Reviews (27)

Great For Technical Specifications/Flats
I can say that Chapters Four and Five alone is worth their weight in gold. This book is used on a daily basis by our CAD department as a reference when making flat sketches for specs.To take a designer's drawing or a sample of the garment and turn it into detailed, flat sketches takes skills.That particular section is great when it comes to drawing details for sewing such as types of stitching, where pleats/folds/darts should go, placements of notions/trimmings, etc.Flat sketching for specs is very important when a garment is produced in huge quantities by numerous operators. There's also a section in the front on proportion drawing using the croquis which is also very helpful. Since the company I work for produces a wide range of theatrical costumes that has tons and tons of details (think odd shapes and sizes), this book has come to the rescue many times.
Don't buy this book
I've had this book for awhile and I've noticed that some of the drawings, especially the fashion illustrations look rather unprofessional.There are drawings, renderings, that you would never see in fashion world. Some of the drawings look like they are fine art life drawings; others look very much like student work, some look just badly drawn and should not be shown as explemary work for those who wish to learn.I think that they are better books out there and this is not one of them.

Are U Kidding Me!!!
Anyone who says this book is a waist of your dollar is obviously not looking at this book closely.The art work is incredible and the attention to deatil is unrivaled.9 HEADS is one of the most incredible books in regards to fashion sketching I have ever seen.If you are looking to improve your know how and skill of fashion sketching I highly recommend this book.It's worth every penny.By the way, the drawings are not cartoonish nor are they amateurish.I doubt anyone at Parsons would look down on this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Design - General    4. Drawing    5. Fashion    6. Techniques - Drawing    7. Art / Design / General    8. Drawing & drawings    9. Fashion design   

Reviews (26)

Graffiti World By Nicholas Ganz
I am really interested in graffiti of the world and have found it somewhat hard to find good books on the subject. Overall this is a good book with many full-color illustrations along with text giving credit to the artists. Since there are not that many graffiti books out there I believe this one is one of the best I've read yet. Although many of the pictures in this book are really good, they are basicly the same works that you can find images of online and through other resources. What I'm tring to say is that I wish there could have been some more never before seen illustrations, not the same old stuff I've seen a million times!

The best global outlook of Urban Art
Nicholas Ganz has done a great job at traveling the world tocapture in this book the state of street art everywhere. Taking the reader through it by continents (Americas, Europe, Rest of the World), the book takes you on an in-depth, visually-loaded trip that highlights the work of the best street artists around these days.
Great book a must have
I got this book last year the WHOLE thing is art down to the cover (I had framed). It shows many styles of art from walls to ships postboxes the list would go on .........anyway great fo the end table or for ideas ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Folk & Outsider Art    5. Graffiti    6. Graphic Arts - General    7. History - General    8. Mural painting and decoration    9. Popular Culture - Counter Culture    10. Popular Culture - General    11. Street art    12. Techniques - General    13. Art / Popular Culture   

Reviews (3)

Pretty good book
I have taught a course on the Humanities using this book, and found it mostly spot on in its specific contents.How to present all of the Humanities using one paperback?But - with just a few exceptions - this presents a good first look and useful rules of thumb in approaching the various disciplines.In areas that are underserved, such as Landscape Art, it actually fills a void.I recommend it and will use it again.

Informative
I used this book for my introduction to fine arts class and thought it was very good. Easy to understand and follow, and gave good information straight out without haveing to search for defintions or other stuff.

If it were possible....
If it were possible to describe this book in stars it would be 0 stars.Here are just a few of the problems found within the text.1) Writing is boring.2) Some of the pictures are repeated in the black & white sections.3) The usage of webpages instead of having illustrations & pictures makes the text boring.4) No companion website for the web addresses noted.Read more

Subjects:  1. Aesthetics    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Arts    5. Conceptual    6. Criticism    7. History - General    8. Philosophy    9. Art / General    10. The Arts: General Issues   

Features

• Illustrated

Reviews (2)

A valuable reference book
Had I read the reviews about this book, I wouldn't have bought it.
Good Overview
I used this book for a graduate theory class and ended up reading pretty much all of it. The book provides an excellent overview of the major movements during the past 100 years but also misses out on a lot of the most current trends. I believe there were less than 3 articles dated after 1999. The writings seem to be obscure at times, with the editors trying to draw distant similarites between varying fields. Most of the passages used overly pretentious language, so keep a dictionary nearby. This book is not a beginner guide and it helps to have some knowledge of art history as well as a little world history. A better or easier read would have to be "Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art"... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Art, Modern    5. Criticism    6. General    7. History - General    8. History - Modern (Late 19th Century to 1945)    9. Philosophy    10. ART_PHILOSOPHY    11. Art / General    12. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    13. Theory of art   

Reviews (8)

A WINNER
I bought three books on Polymer Clay, and this is the only one with all the techniques there that I want to learn.
Polymer Clay Bible
Everyone starting out in polymer clay should have this book in their library. Many newer techniques have been developed since this book came out but this book contains everything you need in order to develop your own original work. If you're looking for a "projects" book skip this, but if you want the basicsthis is the book for you. I only wish Nan Roche would write another! I still find myself refering to it and I've been working in polymer clay for over 15 years.

The Book that started it all for Polymer Clay
It was the first book about PC. It was the only book available for quite some time. Many of the most renowned PC artists started with this book and you can see the influence in their work.
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Subjects:  1. Antiques / Collectibles    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. General    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Jewelry    6. Jewelry making    7. Polymer clay craft    8. Art techniques & materials    9. Ceramic arts, pottery, glass   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Fine Arts    4. Individual Artist    5. Spanish: Adult Nonfiction    6. Catalogues raisonnes    7. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    8. Painting & paintings   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. General    4. History - General    5. Art / General    6. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles   

Reviews (8)

For the Serious...
It's been difficult to give a balanced critique. On one hand, "Elements of Color" has a wealth of information, but on the other, it takes serious committment to fully understand and comprehensively apply the information Itten presents. There is much valuable data, but it's interspersed with almost stereotypic, outmoded "Teutonic" concepts; e.g. assigning "Blond Types" springtime, bright, vivid colored topics, while "Dark Types" should be assigned "Night, Burial and dark room" topics. There is much valuable, technical information, but it is like digging through hard stone to find the gold; overwrought and culturally centered, judgemental statements are very common ("red expresses intermediate degrees between the infernal and sublime"... what's this?!?!). Other statements seem value-laden, i.e., "sentimental blue", "angelic pink", "blue reigns supreme"... Some excuse may be found in realizing the concepts in this treatise may have been developed before the Post Modernist Age, which accepts cultural and ethnic diversity, that accepts art and the use of color as being open to various interpretations, that color is certainly relative and greatly subjective, that many statements about color are only opinions...and that there is no absolute truth as to what color is "right" or "wrong". Unless the reader is studious and very serious about trying to unearth the information contained in this book, he or she is much better served by studing Albers or others. Too bad there is no editing, no index, and no glossary. What would Itten think of the book, "Chromophobia"? ... Pablo Tellez

so you decided to learn the truth about colors...
Itten, himself is one of the greatest color theorist of our century, and the masterful mind behind the Bauhaus School.
Color from a master
Although witten for artists who mix colors for an effect, this small book has a wealth of information for fiber artists and quilters.How do translucent colors interact with other colors?Illusions in color? Which colors can be used in conjunction with other shades and tints? It is all here in this book.Many illustration,color plates,and well written text.
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Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Color Theory    4. Art / Color    5. Painting & paintings   

Subjects:  1. American - African-American    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - General    5. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - Museum    6. Design - Textile & Costume    7. Exhibition Catalogs    8. Folk & Outsider Art    9. Quilt Making    10. Art / American / African-American   

Reviews (1)

More please
So here we finally have Robbie Huge's autobio, and it turns out that a little corner of Julian Schnabel's intuition works after all.Only a very little corner though, since Robbie is more tie-er than tie-ee, not to mention decidely heterosexual too (big surprise, twice).
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Subjects:  1. Art Criticism    2. Art critics    3. Australia    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Biography And Autobiography    8. Biography/Autobiography    9. Criticism    10. Personal Memoirs    11. United States    12. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Reviews (1)

Terrific book!
I found this book to do just what I had hoped. It's like a syllabus from a very smart, highly organized professor, who fleshes out the subjects just enough, and lets you know where exactly to look for more. It's concise, intelligent, and informative, and it saved me a lot of time in working out an outline on the subject (I'm an art professor myself). Cynthia Freeland -- thank you! What clarity! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. General    4. Aesthetics    5. Theory of art   

Reviews (17)

Excellent primer for the novice and self-trained
I recently finished reading - and taking copious notes - from The Elements of Graphic Design. As an individual taking himself through the process of learning graphic design without having to go to school, this book is invaluable. White makes the concepts crystal clear and simple prose imbued with his own take on doing design correctly plus doing it well. I've always had a good eye for composition but White's work has helped me see the underlying methods for making my designs better. I'm now building a presentation from his work to share with our marketing team to build a consistent look for our work. His book is a superb work for anyone needing to get a quick grip on design fundamentals, too. Just put them to use! There's no magic here, but there is a right way and a wrong way to do design. White will show you the way.

The Elements of Graphic Design
The Elements of Graphic Design
well organized for reference
I used the book as reference for teaching design for HS publications. The visual & theoretical information worked well to show how to organize information and why. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Computer Graphics - General    4. Graphic Arts - General    5. Graphic design (Typography)    6. Layout (Printing)    7. Type and type-founding    8. Typography    9. Art techniques & principles    10. Graphic design   

Reviews (11)

not beautiful, but certainly effective and fun
This book is set up much like a textbook and would work well for an independent study in design. It has clearly organized chapters with projects at the end of each; the projects work on a theoretical and practical basis, and allow the student to employ a hands-on approach. It is fun, engaging, easy to follow, and manages to be technical without feeling pompous. It takes the designer from inspiration and mood boards to the final designs and a cohesive line. It breaks down the process into smaller tasks in the most fun way I have yet seen.
Too basic
I was looking for a more detail book and I found this one too basic.

made the right decision
i have been going to community college for a while now and i have always wanted to be creative so i decided to go to Institute of Design and Technology for fashion design i start 06/10/2006 and bought this book to inspire me. Well in reading this book i know that i have made the right decision for myself. And actually cant wait to start even though i was a little intimated at first due to no experience reading this book has opened up many possiblties. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Commercial - Fashion Design    4. Design - Textile & Costume    5. Fashion    6. Fashion drawing    7. Study & Teaching    8. Techniques - Drawing - Specific Subjects    9. Art / Fashion   

Reviews (7)

biggest, most comprehensive book on Venetian Art and architecture.
It ranks side by side with the other book The art of Florence. Ihave these books and I have lot's of books about Venice. But on the subject of art and architecture. This is the most comprehensive to date.
Magnificent!
I concur with others who reviewed this book and give it top billing!The photos are exquisitely clear and are a good representation of what the city offers.The text is quite complete, although I, too, would have liked to have seen more on Venetian glass.Another fabulous collection for those who love the jewel of a city or for any lover of fine art and architecture.

Venice Art & Architecture
I borrowed these books from a friend. I could not believe my eyes.They are most fantastic! I have ordered a set for myself. I recommend them highly! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. European    4. General    5. History - European    6. History - Medieval    7. International Architecture - European    8. Art   

Features

• Box set

Reviews (3)

Another "make-a-buck" issue...
I too was disappointed in this issue of Visionaire like many others. It seems Visionaire has had an "up and down" quality issue as of late. Some issues are as elaborate as can be, others are like this issue, a cheaply bound paperback magazine in a cheap plastic sleeve. Classy-But Not What I Expected!
I was really excited about getting this new book by Mario Testino, one of my favorite photographers, but was truly disappointed when it arrived.Yes, it's a very classy publication, and comes in a unique & different pink slipcover,but not being familiar with Visionaire's previous publications, I expected a paperback book of high quality, however, what I got was a magazine.Yes, it is numbered in a limited edition of 6000 but it's not even signed by the photographer. Visionaire has lost its magic
I have been a fan of Visionaire since issue 23 directed by Karl Lagerfeld and at that time the issues were fabulous and worth the price. Well that time has gone and now it is really not worth it anymore. This issue comes in a plastic sleeve and is a simple paper book. There's really nothing special about this item. When i heard that Mario Testino was the force behind this issue i thought it would be like his first issue, no. 22 chic. Well it is quite the opposite! Don't buy this item at bookstores but try to get it for less at auction sites. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - General    2. Photo Techniques    3. Photoessays & Documentaries    4. Photography    5. Subjects & Themes - Fashion    6. Fashion design    7. Photographs: collections   

Reviews (13)

Dissapointed - book too technical
This book was not what I thought it would be. I wanted a book that showed how to make jewelry, and actually this was a book that showed how to make jewelry components. I was looking for design and "how to" techniques on putting together jump rings, and store bought components and and this was more like how to make a jump ring etc . . I didn't like it. If you want to make jewelry components this is the book for you. If you want to make jewelry from store bought components and beads, I suggust you find a different book.

Should have been called metal smithing
As someone who makes a lot of wire/clay jewelry but doesn't work with metal, torches etc...this book will probably just collect dust.Everything in here required special tools I'm not interested in buying.Maybe if you have some knowledge of working with metals you could find this very useful but for me it was a waste of money. I used just one tip in book and the pictures did not inspire me to learn more.

Gotta have
This is probably the best guide to what you need to start and be successful in Jewelry. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Encyclopedias    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Jewelry    6. Jewelry making   

Reviews (33)

valuable
As a graphic designer, I spend most of my time on the computer and have sorely missed creating with my hands. This book is bringing me back to that in an exciting way. Contrary to some reviewers I am very glad the book doesn't indulge too much in Photoshop instruction (although it does give information aboutPhotoshop that is most relevant to the processes, like print specifications). That would be a waste of space because there are a gazillion Photoshop books out there, but these techniques are much more rare and need as much space as possible to teach them. The authors do a great job of this. Very clear, thoughtful and succint writing. No wasted words.
DEFINITELY INNOVATIVE !!!!
If you are a serious printmaker this book is a must have.It shows you how to combine traditional printmaking with digital printing, printing on different substrates, has great pictures and much more. YOU DONT NEED AN EXPENSIVE PRINTER TO FOLLOW THIS BOOK.I have an EPSON 1280 INKJET ($399) and it works great.The ideas and possibilities are endless. I highly recommended this book !

Technology and creativity
It's good to see someone use technology creatively. All too often "art" and "technology" are seen as mutually exclusive. These authors show that that is certainly not the case.
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Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Assemblage Art    4. Digital & Video    5. Digital art    6. Ink-jet printing    7. Technique    8. Art techniques & materials    9. Image processing   

Reviews (4)

Gotta Get It
For anyone who loves to collect, this book is a must-have. Not that you'll need the tips that the author includes for the novice, but this gem of a book is a collectible in its own right, presented in a hard plastic sleeve. Filled with whimsical photos of dozens of designs by today's most noted designers and architects, "Antiques of the Future" is irresistible and informative. As a student of contemporary material culture and the things that surround us, I got a huge kick viewing some of the best design of our time in this format. Makes a great gift for the person who has almost everything.

Love it
This book was a great addition to my library. I was surprised to see some of the objects that I own and love might be worth something someday, and to find out why. I have a few other "conversation piece" books on products, but most of them only talk about one type of design (like chairs) or are organized historically. I like that this book has a great variety of objects. The only bad thing is that now I want to own everything in the book!

Antiques of the Future
As a collector, I find this book timely and interesting.It's good to know what I should be collecting now for future value. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Antiques & Collectibles    2. Antiques / Collectibles    3. Antiques/Collectibles    4. Collecting    5. Popular Culture    6. Popular Culture - General    7. Reference - General    8. Antiques & Collectables    9. Antiques & Collectibles / General    10. Collectibles; pop culture   

Reviews (5)

Thorough Guide to Fashion Drawing
This book is a thorough guide for learning the art of fashion design illustration. The book features a plethora of examples to teach how to draw faces and poses in correct proportion, as seen in professional fashion illustrations. The examples in the book are large, facilitating the use of tracings prior to free-hand drawing. Anyone who wants to learn fashion design, especially teenagers interested in the field, will find this book an invaluable asset.

cool
i thought this book was great and easy to read you learn alot from just copying and praticing your drawing technigues, its amazing and loved the art.its a must buy for a fashion student or for some interstead in fashion illustration.

Better than expected!
I ordered this book as a hobby figuring that the 200+ pages must have some decent methods to improve my drawing skills. I have been looking for a fashion design instruction book for a long time now.This is certainly an elusive topic to find information on -- even on the web I couldn't find any website that offered any helpful instructions.I have never been able to find anything suitable, especially since I didn't want to invest a lot.This book was a good price that I didn't think would be too much of a loss if I didn't find it useful.
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Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Art Forms, Treatments & Subjects    4. Design - Textile & Costume    5. Fashion    6. Industrial / Commercial Art & Design    7. Techniques - Drawing - Specific Subjects    8. Techniques - General   

Reviews (5)

The Best Complete Book on Western Architecture
Without a doubt, this text is the Quintessential Gold Standard for introductory Western Architecture. A must have for anybody who is serious about learning about how Western Architecture has evolved over time, and with little if any bias. Its only weak area is with architectural development in Asia and South/Central Meso America. Other than that, this is my third copy of the text and it just keeps getting better. Believe me when I say, this is one book you may never want to loan out, for it may not get returned. I know, it's happened to me once already.

Full of historical detail
Mine is a new 1975 edition (which was a small fraction of the new price). It is as much a history of the world--and an incredibly detailed one--as a history of architecture. It opens each of its 40 chapters with a discussion of a civilization or era, then describes the buildings very matter-of-factly. Sometimes opinions emerge: Louis Kahn is cited as an example of a flash-in-the-pan; FLLW's Guggenheim is criticized as impractical.
It's just so.....juicy!
For over a century, this has been THE classic study of the history of architecture. It is a work of art in it's own right and worth owning simply for the joy of hefting it's not inconsiderable weight and browsing once ina while - even as a layman. The text is extraordinarily readable and theillustrations are a delight. It's so packed full of information - believeme, even if you have only a limited interest in architecture you will learna great deal that will surprise you from this book! Enthusiasts forclassical and other older branches of architecture may wish to considerpurchasing second-hand copies of older editions - they're somehow nicer,and devote less space to the debased modern form of the art. (Yes, I'mbiased and proud of it!:) Of a reasonable collection of architecturalhistory books, (including several larger-format, beautifully-illustratedcoffee-table books in the modern style)this book is easily my favourite. Ithas class, style and above all, character. Buy it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Criticism    3. General    4. History    5. History - General    6. History Of Architecture    7. Study & Teaching    8. Architecture / History    9. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles