Reviews (1)

ambitious room murals
I have been trying to get this book for over a year - I kept ordering it and it kept getting delayed. But now that it's here *sigh* what a marvel!gorgeous, giant fold-out illustrations of ambitious rooms sets shown in great detail.The text is a little hard to follow, but there is some interesting information about the designs, and process of printing this hugepanels. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Decoration & Ornament    4. Design - Decorative    5. European    6. Antiques & Collectibles / General    7. Antiques & collectables: pictures, prints & maps    8. Europe    9. Graphic design    10. Interior design   

Reviews (1)

Great book for anyone seriously interested in interior desig
I have used this book as a reference for many years.It is a great book.Anyone who is remodeling their kitchen or building a new home should read this book.Ms. Nissen has explored many areas of the field and written a terrific book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Decorating    3. Decoration & Ornament    4. General    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. Interior Design    7. Interior Design - General    8. Interior decoration    9. Art / General    10. Home furnishing & decoration   

Reviews (1)

no title
Whew!Wonderful, fascinating, informative book on every aspect of art.Of course just an overview.There is so much to learn.Am glad I read this book.(I did not have the CD-Rom) I particularly love the work of Roche-Rabell. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. General    4. Visual perception    5. Art / General    6. Art, fine art, decorative arts   

Subjects:  1. Essays    2. Individual Photographer    3. Nature    4. Photo Techniques    5. Photography    6. Subjects & Themes - Plants & Animals    7. Individual photographers    8. Nature in art, still life, landscapes & seascapes    9. Photographs: collections   

Reviews (6)

very original designs
I found this book very helpful in my artwork. I also was very pleasantly surprised to find it enjoyable to read. There are stories of folklore explaining the beginings of the differents dragons and thier formations from one type to the other. The designs themselves are beautiful to look at. I am constantly researching diffrent designs/drawings of dragons and find few that I like. I was very pleased with this book and its one of my favorites among the rest of my collection.

Great Book of Dragon Patterns:the Ultimate Design sourcebook for Artists and craftspeople
I love not only do you get help with drawing and patterns, you get a history lesson on types if dragons.

Dragons galore
Dragons galore, the renditions of the dragons in this book are great as far as they go, there are a lot of dragon heads, there could have been more on the body, having said that I would like to congratulate the writer on the dragon law and types of different dragons, even though short and concise it was very interesting giving the reader a reasonable amount of information on different breeds and sub species of dragon.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Arts And Crafts    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Dragons    5. Dragons in art    6. General    7. Hobbies/Crafts    8. Reference    9. Subjects & Themes - General    10. Techniques - Drawing    11. Crafts & Hobbies / Woodwork    12. Decorative arts & crafts   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Careers - General    4. Color    5. Color Theory    6. Color in art    7. Color in design    8. Graphic Arts - General    9. Art / Graphic Arts    10. Industrial / Commercial Art & Design   

Editorial Review

Hunter S. Thompson, in his drunken, rambling introduction to this volume of paintings and illustrations, calls Ralph Steadman "the Albert Gore of twentieth century art." It's hard to imagine a less apt appellation: Steadman's drawings and paintings are the wild antithesis of the notoriously stiff V.P. His pop art is also the opposite of Warhol's clean lines and soulless imagery; it screams with pain and nightmare power. While Steadman is best known for his illustrations to Thompson's Read more

Reviews (14)

One of His Best!
I love his work, have since he did the cover art and animation for Pink Floyd The Wall. This book is worth grabbing if you respect the artistic value of total insanity and the furthering of freedom of expression.

Gonzo forever!
May the ghost of Hunter S. Thompson come down and become the next President of the United States - and may Ralph Steadman be his Art Director!

Plastered from the master.

Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Comics & Cartoons    4. Graphic Satire And Humor    5. Individual Artist    6. Steadman, Ralph    7. Humor / Cartoons   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Arts    4. General    5. History    6. History - General    7. Philosophy Of Art    8. Realism    9. Art / General    10. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles    11. Theory of art   

Reviews (25)

Very Accessible
I use this book for a survey course for undergraduate and graduate students who are non-art majors.It is far more accessible than most texts of thos type, and far less detailed and costly as well.A perfect start for someone trying to grasp the basic concepts involved.I recommend it highly for that purpose.

Perfect book for High School Art Teacher
This is the perfect reference book for a high school art teacher. It covers the main artists for the time periods listed on the cover. Great pictures, artwork, and art history. The book is easy to read. It makes art history painless.

help me pass the art: content knowledge praxis
This book was KEY in helping me study for the art: content knowledge praxis exam. Much less time consuming then "Gardner's art through the ages", this book is broken down - not dumbed down. the facts are accurate and more than half of what i read was on the test. this book paired with "the art teacher's book of list" are perfect study aids for this exam. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. History    4. History - General    5. Outlines, syllabi, etc    6. Study & Teaching    7. Art / General    8. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles   

Subjects:  1. Civilization, Western    2. Europe    3. General    4. History    5. Humanities    6. Philosophy    7. Textbooks    8. World - General    9. Art / General   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Art Criticism    4. Criticism    5. History - General    6. Religion in art    7. Spirituality in art    8. Subjects & Themes - Religious    9. Art & Architecture | Religious Art    10. Art / History / General   

Editorial Review

Sexy, modern, and unabashedly consumer-oriented, Art Deco was a new kind of style, flourishing at a time of rapid technological change and social upheaval. Lacking the philosophical basis of other European design movements, Deco borrowed motifs from numerous sources--Japan, Africa, ancient Egyptian and Mayan cultures, avant-garde European art--simply to create novel visual effects. Read more

Reviews (3)

Excellent - Good scope and global reach.
Bought it - read it - refer to it as a source and to unashameably copy.
The greatest book on Art Deco!
This book is an absolute triumph. First, it is positively gorgeous - the images just leap off the pages.Second, the essays are more in-depth, engaging, and informative than any other book I've found on the subject.This book discusses every facet of Art Deco as well: it explores the origins at the Paris Exhibition in 1925, goes through the influence in East Asia, Latin America, and South Africa, not to mention Europe. A great chapter on Deco in Hollywood; also explores all of the sources, iconography - and all of this on top of covering every aspect of the movement - ceramics, jewelry, fashion, architecture, glass, photography, graphic design, bookbindings, travel and transport, and so so much more - with stunning visuals.A fantastic read, a great resource, a beautiful work, and an absolute MUST for anyone interested in the subject! Well worth the money, and a fantastic addition to any library.Highly recommended!

The first and last word on Deco.
A sumptuous coffee-table book of this exuberant art style and I think it could well become the standard book on the subject.The forty essays are divided into four sections, Sources and Iconography, 1925 Paris Exhibition, Spread of Deco and finally Deco World, and I liked the way, especially in Sources and Iconography, that the authors explain how various art styles were moulded into deco art which culminated in the very influential 1925 Paris show.Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Antiques/Collectibles    3. Art    4. Art & Art Instruction    5. Art deco    6. Art, Modern    7. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - Museum    8. Design - Decorative    9. Exhibitions    10. General    11. History - Modern (Late 19th Century to 1945)    12. Art / Design / Decorative   

Editorial Review

"A is for Amy who fell down the stairs. B is for Basil assaulted by bears. C is for Clara who wasted away. D is for Desmond thrown out of a sleigh..." The rhyming couplets of this grim abecedarian are familiar, of course, to devotees of macabre humor, but the darkly crosshatched drawings are (as Poe put it) "the soul of the plot." Several years went by during which Read more

Reviews (80)

Satisfied customer!
I was very pleased with the product that I ordered as well as the time it took to receive it - hardly any time at all!

Great book - fast read ;o)
One of the most imaginative books I've ever read - I put it out when friends come over so we can laugh and talk about the images.I'll definitely be getting Gorey's other books!

A childs' first ABC book
What can you say about the quintessential Edward Gorey book that hasn't already been said?
Read more

Subjects:  1. Alphabet    2. American wit and humor, Pictor    3. American wit and humor, Pictorial    4. Art & Art Instruction    5. English language    6. General    7. Humor    8. Individual Artist    9. Techniques - Cartooning    10. Techniques - Pen & Ink Drawing    11. Art / Cartooning    12. Cartoons & comic strips   

Reviews (1)

Important Book
Criticizing Photographs remains one of the most important books in the field, and Barrett has updated the text with new photos to discuss. His new editions include worthy changes and are not ploys to sell new copies. I have used his books for years in an advanced photography college class. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Criticism    2. History    3. Photo Techniques    4. Photographic criticism    5. Photography    6. Photography As An Art    7. Photography, Artistic    8. Techniques - Color    9. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles    10. Photography & Photographs    11. Photography / General   

Reviews (18)

Unleash Yourself
When I first got this book, it was soooooooo busy, I looked and put it down.Over then next week I read, re-read, read, re-read.......and fell into her wonderful world.The next thing you know I was doodling with silver marker on anything I could find.Had the German Shepherd puppy slowed down enough I would have doodled him.Then I doodled flowers over the doodling, then I painted the flowers, then I collaged the canvas....should I go on. I need a 12 step program for this book.
Not for the faint of heart
If you are a beginner or not a serious collager this book is not for you.If you have been collaging for some time and looking for new techinques this book is great.If you are looking to find your true style or adding some fun to an exisiting style this book is for you The color explosion is worth buying the book.

The cure for art inertia is at hand !
This is quite a fantastic book.If you've been a fan of Sabrina Ward Harrison's books, for example, but couldn't figure out how to achieve those kinds of effects, this book will help you.I'm a novice but there were so many projects and ideas I wanted to try.Actually, it became overwhelming, especially at the end with the more advanced techniques using stitching and bookbinding, but there's plenty here to keep everybody going for a long time.Mainly Bautista shows us how to layer, layer, layer, and reminds us not to worry about finished effects.Also, she's a great fan of "leveraging" her art, which means to make numerous photocopies at various stages and keep the copies so that she always has a ton of stuff to work with and can build on previous ideas with new work.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Assemblage Art    2. Collage    3. Crafts & Hobbies    4. Crafts / Hobbies    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Paper Crafts    7. Paper work    8. Papercrafts    9. Textile crafts   

Reviews (3)

Wonderful rendering tips!
This book was very helpful in showing me different rendering techniques used by varying artists.From minimalist, neutral shading to full blown, vibrant color renderings, this book covered them all.
I absolutely love this book!
This book got me through architectural school.Hand renderings were never my strong point until I got this book. My rendering skills went up considerably (along with my confidence and grades) and I still reference this book today in my professional career.The book gives great examples and the tips from the professionals are very informative. This is definately one of the best books on how to make profession looking presentations.

Questions Answered Here
The question and answer format of this book is useful and allows a different kind of organization to its contents.It also incorporates the work of a broad cross-section of designers.This allows the editors toexpose you to many of the best in different fields in which markers areused to increase the effectiveness of visual communication.Whilecertainly useful for the beginner, it will also stimulate the moreexperienced designer. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architectural rendering    2. Architecture    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Design & Drafting    5. Dry marker drawing    6. Interior decoration rendering    7. Techniques - Drawing    8. Architecture / Design & Drafting    9. Interior design   

Reviews (8)

The Quilts of Gee's Bend
This book is a testament to the ingenuity, tenacity, and faith of the women of Gee's Bend who, from their lives of deep poverty and hard scrabble living, still found the inner resources to create functional, yet strikingly original art.
A BEAUTIFUL REMINDER
Not only did I purchase this book, I purchased one for a friend of mine who is a quilter. The quilts and the incredible stories behind them are powerful motivators for those who wish to accomplish anything, not just quilting.It is the triumph of the human spirit and proves that deep down, each of us has an indominable core.I am envious of the skill that these women posessed and of the oral history and cultural traditions which have been created and passed down.It's a reminder of the scope of human potential.

great collection of American Art
I am an Alabama native. I have visited Gee's Bend, Alabama many times, but mainly to EAT!! They have more than pretty quilts in Gee's Bend. I have seen the quilts but because I love quilts and even tried unsuccessully to make one but, not being an expert, I guess I did not appreciate how popular the Gee's Bend quilts would become until I saw the story on CBS's Sunday Morning about the quilts being on display at the Whitney Museum in New York. The current quilters visited the opening at the museum and song those old gospel songs to their many fans.Read more

Subjects:  1. American - African-American    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - General    4. Folk & Outsider Art    5. Multicultural Nonfiction    6. Quilts & Quilting    7. Social Science    8. Alabama    9. Art Forms, Treatments & Subjects    10. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles    11. Quiltmaking   

Reviews (2)

Great balance
The Layout Workbook if not only thorough in covering the fundamentals of designing a layout, but in addition the second half of the book contains a gallery of examples of successful layout.
A gem of a design book
An excellent book on the basics of graphic design. One of the hardest books to find (despite the seeming abundance of them being published) is a well rounded book of design that is useful to both the beginning and advanced student of graphic design. This book provides a strong overview of topics ranging from the pragmatic (project briefs, client interaction) and the technical (grids, hierarchies, typography) to the elusive (intuition, conceptualization). It also provides specific information (anatomy of grids, use of em and en dashes, classification of typefaces) that I've had to go to separate books for in the past. As the title implies though, it does not cover issues that don't directly relate to graphic layouts (e.g. logos, signage, websites) though many of the principles can be applied to them. It also does not delve deeply into color systems, just looking at the role of color in hierarchies and compositions.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Advertising layout and typogra    2. Advertising layout and typography    3. Art    4. Art & Art Instruction    5. Design - General    6. General    7. Graphic Arts - General    8. Graphic Design    9. Graphic arts    10. Graphic design (Typography)    11. Technique    12. Typography   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Art    3. Decorating - General    4. Design - General    5. Domestic    6. Handbooks, manuals, etc    7. Interior decoration    8. Art / Design / General    9. Decorative arts & crafts    10. Fashion design   

Reviews (7)

Nice Packaging, not much substance
Even without text, this book would've earned 4 stars, just for the impressiveness of Gogos' work. Within this book are large, crystal-clear repros of his most famous monster cover paintings, as well as samples of his illustration work.
THE JOY OF BEING A MONSTER KID!
If you were fortunate to have been born between 1950 and 1970 or so, you're lucky to be a part of a wonderful fraternity.Like me, you are a "monster kid".Monster Kids are the generation that grew up with Shock Theater and campy horror movie hosts, old Aurora model kits, classic Universal horror films on 8MM, and...a fantastic magazine called Famous Monsters of Filmland.Famous Monsters was edited by legendary collector and Sci-Fi sage Forrest Ackerman and one of the great attractions throughout the years were the magnificent magazine covers painted by Basil Gogos.From Vanguard Productions comes "The Famous Monster Movie Art of Basil Gogos."Basil Gogos has rightfully been called, "The World's Most Famous Monster Artist."His bold, expresionistic use of color is what caught the eye of little ghouls like myself and my friends.Edited by Kerry Gammill and J. David Spurlock and with an introduction by Rob Zombie, the book provides a dazzling display of Gogos' art not only from Famous Monsters, but from many other magazines, books, and films.
GORGEOUS RETROSPECTIVE FOR GOGOS & FAMOUS MONSTERS FANS!
For any old school FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND collector (and I mean the true ORIGINAL ~Forry Ackerman~ helmed FM *ahem*ahem*), this is like recieving a Holy Grail from those issues. I have both the Deluxe LE 600 copy signed, slipcased hardcover as well as this softcover ordered from Amazon.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Art & Art Instruction    2. Cinema/Film: Book    3. Film & Video - General    4. General    5. Horror Films    6. Performance Art    7. Performing Arts    8. Popular Culture - General    9. Sociology    10. Comic book & cartoon art    11. Individual artists