3 comments about Introduction To Lapidary (Jewelry Crafts).

1. This book is great for beginners. It contains a lot of good information covering a wide range of lapidary subjects; such as faceting, cabbing and tumbling. It also covers most of the equipment you would need and gives advice an purchasing the equipment.



2. Oh my goodness! Such a great resource for information on all aspects of lapidary and jewelry design! This is a must-have reference!



3. Introduction to Lapidary by Pansy D. Kraus is a 'breath of fresh air'. Kraus provides a general introduction to Lapidary as a hobby and the many different techniques that can be applied to gems (Agates), precious (Diamonds) and semi-precious stones (Sapphires). Kraus includes many pictures and photos together with an easy to read common sense approach to Lapidary and the equipment.

   Each section provides information on equipment, methods, materials, and techniques for producing that perfect work of art !

   Key sections include; a brief history of lapidary, rock tumbling (polishing rough shaped stones), cabochons (polished curved stones - eg: Agates), lapping gemstones (flat polished stones), gem sphere and bead making, inlay/mosaics, gem carving (eg: Jade), and faceting (eg: Polishing Sapphire and Topaz).

   Kraus has also included a section on general technical data that is essential for any one interested in Lapidary. Tables and charts are provided on; gem and material properties, conversion tables, critical angles and key speeds for cutting and polishing stones.

   An additional section is also provided with useful references and magazines.

   Lapidary for Beginners is an essential for anyone interested in starting this interesting and fascinating hobby. A good place to start for beginners which will give you a great reference as you pursue the different kinds of lapidary.

5 comments about Modeling the Figure in Clay (Practical Craft Books).

1. This excellent book teaches you accurate anatomy at the same time as providing quality instruction on figure sculpting.



2. I am an artist who love to make detailed art work in my drawing and sculpture. I love art, but it cannot become my life career. While unable to attend any art class but despreately want to learn I look in to books for answers. And I found this book. I find my answers to the detail I'm looking for in this book. The book shows you how the artist create a female body sculpture starting from bone to muscle, and from muscle to skin. This book is a good resource to me. As my own Christmas presents I bought it.



3. This book is more helpful than Lucchesi's other guides. There is a lot of practicle info here which will help you get familiar with figure sculpting. I would say that this book as actually about as helpful as taking a beginning figure sculpture class, and the techniques are very solid. I am actually a pretty tough critic, and a 4 star review for an art instruction book coming from me is pretty rare (check out my other reviews for art books if you don't believe me).



4. So appreciate that Bruno took the time to produce this book so that those of us who arent able to attend his workshops, have the opportunity to learn.A master of anatonomy who presents the process in pictorial stages we can clearly follow.A must have figure form book.



5. both this and 'Modeling the Head in Clay' are the best books I've seen on the subject.
   
   Highly recommended

5 comments about Jewelry Concepts & Technology.

1. It's hard to justify $85 for a jewelry book, but this combines history, technique and art in one book. If you intend to work with jewelry professionally, or are a very serious jewelry student, it's wise to get this book. You won't get the step-by-step techniques, but you'll get enough background technique you'll be able to wing it, usually sucessfully. He covers the international world of jewelry, so it has everything from ethnic tribal to Danish contemporary, and all the stuff inbetween. I sit down with this book periodically to just enjoy the book, and I always find something 'new' I want to try. Many times I use it a reference for finding the basis of a technique, or a particular table that has the info I require. Whatever it is that I need, I can find it in this book. It's worth the $85 and you won't regret the decision.



2. This one expands on were he stopped with the first book. 19 chapter headings with a multitude of sub headings.
   
   * The Message of Jewelry, why we wear ornaments
   * The Means to Creation: working environment, facilities and implements
   * Metal, the Jewel's Raw Material: Its origin, quality control and variety
   * Basic Techniques: processing sheet metal without deformation
   * Sheet Metal: Forming by deformation techniques
   * Wire: The uses of drawn or extruded flexible filaments
   * Tubing: The use of Fistular Forms
   * Surface ornament with out heat: Metal removal techniques
   * Surface ornament with heat: Metal fusion techniques
   * Fabrication: Building fragments into units
   * Casting: Methods of giving form to molten metal
   * Natural Materials in Jewelry: Using natures valued nonmetals
   * Stones and their setting: Inorganic minerals employed in jewelry
   * Metal Finishing: Achieving desired surface appearance
   * Metallic Coating Techniques: Changing the base metal's surface appearance
   * Metallic Buildup: Electrolytic molecular creation of surface and form
   * Coloring Metals: Achieving patinas through heat, chemicals and electrolysis
   * Standard weights, Measures and Tables
   * Glossaries, Bibliographies, Sources of tools, supplies and services: USA and UK
   
   Around 800 pages of pure golden info, I have read and keep finding new and interesting things since I picked up a copy last year. I find this gift keeps on giving every time I pick it up. He goes into detail that others can only dream about.
   
   This book isn't only for jewelry artists, anybody that is into the metal arts working or a collector. This will give years of educational enjoyment. It is truly an investment grade book of knowledge. I use my copy on a metals arts forum for answers to question from people that are looking for answers that can be counted to be correct.



3. This book is the jewelry makers bible. I cannot begin to scratch the surface of its value by lising content. It is a gem of a book (pun intended).
   
   Oppi Untracht did the jewelry industry and anyone serious about learning jewelrymaking the right way, a HUGE service by compiling the information in this book and presenting it in clear and easy to understand language. This book must have taken years of research and editing to produce and publish. That, my friends who harp about price, is why this book is so high priced. It is not over-priced, it is aptly priced. Think how much the Oxford English Dictionary costs- [...]
   it's just words, why so expensive?!
   
   You could learn a new technique or factoid every day for a year from this book and then start all over again and learn even more.
   This book, however, is not for teaching silver or goldsmithing, gem setting, etc. It is not a how-to book at all. It is a reference book, like the ones that the library won't let you check out because they're too valuable.
   
   If you are serious about jewelry making, fine and art jewelry- not hobby craft wire and bead stringing- put this on your wish list. You'll be thrilled if someone sends it to you for a birthday or holiday gift. If nobody will kick for it, save your nickles and find a used one, reclaiming the silver from spent pickle solution and making solder from scratch never goes out of style.



4. This book was purchased to replace a book lost out of our Mineral & Gem Society library. We have many master gemologists and geologists in the club and each speaks highly of this book. It's full of basics but also provides information for the advanced jeweler. Highly recommneded.



5. Jewelry Concepts and Technoloty by Oppi Untracht is the must reference text for the jewelry artist. Untracht provides historical reference for styles and techniques, clearly explains how various techniqures can be utilized by beginners, advanced art jewelry students and professionals. If that is not enough, the visuals and historical references stimulate the imagine.

5 comments about Origami Design Secrets: Mathematical Methods for an Ancient Art.

1. This is a must have book for origami designer as well as folder.
   Robert J. Lang is obviously a great author.
   
   The delivery of Amazon is faster than I experted.
   The book was in good condition when I received it.



2. This book is amazing, if a little daunting. It will take some time but I hope to be creating my own patterns some day. Happy folding!



3. This book is a MUST HAVE for the origami enthusiast - it begins with excellent coverage of the basics and each chapter builds on the last. When you finish this book, you'll be able to fold anything, except maybe time and space ;-)



4. Dr. Lang delves into the hows and whys of origami design exploring origami the way Alton Brown explores food and cooking.
   
   The instructions for creating beautifully made koi decorating the cover are not included in their entirety, notably excluding the sequence for creating the scales. Instead, Lang describes the principles and techniques for creating textures on paper, leaving the creation of the fish as an exercise for the reader.
   
   If you're looking for a recipe book for cool origami designs, then this is not the book for you. Rather, this book is for anyone curious about just how the heck someone makes a cuckoo clock out of one uncut sheet of paper.



5. By far and away the most comprehensive book on origami design and theory that I have every seen. There are thousands of books containing origami models, but few, if any, actually take the time to explain how the models were created in the first place. If Robert Lang didn't already hold a Ph.D., this book could serve as a dissertation. In addition to the theory and concepts of origami model design, this book also contains excellent models that demonstrate the principles covered in each chapter. I have always enjoyed folding Robert Lang's models in the past. They are challenging and extremely rewarding. I am a very good techincal folder but I could never really create my own models. This book has started me on my own path towards creating my own origami models to fold. While this book certainly could be useful to beginning origami folders, it best serves intermediate to advanced enthusiasts.

1 comments about Rome and Environs: An Archaeological Guide.

1. This book is an English translation of Filippo Coarelli's three volumes on Roman archaeolgy published between 1985 and 2003. It is a valuable guidebook to the historian or to the experienced traveller, especially one who takes the time to examine in detail both ancient Rome and the City of early Christianity. The text is clearly written and the book contains numerous and excellent maps, drawings, in its recreation of the City's buildings, churches, and other structures that are so often featured in histories. This is not a general tourist guidebook but a scholarly archaeological survey of Rome and is probably best utilized in conjunction with a sound guidebook such as The Eyewitness Guide to Rome. The text is divided into useful sections grouped around the major historical sections of the City, beginning with the original city walls, and then (among others) the Capitoline, the Forum, the Palatine, the Colosseum, and other areas including the Aventine, Trastevere, and the Vatican, to the areas outside the City, including the catacombs and aqueducts. The book is an excellent resource for the Church historian interested in the great basilicas and other religous structures of the City. Coarelli's book will serve as a wonderful and excellent resource for years to come.

No comments about Lee Bontecou: A Retrospective.

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 Origami Flowers: Popular Blossoms and Creative Bouquets.

1. Origami flowers is a FANTASTIC book, but it is not for the novice, or for one that does not want to spend some quality time constructing the flowers. The flowers do in fact look like the real ones, but they are complicated. One flower took me several hours to complete. I would say this is a book for the advanced-intermediate to advanced origami artist.
   
   Beautiful flowers though!



2. The featured flowers are beautiful, but be forwarned: the process involves much more beyond folding. Scissors, glue... that's a given in almost all the patterns. For some, that's not pure origami, more paper craft. In addition, there are a few missing steps in some of the instructions. In fact, for 2 of the flowers, there seems to be chunks of instructions missing. Other than that, the usual project takes about 30-40 minutes for an intermediate paper crafter.



3. It is refreshing to look at the reviews and find that others have had the same frustrations with this book as I have. Yes, I agree the color photographs are absolutely beautiful and inspiring. They sure suck you in and are a powerful tool to entice you into buying the book. The artist is wonderfully creative with her use of the pentagon, hexigon and out-of-the-mainstreem starting shapes which makes this book so unique.
   
   It is definitely NOT for the beginner. The first flower I tried was the pansy. I have been a paper sculptress for years. I love origami, tea bag folding and just about anything having to do with paper. I had to seek the help of my Mensa member father in order to get this one right! I was ready to hold a book burning party and roast marshmallows over this one!
   
   If you do not use a thin enough paper you will have problems with some of the folding. Some areas get folded so many times that the piece becomes almost too thick to fold and I was using plain old printer paper.
   
   If you love a challenge, go for it! I certainly do not regret buying this book and I still pick it up from time to time just to see if my mind is more open to the techniques it presents. Hats off to those who found the instructions "easy to follow." I certainly was not one of them. If you need a reason to slit your wrists I highly recommend this book (hehehehehe - just kidding). Good luck!



4. Well, I shouldve done more research on this book, but I don't like it because it requires too many other things to be used other than oragami paper. And sometimes the images of the pictures didnt seem very accurate, so i got confused a lot.



5. I did not have much experience with paper folding, so the designs in this book are quite a challenge. Most diagrams are easy to figure out but there are several which had steps missing from them, but in general they are easy to understand, though by no means easy to fold, since this book seems like its targeted at the more experienced people intersted in origami. Of the designs that I managed to make, they did come out exactly as they looked in the book, and the unique concept of using not square pieces of paper but pentagons, hexagons and octagons, is really an eye opener.

3 comments about Passage.

1. excellent. the fleeting caught whenever one wishes. Goldsworthy is
   always worth considered thoughts no matter how simple his art may seem...
   the sum is greater than its parts...and it is lovely.



2. When I first heard of Goldsworthy my temptation was to label his art as New Agey because of his interaction with natural mediums and his works' outdoor settings. This would have been a gross mislabeling. I've also heard the term "environmental artist" bandied about, but that is just far too vague and I'm hoping we don't adopt that as part of our art-appreciation vocabulary. I think Goldsworthy and Christos are grouped together under that title, but they couldn't be more dissimilar. Christos' works always so statement oriented and meant to be observed from a distance, while Goldsworthy's evocative sculptures and leaf paintings invite you to examine them more closely and admire how well they fit into the landscape. And though his art is made from natural materials and dependent on the elements, the works themselves are very modern. Passage was the first book of Goldsworthy's work that I've been given, though I've seen some of his smaller pieces and photos in several galleries.
   
   His moss covered stones surrounded by sun-blindingly bright leaves in perfect auras make me examine my walks through the park in new ways. He uses sticks and stones and leaves the way James Turrell uses light and corners and openings, letting you rediscover the things you may have taken for granted. Beautiful and painstaking work. Yet accessible. After reading this, you'll be tempted to go outside and create your own sculptures. Passage offers some commentary by Goldsworthy and as well as diary entries and curators' comments. But the pictures make the book. Many of his works are photographed at different times of day or year and because they are dependent on their environment, the pieces change dramatically. Very beautiful.



3. The pictures in this book are once again amazing - and also very touching. It's easy to forget the time when you flip through this book and read the artist's remarks about certain works. The artist is simply a genius.

5 comments about From Clay to Bronze: A Studio Guide to Figurative Sculpture.

1. I have owned this book since 2001, and still find myself referencing it for additional insight and techniques. As my work evolves I find this book an invaluable manual to refresh me and acquaint myself with alternatives to what I have been already doing. Finally it has been very helpful for me in working with foundries to check their process and verify the quality of work produced- whether speaking of molds, waxes or finished bronze.
   
   This is a very helpful book for anyone creating sculpture and wishing to mold and cast into another material. Langland is very knowledgeable in the history and practice of casting in a variety of materials. His depth of knowledge shows in the attention to methods for wax, plaster, bronze and other metals.



2. I have sculpted for the past 15 or twenty years and bought this book specifically for the page that dealt with plaster piece molds. Unfortunately, piece mold making is a lost art and few books even attempt to describe them, never mind explain how to make them. I'm still not sure how to tackle piece molds of fully articulated figures, but relatively solid pieces, like the portrait head illustrated in the book, would be reasonable to attempt.
   
   After receiving the book from Amazon, I was pleasantly surprised by the thoroughness of the book on a host of topics. Trust me, for anyone who is starting out, you can save yourself years of trial and error by referring to this book. In the chapter titled "modeling the figure" Langland explains the importance of building up slowly in "strings" that follow the forms of the muscles and stresses the importance of creating a solid pelvis, rib cage and head making sure that they align properly with the spine. I found myself nodding in agreement at countless points reading the book. It is remarkable how many processes and artistic concerns he manages to thoughtfully and clearly address throughout the book. As an example, Langland describes three methods to mark locations where holes will be drilled through a base to facilitate mounting a bronze sculpture. Now, this sounds like a very straightforward thing to do, but in practice it is a little tricky. Typically, underneath a bronze sculpture, a foundry will drill and tap two or more holes that can receive screws that pass through counter-bored holes in a stone or wood base. How would you locate hole centers in a blank base so that they will match the existing hole pattern in a bronze sculpture?



3. This book covers so many aspects of sculpture from start to finish. You are never left with unanswered questions or uncertainty to any of the processes. The color section on patinas is marvolous. I love this book and have enjoyed reading it. Highly recommended!



4. really good technical manual for the whole sculptural process, and clearly and simply written and illustrated. I would certainly recommend this book.



5. I have been sculpting in bronze for nearly twenty years. Had I owned a copy of Tuck Langland's book when I started out, the quality of my bronzes would have taken a quantum leap, and I would have become a better instructor sooner. In my opinion, Mr. Langland has an excellent working knowledge of the sculpting process, and he presents it in an interesting and witty writing style. This is the best "how to" book on bronze sculpture I have seen.