5 comments about The Artist's Complete Guide to Drawing the Head.

1. William Maughan's book "Drawing the Head" is worth buying just for the illustrations alone. But, it is also a fundamentally sound guide as to how to achieve likeness in a realistic albeit artistic fashion. It looks so easy but, that is, often the case with art instruction books. In fact, the steps that Maughan clearly sets out i.e. gesture, proportions,shadow shapes,edge control and detail, are each mountains that have to climbed until, that glorious day when we hope everything comes together. And even then we will still be starting out. This book is a truly informative guide as to what mountains have to be climbed. The student will, however, have to provide the effort and do the climbing. The didactic way in which the examples are coupled to the text is commendable and a joy to follow, the drawings inspiring. The student is educated on materials and how to use them. An unexpected but thrilling chapter on creating aliens out of yourself or friends is wonderful. If only the last chapter on colour could have been extended to show more clearly how some of those effects were rendered. But, I think, thats just me being greedy for more from this gifted and distinguished artist. Buy the book and if you can tear yourself away from wondering at the illustrations, get on and use it. That's what its for.Your bound to become better.



2. This is a beautiful book to look at but I found the title deceptive. No where in the book have I found drawing instruction for the head. The author/artist basically just does his own thing, but doesn't offer any direction for someone wanting instruction on the drawing of the head! I will keep it and possibly scan it again when I am more advanced.



3. I was so inspired by the particular technique in this drawing book that I purchased the materials specified and got to work doing a very successful portrait following the step by step directions. It was the easiest portrait drawing and my most sucessful ever.KF
   
   
   
   
   
   



4. This book taught me how to use light and shadow to make realistic portrait. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to draw as a hobbyist. Since I am not a professional painter, please take my advice with a grain of salt.



5. I took classes with William Maughan, several of them in fact and I need to set the record straight. This is the best drawing instruction book I have ever read. It will give you fundamental and instinctive understanding of techniques that can carry over to any medium (that includes oil and pastel and graphite). Your people will never look like aliens again, they will be shockingly realistic (if you want that) or effectively abstracted (if you want that). It's just a shame that Bills humor and approachability doesn't come through in the text, but all the info is there.
   
   In this book you will learn:
   
   An extraordinarily simple and instinctive understanding of how shadows really work. Chiurascuro is a fancy word for how shadow forms are shaped and he'll teach you how to see it and render it. This is the secret to realistic drawing.
   
   How value works. Value is really just how dark or light something is, but there is a logic to it that ties into painting and drawing. You will also draw MUCH faster with more convincing results. The curious color of paper and charcoal Bill uses in this book simplifies values to become easier to render, instead of ten shades of darkness he compresses it to five, thus making it easier for you to understand. From there you can apply it to white paper or canvas and any color medium you want. All tools he teaches you to use here are instinctive and excellent.
   
   The proper proportions for the head and face no matter the sex, age, or ethnicity of the subject.
   
   An incredibly fast, effective, and instinctive drawing technique that WILL translate into other media and other subjects.
   
   Sincerely, these are the core fundamentals. These are techniques rarely taught in school or presented in books. There is no perfect, all encompasing art book, but this one teaches fundamentals the self taught rarely understand. Bills techniques changed my life, the book has those techniques and teaches them in an extremely streamlined manner. I wish I had this book fifteen years ago....

5 comments about Art Forms in Nature: The Prints of Ernst Haeckel (Monographs).

1. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3G0SX0PAICYS7 Video shows the size of the book, flipping through a lot of the plates and rambling.



2. a brilliant draftsman and scientist, heackel shows us that the natural world is not only incredibly beautiful, but weirder than anything you can invent.
   there are larger and more expensive editions of this book to be had, as well as smaller and digital versions. the 12" x 9" dover edition folio is a nice reference size, well printed, colorful, and a great price.



3. The following is Amazon's description of this book:
   Paperback: 139 pages
   Publisher: Prestel Publishing (August 1998)
   Language: English
   ISBN-10: 3791319906
   ISBN-13: 978-3791319902
   Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 9.4 x 0.5 inches
   Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
   
   More than one customer review states that they received a book that is only 3 inches wide. I hesitate to buy this book since the info posted may be misleading.



4. This book is full of illustration of organisms you can find on nature.I repeat, it is not fantasy, these beautiful illustration are drawings of things that are right there, sometimes too small to see with the naked eye, in nature, and one can only awe at such beauty and design skills. Haeckel did a great job combining biology with art, and it shows on this book.
   
   A note of advise: these edition has color, the other one is black&white.



5. Amazing images of pollen spores, bats' faces, moths, diatoms, and more - drawn by the master. Ernst Haeckel's prints were a huge influence in the Art Nouveau movement, and the introduction to the book discusses that. Just absolutely brilliant - a surreal and gorgeous look at nature at every scale.

3 comments about Drawing for the Absolute Beginner: A Clear & Easy Guide to Successful Drawing.

1. I happened upon this book and started thumbing through it and was totally captivated by it. I am trying to develop my artistic side and this book is not only great but easy to understand. I highly recommend this book.



2. This is a great book for the beginning artist. The book is easy to follow and clearly lays out techniques and materials needed.



3. I discovered this unassuming volume after buying four other drawing books and looking through about fifty others. While finding a lot of good things in the other books, none of them had what I was looking for in a beginner's guide - a solid step-by-step foundation course starting from square one. Too many drawing books, I learned, either turned into art displays - filled with beautifully rendered drawings and too little instruction, focused too much on certain aspects of drawing at the exclusion of others, or were poorly organized with a vague sense of direction. What I wanted was a solid stone on which to build my drawing and (eventually) painting skills...and I found it!
   
   Where Mr. and Mrs. Willenbrink have succeeded so magnificently is in both the completeness and organization of their material. They assume nothing while providing valuable insight on every page. Their goal is to get you drawing - quickly and correctly. Not a word is wasted on lofty theories and no drawings are displayed without full and easy-to-follow instructions on how they were created. This is a book that will teach you how to walk before trying to teach you how to run.
   
   The book's six chapters are laid out clearly and logically, starting with how to hold the pencil and a great overview of sketch types. From there the chapters cover basic shapes, measurement and perspective, value, and composition, with over 25 step-by-step practice drawings to apply what has been discussed.
   
   I could not find a better presentation of this material in any other drawing book. If you dream of being an artist and don't know where to begin...start here!

5 comments about Writing Creative Nonfiction.

1. 
   Great book. I'd recommend it to anyone who want to write interesting free flowing articles be it stories or anything. This book offers you with knowledge you'd need to write a good essay, story or book. I love this book it has really helped me improve my writing skills. Writing Creative Nonfiction



2. The book was well known before I ordered it. It is all I looked for and it is on my principal bookshelf.



3. This book may not be 100% comprehensive (a tad redundant, perhaps), but if there is any other one out there that has more to offer on addressing the varieties of style, structure, form and the creative nonfiction process, I haven't seen it. Being new to the business in 2003 when I began working on Waiting for Westmoreland in earnest, I found the instuctions and insights illuminating, inspiring and confusing all at once. How to choose?! I felt like Alice on her journey after the rabbit. Still, it gave me plenty of techniques to consider--that would not have been as readily discernible had I simply tried to read every book of actual creative nonfiction I could get my hands on.



4. whilst one can not expect every chapter to be directly relevant, i found each of them thought provoking. this book has enabled me to view the genre, and my writing attempts, in a new light.
   
   an essential read for anyone interested in writing narrative non-fiction.



5. Over the past several years there has been quite a controversy as to what exactly is creative nonfiction.
   In fact, there are some who even go so far as denying its existence and claim there is no such animal!
   If we are from the school that accepts that it is alive and kicking, we must then be able to describe what exactly is creative nonfiction.

   Carolyn Fauché and Philip Gerard, editors of Writing Creative Nonficton, perhaps best sum up what it is all about when they state: "creative nonfiction has emerged in the last few years as the province of factual prose that is also literary-infused with the stylistic devices, tropes, and rhetorical flourishes of the best fiction and the most lyrical narrative poetry. It is fact based writing that remains compelling, undiminished by the passage of time, that has at heart an interest in enduring human values: foremost a fidelity to accuracy, to truthfulness."

   In order to support their belief in creative nonfiction, Fauché and Gerard have presented more than thirty essays that examine all of above key ingredients inherent in writing creative nonfiction.
   Divided into three sections, the reader will receive tips pertaining to such topics as researching ideas and structuring the story, reportage, personal reflection, developing powerful observation techniques, awareness of the filters that put you between yourself and the world, shaping the lyric essay, creating biography, war writing, using humor, and taking yourself out of the story.

   What is quite noteworthy about the book is that the reader receives valuable advice from over thirty well- known writers such as: Terry Tempest Williams, Allan Cheuse, Phillip Lopate, Carolyn Forché, and Philip Gerard, all of whom contribute immensely in convincing us that, yes, creative nonfiction does exist.
   It may be true that it has undergone many name changes over the years- nonfiction novel, narrative non-fiction, literary journalism, literary non-fiction, and new journalism, however, they all lead us to the conclusion that no matter how confusing it sounds, creative nonfiction is still distinguishable from daily journalism, academic criticism, and critical biography.

   The book also offers a primer on the practical business of drafting a business proposal as presented by Stanley Colbert, and a section about what happens after publication.
   Finally, as the editors most aptly state: "as a final gift to the reader, we've included the `Creative Non-Fiction' reader offering the companion pieces and other exemplary essays to inspire, delight, reach, and simply to enjoy."

   This review first appeared on the reviewer's own site: Bookpleasures.com

5 comments about Perspective Drawing Handbook (Dover Art Instruction).

1. I was trying to draw a picture of a building with an extended cover over the driveway from a kind of different point of view and this book really helped me out. Good, understandable info on perspective drawing.



2. Please don't buy this inaccurate text. It has at least one major flaw. The author incorrectly claims that the horizon is always at eye level. It's easy to see that's false. Walk into the Grand Canyon and you'll notice that the horizon is well above eye level.



3. This is currently my favorite perspective book! If I listed my Top 5, it would have to be: Perspective Drawing Handbook; Perspective Made Easy; Perspective! for Comic Book Artists; Basic Perspective Drawing: A Visual Guide, 4th edition; and then Creative Perspective for Artists and Illustrators. Perspective Drawing Handbook is my favorite because it's clear, concise, slim & to the point. It's very enlightening! In my opinion, Joseph D' Amelio was a genius in his understanding of perspective & his ability to communicate this to others. Because this book is so slim, clear & reasonably priced, I would highly recommend this to anyone & *everyone* interested in learning about perspective-based drawing. Even if it doesn't become your favorite overall, it's certainly worth having in your collection, as perspective is such a difficult topic that it's really best to buy a number of books. And if you're going to buy a number of books, it would help to know which are the *best* while at the same time being reasonably priced. This is at the top of my list! Three-point perspective *is* covered here, although he mostly avoids this term and instead calls this "looking up & down". It's simplistic in its approach, but that's what great teachers are about: taking difficult concepts & making them easy to understand. The writing can be a little stiff, but this book relies mostly on visuals, which is exactly what I prefer! There really aren't that many words here, especially when compared to another book I recently reviewed: Creative Perspective for Artists and Illustrators. If you think Perspective Drawing Handbook is a bit too wordy, than you'd definitely want to stay away from Creative Perspective! Perspective Drawing Handbook: my highest recommendation!



4. Too much text, not enough drawing. I much prefer Perspective: space and design
   by Louise Bowen Ballinger



5. "PERSPECTIVE DRAWING HANDBOOK" by Joseph D`Amelio
   
   Amelio really packed this book with well-illustrated covering of Perspective in Black & White. Better still, D`Amelio manages to keep text down to the bare essentials, preferring to illustrate the point rather than describe it. Fascinating. Nicely put together, and very concise at 96 pages. I really liked it.
   
   Suggested retail at $8.95 this is a good reference, and eminently affordable. It seemed quite deserving of FIVE STARS for making an obscure subject clear to the general public with a direct, no-nonsense approach. What Stephen Rogers Peck does for anatomy, is what D'Amelio does for teaching PERSPECTIVE.

5 comments about D.I.Y.: Design It Yourself (Design Handbooks).

1. I'd had the impression that I would learn some techniques on creating my own stuff: business cards, websites, t-shirts, stationary, etc. They touch on all these subjects, and more, in the book. But I was disappointed that it is really more just a collection of ideas and work that MFA and graphic arts students have created, with very little technical detail of how to create designs for yourself. I was looking for a how-to, not a see-what-we've-done.



2. I saw this book years ago and thought I'd like to own it. Now that I do I really am underwhelmed.



3. This is basically like all those magazines - Sunset, Martha Stewart Living, etc. etc, - wherein you buy it with the hopes of being inspired to create, update, remake, etc. and you ACTUALLY NEVER WILL, except in book form!
   
   I love reading the book - it's cute, kitschy and definitely entertaining, but really, who can create these crazy wall decorations and/or press kits and have them turn out flawless!?!??



4. I know a little about Lupton's career -- teaching, writing, and curating shows. She seems very intelligent, but I don't understand who this book is really for. Beginning or advanced people? Crafters or designers? Some of the ideas in this book (wrapping paper) are so obvious that I think anyone with an ounce of creativity has already figured them out. Some things (commercial embroidery) seem very advanced and specialized, and not useful to most people. The layout of the book is nice, but the content is very inconsistent. Was this really a student project, as someone mentioned? If so, I think Lupton should have made more of an effort to make sure that everything came together and made for a coherent whole. I think there are better DIY books out there.



5. Pretentious art student tripe, mostly. I discovered that I can wrap gifts with newspaper! I can use a graph paper notebook for a scrapbook! I was looking for examples of cutting-edge design, and a methodology to implement it. What I got was the product of the tragically hip after too many lattes.

5 comments about Sketchbook Black cover 8 1/4 x 11".

1. This hard covered sketchbook has nice heavy paper for you to sketch on, or even draw nice scenery. This pages are large enough to draw a nice setting.



2. I work as a research scientist and have begun to use these as my standard lab notebooks. They're very durable, as compared to other books of similar style (black cover, blank pages) I've had in the past, which have had bindings that loosen, and pages that yellow. The paper quality is also very pleasant to write on -- and there are 180 pages, not 176 as some reviews say. Putting in an order for another year's worth right now.



3. I draw in this book with pencil and pen. The tooth is smooth, the paper has lots of clay in it. I don't love it as much as my Canson's. It is a far cry superior to Cachet's which began falling apart almost immediately.



4. I bought this sketchbook as a gift for my brother who is an artist. I know how picky he is, so I searched throuth many before deciding on this one. Here's why:
   
   The Sketchbook has a thick black cover that lies flat on page one or page 176 when opened. This is PERFECT for him, because he is LEFT HANDED. No wire bound or spiral bound notebooks to worry about. This leaves the smoothest drawing surface possible.
   
   There are a good number of blank pages in this book. One Hundred Seventy-Six to be exact! All in ONE book for ONE low price here at Amazon.
   
   Also, the pieces of paper are high quality pages. (Thick and Strong). He's not easily worried about tears. Another upside of this is that you can erase all you'd like and not worry about creating a hole, or tearing the page in half.
   
   Don't you hate when you have a conpleted book of art, you put it away and then a couple of years later, you're looking for a specific drawing. When you take it out, you're disappointed because the page has yellowed like an old newspaper in the sun. Well, NOT with this paper. It's Ph levels are guaranteed not to show this fault.
   
   I know he's used pencil, (colored and lead), chalk, ink and charcoal as well. This paper is even strong enough for watercolors! The Prismacolor Pencils work great with this blank book.
   
   All in all this book has many uses and doesn't disappoint! I highly recommend this to the artist in the family or your little up-and-coming artist that loves to finger paint! It's a nice size with thick paper and absolutely built to last!
   
   Pick one up! You'll be glad you did!!



5. The pages of this book are thick and of high quality. The book itself is heavy and substantial but easy to open and work with. The cover was slightly scuffed which is why it's getting 4 stars and not 5. This is a new item and should have arrived blemish free.

3 comments about Draw 50 Animals (Draw 50).

1. Christmas present that Santa picked out. About a 1/2 dozen intro to drawing instruction books for my Daughter. You can't get a much better recommendation than that. She liked it.



2. Awesome illustrations and easy to follow step by step instructions that allow even the beginner artist to draw all the pictures. My 9 year old sone received it for Christmas and loves it.



3. If you are looking for an easy and non-specific drawing book about animals, this is the one. It has a wide range of them, from birds to insects, from wild felines to cute pets and farm animals. I would say this book is a great starting point for anyone who is interested in drawing but doesn't know any techniques or doesn't feel capable - yet - of drawing animals instantly. It is perfect for beginners because it does not use hard techniques, such as shading, and with it you are able to discover which kinds of animals you would like to draw more - and then you can go for "Draw 50 Birds" or "Draw 50 Cats", which are two examples that, comparing to this one, are more specific and therefore more challenging books. "Draw 50 Animals" uses the step-by-step method and is very easy to follow. You start with simple lines and shapes, and little by little you turn them into the animal which you thought you would never be able to draw. The result is really amazing, and a great self-esteem increaser for beginners (at least for me it was!). This book is sure to please anyone who uses it and anyone who sees the result of using it!

5 comments about The Elements of Color.

1. as Tellez noted previously, this isn't an easy read. fortunately, the reward is worth the effort. Itten does not dumb down his perspectives for the sake of the reader, rather he puts it all on paper for the devoted color theorist to decipher.
   that said, it is for the most part approachable and relatively short reading. I re-read this book every couple of years to keep my busy mind fresh and focused when working with this most essential component of my work.



2. The information in this book is interesting, but the color in the color wheels and all color samples are very pale and washed off. Very disappointing.
   
   If you need to use the color wheels or scales as references, this book will not be helpful.



3. I purchased this book because I wanted to understand colors, color schemes and theory(ies) better in order to apply to my necklace designs. It's a good book to have in your library, but it won't answer all the questions you may have about some applications. Itten's other books however cover pretty much everything; try The Art of Color, for example, if you'd like learn more about color effects on moods/feelings.



4. 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



5. Itten, himself is one of the greatest color theorist of our century, and the masterful mind behind the Bauhaus School.
   
   In this book Itten describes his color theory and the facts of his famous "Color Star", which is one of the most strongest tools for color harmony for designers and alike.
   
   Most color books have samples of color harmonies you choose from when you design, or talk about complementary colors, but cant tell you why u use such combinations or so.
   
   If you have an analytical approach to design, rather than just copying what others do, you will love this book. You will begin to understand the language of colors.
   
   Have u ever heard of "the Seven Color Contrast", if not then it is time for you to get familiar about it.
   
   This book is an evaluation of Ittens masterpiece "Art of Color". The chapter on subjective experience of color is very limited in this book.
   
   If you are willing to invest more on color matters buy "Art of Color"
   
   If you are happy to stay with the basics then this book is adequate for your purposes.

5 comments about The Skillful Huntsman: Visual Development of a Grimm Tale at Art Center College of Design.

1. Ever wondered what students work at art center looks like? look no further, both the skillful huntsmen and into the future are absolutely stunning books for the students at art center. For anyone who has ever dreamed of pursuing concept art as a career, these two books are amazing!



2. Very informative book. its good being able to get a glimpse of the creative design process.
   
   i thought it was kind of intersting (a little unexpected) that the 3 artists being featured are asian, even though i myself am asian as well.
   
   i wonder if other nationality of artists have different styles and processes? That would be interesting to see
   
   also, having the teacher's critique right under the student's explanation was a good idea! a compare and contrast to new and seasoned talents!



3. Here's an overview of Art Center's Entertainment Design teaching process, as told by several of its most gifted students. Shows Entertainment Design work at a high level, though it doesn't reach the level of the best graphic novels. (should one expect such maturity from student work?) This book illustrates the didactic process of nurturing the next generation of visual storytellers.



4. I have been looking for good concept art books and have yet to find one I like as much as this one. If you are like me you have looked through tons of book store for good art books, but only manage to find lame kiddie stuff. I was so tired of "how too" books on comic heros and magna, that were drawn at a 4th grade level. If you are looking for quality art, this is some of the best freehand skething I have seen.
   This book really is not an instruction book or anything of that nature, but if you need good drawing refrences or inspiration for new and creative comic like ideas this is the book for you.



5. Amazing work for such young artists. It was interesting to see how Scott Robertson (the teacher) coached the students and explained some of the different methods they used for exploring ideas. I would also liked to have seen the instructions and techniques that Scott used to explain some of the ideation concepts to the students also. This is an amazing book - the drawings are so loose and beautiful - they inspire and astound.