5 comments about The Writer's Brush: Paintings, Drawings, and Sculpture by Writers.

1. This is the bargain of the year. Wonderful full-color plates and extremely interesting biographies of the writer/artists.



2. I had seen a brief review of the book on t.v. prior to the holidays & ordered it for a friend of mine who is an avid reader & also dabbles in painting. He positively LOVED it, and this is a man who is not easy to please.....He said the book was insightful & gave glimpses into the other artistic side of writers....



3. This book is truly a treasure! Every page unveils little known talents and secrets of literary artists whose talents as painters, sculptors, and so on are every bit as fascinating as their written work. What is even more special is that the artists include such an immense variety of men and women from various periods of history. It is not a book to be read page-by-page, but like the greatest culinary delights from truffles to the purest chocolates, it needs to be savored in small, rich, fulfilling portions. I expect to see The Writer's Brush published in other languages, if that, indeed, has not already begun.



4. The Writer's Brush is a remarkable achievement. It's a unique work that is simultaneously a very interesting read and a valuable resource. The collection of artwork is a window into the oft unknown alternate lives of many of our best known writers. It is fascinating to see the artwork of Joseph Conrad, Winston Churchill, Emily Bronte and Kurt Vonnegut, Kipling, Ibsen and Ionesco... who knew that their talents transcended the page to the canvas. I am also enjoying learning about authors that I didn't recognize and then seeking our their writings. Bravo.



5. I just got this book, and it is one of the best literary compendia I have ever seen or read. I love learning more about some of my favorite writers and was surprised at how talented some were - some I never knew painted - and it was strange to see how some of the art would have been what you expect, and some wasn't. For example I am a huge Dostoyevsky fan and his drawings looked a little ragged and strange and dark like his characters. I didn't know he drew in the margins of his manuscripts. At over 400 pages I will probably spend the next 10 years taking this book down from the shelf to read the quick bio and look again at the art of a writer who comes up in conversation around our house or who I am reading...Really beautiful and inspiring book.

2 comments about Encyclopedia of Sculpture Techniques.

1. Clearly describes a wide range of sculptural terms, techniques and materials. Enteries are concise yet are often in-depth providing a clear understanding of complex or obscure subjects in this field of art. For the non-art school sculptor (like myself) or the new art student, it is invaluable reference book. Well-written with a personal and occassionally witty voice, I found it easy to read it from front to back. Pictures and diagrams instructive and relevant although more would be helpful for a few enteries to assist in understanding the subject in question. Well-bound and sturdy book for a paperback. A must-have for a student of sculpture.



2. A revised & updated version of the 1991 edition. This reference work now encompasses new materials such as resin & metal particle castings, synthetic clays, alloys, polymers.
   
   The book serves as an indispensable encyclopedia for sculptors/studio practitioners or enthusiasts/collectors - describing all methods of sculptural creation from the lost wax casting process to contemporary materials and associated techniques and tools.
   
   It covers sculpting techniques (hand-building, carving, forging, casting, moulding, modelling, welding etc) materials, processes, tools, patinas, finishes, glazes, fixings, mountings, how to light sculptural work, and many such creative options. It's well illustrated (photographs and drawings).
   
   Wide-ranging, with real depth and breadth - for example, on materials alone, it includes types of stone, categories of rock formation, plastics, metals, clays, woods, concrete, glass, plaster of Paris, polystyrene, papier mâché, wax, gelatine and so on.
   
   There's a sense of the history of art in many of the explanations and the rich cumulative inheritance of sculptors, sculpture and sculpting.
   
   A major achievement by accomplished sculptor John Mills, who provides an indispensable reference work for any practitioner, art historian or committed collector whether beginner or experienced.

4 comments about The Complete Guide to Chip Carving.

1. This is an excellent book and it is very complete. If, however, you have a number of Barton's previous books, there is not much new in this one, and that includes the designs shown. So, if you are an experienced chip carver and know Barton's work, I think that you would be disappointed with this book.



2. This book is a good companion to the Chip Carving DVD by Wayne Barton - it reinforces many of the items presented in the DVD, shows numerous finished examples, and provides patterns and techniques for creating patterns on the wood you use. Highly recommended!



3. Not only is this a complete book on chip carving it is well written and easy to understand with many excellent examples.



4. I carve wedding plates, jewelry boxes, and borders on relief carvings. This book provides many samples I can use for my work. It is a super book well worth being a part of any chip carver's arsenal.

5 comments about Classic Carving Patterns.

1. This book is just what the title says - "Classic Carving Patterns". It is not a "How to Carve" book. If you don't already know how to carve, don't buy this book.
   
   Once you know the basics, most people want more challenging projects but don't have the experience to draw their own designs. This book picks up right at the spot. It contains patterns of intermediate complexity which will challenge journeymen carvers to improve their skills.
   
   There aren't many books like this available - books with lots of patterns that are intended to be carved. If you're a developing or experienced carver looking for new challenges, or even ideas to incorporate in your own designs, this is the book for you.



2. This books contains only patterns for people who has no chance to draw their own (including myself). Patterns are nice but I rated a book in four stars, because, first of all, I did expect little bit more different kinds of patterns and secondly, I did expect some descriptions or recommendations.
   But it's really worthly bbok for those who needs only patterns.



3. Lora Irish is one of my favorite designers as her patterns are easy to follow and are very detailed. This book is one you will never want to part with. There are many different useful designs in this book well worth its cost. Now make some wood chips!



4. I have to admit, I should have taken the title more literally. This book has some beautiful patterns for those who are lacking the artistic inspiration (myself included in that list). What the book is lacking is the transformation process from drawing board to the actual works rendered in wood. The line drawings are truly beautiful, but some appear to be almost impossible to complete as outlined in the pattern. I would have appreciated more input from the author as to the techniques she prefers to achieve some of the artisitc effect of her drawings. The photos are too few and incomplete, and there is no reference to the rendering process for these lovely patterns. I was fooled by the cover photo depicting a woodworker's bench with a roll of carving tools and a partially carved project. I will keep the book for a reference should I ever become stuck for ideas on a particular project. I don't think it will become one of my most frequently used books.



5. I have been attempting to learn carving & engraving techniques for sometime. I had reached a point where I had exhausted my resourses. I was out of ideas, and lacking enough experence to develop my own style. I believe I can do that now. This is a very well prepaired manuel. My Thanks, William Talley

5 comments about Polymer Clay Surface Design Recipes: 100 Mixed-Media Techniques Plus Project Ideas.

1. This book had some interesting techniques in it, but for the most part this isn't something that will get a lot of use. I'm not all that into uing paint on my clay and this book has several paint treatments. So for me, this book wasn't that great.



2. I really like this book for the fact that although i do not use polyclay often, this books ideas on color, scheme, and technique can work for most media. i thoroughly enjoyed the eye candy but savor it mostly for the secret recipes on coloration. i would recommend this book for all involved in visual arts.



3. Great information, I would recomend it to anyone who likes Polymer Clay.



4. This book needed writing! Thank you, Ellen for sharing years of experimentation and innovation. as you created your art. The specific information contained within its covers could well save an artist much time and money.
   
   Great information and a must have resource on surface treatments and polymer clay.
   
   Donna Kato, author of The Art of Polymer Clay



5. Some techniques in this book were new to me and some I have done for years. I like this book because it is a good collection of surface treatments all in one place.

5 comments about 3D Origami.

1. I bought this book a couple years ago. Used the Temari ball as a pattern to make ornaments. Made a basket, some cranes and now I am working on the Peacock.
   
   All I had to do was take one crane to church and boom I had orders. I've sold enough cranes to pay for the book a dozen times.
   
   And if you want to know if the book is clear enough for kids. I showed it to a lady at church. Her 9 year old daughter borrowed the book, made a baby swan and took first place in a regional art contest.
   
   One of my favorite things to do is to keep a bowl of prefolded peices handy. I play with them like Legos and when my friends come over their kids spend hours "buidling" with them.
   
   My only regret is that the author has not released even more books.



2. I bought this book for my 14 year old son who has done origami for the past three years, he found the instructions very clear, and was delighted with both the variety of shapes that were given, and how easy it was to modify the shapes to create different designs.



3. I first saw a swan in a japanese restaurant and was interested in learning where they got it from. The owner of the restaurant said he had made it himself and reccomended this book to me to learn for myself.
   This book has really good explanations and step by step instructions to start with. the diagrams are very useful and the initial pages teach us how to fold the paper and all that.
   it does get difficult to make the more complicated objects like the swan which requires about 600 pieces...it is better to start of with something small...
   also it is pretty time consuming,,and as they say in the beginning of the book it is really nice for someone to have espescially if he is recovering from an illness...
   i wud absolutely reccomend this book...



4. I first saw completed 3D origami projects of the dancing crane and peacock done by an older Japanese gentleman, who had lots more origami years under his belt than I, and said, "WOW".

   He handed me his 3D origami book to look at and within a few moments I realized that I could do any one of the projects shown too.

   The instructions are very easy to follow. You might find it more difficult to find the exact paper you want.

   You are folding the same size paper into triangles for projects then assembling them into rows to create your 3D project.

   Be patient, some of the larger projects require hundreds of triangles. The good-luck hyotan (gourd) takes 762. Looks great when complete in gold or silver foil. I used gift wrap and cut it to the appropriate size because this required so many triangles.

   In the end, you'll be very pleased with a completed project and your friends will be amazed.




5. This book is nothing like other origami books. My friends even offered to pay for one of the swans I made from this book. Of course, it's alot more work than ordinary origami foldings (like cranes, and other single paper folded origami) but it's worth the work. Once you finish making one of those swans, you'll be looking at it and go "wow...did I make that??" You'll draw alot of attention and be very popular!
   Finished origami looks very sophisticated, yet it's very easy to make (just need little patience).
   Buy this book, you won't regret and it's worth every penny.

1 comments about The Color of Life: Polychromy in Sculpture from Antiquity to the Present.

1. The Color of Life is a good surprise. An enjoyable and educational book that I find quite inspiring. Ancient and contemporary works of art with polychromy. The quality of the photography is excellent. But the most impressive aspect is the selection of unique sculpts.

5 comments about Art Nouveau Jewelry.

1. This book covers the specific influences of various European countries and the US in jewelry design during the Art Nouveau period. It covers the designers and their pieces with spectacular photographs of pieces that will knock your socks off. It is a fabulous reference book, but also one that you can curl up with on a rainy day and sip cocoa. Handy guides to identification - makers marks and signatures. Prepare to be wowed.



2. I pondered over purchasing this book for probably two years. This was due mainly to the fact that there was no way to really view the content of this publication. Frankly, the authors offering of an inside look of their book was ridiculous. Show me some pictures!!! I really hate to purchase something that I can't see! Finally, I bit the bullet and purchased Art Nouveau Jewelry. I was stunned by the volume of beautiful color pictures. This book turned out to be just what I was looking for, basically a pictorial presentation of jewelry from that era. I search constantly for any reference material that I can find on this subject (Art Nouveau era jewelry) and this book is one of the best that I have found. So if you are a jewelry designer like myself and are always looking for inspiration, this is an excellent book for your collection.



3. A very good book about this period, no other one has covered the subject as this one.



4. i wanted to know more about art nouveau jewelry and this book really helped me for that purpose.
   it has lots of pictures and info about whatever there is to know and see.
   the only dissapointment was that majority of the pics are in black and white. You miss out on all the enameling work colors..
   also i expected to see more from lalique.
   overall though its a good book for starters.



5. This book far exceeded my expectations for the price! The only minor criticism I have is that I wish ALL the photographs had been in color. A great deal......

4 comments about Mexican Tiles: Color, Style, Design.

1. I'm in the process of building on the Maya Riviera so this isn't a book read for fun. This is real research looking for real ideas. Building in Spanish Colonial style can't be done without some incorporation of Mexican Tiles. This book is basically 90% pictures and 10% background and history of Mexican Tiles. The background write-up is excellent and gives good history of Talavera and Talavera-Style Tiles. Then it's on to different uses, floors, kitchens, bathrooms, walls and stairs, and patios and gardens.
   
   I'm very simple in the colors I like in homes so these tiles can be "over the top". This book has a lot of these type pictures. It has more tile usage than I've ever seen on exteriors. The kitchen section has huge tile usage but I've seen more attractive usage in other books.
   
   Overall, I did not get any ideas I will definitely use but I did get a different perspective on tile usage. There are definitely pictures I will take back to discuss with my architect and designer which may be incorporated. This book can be consumed in an hour. But it may take many hours of review going over the pictures again and again.



2. I love Mexican tiles but I felt the book was a bit of a let down. The pictures were a bit small and there wasn't enough information about tilemaking in the book. I think the book would have been much more effective in a larger format where the tiles would have been more impressive. There are some wonderful talavera tile websites on the net for anyone who wants a better overview.



3. Book has great ideas. Wish it had been hardback. Book binding, does not want to hold together, considering the wear and tear it shall receive. This is also a great book.



4. After I bought Masako Takahasi and her husband Tony Cohen's book "Mexicolor", I thought no other book I purchased would EVER compare to that experience. When I discovered "Mexican Tiles", I opened it with fear and trepidation, hoping against all hope, yet hardly daring to believe that it could be even half as good as their first.

   But this book is AWESOME!! I think I finally figured out why, after reading Tony Cohen's book "On Mexican Time": these people simply ADORE Mexico, and it comes through in everything they do. All of the wonder and breathless anticipation and teary-eyed beauty that I feel and am so hopelessly unqualified to express when I am either in Mexico or adding to my collection of artesania, Tony vividly portrays in his prose and Masako captures with her camera.

   As for subject matter, I LOVE Talavera tiles, Talavera pottery, Talavera ANYTHING, because they are so INCREDIBLY Mexican, and this book is simply PAGE after GORGEOUS PAGE of Talavera-lined kitchens, bathrooms, stairs, floors...you name it, it's tiled. If you at all appreciate ethnic interior design or Mexican handicrafts, this is an AWESOME book!!!

No comments about The Way Toys Work: The Science Behind the Magic 8 Ball, Etch A Sketch, Boomerang, and More.