5 comments about Drawing Scenery: Landscapes and Seascapes.

1. I'v been using this book for about 30 years. I needed to get a new one to use in my art classes. This is an excellent book for painting and drawing with all different media.



2. What can I say - I would love to have the talent of Jack Hamm. I really enjoy this type of art toward character. I'm sure there are many others who I would admire too, but for now I at least know about Jack Hamm... So I went ahead and collected as many books about his style as I could.



3. Yes Congratulations if you buy this book! It is by far the best book on landscape drawing EVER! Ten books by other authors does not cover the volume or quality of information here! I got a copy when I was twelve as a gift. I already drew quite a lot could copy drawings, photos ,do self portraits and such but this volume turned the lights on drawing the landscape (still my subject specialty!) In over twenty years since, I have never found any book on drawing ANYTHING that is more useful than this one folks! If you paint you should get this too! I have never seen a competent painter that could not draw also! So if you do or do not already paint work through this gem of a book ! Give it the time and effort it deserves , do what he says, then find your own subjects to draw as well (preferably from life in the field) and APPLY what you learn in here .It will pay big dividends for you and your artwork!I do not understand complaints about format or lack of color in the previous reviews.You can complain about this masterpiece of B&W drawing instruction??? Jack Hamm is one of the most talented artist-teachers ever!I wish to send him a great thank you ! for this book and his others too. He left us a great gift.It is smart to take advantage of it. What else can I say but if you find a better book on landscape drawing I'd sure like to know about it ! It dosen't yet exist to my knowledge! So get it and have fun !



4. Hamm's Drawing Scenery book was published in 1972, yet it is still full of useful advice to the artist today. As an author, he makes no assumptions about the reader's drawing skills, and gets right down to basics. This book is broad enough to be written for the general artist, whether you are an illustrator, commercial artist, or fine artists. While it has a slight comic book artist feel about it, the tips and advice are not limited to just comic book art. I've only taken one star off for its unusual layout - but then it was written BC (before computers).



5. Hamm's How To books are really good. They dissect the shapes of things and show clear ways to draw them.

5 comments about Studio Thinking: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts Education.

1. Studio Thinking presents a clear image of what is necessary for building a "zone of proximal development" in an art classroom. The authors use information gleaned from actual observations and combine it with their knowledge of art education theory to provide a framework for excellent instruction and learning. It is easy to absorb and full of examples and anecdotes that engage the reader. This book has value for those just beginning the teaching journey, and the ones who have been engaged for a long time!



2. I teach elementary art so this book is a bit above my students level (it focus' on high school classes) but much of their information and observations transfer to any age. This book is packed with information and is unique in that it observes real classrooms to understand and create theory - the opposite of the usual education theory.
   If I had a pre-service art teacher program I would require this book it is a great way to think more carefully about your classroom and how you teach.



3. This book is an aid not just for the teacher, but for the studio artist. As an educator, I benefit from its cogent analysis, but as a dedicated studio artist, I find the Eight Studio Habits of Mind the first tangible distillation of the process and thinking that happens in my studio. There are so many books about what artists do and how to access creativity. Hetland et al have shown that critical and creative thinking is not a matter of magic or divine inspiration, but rather the result of a mind set that can be used by students and artists alike. This book provides the connection between the teacher and the artist and the artist and her/his studio.



4. Lois Hetlund and her colleagues have written an important book that grounds academic research firmly in the real world of schools. It is readable, accessable, and yet contains profound truths. Documenting and describing the sorts of thinking that can take place in high quality arts programs, the authors remind us of what a true education should contain, despite the teach-to-the-standardized-test momentum in many public schools.
   Here is an article about the authors' work:
   [...]
   Highly recommend the book.



5. Lois Hetland and Ellen Winner (et al) make a strong case for arts education for every child based on solid research. Their initial analysis of arts education research sets the stage for their in-depth, immersive inquiry into the practices of highly-skilled, professional teaching artists. The blending of theoretical perspectives with 'in-the-trenches' data collection, analysis and synthesis surround the types of teaching and learning occuring in the visual arts studio classrooms. Selecting such qualified teachers who also have vibrant art practices strengthens the relationships between the ideal professional who is an artist, educator and researcher. The practical examples will motivate teachers and the thoughtfully built argument for the arts in education will provide a valuable source for any advocate and policy maker.
   
   As a former K-12 art educator and current teacher of art education at the college level, I find this book a major contribution to the field and invaluable for pre-service and practicing teaching artists.

2 comments about Mosaic Patterns: Step-By-Step Techniques and Stunning Projects.

1. Over the past two years I have been carefully selecting and purchasing books on mosaics to use in the craft. This is by far my favorite book for technique and "how to" ... it has a great variety of materials and applications that can be translated to mosaic designs/projects of your own making/imagination. I would recommend this book for anyone's mosaic library.



2. MOSAIC PATTERNS: STEP-BY-STEP TECHNIQUES AND STUNNING PROJECTS explores the use and application of the pattern in mosaics for either ceramics, glass, marble or granite tiles. Nineteen step-by-step mosaic projects serve as examples for different patterns which can be created by color or shape, and which feature a range of techniques and materials. Any working in mosaics will find it enlightening as to the possibilities, and general-interest libraries strong in crafts will find it a bright, appealing lend.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

5 comments about The Draw 50 Way: How to Draw Cats, Puppies, Horses, Buildings, Birds, Aliens, Boats, Trains and Everything Else Under the Sun (Draw 50).

1. My almost 7 year old expressed an interest in drawing and I thought this book would be useful for her. I am afraid it is still a little too advanced for her and I did not find it very easy either. It looks like it would be very helpful for someone that already has an artistic base; it took me quite a bit of time to do one drawing. I still think it is a good book though.



2. These books are good for kids who want to move on beyond simple drawings and add things like fur and more details. My daughter is 9 yrs old and has spent many hours drawing from this book. This particular 50 book has a nice variety of things to draw.



3. I am teaching myself how to draw something I have wanted to do FOREVER, and this book is very helpful



4. 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.



5. I had bought this for my 11 yr old son. He loved it. He was very excited with all the how to draw subjects the book had in it.

3 comments about Design & Composition Secrets of Professional Artists: 16 Successful Painters Show How They Create Prize-Winning Work.

1. I found this book very disappointing. It's more a showcase for not very good painters than a useful source of information on composition techniques. I did not recognize any of the names from the fine work I've seen in the International Artist's magazine but rather ordinary & mediocre examples. Explanations were wordy & dogmatic rather than visually instructive.The material is not organized in any formal manner for a subject such as this...Generally disappointing in every respect.



2. If you only ever get one book on composition it has to be this one! Composition is such an important tool for any artist; it can make or break a painting. Regardless of what style of painting you do, good composition and design is the foundation of a successful painting. And yet this is a subject that doesn't get taught in art schools and books on the subject are few and far between and often very dry and technical.

   Design and Composition Secrets really does change all that. It's a fascinating read, fabulously illustrated throughout and full of great tips and techniques. I highly recommend it to anyone trying to learn more about composition. It has really improved my painting and has given me so many ideas. It's the kind of book you'll be using for years.

   It takes 16 different artists, with very different styles and allows each of them a chapter to explain their own approach to composition, using plenty of examples of their work and finishing with a gallery of the artists paintings complete with a compositional analysis.

   The result is a set of essays that come at the subject from many different angles. Donna Baspaly's fabulous layered multi media paintings demonstrate her philosophical approach, her emphasis on structure, shape and the use of checklists to keep on track during painting. Robert Bateman loves abstract qualities and shares his cut out composition tactic along with his stunning wildlife paintings. Don Farrell looks for rhythm and harmony, shape relationships and connections and divisions. Tom Huntley shares his 5 point plan and his wonderful sense of colour and Myfanwy Pavelic never consciously thinks about design or composition at all, her approach is based on intuition.

   Along the way they cover a wealth of information that you'd expect from a book like this, shape, colour, texture, pattern, values, geometry, the golden section, rhythm, balance, negative space and the like. But they also cover some more surprising topics like the child within, intuitive painting, left brain and right brain painting, using a projector, choreographing movement and designing for a strong emotional response. It's full of surprises and fresh ideas.

   This book is not just a wonderful resource on composition, which you'll want to come back to again and again, but also an incredible insight into how 16 very different artists work. I absolutely love it!




3. This book certainly lives up to it title in providing many different perspectives when looking at design and composition. Perhaps a prior knowledge of design and composition would be an advantage in order to understand some of the interpretations when some artists refer to "rightness", their intuition and their sense of rhythm and harmony. The book is full of colourful paintings, pencil sketches showing line, shape and values. There is certainly plenty of variety, both in the style of painting and the method for the composition and design. There do not seem to be many books on the market in this area and I am sure this book will provide plenty of ideas and perhaps a new way of looking at problems in this area. I have just one grumble and that is so many art books are 127/128 pages long and it is always great when you come across books that have been exceedingly generous with number of pages but this book is the usual 127 pages long.

5 comments about Face Off: How to Draw Amazing Caricatures & Comic Portraits.

1. This is one of the best commercially available books on caricature. However, I would recommend looking at a few books, rather than just this one (this isn't a standalone caricature education resource). Some of the caricatures don't look a lot like the real people they represent; whether this is an artistic choice or a limitation of the talent involved is a mystery. Many, useful techniques are contained herein; some readers may be disappointed in the results achieved and need more instruction in achieving a recognizable likeness. Worth a look; one of the best.



2. I used to do caricatures and this pretty much is what I did for over a year. This is a well designed instructional book... It gives many variations of eyes, noses, mouths, facial structure and hair style. I recommend this book as a handy reference source to my students.



3. I purchased this book about a week ago after seeing it at a bookstore and seeing all of the excellent reviews for it. I have been studying art for a few years and having worked at a bookstore as well I know when I read a good art instruction book and this is definitely one of them. It has practical to do steps that gradually build a persons skill. A common pitfall of art books is they show a finished product of the artist but they leave it a mystery as to how they got there. This book will help seasoned artist as well as give newer ones confidence in their ability to do caricatures. Highly recommended!



4. I have several books on caricature and have to say this is the best. The funny thing is that some of the pages looked kind of familiar and I realized that they were some of the handouts used at the local amusement park. After looking at Harry's picture at the end, I do remember him holding some excellent training classes at the park. He has an excellent way of explaining the whole process. This is an excellent book on the subject.



5. Very good explaniation and a lot of figures for practice.
   I like so much.

5 comments about Layout Index: Brochure, Web Design, Poster, Flyer, Advertising, Page Layout, Newsletter, Stationery Index.

1. This book can give some ideas on layouts, but the designs on it are very dated. So if you want to take anything good from the book you have to focus more on estructure, and how information is organized on the layout, rather then on the overall design. It's a good book for starters but I prefer Graphic Design Cookbook: Mix & Match Recipes for Faster, Better Layouts. The ideas there are simple, but because of that, never dated.



2. First things first: this book was clearly designed for beginners. It would probably not be particularly helpful to someone with a graphic design background.
   
   But as someone who has no professional design experience at all and is faced with creating and producing a newsletter for the first time and possibly a brochure as well, this book has been a tremendous help. It answered all my most basic questions, as well as ones I was too ignorant to know I should have (grid? what's that?) The book helpfully assumes that I know more or less nothing, and quickly and economically escorts me through a series of possibilities. I didn't like all the design ideas or layouts, but I wouldn't expect to. Many of the layouts were quite nice, though, and one of them has already been selected to serve as a jumping-off point for me. This won't be the last book I consult, but I'm grateful it was the first.



3. This whole series seems a little dated to me. The books still serve as a good reference point for ideas, but is really just a book of examples from projects.



4. The whole "index" series is good for jump starting when in a stuck place. For average students it can really be helpful to get them to seek/create more variety in their work. For marketing or PR individuals or students it is a must have. Many individuals may have a cursory introduction to design and yet find themselves having to create layouts and design. The Index Books are a lifesaver.



5. This book is at first appearance, visually interesting and consuming. But upon closer look (as in opening it) it's not worth the time, money or breath sadly. The concepts and ideas within this book can be inspiring to thoses who have the time and energy, but overall this book is just a display of bad, kitsch design. My advice? Don't bother.

5 comments about Digital Art Studio: Techniques for Combining Inkjet Printing with Traditional Art Materials.

1. This is an AMAZING resource for any artist interested in transferring methods.
   ESPECIALLY when you purchase the DVD that goes along with it. I recommend you do.



2. I bought this book about a year ago, and have found it very useful. Useful in re-thinking what printmaking is and can be, useful in fairly good details on some quite interesting techniques. This isn't for the beginner I don't think but as I have my own etching press and a good printer with a straight thru path it opened up a world of new possibilities to me.
   
   Pros: A huge variety of processes. Lots of illustrations of working with the materials.
   
   Con: Some processes do require access to expensive equipment, but with some imagination this isn't as limiting as first appears. Some references and specific equipment is dated, most OK.
   
   I've seen criticism of their art - but that's not even relevant, art is about PROCESS, and the biggest positive about this book is that it is all about process. One page alone started me down a road of exploration that has lasted 10 months now - and I don't see the end. Four years of graduate art school didn't excite me this much. [...]



3. This is an amazing book. I love all the techniques she shares & the gorgeous pictures throughout. I am very pleased. I have also purchased the DVD & can't wait for that to arrive.



4. / *
   This is the book that will free your creativity from the complacency that may have set in by accepting the limited substrate offerings from printer manufactures. Through the well documented guidance of the authors, we can embrace past printing techniques while introducing modern techniques that a computer and software like Illustrator, Photoshop, Painter and Maya have to offer. I highly recommend it if you are serious about exploring a new level of creativity to your artwork.
   * /
   
   Woohoo!
   Drew



5. This is the best book if your looking for that edge when diplaying your images. I have all these wonderful images but really coudl'nt get them into a gallery, I have already been offered a place in a gallery because of this book.
   
   There are so many ways to diplay here. Getting through your printer is easy, I found finding the polyproylene in Australia was a little hard but the net is good for that. The directions are so simple and if you need help I have found the girls are only to pleased to assits if you ask.
   
   Thank you so much girls for this wonderful book.
   
   Once I have dealt with the Dry Emulsion Transfers I will move onto some of the other chapters.
   
   Kind Regards From Helen

5 comments about The Human Figure.

1. This book was recommeded by William Maughan in his book The Artist's Complete Guide to Drawing the Head. I thought Maughan's book was great and was hoping this would be more of the same. Unfortunately not. Essentially all this book is is a written discripion of various parts of the body, written in very arcane language, with a few pencil sketches of body parts. The descriptions of the body parts do not even refer to the sketches. Definately not for beginners and experienced artists should not waste their time trying to parse the erudite language of this book.



2. if you're an artist or just someone who wants to learn how to draw.. this is a great book to have



3. This book does require some patience but it can also be worked with by just copying the drawings.( although I DO read it in between raising children and keeping up with art school homework) I really learned a lot by doing extra credit assignments given by my figure drawing instructor, that involve copying plates from this book.



4. Great illustration. It can sometimes be very hard to read, but I've learned a lot of anatomy from it. I have a lot of anatomy books and this is by far the best for drawing. It gave it 4 out of 5 stars just based on the verbal content.



5. It is simple and easy to read book to help artist to have a general understand of the human body. There are good sample drawings with the text.

5 comments about Elements of Writing Fiction - Beginnings, Middles & Ends (Elements of Fiction Writing).

1. I have always been told I'm a "good writer" and I have always wanted to "write" (specifically, make up stories and put them on paper. And despite starting with Aristotle's Poetics in high school, I guess I just didn't get it. Even so, I have spent most of my adult life in jobs that were dependent on writing and reasoning skills but, despite the number of stories in my head, never knew what to do with them.
   
   So thank you, Nancy Kress for telling me how to go about writing a story. It could be that I'm just dense, but the reading I've been doing lately (like Noah Lukeman's "The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile" and "Thinking Like Your Editor: How to Write Great Serious Nonfiction--and Get It Published" by by Susan Rabiner and Alfred Fortunato, both excellent, five-stars from me, at least) has been positively enlightening. And "Beginnings, Middles, and Endings" is one of the best. Frankly, it's hard to rave too much about this book, because there's no much to rave about. It's clear, crisp, orderly, incredibly organized (especially when you consider that she's dealing with what is essentially how to tell a story, no small task in itself). But even more, is enormous fun to read and leads inevitably to that great AH-HA! moment, somewhere in pages 84 - 87.
   
   In general, the two series "Elements of Fiction Writing" and the Writer's Digest books on writing fiction are excellent and, in addition to being downright enlightening, are just pure, huge fun. For the first time in my life, I feel as if I know what I'm doing. Too bad it took so long, but there I was one morning, standing in front of the mirror lost in the thousand yard stare when all of a sudden my writing focus burst out at me like a super-nova. And ever since then, my life has simply made sense. Now THAT'S a mid-life crisis.



2. This book I read in christmas and it has been a very good help for me to write the end of a book I am working with. In fact if you write a beginning you have the end. That's what the books says. Now I have given the book to two in my writing group and they also think it is excellent. I never saw any other book on this subject.



3. This book is terrific for people who are just starting to try to write. It breaks down every initial stumbling block of the craft into small pieces in ways that are easy for inexperienced writers to understand and model. For more experienced writers, it might be useful to see the mechanical process for things one already understands (even innately). However, this is not a stunningly useful book for writers with more than a little experience.



4. I read "Beginnings, Middles, and Ends" right after reading the (in my opinion) horrid "How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy" by Orson Scott Card, which seemed to me to be puffed up drivel. Ms. Kress's book was like a breath of fresh air. Her suggestions are helpful, her examples are wonderful without being self-promoting. She has a number of self-guided exercises that were basic and also, as a plus for beginners, build up writing confidence. If you are a beginner, or even intermediate writer, I would suggest not bothering with most of the books on the market on writing and read Ms. Kress's book first. I am a published writer of dark fantasy writing my first novel and found it extremely helpful. Highly recommended.



5. John Irving once commented that his experience at writing workshops & conferences taught him things about writing (e.g., voicing) that he would eventually have picked up anyway, but that he saved a lot of time by not having to learn it the hard way. That's the way I feel about Nancy Kress's wonderful Beginnings, Middles and Ends.
   
   First of all -- and this matters -- Kress is a world-class writer of fiction herself. She's famous in the science fiction community, and she deserves to be. So when she, of all people, gives clues about creating good plots, one should listen. She's that marvelous (and rare) combination, a stunning writer who can also teach.
   
   This book uses a very methodical approach, speaking of the different parts of a piece of fiction separately and specifically addressing how they interact. Each chapter really deserves to be read several times, as the attitudes she recommends for writers can solve problems all by themselves. At the end of each chapter is a set of exercises that significantly improve one's ability to interpolate the lessons.
   
   Much of what she says in her book I was beginning to discover on my own, but to see it put into print solidifies and sharpens my view. Personally I was writing several different stories over the time during which I read the book, and I found that it helped instantly. I'm actually stuck on one or two stories right now, and I'm going to dive back into the Kress book to see how she can help me; I know she can.