4 comments about Japanese Patterns (Agile Rabbit Editions).

1. The book is beautiful and the patterns are great inspiration but be aware of the following:
   - The images in the book are black and white
   - The CD-ROM includes images only in TIF, GIF, and PCT only (no .ai)
   - The license in the book notes that any commercial use is not allowed unless Pepin Press is contacted (buying the book only allows personal usage).



2. The best thing about all the books from Agile Rabbit Press are the CD-ROMs. They come with full 1200 dpi scans (huge) of the images in the books! This is an excellent source of quality art!
   
   Anyone 12 and older who has a copy of something like photoshop can use the magic of "click+alt+shift+backspace" to magically change the black and white images to whatever colour your heart desires.
   
   With this book you could make your own designs without having to recreate an old fashioned Japanese pattern by hand!



3. This book is a wonderful resource for graphic designers. It has an incredible array of different black and white designs and comes with a cd-rom for using them on the computer. Yes, it has no color, but with just about any graphics program you can change that. I've even used a few for background elements in artwork or for the inspiration for the designs of kimonos I've drawn. This is not a picture book, but a look into japanese graphic patterns. Very lovely.



4. I guess I shouldn't have assumed that the patterns in the book were printed in color, even though the cover of the book sure is colorful. This book is fine if you are looking for black and white images. But, be warned, there's no color in the book other than on its cover.

5 comments about Collecting Contemporary.

1. I loved this book! Nicely written, easy to refer to, good mixture of examples. If you're going to buy a work of art because you like it, or because you hope it'll grow in value have a read. No book will change the colour of your wall-paper, or give you prophetic foresight into the future value of the art market, but this book will give you valuable insights to deal with the main players (artists, dealers,etc), & understand the mechanisms that move the market.



2. Great book, well worth the read. I liked all the interviews with the dealers and collectors and every art lover who is thinking about starting a collection should ready this book first.



3. Excellent book. Gives inside information on how the whole contemporary art market system works. Very helpful for emerging contemporary artists. Good buy.



4. Adam Lindemann, is an art collector who has written a book, Collecting Contemporary. It is a good reference material and serves as a basic road map for the burgeoning art collector - and possibly an even better one for emerging artists.
   
   Since I am founding a new theory of art (UnGraven Image), which includes a written manifesto booklet on the theory, I am exceptionally interested in reaching other artists with what will help them. This book will.
   
   I appreciated the information I found within so much I devoted a whole weekly blog to it (and longer review) at my web site. Other reviews here and in the press have dealt with the information for collectors -- and it is useful for them. However, emerging artists get a good overview of the gatekeepers and movers and shakers in the art world. What motivates a collector -- a curator -- or a gallerist to select the work of an artist?
   Read this book to learn more!
   -- Judy Rey Wasserman, Founder & Artist, UnGraven Image
   
   



5. Starting with the positives: you can read the entire book in about 15 minutes.
   Here's the bottom line: buy what you like and can afford.
   Dealers and critics try to make artists famous because that is how they make their money.
   If you buy something from a dealer and later decide that you don't like it, it is considered hoyle (by dealers) to give the dealer first dibs on the re-sale.
   Instead of buying this book, save your money and buy a work from a local artist you like - all will be better served.

2 comments about The Intrepid Art Collector: The Beginner's Guide to Finding, Buying, and Appreciating Art on a Budget.

1. This is a great starter reference for the novice. The guidance is sound, and Lisa Hunter's enthusiasm is contagious. A few color photographs would have been nice, but wisely this book focuses on cultivating the reader's own intelligence and knowledge rather than dictating taste. If you have ever been interested in starting an art collection of your own, or buying that Kashmiri silk rug, a little research is a good thing. This is a grand place to start.



2. I love art but I've always felt nervous buying art. How do you know if you're getting the real thing? How do you know if you're overpaying? What's that rug really worth? Why is a photograph worth so much? What's the difference between a valuable vintage photograph and a copy of it that looks exactly the same? No one can tell you what a piece of art will be worth in ten years, but Ms. Hunter explains how to go about buying the real thing (and avoid buying fakes) -- and why you should buy the real thing. I feel much more confident about buying a few pretty things for the house now.

4 comments about How to Identify Prints, Second Edition.

1. This book is found in the printrooms of most galleries and print collectors as it is a precise and concisely written text which explains the complex processes of printmaking. It clarifies the sometimes baffling differences between printing families and the creative techniques involved in making a print such as the subtle visual difference between an etching and an engraving. The book is illustrated throughout to assist the reader to identify printing techniques, characteristics and attribution marks used in Old Master prints through to those made in contemporary times. This reference text would appeal to anyone fascinated by prints and provides a new vocabulary for those who want to know more about the interesting visual variations possible in the world of the print.



2. I almost said "for the beginning print lover," but even the pros might want occasional reminders about obscure processes.
   
   This book displays an incredible number of processes and variations. Even within etching, there is standard intaglio process, relief etching, intaglio so deep it's amost relief, spit-biting or open-biting - well, a very long list. This gives an exacting look at the marks specific to each process, and gives good diagnostic descriptions. A special strength in this book is the differential diagnoses, the questions to ask that help distinguish two very similar kinds of marks. Every point made in the text is illustrated real samples, and that makes for a heck of a lot of illustrations.
   
   I have almost no quibbles with this text. There are just a few minor points that Gascoigne could have brought out more clearly. First is that Japanese woodcuts are under-represented. It's a rich tradition with a number of distinguishing features: gradations of ink hand-placed on a block, occasional use of mica for luster, and occasional use of un-inked "blind" impressions to impress texture into the paper. Second is a mark that I think is unique to drypoint: the line is often asymmetric, crisp on one side and blurred on the other, capturing the asymmetry of the drypoint burr. The split drypoint line is more famous but, in my experience, less common. I've seen it only in the most aggressively worked drypoints, such as some by Picasso. Third is a feature of some dust-ground aquatints: that the white marks can sometimes form a connected mesh around the black dots, where a spirit ground always has a black ocean dotted with white islands. I know these are minor points, and I hope you see how few there are.
   
   I'm a process nut. It's not the only way I enjoy prints, and not the way everyone enjoys them. For me, though, it really adds something to know how the maker's hand created each mark that I see. This isn't strictly a process book, and only accidentally a book of process history. It's a book about how a print looks, and seeing even more in the finest part of its looks. In the end, that's really the best reason to love a print.
   
   //wiredweird
   
   PS: A little while ago, I was given a very nice color print. It was done in mezzotint style, using burnishers to work from dark to light. Instead of a rocker-made ground, though, it had an aquatint ground. Color came from inking au poupee, dabbed on the plate. The giver was quite surprised that I read its story so precisely. Read this book, and you'll know just what I saw.



3. Back in print and updated in a new paperback edition is Bambar Gascoigne's classic How To Identify Prints, first published in 1986 and enjoying ongoing acclaim as an essential resource for any involved in identifying prints, whether they be woodcuts, lithos, or etchings. Some ninety techniques - manual and mechanical alike - are described to round out an accompanying history of prints. A lasting, classic work essential to any art library and many a general library reference collection.



4. Now in an updated and expanded second edition, How To Identify Prints: A Complete Guide To Manual And Mechanical Processes From Woodcut To Inkjet is a superb reference and self-teaching tool for discerning between manual prints, process prints, and screenprints/non-prints, whether the print in question is monochrome or color, and whether it is relief, intaglio, or planographic. 272 illustrations, 40 of which are in color, highlight the meticulous attention to detail in this excellent manual, which also covers essential aspects of printing history and the craft of printmaking. This new addition is revised with insights concerning how increasingly sophisticated yet inexpensive cheap printing processes such as quality inkjet and laser prints affect the process of identifying and evaluating printed images. A "must-read" for anyone collecting authentic prints or pursuing a career involving the identification of prints.

5 comments about The Art of Buying Art: An Insider's Guide to Collecting Contemporary Art.

1. I've just started exploring art collection and discovered this book. I thought the book had some great advice about how to get started thinking about what art I want to collect and why. As the author says "art should be fun." After reading this book I realized that my approach was all wrong, I was dealing with galleries that weren't fun and it was nice to hear someone in the business tell me that it doesn't have to be that way for beginners like me.



2. "The Art of Buying Art" is a wonderfully comprehensive primer for anyone interested in real art collection for real people with real budgets (but sophisticated taste levels to boot).
   
   The author's unpretentious take on collecting is a refreshing point of view, and the scads of illustrations and pics help introduce new contemporary artists and new art styles that a fledgling collector may otherwise overlook. As a budding collector myself, I came away with an "I can actually do this" attitude, and look forward to applying this book's lessons to building my own little gallery in my own apartment.



3. For anyone leery of investing in art, anyone interested in starting collecting, and anyone simply interested in learning more about contemporary art, Ms. West's book is essential. "Buying Art" is well written, engaging and very informative and will make you a much more knowledgeable and shrewd collector.



4. I'm not particularly well-versed in art history, and visit museums infrequently (there are few notable ones near my home), but have always intended to learn more about fine art, and particularly contemporary art. Either from the perspective of a novice collector or someone who wishes to educate him/herself, I highly recommend this title. The book is accessible and informative, infuses the reader with the writer's clear sense of enthusiasm for the subject, and lacks the condescending or arcane tone taken by some of its similarly-themed predecessors. If you want to familiarize yourself with the basics of the fine art trade, sharpen your tastes, and/or eventually own a small collection, I strongly recommend this title.



5. When someone recommended this book I was skeptical, as I thought of art collecting as something beyond my means. But Paige West does a good job of demystifying the art world, with solid advice on understanding, selecting, buying and living with contemporary art. It's an easy and enjoyable read, and the book is packed with examples of works from emerging artists. Some I don't care for, but there were others whose work I'll seek out. Fortunately, the book also explains how galleries work, and how to find artists you like. This book is not a coffee table decoration - read it and use it.

4 comments about Direct Stone Sculpture.

1. I am very picky at buying books because of the high shipping costs to South America, sometimes as high as the cost of a book.
   I purchased Direct Stone Sculpture because it was well praised at an art forum by highly renowned artists. After reading the book, I must say that I fully agree with them. It is worth reading and enjoying the photographs of many works. It teaches carving and use of carving tools.
   I am not only learning to sculpt but also appreciating art made by great "stoners" at the Sculpture Gallery of the book.
   The book has many photographs of the carving process, and shows detailed views of many hand and power tools that I found useful.
   I think this book should have a special place at any home library even at non carvers' shelves.
   HR, Bolivia



2. After reading the two previous reviews, I purchased this book on sculpture and was surprised to find that "soapstone" carving was dismissed from the very beginning of the book. Liebson makes clear that he does not even allow "soapstone" in his classroom--on the grounds that (his opinion)it is dangerous to the sculpter's health, and also crumbles when worked.
   Since I am new to sculpture, this was disappointing because "soapstone" was the only material I had worked with, and hoped this book was going to give me some valuable advise. Beyond Liebson's dismisal of "soapstone" the book is everything that those other reviews said it was. Tools, methods and merchandising are all covered with ample illustrations. I hope to take full advantage of Liebson's valuable lessons once I have graduated up to limestone and the like.
   A.B.



3. Every sculptor should own this book, and it's really the only one you need. Meilach's volume makes a good supplement, but really that's all it is; Liebson's book easily stands on it's own as the standard reference.

   Why? Almost the entire book is devoted to the craft and mechanics of carving stone. Liebson looks like someone's dad, and writes like it, too -- this book eschews all discussion of "art" in favor of simple, practical advice on "how to do it." From selecting a stone and tools to using and caring for those tools to finishing, polishing, mounting, and displaying your sculpture, even to gaining exhibitions and marketing your work, Liebson covers absolutely everything you need to know to get started, and to keep going. I've been carving for over five years now, and I still refer constantly to this book.




4. This book has aroused in me a great deal of enthuiasm for the process of shaping stone and the creation of art forms out of stone. Liebson is an authority on the subject and he writes extremely well. Manufacturers and suppliers of tools and stone are listed in an index. A list of recommended tools is provided as well as a fairly comprehensive description of how to best utilize these tools. The photographs are interesting and informative. An inspirational book. Of the three books on stone sculpture which I've read, this is by far the best.

5 comments about Basic Perspective Drawing: A Visual Guide.

1. I have trouble getting things in perspective - especially when I start adding other buildings or objects that come in at different angles. This book is great because it gives 1, 2, and 3 point perspectives, contrast and tonal shading techniques, projections for plans, practice object drawings with curves and landscape drawings. It even gives example of people proportions, and movements, and clothing. I have been looking for a book like this for awhile. It is very easy to follow and it really has every aspect covered. A great foundation to build upon.



2. This book is the perfect perspective guide and reference. Great for beginners and knowledgeable alike. I highly recommend this book.



3. I needed this book for one of my college classes and the Amazon price was almost 3/4 cheaper then in the schools book store. This book was only used for about 3-4 months and from what I saw from the textbook... it was great. I learned a lot and I might keep it around just in case I need it for a future math class. But overall, I give it an A...



4. This is one of the best and most informative books on the subject of perspective I've read or studied. Thank you very much for making this book available.



5. For some reason, perspective is the boogey-man of many people learning to draw. It doesn't have to be that way. This book will help you put that sense of solidity and reality into a drawing.

   This book gives a clear, step by step introduction to the basics of drawing in perspective. Interior and exterior; 1-, 2-, and 3-point; they're all here. The techniques are all graphical, and require only basic ability to handle simple drafting tools.

   As the title says, this covers just the basics. It covers them thoroughly, so the hard-working reader should come away from it with very usable skills.

5 comments about 500 Glass Objects: A Celebration of Functional & Sculptural Glass (500 Series).

1. Book arrived in good condition and on time. I wasn't really impressed by the content, tho some might find it interesting.



2. I love this series from Lark! It provides me with lots of inspiration and it is a wonderful tool to learn new artists and their work. I have almost the whole series!



3. This book contains images that are fantastic however it also contains some incredibly poor ones. Certain artists submitted images of really high resolution or the most accurate photographic image - in slide format and the publisher has scanned them in quite inadequately. I was disappointed at the overall quality of this book and its presentation of artwork.



4. I am not really sure what people are hoping to find in this book. Like all of Lark's '500 Series' they are simply inspirational,the are not technical nor are they project based or how to, they are mostly gorgeous eye candy. I am not a glass artist, I am lucky to have a few art glass pieces that I have collected over the years but I bought this book purely to marvel at the shapes, originality and astonishing colours achieved by the wonderful artists whoose work is contained within. Truly luscious pieces each and everyone. Not always functional but certainly inspiring.



5. If you are a contemporary art glass collector, you will love the hundreds of photographs in this book. You might even discover a new artist whose work you covet! As a learning tool, however, this book leaves something to be desired. Other than the names of the artists and their techniques, plus the object dimensions, there is not a lot of information. It would have been nice to have examples and descriptions of how the techniques are accomplished. But then, the author - the daughter of one of the world's foremost glass artists - would have needed more than 396 pages.

3 comments about Soviet Impressionist Painting.

1. Bolshevik political ideology held contemporary European art movements such as Cubism and Abstract Modernism in contempt. The Soviet Union authorized, supported and fostered a naturalist oriented art movement from the 1930s through the 1980s. Thanks to the Cold War politics of the Kremlin, Russian artists created a realist school of painting, while the Communist government did what it could to suppress Soviet Impressionist paintings -- many of whose art works still managed to be smuggled out into western markets and find their way into European and American museums. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, scholars and art critics were finally able to appreciate Soviet impressionist art and arts. Now a compilation of the best of that art is showcased, along with an informed and informative commentary, in the 463-pages that comprise "Soviet Impressionist Painting" by Vern G. Swanson and published by the Antique Collectors' Club. Profusely illustrated with superb reproductions throughout, "Soviet Impressionist Painting" is enhanced with the inclusion a Chronology of Soviet Art; a glossary, extensive endnotes, a bibliography, a listing of the illustrations, and a comprehensive index. A seminal contribution to 20th Century Art reference collections and supplemental reading lists, "Soviet Impressionist Painting" is highly recommended for personal, academic, and community library collections.



2. Covering Soviet realist art from the 1930s to the 1980s, this impressive volume Soviet Impressionist Painting is a revelation. The well written and accessible text is both interesting and informative, explaining the prevailing conditions which influenced the artists and their work. The reproductions of the paintings are interspersed with the text, and vary from smaller than postcard size to the double page spread, one quibble here is that the text and the image to which it refers rarely appear on the same page, but usually two or three pages apart; with illustrations on every page this seems an odd arrangement. It concludes with a twenty five page chronology of Soviet art.
   
   Perhaps because of their initial impact, the first impression is that the majority of pictures here depict happy workers off to the field, smiling families and cheerful youths. However this is not strictly the case, there are more pensive portraits and groups, and there is a fair sprinkling of landscapes along with a few still life and some nudes.
   
   What really stands out, regardless of subject matter, is the quality of the painting; vibrant and energetic, with lively brush work and a strong sense of light these pictures cannot fail to appeal. Here the quality of the photography and printing come to the fore, one can sense the texture of paint and the brush work, adding greatly to the vitality of the work. The colour reproduction is superb, rich and at times vivid or even luminous; the paintings truly come to life on the page.
   
   This is genuinely a sumptuous volume, lavishly illustrated almost entirely in colour. Grab a copy while you can before this one goes out of print.



3. I thought I would never own this book as the out of print version was running from $300 up to $800!!!!?!?. That was for a book only a few years old. This one will be the same. This publisher tends toward the lower print runs so I suspect this item will be history (so to speak). As an artist my point of view is all about the images. I read the books that are honest assesments of the work and not deconstructionis bs (read Michael Fried). This book offers a fair assesment of the work being shown with no illusions regarding the setting within which the art work was created. In the introduction we read, "...they (critical western writers) imagined that in a controlled society all art was necessarily bad, because artists can only create in absolute freedom. Yet few in the West could name a single Soviet artist or visualize any of their paintings. What we had were blanket dismissals from the ill-informed." This book is about dispelling those blanket dismissals. Apart from all that, when the artwork is taken at face value, the work presented is a mindblowing celebration of talent. With awe I read artists name after name without any recongnition and realized the treasure this book begins to expose. The images are beautiful. The editors were not afraid to run an image over the gutter to show its best impact within the confines of the book. This is a book that will be read and studied for years. If you are a fan of Sorov, Sorolla, Fechen, etc....this is the mother load. The cover art is a good representation of the quality and kind of work you will find inside.

4 comments about The Highwaymen: Florida's African-American Landscape Painters.

1. Great book! Such talent needs to be recognized and applauded.



2. In 1994, art aficionado Jim Fitch assigned the name "Highwaymen" to a loose association of young, mostly untrained black artists (including one woman) from the Fort Pierce area who created thousands of Florida landscapes and marketed them from the backs of their cars for about $25 in the 1960's and `70's. Theirs was an unabashedly commercial venture, and the artists collaborated to create and sell works as quickly and cheaply as possible. Dismissed as "motel art" at the time, these intense, lush and at times otherworldly depictions of an idealized Florida have become a subject of renewed interest and critical attention in recent years. Consequently, many myths and vague tales have grown up around the group.
   
   As part of his research, author Gary Monroe interviewed many of the remaining artists to bring the story to life, presented here in a 26-page annotated essay. In analyzing the art, he insists that the speed with which they worked was far from a detriment: "By unintentionally bastardizing the canonical pictorial strategies...they created a new form of fantasy landscape painting." The artists found their strength as colorists, and the emotional hues capture the essence of Florida (or at least, as we imagine it.)
   
   As a northerner who visited Florida twice as a child in the pre-Disney days, I must confess that the 63 glorious full-color reproductions here gave me goose bumps of fond memory, real or imagined.
   
   A followup: This book launched an explosion of interest in The Highwaymen. Surviving members no longer need hawk their wares, since collectors now come to them and new works sell for as much as $18,000. The were inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2004.



3. This book highlites a special group of amateur black artists who lived in Florida in the 1950's. The story is well presented with wonderful details that make their artistic journey come alive. The paintings are wonderful. The only drawback to this book, as I see it, is that the vivid hues of the paintings did not come through in this book. I happened to read a magazine article, full of rich colorful pictures of some of the paintings, which sparked my interest, and led to my purchasing this book. Unfortunately, it seems that this printing process could not represent the original brilliance of the paintings. This is a fascinating peek at a little know bit of Florida art history.



4. An all-inclusive journey through the lives and souls of African American painters from days gone by. These creative souls painted breathtaking beach landscapes... Many of their works still survive today, and sell for [a small fortune]. (I know, I have one in my living room.) A great buy! Just be warned; one look through it's pages will draw you toward Florida's shores lke a child to the smell of cotton candy!