5 comments about The Watercolor Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artists.

1. I have way too many watercolor books (buying WC books is addictive, although not as addictive as buying new colors). This book is one of my absolute favorites, and one I find myself returning to over and over. I am a very big fan of the entire "Materials and Techniques for Today's Artists" series, and I own their Drawing Book, Pen & Ink Book, Pastel Book, Acrylic Book, and Oil Painting Book.
   
   All of the books in this series seem to follow the same basic format. The first third or so of the book cover materials in great detail. The emphasis is on the types of materials that you need, options available, and characteristics of specific brand names. If you're a beginning watercolorist lost among all of the brands of brushes, paints, and paper available then this will be a great resource. The middle 3rd of the book focuses on general techniques, followed by a series of discussions related to specific subject matter. The final third focuses on mixed media - and in my opinion this is the area where Dewey's books really shine. I think he's a great pastelist and uses pastels and watercolors together to do some amazing stuff.
   
   I view this is a great book for folks that know at least a little bit about watercolor painting and are interested in getting into more depth and detail. I probably wouldn't recommend the book for absolute beginners, because I think absolute beginners would find the book a little overwhelming. Some initial questions that absolute beginners might ask (like "What colors should I have on a basic palette") aren't really addressed until pretty deep into the book. For an absolute beginner, something like Jack Reid's "Watercolor Basics: Let's Get Started" or Charles Reid's "Painting Flowers in Watercolor With Charles Reid" could be a better choice. But if you've seen enough of watercolor to know that you want to know a lot more about it, this book is a great resource.



2. I found this book very helpful -- a good introductory book on water color techniques and products. Lots of detail on the different materials and tools used in watercolor (paper type, brushes, paints, misc). The author discusses the uses of each and which products and brands he finds most useful/of the best quality. The author also discusses different techniques (with examples). The book is in color and the step-by-step instruction is useful for beginners or those of us that are a bit rusty. This book will also be useful for people that have never taken an art class as there is background info as well (the color wheel, values, etc.).



3. I wish I would have bought this book before I bought the supplies I did. I know that I would have saved a lot of guesswork and helped form my style faster and more satisfactorily. I am an amateur painter and will always be, so cost effectiveness is an issue. Even though I have brushes and stuff that I will not use (probably) I have the feeling with this book that I have an instructor at hand. Thanks guys!



4. After reading several books about watercolor, I found this book to be the best watercolor book on the market. It is the clarity and thoroughness of the explanations that make this such a valuable resource. I particularly found the section on color theory helpful. This is not a book with a few scattered tips against a background of gorgeous pictures of the artist's work. Rather, it is a master teacher reaching out to all levels of learners as he takes the mystery and confusion out of doing watercolors. If you were only going to buy one book about watercolor--this is the book!!
   
   The Watercolor Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artists



5. I was recommended this book by a professor to use as my guide in an Independent Study in watercolors. I don't have any other to compare it to, so I'm just writing what I got out of it.
   
   It has very good descriptions about types and brands of paints, papers, and brushes to start out with. There are also some chapters dealing with general composition and color theory.
   
   I was more interested in techniques though, which I thought Dewey covered well. As a newcomer to watercolors, I was introduced to different types of washes, layering, lifting techniques, etc. I really liked the mixed media section which discusses laying watercolor with things like pastels or colored pencil.
   
   It was nice to see a variety of work too. It's not all of Dewey's pictures (though I thought his stuff was pretty dang amazing).

5 comments about What Remains.

1. I was very happy to recieve my purchase. It was in great condition and arrived alot sooner than expected. I certainly plan to make future purchases on Amazon.



2. I was a bit disappointed as I didn't realize it was just pictures of "Extremely Dead People" photos. I really did not read any of the other reviews so I was a bit shocked when I opened the book. I would not purchase this book again. I thought it was something concerning life, not past life. If you are a person interested in NECRO-ART it would be of interest.



3. Being a photographer myself it is a must to study Sally Mann's work. No doubt, here reputation is not coincident and definitely not only because she took a couple of photos of children without cloth. Her photos tell stories and portrait those children in a very strong and real way.
   I was very impressed with her work and it still inspires me today.
   
   I was very happy when this book arrived at my door and couldn't wait to open it. The photos of the decaying bodies is clearly not every's taste, but captured on in an extremely impressive and strong way. She treated her negatives is a way that matches the rotten look of the bodies. She carefully chose a style that gives you just enough distance to still feel comfortable but at the same time getting close enough to recognize what we see.
   
   I had to look through these photos a couple of times to adjust myself to it and become open to what I saw. Looking at human being this way is something we have damned from our everyday life. It is not something I would put on my wall, but it is an experience I don't want to miss either.
   
   The big disappointment comes after those photos. The other 2/3 of the book shows photos that are hardly worth the paper they are printed on. I consider myself open to a wide range of artisitc expression but not the lack of it. What we see on the following pages is like the title suggests the remains of Sally Mann's drawers where she probably found decade old films that she forgot to process. As much as I tried to like it and find something "talking" to me I simply ended up flipping through the pages more and more quickly hoping to get to the next chapter. But it never came.
   
   No I don't think it is a waste of money, and yes I still like Sally Mann's work. I just don't have to like this book (except for the first part).
   
   If you like her previous work, her style and extremely impressive and artistic portraits you might be very disappointed with this book as it is not remotely similar to what you might expect.



4. WHAT REMAINS is an apt title to this extraordinary photographic portfolio by the sensitive, ever inquisitive, gentle spirit of Sally Mann. Though often criticized for her 'audacity' of material she elects to photograph, Mann is never less than creative and challenging.
   
   This well designed book is divided into sections that explore life and especially death in its many guises - accidental, violent, natural - and the remains of the deed, matter with which we the living must deal. There is the death of a family greyhound shown with grief and simplicity, the violent death of a criminal killed on Mann's property and the gore of that event and aftermath, a series of views of dead bodies in a morgue, and dark landscape survey of Antietam (a battlefield fro the Civil War) that is haunting and all too reminiscent of ongoing battlefields we still create, and finally some views of her own children's faces.
   
   The camera techniques include ambrotypes and modes of developing that are both difficult and rewarding. One is left with the impact of the fine line between life and death and that vacuum that exists when one becomes the other. Some may find this particular portfolio difficult to see, but perhaps those people will gain the most from Sally Mann's meditations on life and death. Grady Harp, January 2004



5. i always wondered if mann was a truly gifted artist or if her subjects and locations were just so compelling that anyone could have captured incredible images if they happened to be present.

   this book confirms the latter.

   these photographs are flat, uninteresting, not compelling for me in any way.

   Maybe she needs to find some new prepubescent girls and go back to the child-erotica.

   The controversial nature of her images were what vaulted her to fame.

   it surely was not talent.

2 comments about Surfboards.

1. For all those keen surfers and board collectors, this book is a must.
   A gorgeous collection of photos and technical information displayed in an easy to peruse, Sunday on shore afternoon kind of way.
   The history of styles, shapes and methods of board making, including a glossary for the uninitiated, are punctuated with inspiring photography of the starring boards in action.
   Extensive information on the legends of board shaping, as well as a decal section, and plenty of surfboard artwork.
   A stunning coffee table book for the beach house!



2. For those of us in love with the surfboard, Guy Motil's book is a treasure full of photographs and comments. Never before as such a complete timeline of the surfboard been documented. The movement from longboard to shortboard and back, and in between, is clearly marked and measured. Like photographs of waves and women, the photographs of surfboards are simply beautiful.

4 comments about FHM Women: The Exclusive Collection (Erotica).

1. It's alright, but In The Paint is much better. The front picture is no doubt the best one. I wouldn't have bought it if I had gone through it once first.



2. If you like the magazine you'll enjoy this collection. The pictures are well done, not great and not bad. Just a good collection with celebrities. I too think the cover was the best photo.



3. Possibly the best picture is the cover. Inside, the photo quality is pretty damn poor and some of the subjects not very attractive to the camera. All in all, a disappointment. I have thrown this in the trash like the bad magazine the pictures come from.



4. I know what you're thinking... Anyone reviewing this is just a pervert who wants to gawk at scantilly clad women. I beg to differ. I purchased this book as a reference for figure drawing and I'm very pleased with it. The photographers are very skilled at creating a beautiful setting, creative lighting, and solid composition.

3 comments about The Photobook: A History, Vol. 1.

1. This volume, along with its companion volume, offer little in the way of useful or intelligent commentary (it is otherwise recycled pabulum wasted on a body of books that, for the most part, were treated to celebrity status by Roth). Instead, we're treated to an obscure and incomprehensibly limited canon which is sold as if it were created in a vaccuum with only the purest of intellectual and aesthetic intentions and aspirations (please look at Parr's actual photographs before buying this book--you can get a better appreciation of his specific photographic style). The reality--both of these volumes (and the books contained therein) seem to have been selected primarily for their price in the rare book world (Roth is guilty of basing his selection process on the market as well, but at least he's tranparently a rare book dealer). This wouldn't bother me so much except that there are glaring omissions from both Parr/badger volumes (Misrach's Bravo 20, anything from John Pfahl, anything from Helmut Newton, Frank Horvat, Andres Serrano, Jan Dibbets, Ken Schles, James Van Der Zee, Jerry Uelsmann, Richard Prince, etc...) It is also troubling because up until perhaps even a year ago the rare photobook market was dominated by a handful of collectors (whose ability to judge photography, as far as I can tell, is somewhat suspect). The general proposed intent of the project is noble (cataloging the important photobooks of the world), but I don't think that these authors are qualified in any way to be the critics of what photobooks have actually been important (can we get Irving Penn, William Klein, Araki,and a panel of actual legends to make some selections?). And so, we are treated to a very strange mixture of blue chip photobooks, some of which are obviously important, and some of which are just expensive cult favorites with the collectors. Buyer beware--most of the books within have catapulted even higher in value almost exclusively based off of the premise that they were included in these books. There are plenty of photobooks worth collecting (perhaps even more worthy than most of the books included herein) and there are lots of little-known volumes from the greats (also not treated here) worth pursuing and, more importantly, viewing and enjoying. Photobooks were being produced before this list was assembled and will continue to be created long after these forgettable volumes are replaced with more academic and more interesting attempts. These books are not a terrible point of departure for the neophyte collector but be advised that these books repeatedly confuse monetary and artistic merit without apparently being aware of their own confusion. If you are interested in serious collecting, I'd advise either finding a copy of Roth (if you are interested in collecting a canon of well-established books that are unlikely to shift in value significantly) or, more simply and elegantly, spend some time at your local library learning who Mapplethorpe, Lartgiue, Saudek and rest really are (you can find the names on the internet fairly simply and looking through the actual books beats reading these surveys any day). It's free and you'll be able to craft your own tastes before you begin the process of investing in your won photobook collection.



2. This is a marvelous volume that can be enjoyed by book and photography lovers alike. As an object in its own right it exhibits a level of refinement in conception and execution that has become rare in our age of mass-produced books. Of course, there are many specialist photobook publishers but they seem to focus exclusively on print quality to increase the perceived value of their publications, whilst neglecting the vital contribution of design in a book's overall appearance (and desirability). In the Phaidon-volume, the exquisitely judged rhythm of layout and typography complement the vivid reproductions of vintage photobook material into a very exciting whole.
   
   To be sure, the care spent on the production of this book is not gratuitous. To the contrary, it is a statement that reinforces the basic conceptual tenets held by Badger and Parr. From the introductory pages we learn that not every and any book that has been conceived around a collection of photographs merits to be included in the class of "photobooks". A photobook - as Badger and Parr understand it - is more than just the sum of its parts: pictures, words, design, and choice of subject all contribute to something which transcends the meaning of a photographic portfolio. This is all illuminating and one could certainly say that the "Photobook" is an instructive example of this synergy between various elements.
   
   However, I wished that the editorial team would have left it at that. I think Badger and Parr are moving onto much more controversial ground when they hold forth that the emblematic photobook is a kind of dramatic event, "comparable with a piece of sculpture, a play or a film" in which the individual photographs lose their own character as things in themselves. Apart from being theoretically doubtful, I believe this criterion is simply too stringent and many vintage photobooks featured in this survey do not comply with it. For example, many of the early books were photo albums in the true sense of the word: bound collections of original prints glued onto white pages. Similarly, it is difficult to see in some of the modernist books - such as Erhardt "Das Watt" or Mendelsohn's "Amerika" - anything more than an expertly produced photographic portfolio. In each of these examples there is coherence, but it does not derive from some kind of dramatic or narrative logic. It can simply be a unity of style which holds a photobook together. Positioning the photobook "between the novel and film", therefore, raises more questions than it provides us with answers. It doesn't really help to make sense of "a ragged and sprawling subject, with more than its fair share of anomalies".
   
   It is perhaps more useful to investigate how Badger and Parr have tried to organise their material within the confines of this volume (and the next). They seem to have relied on three different lines of thought. The first is chronological (it's a history after all). The survey starts with the very first publications, early on in the history of photography and will end with a section on "The Photobook and Modern Life". In this sense, the book can be studied as a remarkably lively and varied panorama of how photographers have engaged with their craft over the last 150 years.
   
   The second organising principle is geographical: some of the individual chapters focus on a distinct area of cultural production (the US, Europe and Japan; the next volume features a chapter on "The Worldwide Photobook"). Finally, there is "intention" as a structuring element. Photobooks have been produced to serve a variety of purposes: to tell a story, to tell a non-story (stream-of-consciousness-like books), to non-tell a story (to deconstruct), to document, to persuade, etc. Indeed, a valuable photobook can even limit itself to simply showing. Most of the chapters in the two volumes put some kind of "intention" at the center of the discussion.
   
   I think Badger and Parr's conception of their own book is to a certain extent at odds with their conceptual emphasis on the dramatic nature of photobooks. If there is drama in "The Photobook", it is mediated by the words that accompany the various chapters, not by the visuals. In other words: it is a conceptual not a photographic narrative that unfolds. As regards the visuals, curiously enough the daring use of white space and drop shadows around the book and page reproductions really make them stand out as preciously unique. Leafing through the book is akin to walking between carefully presented museum exhibits. In this sense, "The Photobook" clearly `shows' and, therefore pulls us away from the dramatic sweep of history.
   
   Despite these theoretical misgivings there is not a shade of doubt in my mind that this book deserves five stars. It is a fabulous book and I look forward with keen anticipation to the second and final volume.



3. This book (and the next volume) will surely become the standard reference for anyone wanting to know about photobooks and in creating a new word for photographs in a book perhaps this will create a new publishing genre too. The author's rightly point out that photography is a printed-page medium and the four hundred and fifty titles examined, with just over two hundred in this first book, probably represent the best (or most interesting) titles ever published.
   
   The nine chapters give a lucid in depth review of photobooks to the 1970s with Anna Atkins 1843 'Photographs of British Algae' taking the first photobook prize. I particularly enjoyed chapter six, Medium and Message: the photobook as propaganda, basically dealing with Soviet books in the Thirties and the examples shown are quite extraordinary in their use of images and design. Reproducing the pages from these books would easily make a separate title. The other fascinating chapter was nine, dealing with postwar Japanese books, again the reproduced jackets and spreads show amazing creativity and vision, not only in the choice of photos but also in the use of printing and binding techniques.
   
   Stunning though this book is I thought there was one particular weakness, in so many of the books there are not enough pages shown. Many of them have two pages, for instance 'An American Exodus' by Lange and Taylor, there are fifteen spreads so it is possible to follow the flow of images or Avery Brodovitch's 'Ballet' with eighteen spreads to capture the feel of the subject. Most of the titles though are two or three to a spread allowing mostly a cover plus four or six pages from inside the book but annoyingly there is easily room for more pages had there been a slight adjustment to the book detail text that accompanies each photobook. The excess white space really should have been put to better use. Despite this the paper and printing of the book is first class, the images are reproduced in a fine screen as cut-outs with a drop shadow and run of varnish to really make them sparkle.
   
   Parr and Badger have almost created a unique book but Andrew Roth's Book of 101 Books, The: Seminal Photographic Books of the Twentieth Century published in 2001 must be regarded as the first attempt to capture the essence of photobooks and in both titles the editorial concept is the same, reproduce the covers and pages rather than show individual photographs. As a designer this makes both books come alive for me but I prefer 'The Photobook' for its exhilarating coverage in both words and images.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

5 comments about Driven from Within.

1. This book overall was pretty good, the only pitfall are the pages where they talk about brand Nike. They overembellish the brand/product a bit. Other than this there is some good stuff on the MJ persona in this book. I enjoyed reading some of the stories about him and also his personal views on many things. Good read for any Jordan enthusiast.



2. I gave this book to my little brother who loves both basketball and Michael Jordan and he loved it!! It was full of stories, pictures and inspirational quotes. The best part about it is that it was written by Jordan himself. I would highly recommend this book.



3. The product came in a timely fashion and delivery was not a problem. I was a little disappointed in the quality of the book when it came. The inside was nice but the outside jacket looked as if the book had been used. I don't know if it moved around a lot in shipping but it did not have the newest look.



4. Learn about Michael Jordan's life and how his inner drive helped him succeed in basketball, business, and life. You'll be inspired and motivated.



5. This book was great it said almost everything about michael jordan's life through hes highschool year and college year at north carolina. I also think that it was good for people thats young because it shows a lot of pictures of michaeel jordan's shoes and him when hes playin basketball or other thing.
   I think people that like jordan's shoes should read this book because it describes how they made that shoes from and how they get the idea of it plus it shows how michael jordan think about that shoes and some part is very funny because for example hes first shoes "jordan 1's" he says like "im not wearing that shoes, it looks like clown" and when i was reading that part. i just started laughin outta no where because i thought it was pretty funny. It also shows the sketch of the shoes that they made or planning to make and a lot of ideas of drawings. I think a lot of elementary school kids well understand this too.
   This book also has a lot of quotes and i think most of them is so true, like one of hes quotes "its hard, but its fair" it means that he practices alot and its hard but at the end u need to practice to get better.
   When i was reading this book it just showed me how great michael jordan was and it made me admire him. First, i thought he was a normal NBA guy and i didnt think he was that special but now after i read this book, it showed me what he did through high school and how hard it was. one day, i wanna be like michael jordan and be a great basketball prayer like him.
   This book was first book that i really loved to read and i couldnt stop reading this book because it was also so exciting.
   Best part of this book was the what do they picture when they make there jordan shoes because it was randomest thing and i was pretty amazed also, like one of hes shoes, "jordan 13" they imagine about a black tiger that like hunts animal or people at night with green eyes and then on the shoes, theres a green thing for the tigers eyes and all black shining leather part and it was pretty amazing. There my favorite shoes outta all the jordans and i wish i have them, but now its expensive and i cant afford it.

1 comments about Bear Men 2009 Calendar.

1. Hot guy on front, but fat, ugly men in the rest of the calender! Deceitful! Shame how females get the short end of the sticks when it comes to quality, hot looking male calenders.

5 comments about Dan Eldon: The Art of Life.

1. A more artistic interpretation of the traditionally print-driven journal, Dan Eldon's records are colorful and compelling.



2. This is a very moving and powerful book from someone who was so young. It documents a movement of change and how Dan Eldon could find beauty in the simplest of things. The imagery will stay with you long after you've put the book down.



3. I love this book. The story of Dan Eldon is one everyone should read. It will change your perception of the world and how you live your life.



4. I purchased both The Journey is the Destination and The Art of Life on the same day. Over the next two days, I rotated the books as I couldn't decide on which one to read first. Jennifer obviously dove deeply into Dan's life. The stories that are told from memories collected from Dan's closest friends and his family are engaging. There is no doubt that Dan left a mark on everyone he met. Even more incredible is that he continues to leave his mark on the lives of those who meet him through these books. His death may have been premature but he certainly didn't waste the short amount of time that he was given. He certainly deserves to be known as one of the twentieth centuries heroes.



5. It's a shame Kathy(his mother) never wrote this book.
   By far the most imtimate and well written part of this book was the last chapter that Kathy Eldon wrote.
   Obviously Jennifer New loves Dan's life like we all do but unfortuneatly she never met him and that glaringly stands out in the biography. There is way too much creative license here,the fact he is raised to almost sainthood can be squeemish at times.Jennifer's writing leaves a lot to be desired, but through the clumsy writing you can't helped but be inspired by the life of Dan Eldon.
   Dan is amazing!! His photos say more about him than any bunch of words can. 'The Journey is the destination" is a must have book!!
   Flip through that and I guarentee your life will be changed forever!

5 comments about Dorothea Lange: Photographs of a Lifetime (Aperture Monograph).

1. This is a beautiful collection of this outstanding photographer's work, with a special emphasis on her Depression-era work. Highly recommended.



2. Dorothea Lange: Photographs Of A Lifetime (Aperture Monograph)
   
   Dorothea Lange provides us with a great insight into the human condition and the state of humanity. Her photographs are timeless works of excellence. Anyone interested in photography, history or humanity will find her work compelling.



3. Interesting book , history in photos with written words. Found it in book store for twice as much. The book store suggested to buy it on line. So glad I did.



4. This anthology is a well-packaged, heart-warmingly first-person annoted retrospective of Lange's career. Enlighening glimpses into Lange's personal point-of view are offered here, showcasing her stark Depression-era WPA migration shots alongside her later vignettes of the American western plains and western coastal dwellers captured in their every day routines. Therein lies this collection's strength and weakness: while her Americana movement captured a rural slice of America which later mediums still struggle to duplicate, that subject matter still did not match the sheer horror and power of her WPA work, which captured the raw strength of the human spirit during life-threatening crises. The diversity of this collection makes it an essential introductory volume, however.



5. I had just recently seen a Lange exhibit when I bought this wonderful book. It starts with an essay on Lange by Robert Coles. Then it moves into her photographs and her own words. Her work is beautiful on its own, but to have the photographs and her philosophy side by side is an enriching experience. The photographs fill the entire book so it's a great read and a nice coffee table book. The images are primarily from her depression photos, but there are also pictures from around the world, her family and her early portraits. I also like that they included photographs of her and her oak trees. Dorothea Lange was a woman with such a unique perspective on life. I feel that this book does an excellent job of presenting her work.

No comments about Right: Portraits from the Evangelical Ivy League.