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 (2)

Penny Arcade = Great Web-Comic
Penny Arcade is a comic that has been around for almost a full decade now, so it is nice that this year they are finally releasing a series of books that bring the comics into our homes without the need for a computer and internet, excluding how you buy the book itself.
Good collection of a great Webcomic
Penny Arcade isn't my favorite webcomic (that honor goes to PVP), but it's up there, and I'm very happy that Dark Horse comics has begun reprinting the entire run of the series. This second volume collects all of the strips from 2001. Holkins and Krahulik don't use many long-running storylines or, for that matter, any continuity at all, so you can't really expound upon the stories here. Holkins also includes some of his vintage blog posts, detailing stories such as how a rat infestation led to his eviction and tne now-classic "Walnut Saga," which are amusing stories as their own right. The strips are as sharp and clever as ever, without any of the early strips where they were still trying to find their groove, such as those we found in volume one. The book is backed by images from the Penny Arcade card game and some unpublished concepts from Holkins and Krahulik to fill out the book. Some of the stuff at the end feels kind of like padding, but it's still a fun read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Games    2. Form - Cartoons & Comics    3. Graphic Novels    4. Graphic Novels - General    5. Graphic Satire And Humor    6. Humor    7. Video & Electronic - General    8. Comics & Graphic Novels / General   

Reviews (18)

Catori Satori
I never cared for that Mutts comic strip in the newspapers.Too cute and not funny.Maybe it's because I'm an adult.And maybe I have no excuse for reading the comics at all at this point.I don't know.But McDonnell's characters and light touch work well in this context, in a kid's book.
*** simply enchanting ***
Recommended for anyone, any age, i.e., everyone ~~ Patrick Mc'Donnell's comic-book is a gift that I imagine anyone would want to receive.The Gift of Nothing is warm, crystal clear and gently instructive.It's a little story about giving a very big gift, of the self.

Sweet little story
If you like the comic strip, you'll enjoy the book.Mutts always makes me smile.The Gift of Nothing is a simple, happy and heartwarming, little story. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals - Cats    2. Animals - Dogs    3. Cats    4. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    5. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    6. Children: Grades 1-2    7. Fiction    8. Friendship    9. Gifts    10. Juvenile Fiction    11. Preschool Picture Story Books    12. Social Issues - Friendship    13. Cartoons & comic strips    14. Comic book & cartoon art    15. Humour collections & anthologies    16. Juvenile Fiction / General   

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   

Editorial Review

If you just stumbled into design, maybe via a hobby that grew into acareer, and you want to improve your work without having to enroll in a degreeprogram, this book can bridge some of the gaps in your acumen. Not really aprimer on basic facts, Read more

Reviews (27)

Robin Williams Design Workshop
I learned about this book at a recent seminar. Bought it here through Amazon. Was a little worried when I read the first chapter that it would be over my head because I am a total novice, but I soon found myself engrossed in the book. It really is very helpful and the repeatition of ideas and "rules" helps drive home the important stuff. Well laid out so you can skip the chapters that don't interest you. Although I would consider reading them. I found that certain ideas hit home better in some chapters than others and I think it has helped my overall design ability. Good Book especially for those of us who love how-to books.

Robin Williams Design Workshop
This is a great reference for print design but the web site section is almost laughably outdated.Gone are the days of splash entry pages and HTML tables for non-conmplex layouts (now easily rendered by CSS). And who the heck is running 640x480 resolution on a 14 inch monitor these days??

Adobe projects
It's good for the all of adobe projects that you may work on. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computer Graphics - Design    3. Computer Graphics - General    4. Computers    5. Computers - Desktop Publishing    6. Desktop Publishing    7. Electronic Publishing    8. Internet - Web Site Design    9. Microcomputer Graphics    10. Typesetting    11. Web publishing    12. Computers / Computer Graphics / Design    13. Desktop publishing software    14. Graphic design   

Reviews (4)

Not attractive, but a useful reference for 2-D design
This is a combination of two books by the author, covering the essential principles of form and design in a textbook style. It won't inspire the artist, but does provide technical information that can be useful, especially for computer graphics artists. Written long long ago... yet still up to date!
This book is actually a compilation of two old books from the same writer. As he stated in the intro - it covers essential principles of form and design in very basic, formal, scientific way. This may be a bit dry for some, and the illustrations are very different from popular design books. It's nothing arty but it does mention crucial points for designing. swanky
Wucius wong's Principles of form and design is just the essential book for all designer. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art & Art Instruction    2. Computer Books: Operating Systems    3. Computer-aided design    4. Design - General    5. Graphic Arts - General    6. Art / Design / General    7. Industrial / Commercial Art & Design   

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. 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 (9)

Nice
Quality pastel renders par usual with this art of something Pixar. The color theory alone in this book is worth every penny. Great stuff to continue to inspire us fellow artists. One regret, they need to start putting some of the 3-D stills in the book since their work is unlike anything else out there. Overall, a must buy for the artist reference library.

The story of a movie from concept to artwork
The new animated movie CARS comes at you all finished and complete. This is how it came about.
Beautifully illustrated
I purchased this originally, because as well as being a fan of the movie, "Cars", I am an up and coming animator and am very interested in all aspects of animation. In the description it told me the book tells of how the original idea was made into a film and the steps and research taken to do so, so I bought it.
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Subjects:  1. Animated Films    2. Automotive    3. Automotive - Pictorial    4. Cars (Motion picture)    5. Cinema/Film: Book    6. Film & Video - Direction & Production    7. Film & Video - General    8. Illustrations    9. Performing Arts    10. Pixar (Firm)    11. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    12. United States    13. Comic book & cartoon art    14. Performing Arts / Film / General   

Editorial Review

With Read more

Reviews (33)

Not a text book but a knowledgeable friend
Visual Explanations is not a usual book. It is like a knowledgeable friend walking with you through a museum: pointing out good design and bad ideas; linking various domains (graphic design, usability, psychology) together. You learn things slowly, almost by symbiosis. Visual Explanations will be enchanting for people who have the time to read it in that way. It will be frustrating for people looking for a practical guide: This is not a textbook. The book itself is beautifully produced.
A must-read for anybody with something to tell
In this book, an expert of visual explanations uses visual explanations to tell us his ideas how to use visual cues to explain concepts, quantities, timelines etc. Tufte, with his eternal self-confidence and succinct prose gives good examples and shows how a good image can be better; gives bad examples and has no hesitation to call something (even authorities' products) 'ghastly' or 'nightmare'. I think this book is a must for anybody who wants to use visual cues and examples for the ideas they want to convey. That is, everybody, in this time and age of information.

Explaining Quality Visual Information
Edward Tufte's book "Visual Explanations: Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative" is a 157 page exercise in critical thinking.The author discusses and analyzes visual information, pointing out flaws and strengths of various visual depictions.One becomes more aware of visual information and what constitutes ideal pictorial information.
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Subjects:  1. General    2. Graphic Methods    3. Mathematics    4. Media Studies    5. Probability & Statistics - General    6. Research    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Technology & Industrial Arts    9. Visual Communication (General)    10. Visual communication    11. Industrial / Commercial Art & Design    12. Statistics   

Subjects:  1. Comics & Cartoons    2. Comics & Graphic Novels    3. Graphic Satire And Humor    4. Humor    5. Topic - Political    6. Comics & Graphic Novels / Comics & Cartoons    7. Graphic novels   

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 (8)

Best for Beginners, in my humble opinion
I first borrowed this book from the library, and now I have finally been able to order it. I have used two other books on this subject, but I think CeCe Wire's book is best suited for me. I am a beginner with this material, however, I want my finished projects to have a certain streamlined sophistication, and I feel that of all of the books I have read on this subject, this book suits my needs and goals best. Ms. Wire has a wonderful grasp on the technical aspects of working with metal clay. Her projects are great for beginners, well illustrated and explained, but the final results are professional and stylish. One does not need to invest in many additional tools or materials in order to finish her projects. I also find that her projects and gallery of finished pieces provide a great springboard to encourage the reader to envision and create their own great jewelry pieces. There is a non-jewelry piece in here, but that does not bother me at all. It encourages the reader to consider other uses for metal clay, and who says jewelry must only be worn on the body? Why not create decorative objects as "jewelry" for the home? If you do not have a kiln, do not worry. I fire my pieces on my gas stove or with a small butane torch purchased from my local home improvement store. Also, I hear that bead and jewelry stores that have PMC or Art Clay Silver classes or paint-your-own-ceramics studios are often willing to fire your pieces for a reasonable fee. So give this book a try, I hope you will be as pleased as I am!
I'm not that impressed with the projects
I just received this book today and I leafed through it and put it down.Normally with a book of this type (art instruction, projects etc) I'll just get lost in it and read it from cover to cover.I bought this book based on the reviews here and also that Ms. Wire is the head cheese at the PMC Guild, but if I had seen this book first in the store I probably wouldn't have purchased it.The jewelry projects are not my style at all, and the layout and photography isn't that exciting either.
Great Clear Photos
This book has wonderful photographs that are clear enough to see the details of the jewelry and steps involved in creating them. I highly recommend this book.
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Subjects:  1. Clay    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Jewelry    6. Jewelry making    7. Metal Work    8. Precious metal clay    9. Crafts & Hobbies / Jewelry    10. Handicrafts    11. STUDY NOTES - SparkNotes   

Reviews (6)

A Real Eye Opener
I have only been selling Japanese Antiques for a short time and I found this book is fantastic to show potential tansu customers. It has also helped us (Japanache dot com dot au) with selection when on buying trips to Japan and restoration once back in Australia.
Strong on Art , Light on Craft
I am biased; I am a woodworker.This is actually a terrific book offering a huge collection of beautiful photos, and an extensive commentary about the role of Tansu in Japanese lifestyle and culture.However the craft of making Tansu was not well represented.From the title I would have expected more on tools, techniques and joinery.

A Tansu Tribute
If you are fascinated by the creation of handmade Japanese cabinetry, this is one of the few books you can find on the subject because for some reason, the cabinetry of Japan is one of the least recorded aspects of Japan's woodworking history. Throughout this guide, you will find lush photographs of opaque and transparent lacquered chests, their hand-forged iron handles and the tools of the trade. I especially enjoyed the hand-colored photos of family life, rice fields and the textile sellers. Not only do you get to glimpse this magical world of Zen temples and street merchants selling sweet rice drinks, you will be able to view page after page of stunning merchant chests, bedding chests, clothing chests and mizuya-dansu (kitchen cupboards).
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Subjects:  1. Antiques / Collectibles    2. Architecture    3. Cabinetwork    4. Chests    5. Furniture    6. General    7. Japan    8. Antique furniture    9. Art / Design / Furniture    10. Furniture & cabinetmaking   

Reviews (8)

The Ultimate Gift for the Lover of Beauty
Carolyne Roehm demonstrates her exquisite taste from the very first page of this lavish book.Organized by season, each chapter celebrates the beauty of all sorts of blossoms in stunning arrangements.These arrangements are lush and full and show an artist's mastery of texture and extraordinary combination of color.The photos are reminiscent of the sumptuousness of the movie, The Age of Innocence, with lovely gilded gold, crystal and porcelain containers. The photography truly is breathtaking and includes not only close ups of the bouquets but also glimpses of elegantly set dining tables, gorgeously furnished rooms and spacious gardens.Her prose is poetry, but also practical in the sections on containers, elements of style and basics.A better book on flower arranging couldn't possibly exist.

**Fantastic Photos**
This book is a joy- the vibrant photos actually helped me through the long Pennsylvania winter.Lots of great tips on arrangements- from colors and containers.I envy Roehme's budget for entertaining!

Incredible photography of the most beautiful flowers
The flowers depicted in this book gave their lives for a truly noble cause and have been honored appropriately by the photographer.Quite simply they were displayed and photographed in the most beautiful fashion possible.Perhaps the key word there is fashion -- Carolyn Roehm has the experience and eye for fashion, having been a former designer, and that experience may be what enabled her to display the flowers in a way that truly does them justice.I coveted this book for a long while, having seen it in a bookstore, and couldn't get it out of my mind.Now that I own it, I consider myself very fortunate indeed.The book is divided into the four seasons.Particularly strong are the photos depicting the flowers prevalent in Fall and Spring.The smoky greens, yellows, oranges, reds, and browns of the Fall months's foliage manage to look festive and lovely despite their representing the waining of life until the Spring.The photos of lilacs and daffodils in the section on Spring make one hopeful for the end of winter and make one realize why all that shivering is eventually worthwhile.I loved this book and recommend it heartily for anyone who loves pretty flowers and doesn't particularly have any special horticultural knowledge. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Dried Flowers    4. Floral Arts    5. Flower Arranging    6. Flower arrangement    7. Flowers    8. Flowers - General    9. Gardening/Plants    10. Pictorial works    11. Floral crafts    12. Gardening / Flowers / General   

Features

• Box set

Reviews (2)

Too lovely for words...
...but I'll try anyway! WHERE?
Visioanire is finally making its strong comeback in their couture magazine publication. Where? is in the same league alongside Visionaire 18 and Visionaire 24 which have cemented themsevles as the cream of allvisioanires, the must have magazines to make your coffee table totallyeccentric. The whole process of getting to the natural leather travel guideby Hermes is unreal. First is a black box with Visonaire 32 on it theninside this is a Hermes Box which then holds inside it a Hermes Bag whichholds the leather guide within it. Then inside the leather guide is 50postacards depicting the magical imaginative location of Where? made fromthe likes of photographers Martio Testino, Peter Lindburgh, Bruce Weber,illustrator Mats Gustafson, art director Fabien Baron, artist Nan Goldin,Wolfgang Tillmans, Oliver Wasow, Jeff Burton, Lauren Greenfield, filmmakerPedro Almodovar, fashion designer Hussein Chalayan, musician Micheal Stipeand many more. Alongside the 50 postacrds is also a Hermes Pencil. Abrilliant publication at last. This will definitely sell out in being onlylimited to 3300 copies world wide. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Fashion    3. Media Studies - Print Media    4. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    5. Popular Culture - General    6. Fashion design   

Subjects:  1. Comics & Cartoons    2. Form - Cartoons & Comics    3. Graphic Satire And Humor    4. Humor    5. Topic - Business and Professional    6. Comics & Graphic Novels / Comics & Cartoons   

Reviews (18)

Furniture is the Focus
This book has great pictures of West Indian furniture and its focus is only on the furniture. I was looking for some ideas on how to design using this style, but not much can be gotten directly on how to do this from this book. However, I did come away with a good sense of the various influences on the West Indian style.

Moderately interesting
This book had some interesting facts, but as an interior designer who was looking for inspirational pictures for room designs I thought it had moderate value.

FABULOUS!
I have owned this book for over a year and always thought it was an excellent book but wasn't inspired to write a review until just recently, when I received a new book I purchased called "Caribbean Style".This book, "Caribbean Elegance", is everything that the other book is not. I love this book! The photography is incredible, encompasing everything from the smallest furniture detail or accessory, to entire historical exteriors & interiors, and exquisite scenery!
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Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Decorating - General    3. Furniture    4. Furniture design    5. Furniture, Colonial    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. Interior Design - General    8. Interior Design - Style Books    9. West Indies    10. Art / Design / Decorative    11. Caribbean islands    12. Interior design   

Reviews (2)

SJ tats are classic
I love this book! It is so nice to see a collection of historic tattoo stencils from such an important figure in American tattoo history!

a must for any tattoo fan
This wonderful book not only includes the images of Sailor Jerry's celluloid stencils but also an overview of Sailor Jerry himself and the process and growth that the tattoo industry sustained under his keen eye.The stencil images are priceless and a true must for any true tattoo enthusiast or Sailor Jerry fan.As a bonus, the pages are perferated for easy tracing or even framing.A wonderful book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Beauty & Grooming - General    3. Diet / Health / Fitness    4. Fashion & Grooming    5. General    6. Health & Fitness    7. Popular Culture - General    8. Body art & tattooing   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Caricatures and cartoons    3. Cartoons and caricatures    4. Graphic Satire And Humor    5. Great Britain    6. Pictorial works    7. Social life and customs    8. Comic book & cartoon art    9. History / General