5 comments about The Art of Polymer Clay Creative Surface Effects: Techniques and Projects Featuring Transfers, Stamps, Stencils, Inks, Paints, Mediums, and More.

1. I was surprised at how many "finishes" you can give Poly Clay. This book explains it all . She does show alot of "specialty tools" you can use - but they can be substituted with your own tools or simple copies. GREAT BOOK - Great Pictures and easy step by step instructions.



2. As with all of Donna Kato's books it is well written and her explanations and photos are geared for all level of artist. It is a must have book if you love working with polymer clay or just love to look at innovative Asian influenced design ideas.



3. I had worked with polymer clay years ago and abandoned it as a medium. While watching reruns of Carol Duvall shows I would sketch and make notes about inspiring crafters and artists. I knew nothing of Donna Kato and as I looked back through my notes her name appeared again and again as work I had admired. This new book is an excellent addition to my resource library and I refer to it again and again as I practice polymer clay techniques with a new appreciation for the medium. The techniques are well described complete with specific brands of materials and clearly well-tested. A must-have.



4. This is an amazing book and one that you should really get to add to your collection of polymer clay books. There are soooooo many things in here to try. I just can't wait!
   Plus, buying it from here saved me lots of $$ over the local craft store cost and even ebay.



5. Donna Kato's new book, with photographs by her husband Vernon Ezell and a foreword by Carol Duvall, covers a wide range of techniques and styles. Kato's work defies categorization, covering nostalgic pieces, modern pieces, whimsical items, Asian-inspired items, and even sculpture. Her versatility is amazing. Her teaching ability is wonderful, and through the many photographs we get to see her flawless craftmanship in action. I was especially intrigued by her Brocade Technique and by a watercolor-y bead, done with alcohol-based inks and a rubber stamp of some handwriting.
   
   Always breaking new ground, Kato gives us a collection of stylish, artistic and creative techniques. She carefully explains each one, along with reasons why she chose the materials she used. She includes work from other artists as well, making this a well-rounded and extremely useful book. It doesn't get any better than this!

No comments about Chihuly: 365 Days (365 Series).

1 comments about Introducing ZBrush.

1. As a fellow author, I have bookshelf upon bookshelf of 3D books. Most of these don't get much use. "Introducing ZBrush," however, will get a good workout. Although I've always been impressed by the work produced by ZBrush, I've never been a fan of the interface or workflow and thus have used it relatively little to date. Eric Keller's book makes it all less intimidating. His book covers all the basics, plus includes ample step-by-step guides. The illustrations and example models are a step above many 3D books. I'm also happy to see instructions for importing from and exporting to Maya (ZBrush displacement maps look fantastic in Maya). The DVD includes models, materials, textures, movies, tools, and macros, plus a trial of ZBrush 3. Admittedly, there is a wealth of ZBrush information on the web. However, if you prefer to have a book at your fingertips and would rather not slog through forums for quick answers, this book is a good investment. (If I had a wish, it would be that more of the illustrations were in color, and not black-and-white.)

5 comments about Jewelry: Fundamentals of Metalsmithing (Jewelry Crafts).

1. ...and goes well with his DVD. The text is definitely geared toward beginners. However if you're new at this, the photos of jewelry (albeit lovely) are a little intimidating. I'll use this book as a reference source for techniques, but I'm looking to Stephen O'Keeffe's "Jewelry Making" for projects I can actually achieve.



2. 
   excellent book for the beginner. It explains at length how to do the job.



3. Another great product and great service. Thisa will prove to be a 'bible' for years.



4. Jewelry: Fundamentals of Metalsmithing (Jewelry Crafts) This book is great for anyone interested in the art of jewelry making. Wonderful, brilliant-colored photographs fill the pages and it's very well-planned, written and designed.



5. 
   This book is well thought out, with brilliant photos and well-expressed text. It covers a huge span of metalworking techniques, and is great for one to see an explanation and in a fit of lightbulb-comes-on say to himself, "Oh, so THAT'S how they do that!" It conveys lots of concepts and ideas, and although it is well worthwhile as a text for the beginner, it is ideal for someone with some degree of practical working background, since you need to be able to understand the concepts to make full advantage of its possibilities. The wide array of photos express plenty of complex concepts suitable to stimulate the mind of the experienced metalsmith. I recommend this book to anyone short of a professional who wouldn't be buying a book anyway.

No comments about Sculpture Today.

5 comments about Secrets of Rusty Things: Transforming Found Objects into Art.

1. I LOVE this book, it is filled with so many beautiful images that it has inspired me in many, many ways. The stories behind the pieces remind us to look deeper into the art around us and listen to their stories. I was surprised so many people were disappointed it was not a step by step book, art should inspire you to create, not copy. If you don't get inspired by this book, consider seeing a doctor :)



2. I bought this book along with another book on assemblage art. I found this book not just inormative about the subject but it was a good read as well because of the artists creative process. I was so interested in the artist's work that I went to his website and signed up for an art retreat he will be teaching at.



3. To say this is not a "How To" book is ridiculous. If that's what one is looking for (a step by step holding your hand venue), then one needs to go to a craft store. Michael de Mange's book is about creating ART !
   
   You can't sit down and just read it once. It's like a fine glass of wine - you need to savor and "drink in" every page over and over. Then, and only then, will you understand how to create a piece of ART and not just CRAFT an item.
   
   As for the safety of using products, that's up to each individual to read the labels. If you can't read directions, then you shouldn't be using the product !
   
   In my own opinion, I don't think he meant to write a "How To" book. Instead, he let us peek into his fabulous mind and provided the opportunity to see how he creates his art. I'm an artist, not a craftsman. I want to create something from my own mind and I found this book to be a springboard of inspiration and recommend it to all artists.



4. An interesting book. More ethereal in scope than I expected but beautifully done. I thought it would be more hands-on how to, but no, more wordy and expansive.



5. I purchased this book based on the description and reviews, plus what little I was able to see in the Amazon Online Reader. When it arrived I was disappointed to see that the pages are much too busy, the photo illustrations much too small, and the type too small and in fonts much too difficult to read. And as others have observed, not much in the way of helpful projects. I ruled out two other books in order to get this one and I'm quite disappointed in what I received. About the only thing I still like about it is the title, but I count this as $13 down the drain - and the day after I received it the price dropped! Thanks a lot Amazon.

5 comments about The Encyclopedia of Jewelry-Making Techniques: A Comprehensive Visual Guide to Traditional and Contemporary Techniques.

1. Once again I find myself reviewing not the book, but the "search inside" function. This one is just plain weird. Whoever decided what was to be shown of the iside of the book, left in all the instructions (!) and blanked out all of the pictures - as if you could rip off the techniques from looking at the pictures! Now the problem with this way of displaying - or not displaying the contents of a book, is that I want to see what SORT of jewelry is being turned out - or how will I know whether it is worth my while. Or my money. This is where a real bookstore comes in I guess. Or a library. Browsing is necessary to buying some sorts of books.



2. I've been setting stones and soldering findings to chains and making bezel settings for a couple of years and want to branch out so I was specifically looking for an introduction to jeweler's techniques such as mokume gane, reticulation, etching, forging, advanced soldering, gem setting (such as bead settings, pave etc...), polishing, fusing, granulation, ingraving, etc... This book looked perfect. It has sections for all that stuff and more. The production values of the book and the quality of illustration photographs are excellent. Sections are organized alphabetically with a an inspirations sections at the back with lots of lovely pics of nicely finished pieces that were made with concepts in the book.
   
   The problem is with the actual content. Each section is just a couple or a few pages long. Concepts are introduced, given just a paragraph or two - and then that's it. Step by step instructions are not referenced in the text per se and almost always lack a picture of the finished piece or affect, leaving you sometimes scratching your head as to what you are supposed to end up with. For example, the section on Mokume Gane gives great step by step instructions and illustrations about how to sandwich, solder, cut and layer - and then dent up to file off and show the layers. But there's no picture of the front of the mokume gane after the filing so you can see what all that work achieved. There's a single picture of a pave setting, but no instructions on how to get there or what a beading tool looks like or how it is used. For gem setting there's a great step by step of making and setting a bezel, but for facet stones there's only a brief step by step on making a basket. There's no specific instruction on how to notch prongs or how to bend them to set - just the phrase "bend prongs over the stone to set". This isn't sufficient to actually help you do it. The section on sawing shows you what a saw looks like and how to saw a right angle, but lacks a table instructing you which saw blade works with which thickness of metal. Every area of this book suffers from too much brevity and a lack of useful details.
   
   I'm not going to say that this book was worthless. The section on bending and the section on catches are great. I learned a few great tips too - like the use of a spitstick to clean up the top of a bezel setting. I benefited from seeing the step by step illustrations of many techniques I didn't know. But I did not get enough information to actually execute any of these unknown techniques. I'd say that this book is a good visual orientation on what these techniques are, what tools are used, and what it looks like doing these techniques. It's too brief, however, to give you enough instruction to really execute the illustrated techniques. This book just isn't enough - it's an illustrated introduction that requires additional more in depth texts to actually help you get that stuff done.



3. If you just want to buy pieces and put them together- this is not the book for you. If you honestly want to learn jewelers skills then you will be pleased with this book. I have really enjoyed this book and it has led to many new ideas. This one will stay in my library.



4. I purchased this book in the hopes that it would help me expand my technique with jewelry making and design. Almost all of the techniques covered in the books would take thousands and thousands of dollars in equipment and supplies to actually impliment. It's only really useful for professional jewelers working for big companies with big bucks. It is however interesting and pretty. If you are curious about various techniques such as enameling, reticulation, oxidization and mokume gane, than this is a good book. Even though I am a jeweler and an artist, this will just be a "coffee table book" for me.



5. This is a perfect book that combines text and plenty of images to demonstrate both bare bones beginning jewelry making technique as well as more advanced technique (including making some of your own tools!).
   I bought a copy of this after taking it out of our local library and I am very pleased with it...Very thorough. Very easy to understand. For those who are really just starting out it's almost like the "idiot's guide" to the Complete Metalsmith...Not that this is dumbed down but there is alot of terminology in Metalsmith that requires one to know the foreign language first...This book assumes almost no knowledge from the reader, but doesn't babytalk or oversimplify either.

5 comments about The Figure in Clay: Contemporary Sculpting Techniques by Master Artists (A Lark Ceramics Book).

1. I am fairly new to building in clay, and I found this book a treasure trove of ideas and techniques by masters of the art. The book is beautifully illustrated, and each of the artists describes their personal vision with regards to their work and then gives a detailed description of the process and techniques used in creating a piece along with formulas for their clay bodies, glazes and firing techniques. I found this book very helpful and inspiring.



2. I've been wanting to get into ceramics for a while and this book was just the thing to get my creative juices flowing. It has many (500 actually) beautiful pieces to admire, with such a wide selection of styles. I love that it has a both beautiful and grotesque figures revealing so many artistic view points. It's definitely not a "how to" book, with just enough info to get a basic idea of how each piece was created but the beautiful photographs and wide variety of sculptures makes it well worth purchasing.



3. A rich and exciting collection of wonderful artists and a never ending wealth of inspiration. My favorite book of contemporary ceramic art



4. I have always wanted to do large scale figurative sculpture. There are not many books specifically on this subject. I found this book and said, "Yes, this has exactly what I want to know". I find it a wonderful resource. Vicki Stone-artist



5. Beatiful pages. It seems easy sculpting. It is not. If you can do it, this book does not really help you, but if you don't, you really feel sorry that you can't. It's good anyway to see how some artists work.

5 comments about Fabulous Origami Boxes.

1. I knew this origami boxes from tomoko's fuse site. The schemes were compiled in a very useful and great book - this one!
   It's worth buying :)



2. The Book is a fairly good introduction into creative boxes but I felt the book was a bit short and had not many different box variations



3. The author's name alone is what drew me to this book. Tomoko Fuse has come up with so many different variations of origami boxes that it absolutely amazes me! Not only does she design the actual box, but the adornments she designs that are integrated into the box tops are very creative. If you only build one box from this book, build the "Lamp Shaped Bowl w/Knobbed Lid". It is ornate, easy to make, has a unique shape, and is actually very sturdy. If you like origami boxes, BUY THIS BOOK!



4. Tomoko Fuse is fantastic! I would recommend almost all of her books. This book is no exception. As a lover of origami, and practical things, I can't go past Tomoko Fuse's box books.
   
   I was a beginner folder when I first bought her box books and have never had a problem following her directions. I have also taught the folding or some of her boxes to a group of 10-15 year olds. Although they needed a bit of help here and there, they were capable of folding the boxes. (Some, of course were better than others at understanding the diagrams, but most caught on eventually).
   
   The boxes have endless uses, paperclips at work, shortbread in them at Christmas time for gifts, to hold Easter eggs at Easter.
   
   As the cover illustrates, this book has more boxes with raised details (such as the crane, flowers etc) than Tomoko Fuse's "Origami Boxes". Both books are fabulous though.



5. Excellent and practical designs. The octagonal box is especially easy to fold and looks great. My one and only minor niggle is that I wish this book had a spiral binding so that I wouldn't have to use a paperweight to hold the pages open as I folded them.

5 comments about Robert Rauschenberg: Combines.

1. Living in a place where its rare to see an original Rauschenberg combine, this book has standout photgraphs of the works, with detailed views to complement the full image- the first two essays also provide some keen insights into the processes and influences on Rauschenberg's life and work. Definitely recommend for artists
   or interested art followers. These works constitute what I think were the finest in his career.



2. It is great to be able to have this book as a remembrance of the great exhibition it illustrates. Every single piece reproduced here is a masterpiece of creativity and the quality of the reproductions do justice to the works of art, which is no small achievement considering that the Combines are intricate mixtures of sculptures and paintings. You also discover what a master of color the artist is, an aspect often overlooked by his critics. I love Rauschenberg's Combines, they give me joy, they make me happy and so does this book.



3. This book blatantly rocks my world. It has a very nice selection of images, and is much more affordable than the godly $900 retrospective catalogue. Amen.



4. This book is a catalogue for current exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and then the Museum of Contemporary Art, LA, and in Europe at the Pompidou Center, Paris and the Moderna Museet, Stockholm.
   
   As installed at the Metropolitan Museum of art, the show is stunning. It's astonishing that this exhibit is the first time these works from the 1950's have been shown together. These "combines" -- art somewhere between painting, collage, and sculpture -- are a foundation of modern art, so much so that art of the second half of the century is hardly conceivable without them. This makes looking at the work afresh more difficult than usual, since seeing these pieces together in 2006 means also viewing through a legacy and school of influence.
   
   But what phenomenal pieces they are! You can see Rauschenberg gobbling down visual techniques whole - collage, assemblage, juxtaposing printed images, materials, sculpture. They are daringly junky and breathtakingly beautiful. I have know idea whether you'd call this conceptual art, or the most luscious, messy opposite of conceptual art you've ever seen. The works are fearlessness. Really inspiring.
   
   The catalogue has excellent reproductions, and the photography is quite good at conveying the depth of the pieces - some of the works are presented from several angles so the more sculptural pieces are well conveyed.



5. ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG: COMBIINES is the name of an exhibition currently on display and one garnering some of the warmest acceptance by both critics and public alike of any retrospective survey in years. Not that Rauschenberg is a 'discovery' unearthed by this generous volume: there have been many excellent monographs and catalogues printed about this extraordinarily gifted artist who for the past half century has been creating art from found and constructed objects.
   
   Rauschenberg's art has always had secondary messages - political, anti-war, ethnic, sexual, and ecological statements - housed in the fascinatingly complex assemblages that are part of the collections of the major museums around the world. This fine book limits its survey to the prescient years 1954 to 1964, that period during which Rauschenberg became well known and highly respected for his art and beliefs. Curator Paul Schimmel writes a fine essay about this period and accompanies his own perceptions with those garnered from a very informative shared conversation with Rauschenberg himself. Likewise Thomas Crow writes an immensely readable chapter on just how Rauschenberg came in this realm of artistic expression and from Crow's writing we learn much about the mid-century changes in American art.
   
   The reproductions of the art works are excellent and if there aren't as many images as one would wish, it is because of the self-imposed limited time frame in Rauschenberg's career of the exhibition. A fine volume, highly recommended for all art history majors and for those under the spell of this great artist. Grady Harp, February 06