you to be creative.



3. This is the best reference available as at this date on collage. It is also one of the most inspiring art books I have read. I cannot recommend it more highly. The artworks provided as examples are of the highest quaility. Thank you, Gerald Brommer.



4. What I particularly liked was that all the illustrations were of first rate work.So many different approaches. An excellent text and motivational advice on materials and the object of collage as a genuine artistc outlet.



5. Brommer approaches collage from an fine art point of view. Most other books I have looked at tend more toward the scrapbook and/or kitchy altered art genre. He has an excellent section on art paper preparations and basic design.

5 comments about In This House: A Collection of Altered Art Imagery and Collage Techniques.

1. This is a good book for this day and age as chipboard is in.
   So it shows you alot of things to do with the board. Not just as in houses but in use of the chipboard in general. I recommend it.



2. I found this book to be a wonderful source of inspiration. Each chapter includes a House collaged by a different artist,using a wide range of materials that are somtimes surprising and exciting for both artists and non-artists. This makes for an enjoyable read, especially as each artist name's their house and shares the secrets behind them - like who might have lived there,etc...And just incase this inspires you as well, there is a template (of a house) in the back to enlarge, along with
   several pieces of artwork from the book to collage with! This is a really nice extra detail. Angela Cartwright and Sarah Fishburn really inspire the possiblities of creativity with "In This House".



3. No matter what you think of as 'home', it is right here in this more than wonderous neighborhood of artists. The most profound thing that struck me about each and every one of these artworks, was the ability for these talented women to not only show, but share the love of thier subject matter through their skilled craft. Although each house is as different as the artist who created it, each of the artists was able to touch me with what I think of as my own ideas of the perfect home of my heart. The love is sewed and glued and painted and created with so much love of life that I found a semblence of my self in every one of these perfect little models. Not many books can do that for me and believe me, I read a LOT of books.
   
   I also feel that this book appeals to a very wide range of artists, crafters and writers alike; not to mention just plain ole good eye candy for the casual book thumber. Oh and check out the totally divine drawings that hold the neighborhood together. Only the skill of such talent as Sarah Fishburn and Angela Cartwright could have forseen what fine threads fairy tale drawings could be to hold together such an eclectic collection of artistic styles. My hat is off to you girls. I can't wait for the next collaboration.



4. Seriously, I do. I want to move to the neighborhood that holds all this magic, wonder and pure talent. Angela Cartwright and Sarah Fishburn put together a magnificent book that will call me back to review the delicious pages for years. The realm of wildly creative artists who took part in this project is fantastic - from Nina Bagley to Lesley Riley, Erika Tyesse to Susie LaFond. Each of these incredible artists produced a vibrant, comfy House, with every detail perfectly captured in top-notch photography. You can't fully appreciate these Houses unless you study the pictures, examining each abode inch-by-inch, until you feel like you are sitting at the piano in Susie LaFond's "Lake House", smelling the luscious whirlwind of scents in the quaint kitchen of Sarah Fishburn's "French Studio", or giggling over the children's antics with Ms. Bea Keeper in Jen Osborn's "House for Naughty Children".
   
   There is absolutely no way to discover all the treasures these Houses contain in one pass of the book - no, this stunning neighborhood of amazing Houses must be visited multiple times in order to get the full experience. This neighborhood puts the Welcome Wagon to shame - every piece invites you in for an intimate peek into each artist's soul. And although each House is as unique as its creator, the neighborhood melds together because the Houses are so in sync.
   
   This is one of my very favorite books - the richness of your experience is further increased with the sidebars present for each House. The plethora of quotes sprinkled throughout the book enhance your journey and make you stop to dream about what your own House would look like. In This House is not only inspirational, but also a how-to book of sorts - with the house template and wonderful art included at the back of the book. The "Guide to the Tool Shed" (Glossary) adds much value to this book - it's a great reference and sure to make even the most novice altered art visitor feel at home. "The General Store" - where to purchase LOADS of cool supplies - is an invaluable resource for those unsure about where to find mouth-watering provisions.
   
   Go for a visit in this beautiful, one-of-a-kind neighborhood - where the homeowners go out of their way to make you feel comfortable. Just make sure you wear comfy shoes!



5. This book took me by surprise. Lots of excellent ideas coupled with a feeling of magic! Would love to visit each of these houses in person!

5 comments about Art Forms in Nature: The Prints of Ernst Haeckel (Monographs).

1. a brilliant draftsman and scientist, heackel shows us that the natural world is not only incredibly beautiful, but weirder than anything you can invent.
   there are larger and more expensive editions of this book to be had, as well as smaller and digital versions. the 12" x 9" dover edition folio is a nice reference size, well printed, colorful, and a great price.



2. There are multiple books with reproductions of Haeckel's Art Forms in Nature. Two are published by Prestel: a $25 9x12 monograph with essays about the work, and a $9 3x5 postcard book. The descriptions of the two are mixed up. Both are great for what they are.
   
   Art Forms in Nature: The Prints of Ernst Haeckel (Monographs)



3. The following is Amazon's description of this book:
   Paperback: 139 pages
   Publisher: Prestel Publishing (August 1998)
   Language: English
   ISBN-10: 3791319906
   ISBN-13: 978-3791319902
   Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 9.4 x 0.5 inches
   Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
   
   More than one customer review states that they received a book that is only 3 inches wide. I hesitate to buy this book since the info posted may be misleading.



4. decent for the price but it's made for little tiny people with little tiny little hands, cuz it has these little tiny ilustrations with bowed legs.



5. This book is full of illustration of organisms you can find on nature.I repeat, it is not fantasy, these beautiful illustration are drawings of things that are right there, sometimes too small to see with the naked eye, in nature, and one can only awe at such beauty and design skills. Haeckel did a great job combining biology with art, and it shows on this book.
   
   A note of advise: these edition has color, the other one is black&white.

5 comments about The Mosaic Artist's Bible: Over 300 Traditional and Contemporary Designs.

1. Excellent book on mosaics for both beginners and advanced crafters. Contains a great selection of designs ranging from simple to more complex. Also includes a well constructed technical section. Highly recommended to anyone who wants a mosaic book at their fingertips that has it all.



2. This is a great book for newbies to the world of mosaic art and designs. I highly recommend it.



3. A mosaic artist's "bible" should cover, or at least refer to, all things mosaic. I found this to be more of a craft-oriented, paint-by-numbers book of patterns, not geared to artists. I suppose the patterns may be helpful for those who do not create their own designs but if that's not what you're after, this book not only doesn't offer anything new, it doesn't even touch on many of the most important mosaic materials and techniques, so the title is very misleading. This book never once refers to smalti, the most basic and historic of tesserae, not does it discuss any artistic techniques, such as visual flow(andemento) or outlining. The words "bible" and "artist's" should not be in the title, maybe more "how-to" for beginners.



4. My first impression was less than excited, but the more I look at it, the more I see that it can serve as either a jump start for inspiration, or information for technical applications. Can also serve to show a client some possibilities or how something might look upon completion for simple jobs, like address plaques. Nothing, or very little, in the way of pebble or marble or smalti mosaics, but big on glass, which is okay, but leaves the title a somewhat misleading. And nothing on framing, mounting or hanging.



5. I was hoping that this book would have some really great inspirational ideas, things I hadn't seen before, things that would get my creative juices flowing. Instead it was a good tool for a beginning, but nothing new.

5 comments about Art from the Heart: Mixed-Media Collage.

1. I borrowed this book from a friend and am now ordering my own copy. I look forward to referencing it as I create my own art. Ms. Scanlon makes the greatest pieces. I enjoy watching her blog, reading her first book Sewing on Paper and now she has taken it to a new level with Art from the heart. I hope to see more sewing on projects in the future. Maybe an option for her next book?



2. Fantastic book! This book is very inspiring and informative. The photography is excellent and the instructions easy to follow and understand. I can't wait to try out more of her ideas!



3. While this book has gorgeous projects - it lacks real instructions on how to make these items.



4. This is a wonderfully creative book with many ideas for artistic expression.I highly recommend this selection.



5. If you love altered art or just new to it, you will love this book.
   Great and EASY instructions and wonderful ideas for altering things you can use. Highly recommend this book.

5 comments about Celebrate Your Creative Self: Over 25 Exercises to Unleash the Artist Within.

1. Celebrate Your Creative Self: Over 25 Exercises to Unleash the Artist Within
   Have not had time to use a lot of the activities, but there seems to be some really creative acitivies that interest me.



2. I really like this book. I own it and have given it as a gift to many of my artist friends and students. It has great idea starters that are open ended enough to allow for creative license. I also really like the spiral binding that allows the book to lay flat while refering to some of the techniques.



3. It was a very inspiring book. Lot's of great photos of artist work. I am an oil painter and still found it helpful and inspiring.



4. This spiral bound hardback book is GREAT! Color photos throughout enhance the step by step instructions to help you learn new techniques.



5. This book presents simple exploratory exercises for acrylic paints that create novel and brilliant effects. The text is closely tied to the pictures, rather than stating generalities. The author is perhaps sponsored by Golden Paints, who I suspect of mounting a highly diverse and slightly annoying public relations effort through workshops and "how-to" books. Nevertheless, I have already learned a lot fom "25 Exercises".

5 comments about New Directions in Altered Books.

1. One of the best guides on Altered Books and the one I refer to on a regular basis as a means of learning new ways to approach altered books. I have learned so much from this book.



2. I like this book. I have many others about altered books and collage so not much is new to me but this one does it better.



3. This was a well made book with good photos etc. It was not entirely visually appealing to me however and I felt a little let down. If I had seen it in the flesh prior to purchasing I would have left it. (One of the pitfalls with internet buying I suppose).
   However, maybe I am not into the whole 'altered book' process and as such my comments may not be a good overall yardstick.



4. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The instructions are very good, there are many creative ideas and the photography is wonderful. There are some really unique approaoches to wall art using altered books, as well as using CDs, picture frames, etc. What I like best is that this book has some new and refreshing ideas which I haven't seen before and that always gets my creative juices flowing. There is also a great gallery which showcases the work of other artists. For those just beginning, the book starts with how to choose the right book for altering. For the more advanced enthusiast, there is a section that asks, "What if...? and explores new possibilities with other artists. Something for everyone and definitely one of my favorites.



5. This book was initially recommended to me by an art instructor. It has proved to be a well-founded recommendation. Clear instruction and inspiring.

1 comments about Tactile: High Touch Visuals.

1. Blurs the boundaries between fine art, graphic design, and product design. If you make "things" then this book will prove inspirational for any artistic endeavor.

5 comments about Mixed-Media Collage: An Exploration of Contemporary Artists, Methods, and Materials.

1. This book is not just a collection of pictures of interesting projects, but each artist includes what inspired them, materials used and tips on creating similar works. You can get ideas from each artist to use in your own work or just enjoy getting in to the head of the artist. There are lots of different styles, techniques and ideas and they are all well illustrated with great photography. This is one book I'll be sure to keep around.



2. I have many, many books in my mixed media, collage library. This one is awesome. I go back and look at it time and time again for new inspiration.



3. After a quick introduction to collage and collage tools, the book is divided into two sections.
   
   Section one features in-depth profiles of five artists. Each artist is interviewed and interesting questions are asked about their creative process, their inspiration and why they choose to use the materials that they do. Multiple pieces of their artwork are shown. One project is featured with stepped-out directions and photos so you can learn their technique.
   
   The five artists profiled and directions for their project are:
   1. Laurinda Bedingfield: 3D collage book sculpture with photographs
   2. Barbara DePirro: using acrylic gel medium to create the look of encaustic
   3. Paula Grasdal: printmaking and collage
   4. Sharon McCartney: mixed-media multi-paneled wall hanging
   5. Teesha Moore: mixed-media journal page
   
   Section two is a gallery of two pieces of artwork from 20 different contemporary mixed-media artists. The information includes brief technique explanation, inspiration, and a list of supplies used.
   
   The strengths of this book are that there is a great variety of type of artwork represented. This is not a book of fads and trends. It was clear to me that each artist is following their own voice and making their own unique kind of art that they enjoy working with. For this reason I treasure the book, because there are other publications on the market which seem to display the `trend of the season'. This book is fresh and unique. Just seeing different types of artwork and seeing these artists using their own inner voices to guide their art (even if I personally didn't love the look of all of it) made me want to go and make some art.
   
   The book closes with some essays on the topic of the artist on the Internet. Directions on how to do photo transfers and how to do encaustic collage are provided.
   
   The book has a products resource guide, a vendor listing and a directory of all the artists featured in the book.
   
   The paper in the book is high quality glossy paper. The layout is very nice and the photographs are in full-color. This was very nicely put together.
   
   I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in mixed-media collage. If you love to read about what inspires artists and about people's creative process you will really enjoy this book.
   
   On a more personal note...
   My personal take-away from this book is a feeling of freedom of expression and a desire to go make my own personal style of art. In the past I have felt uncomfortable when I was creating art that was not the current trend, especially after reading certain books or a certain art magazine. Also while doing mail art swaps I have been criticized for making art that is not the hot fad of the day, for using different colors or materials than some people were. I personally don't plan to copy the work of these artists even though there are stepped out directions for five projects. What each of us takes away from a book is unique and that is alright.
   
   I also really enjoy reading about what inspires artists and what their creative process is like. I smiled when I read that one artist creates while sitting on her living room floor with images all around her. I prefer more talk of the creative process and inspiration rather than the books that only feature the finished art piece yet leave me wondering, "What was the artist thinking, why did they make that?".



4. I am not quite sure what I expected from this book. Yes, I did think there would be the same type of collage and craft but what I did not expect was the same old hats on people, heads on other bodies (refer to T.Moores stuff on the cover and inside) techniques that have been done to death to name a few negative points. It was a grave disappointment. It would seem there really has been nothing new from this area of paper arts for an awful long time.
   
   A few good points about the book is that it uses some male artists in a predominately female field. Further, the photography and lay out is very good. It also discusses faux encaustics. Sadly, I bought it and sold it in the same week.



5. Definitely a grab bag of goodies: Nuts, prizes and candy (literally). After reading other reviews, I had to put in my 2 cents. Yes, some of the pieces in this book are more "crafty" than others. The cover of the book makes no claim to presenting art rather than craft. The word "art" covers more ground today than in the past & I would consider most of these pieces works of art. Duchamp's mounted urinal entitled "fountain" was considered art in its day (and probably still is). Art is in the eye of the creater and the beholder. If you're not creating or beholding, then why bother to complain. So what's the matter with the pieces presented in this book? What's the matter with craft anyway? Geez.
   
   The techniques explained might not walk you start to finish and help you achieve the exact works of art presented here. They do provide starting points for the reader to come up with their own artworks. Sorry, there are no step-by-step methods to transfering photos to lampshades. There are loads of insights into how each artist creates. I purchased this book to read each artist's "spark", their methods, and their tools. I also want to look at the beautiful photos again and again.
   
   My only complaint about this book is that there is not enough fiber art.