Reviews (21)

Just like his workshops--and with one cautionary bit of advice.
This book is just like Kevin's workshops.I took one with him years ago--when I should have bought his paintings--and he helped me immeasurably.One of the quickest ways you can learn to paint outdoors is to buy this book (while you still can) and then take a MacPherson workshop somewhere.
Great Stuff For the Plein Air Artist!
This book is chalk full of information anyone wanting to do or improve their Plein Air painting, and thus, studio painting as well.
A book with focus
For a painter with modest experience, or a starter who wants a direction, this book can help coalesce a wide variety of landcaspe percetions and techniques. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Techniques - General    4. Techniques - Oil Painting    5. Techniques - Painting    6. Art techniques & materials    7. Oils   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Commercial - Illustration - Sci-Fi & Fantasy    4. History - Contemporary (1945- )    5. Popular Culture - General    6. Art / Popular Culture    7. Industrial / Commercial Art & Design   

Reviews (46)

The natural way- effective, experience-based learning
...it's a solid treatment on the basics of drawing, yet it's not geared towards my *main* interest: learning to draw from memory.
The only book worth reading on drawing.
There are many books that are what I call: "draw just like me books." This approach is clearly counterproductive to any inspiration, creativity and the antithesis of the artist's spirit. I have taught drawing, painting at post graduate levels in NYC. I have yet to find a book wherein you really are able to elevate your ablity as an artist or one who profoundly appreciates the work as a viewer.

Just to be fair.
I've just started the long journey and I'm pretty sure that I'll do fine with this course. Obviously I don't expect to become a master artist with only one book, but I think it's a good start.
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Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Drawing    4. Study and teaching    5. Techniques - Drawing    6. Art / Drawing    7. Art techniques & materials    8. Drawing & drawings   

Reviews (2)

The Spiritual in Art - an absolute winner!
I have owned this book for over twenty years and I never get tired of pouring over it again. It is an absolute treasure trove of information and is packed full of glorious illustrations- it's the one book I refuse to loan out. As an artist, this is the most important book in my collection.

the spiritual in art: abstract painting 1890 - 1985
There is a fantastic quality to the compliation of works in the Spiritual in Art, that indicates a profound understanding of the mystical forces of inspiration involved with the process of artistic endeavor.The book chronicles the exhibition of the same name organized by Maurice Truchmanand Judi Freeman at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.Many of themajor artists of the 20th century are represented; Mondrian, Duchamps andKandinsky to name a few.The ideosyncratic spin to the show lies in theexamination of their work from a philospophical and spiritual standpointthat involves a more involved examination than is often given with thepopular criticism styles of art history - ie; socio-political andaesthetic.With the aid of this book, the reader gleans a more profoundunderstanding of the motivational forces at work in these artists whosecreations transport viewers to new worlds and dimensions with only aglance. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. History - General    4. Reference    5. Abstractionism    6. Painting & paintings   

Reviews (3)

Great Introduction to Art for Kids
I purchased this book for my kids who were 6 and 10 at the time.I was pleasantly surprised by the scope and variety of art covered in this book.Several well-chosen (nothing gory or disturbing to children) pieces of art are presented in nice, full color reproductions.The authors then point out various interesting things about the piece and ask fun questions about it.All of this serves to help children not just "look" at art, but to enjoy it and appreciate it.
Fabulous!!
I bought this book for my grandchildren, a boy and a girl ages 2 1/2 and 5.Not only are they thrilled with it, their parents are enchanted.This book should be read by everyone!It's a marvelous primer and guide to the world of art, with pictures of some of the world's most famous art treasures and amazingly interesting explanations of why these particular pieces have endured.If you want your children or grandchildren to learn about what makes art relevant, this is the book for them!It should be sold in every art museum in the world.
We LOVE this book!
I was slightly reluctant at first to purchase this book - I thought it might not be one of our son's favorites at bedtime (4 1/2 years old). (He's your typical boy - loves books about cars, tractors, dump trucks, etc) Boy, was I wrong!The first night we sat down to read it, we both had a blast!This book does such a nice job of explaining art to children, in terms that he understands, that he was excited about reading it the next night.We went through the book the first time just flipping pages to look at the artwork, and stopping to read the details of the ones he found interesting at first.It was fun for me as a parent to learn what he finds interesting in art.I would recommend this book 100%! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art - General    3. Art - History    4. Art appreciation    5. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    6. Children: Grades 4-6    7. Juvenile Fine Arts    8. Juvenile Nonfiction    9. Juvenile literature    10. Art / General   

Reviews (5)

Pleased but not overwhelmed
I am not sure what I had expected for a teaching format but my initial reactionto the book was that it was too cartoony for the structure I was looking for in the human body and expression.
Amazingly helpful!
I had to do a full costume presentation with renderings for 6 characters for my class and I was so lost! I am not an artist at all, so I got this book and it helped me so much. It explained everything in detail and my renderings came out great! I would definitely recommend this book for beginners and experienced alike!

Everything You Need to Know
I bought this book because I had a project to do on costume rendering, and I know very little about it.Now, thanks to Tan Huaixiang, I know so much.
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Subjects:  1. Costume    2. Costume design    3. Drawing    4. Film & Video - General    5. Performing Arts    6. Performing Arts/Dance    7. Technique    8. Theater - Direction & Production    9. Theater - Stagecraft    10. Art techniques & principles    11. Drawing & drawings    12. Performing Arts / Video / General    13. Theatre, drama   

Reviews (4)

Up to date
This is a great text book for graphic designers to have in their library. It provides a lot of visuals and information designers should be familiarized with.

One of the best
I have been a graphic designer for over 20 years. I teach typography at the university level. I learned typography the old-fashioned way: by specifying, setting, and manipulating it by hand. From that background I can confidently state that THE best way to truly understand how type works is through understanding the forms of letters, words, and groups of words. Wow, what a letdown
This is one of the rare books that my art college actually required me to purchase for a Typography class. The design of this book is poor and very dated. Just take a look at the cover. The first chapter offers a timeline which is interesting in concept--it features a brief history of lettering and type, and adds images of other significant events happening at the same time. But the timeline design forces you to jump back and forth from images to text and the grid layout forces the image placement to be so inconsistent that you give up trying to find the corresponding text.The rest of the book provides interesting and useful information for the type neophyte, but again, its WAY too dated to be a required textbook. I'm sorry I bought this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Computer Graphics - General    4. Graphic Design    5. Graphic design (Typography)    6. Language    7. Typography    8. Art / Typography   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. General    4. Mural painting and decoration    5. Technique    6. Techniques - Painting   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Clothing Design    4. Decorating - General    5. Design - General    6. Fashion    7. Fashion design    8. Art / Design / General    9. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles   

Reviews (4)

Where R U Karrie?
I maybe a fool for architectural discourse but The Perfect $100,000 House is as redolent of architectural joy as the Witold Rybczynski book of the eponymous title The Perfect House: Travels with the Master: Anrdea Palladio.Karrie Jacobs just put a price on it.
Very Interesting Book!
Karrie Jacob's book, The Perfect $100,000 House, tackles a problem I've been wondering about for a long time--why is the majority of housing in America today extraordinarily expensive crap?Do people in this country just have no taste, or is it that they have no choice? Is good design only for those who can afford a custom single family residence of 500K and up?
Why the pre-fab movement has gained so many followers
A diary of one woman's search for what seems so reasonable on paper--a modern home on a budget--the strength of this book is its many entertaining interviews with people who are both part of the mainstream homebuilding industry and those that are trying to offer an alternative. If you've heard about pre-fab, this is a good way to learn why it's exciting--but why it only addresses part of the problem.
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Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Architecture, Domestic    3. Domestic    4. General    5. Psychological aspects    6. Residential Buildings Architecture    7. Themes, motives    8. U.S. Architecture - General    9. United States    10. Architecture / Domestic   

Reviews (1)

Shades of Walker Evans
Christenberry photgraphs and crafts replicas of the landscapes in Hale County, AL. This is the same area in which Walker Evans photographed the people and places in the 1930's for the US Gov't and the classic "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men."
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Subjects:  1. 1936-    2. Christenberry, William,    3. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    4. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - General    5. Exhibitions    6. Individual Artist    7. Individual Photographer    8. Individual Photographers And Their Work    9. Photo Techniques    10. Photography    11. Photography Of Specific Subjects    12. Photography, Artistic    13. Subjects & Themes - Travel - General    14. Central Southern states    15. Individual photographers    16. Photographs: collections   

Reviews (1)

Working the Muse to Creative Delight
A brand new creative tool for the artistic life. New tools and guidance from artist's way creator Julia Cameron. Excellent for the journey along with Morning Pages, Artist Dates, and all the other goodies that Cameron has shared to artists around the world since 1992. Give the gift of the creative heart to yourself... you will be surprised in your dreams! I had heard of the Artist's Way in college and read a copy from time to time but when I really applied the practice in 2004 ... Cameron's informal mentoring did the trick to unblock my creative expression. My artistic dreams were focused on literary pursuits but a sudden interest in singing caught a life of its own when I joined a formal Artist's Way group composed of 7 people. Before I knew it the practice lead to a solo performance at a cancer benefit gala show where I sung "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack and was told I sounded alot like her. Nonetheless, if Cameron herself had told me in 2003 that I would be a singer (I've since joined a choir that does fundraisers around the city) ... even I would have laughed! The point is ... if you want your heart to lead the way ... allow the artist to thrive and express itself without intellectual editing ... and see your creative experiences soar! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Conceptual    3. Creativity    4. Personal Growth - General    5. Personal Guidance    6. Psychology    7. Study & Teaching    8. Self-Help / Creativity   

Reviews (3)

Borrowed spiritual wisdom
Alexander's Pattern Language series was/is a great accomplishment. It made the mysteries of good architectural design accessible to everyone. It attempted to liberate home- and town-building from the arrogant priesthood of professional architects and exposed the bankrupt values behind so much of contemporary building. It offered a deeply human alternative much more in tune with the way we really live.
wisdom through patience
I'm not an architect, though I do paint a bit and presume to teach. A friend from Ohio undertook one of Alexander's architectural courses, 20 years ago, and posted me notes on Alexander's colour theory. I've used them ever since. But the articulation of this guru's understanding of the experience world & how we process it & make art in and for it, has become keener, more subtle & concise over the years. This is a very, very profound teaching without any messianic overdrive. Indeed, its the patience and humility of Alexander's process of discovering essential rules & roles for making art, that are most profound and the enduring feature of his presentation. And the book's own look exemplifies his quest for the beautiful.I'm not so taken with the reproductions of his own painting, however. I can't quibble with the twentieth century masters he reproduces as evidence for enduring beauty. A fabulous book!

A Profoundly Eloquent Glimpse of Life's Depth...
*** Original review: May 20, 2004 ***
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Subjects:  1. Aesthetics    2. Architecture    3. Architecture and philosophy    4. Color (Philosophy)    5. Cosmology    6. General    7. Planning    8. Architecture / General    9. Topics in philosophy   

Reviews (24)

Best resource - oil painting
This book is incredibly helpful.I have found it invaluable when I get "stuck" or feel blocked at any stage of painting.

Exremely helpful
Not everyone can have a mentor teacher for their painting studies.This is the next best thing.You may not agree with all of Gregg's assessments of the subtleties of painting, but he does provoke thought.Well presented and inspiring.

Great teaching
As a beginner this one really hit the mark for me.It has so many suggestions and helps that I just can't begin to list them all.I have read many "how to" books on painting...this one tops them all. Well worth the price. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Painting    4. Technique    5. Techniques - General    6. Techniques - Oil Painting    7. Art techniques & materials    8. Oils   

Reviews (5)

"Du Marivaudage" or about Seduction in french style fashion and interiors
This is a book you will enjoy. It will appeal to anyone interested in decorative arts in France between 1750 and 1789. The fashion focuses on dress and its aesthetic interplay with art, furniture, and the decorative arts of the period. Presented in a dramatic setting, the beautiful pictures of the Metropolitan Museum exhibition explore the dressed body's spatial negotiation of the 18th-century interior as a choreography of seduction and erotic play.

Stunning collection of costume photos
Beautiful full color photographs of the Met's Louis XIV's clothing collection and furniture.Manequines are dressed in beautiful originals and posed in drawing rooms and boudoirs in real life poses, flirting, playing piano, having their hair done, playing cards.The photographs are very well done, clear and the detail pieces will be a boon to any costumer.I highly recommend this book for costumers and other historical clothing buffs.

Fusion of Fashion and Style, done with amazing grace
When I was young, I read a biography for children about the tragic Marie Antoinette, last queen of France, and found myself enthralled by the exquisite decorative arts of the time. It was a culture that viewed that every surface and substance was an opportunity to embellish and use. Sometimes the end results were overblown, but also managed to stay on the edge of good taste.
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Subjects:  1. 18th century    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Clothing and dress    5. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - General    6. Design    7. Design - Decorative    8. European    9. Exhibitions    10. Fashion    11. France    12. Furniture    13. History    14. History - General    15. Metropolitan Museum Of Art - Exhibition Catalogs    16. Art / Design / Decorative    17. Fashion design    18. Furniture & cabinetmaking    19. c 1700 to c 1800   

Reviews (2)

Textbook Ordering
I had no problems when ordering from this vendor.The book description was accurate.I had no problems and received the book prior to the estimated arrival date.

This book is crap-tacular!
If my sock drawer was organized like this book...there would never be a matching pair of socks. The old socks and the new socks would cling together in a wad of static electricity, making it painful to dare try and pull them apart and match them up in any other way. The book lacks fabric softener, and reading it is itchy torture.
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Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Criticism    4. Reference    5. Art / General    6. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles    7. Reference works    8. The Arts   

Reviews (28)

Absolutely Delicious
This book is chock full of gorgeous photos of altered book pages.It's one of my favorites to just browse through and be inspired and amazed at the creativity of these artists.Not a how-to book.But if you love looking at altered books, here's a chance to see the works of fourteen talented artists in one place.

great great book
Reading this book felt like I was visiting Lynne Perrella's studio. The photos are great - I could almost feel the texture on the original artwork. There is an endless number of ideas and techniques that can be applied into many mixed media projects. This book will keep me inspired for a long time.

Was hoping for more than an Idea book...
I like the images and they are very inspiring, but I found this book to be a big let-down for me. I was hoping for more insight on how the processes are done, not what the finished projects looked like.
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Subjects:  1. Art & Art Instruction    2. Assemblage Art    3. Collage    4. Crafts & Hobbies    5. Handicraft    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Paper Crafts    8. Paper work    9. Papercrafts    10. Crafts & Hobbies / General   

Reviews (6)

Gorgeous Western Art
Bev Doolittle's definitive collection (you don't need anything else of hers if you have this one) is a glorious compendium of richly detailed full-color reproductions of her paintings.The optical tricks alone are worth the book's price tag, and the minuteness and authenticity of Doolittle's details rival the paintings of Frank C. McCarthy (another favorite of mine).Anyone who loves illustrations of horses, American Indians, or both cannot call their collection complete without this title.

A Combination of Wonderful Art and Love
Those unfamiliar with Bev Doolittle's work miss the opportunity to discover a true artist's blending combination of technical skill, and understanding of nature, and a love for her work which leaps from everypage.She beautifully weaves nature, man, and its animals in a mysticalmanner.A wonderful choice for anyone who appreciates great talent. Also awonderful experience for children in examining and finding the hidden sointricately involved.

I was great
I think it is the most astonishing book I have ever rea ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American - General    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Criticism and interpretation    5. Doolittle, Bev    6. Individual Artist    7. Techniques - Painting    8. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    9. Individual artists   

Reviews (8)

A Stunning Inspirational Expression of the Louvre
I admire deeply the work put together in this book. I believe it was compiled with integrity to the purpose of relaying the center of some of the world's most exquisite art. First of all it is a massive volume in deep, rich color and when you receive it no matter what price you paid it feels well worth it. On several pages you will see a whole painting and then on the next page an enlarged version of the painting's focal point, a section of the art to show the rich detail. Of course you will lose some detail with any representation of this work. But if you can't make it to the Louvre or have been to the Louvre and would like to bring some of the soul stilling art home I highly recommend this book.

Overrated
I'm surprised by the glowing reviews for this book.The reproductions are of poor quality.My advice would be to buy a book published in the last ten years, no more.

Paintings In the Louvre
Unparalleled in its breadth and scope, and unique in the quality of its sumptuous color reproductions, "Paintings In the Louvre" is THE BEST, the most lavish and comprehensive book ever published on the greatest collection of paintings in the world - in the Louvre Museum, in Paris.If you really like beautiful, fine European art, then this oversized, weighty, hard-back book is the book for you!Crisp, clear, beautiful full-color reproductions of more than 800 of the most important paintings that hang in the Louvre, this book is especially wonderful in that a good portion of this book is some of the most striking Christian art in the world....Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Catalogs    4. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - Museum    5. Dictionaries    6. France    7. History    8. History - General    9. Painting    10. Paris    11. Techniques - Painting    12. Art / Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    13. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles    14. Painting & paintings   

Reviews (30)

Great, helpful book, very expensive
I had to get this book for a fiction workshop so the price was what it was, no negotiating textbooks.
Writing Fiction (6th Edition)
Excellent and varied compilation of short stories. Clear explanations, great examples, fun-and helpful-quotes, and fresh instruction of both classic and original methods of writing. Full of challenging exercises.

Too expensive and too general
I used this book twice in two different classes, and it simply repeats everything one can find in a $20 creative writing book.The readings selected are lackluster or horribly common in creative writing books already.
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Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Fiction    3. Composition & Creative Writing - General    4. Creative Writing    5. Fiction    6. General    7. Language    8. Language Arts & Disciplines    9. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    10. Narration (Rhetoric)    11. Rhetoric (General)    12. Technique    13. Creative writing guides    14. Literature: History & Criticism    15. Rhetoric