2 comments about Art: A Brief History (3rd Edition) (MyArtKit Series).

1. My son needed this book for his college class. It was very useful and the seller was very accomadating. She even offered to take the book to him because she lived across town from him. She opted to mail it to him.



2. This book arrived promptly and in condition that I am very satisfied with. Overall I am very happy with my purchase!

5 comments about Masters of Deception: Escher, Dali & the Artists of Optical Illusion.

1. This book has some fabulous paintings and drawings which as the book states can be really deceptive. My children are both fascinated with it and spend lots of time studying it. They enjoy showing it to their friends and it is very entertaining. A great coffee table book.



2. Really great coffee table book - excellent pictures and the details on the authors are amazing. Very highly recommended.



3. Beautiful pictures, fascinating in their ambiguous interpretations. For anyone who likes Escher, these are many artists, all of the works worthy of long perusal.



4. [...]
   
   Masters of Deception:
   Escher, Dalí & the Artists of Optical Illusion
   Published by Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. (New York), Fall 2004
   
   
   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   
   
   There are a number of incredible artistic works featured in Masters of Deception, which require movement to appreciate their full impact. Additionally, I had in my possession various interviews with some of the book's featured artists that I wanted to share with my readership. Unfortunately, the publisher was unwilling to produce a CD to accompany the book. I have created this web site, therefore, to augment and enhance the reader's experience by presenting those works and interviews that I could not present in book form.
   
   [...]



5. This is a fascinating book to dip and absorb and marvel at how the artists use various techniques to show what we look at we dont see, and we see what we are "programmed" to see. Good fun.

5 comments about Cartoon Animation (The Collector's Series).

1. I am taking Web design and Animation. My professor suggested that i review this book. She is right the animation is wonderful and i would recommend it to anyone that is inspired by animation and perhaps want to make it a career.



2. This book is a must for all would be animators. I have dabbled with cartoons for years but this book helped me bring them to life, I used the walk sequences as templates and dressed them with my own characters, thus enabling me to focus on the character and not worry about the position of the legs.
   There is plenty of help and advice on character building, movement, mouth shaping for speech, hands, expressions, I could go on but I won't.
   If there is nothing in this book to help you.........then you should be working for DISNEY.



3. hmm i think its the best book for learning to draw and animate cartoon characters
   , complete with guided and many2 example and illustration.



4. It was like reading a comic book, only I was learning a lot reading this one. An artist cant help but appreciate the art work by Mr Blair present in the book. I went through the alligator and hippo sequences like a million times. Masterpieces !
   Just by examining the brush strokes and stuff you get to know so much, the discussions on character building etc are a bonus. I wont be able to agree with anyone saying there are hard and fast rules for character building but yes what I read in the book WORKS, like a character with no chin does look like a screwball.
   Later the discussions on sequencing became a little monotonous and its then that I realized I wasn't reading a comic book but they really were redundant at two three places. Animation techniques discussions are simply great. So are drawing and scene building ones. All in all I learnt a LOT ! Could be because I didn't know a lot but I'm really happy that I bought this book, I couldn't afford to not have this masterpiece.



5. I bought this book several years ago, around 1999, and for its price (or whatever) it's the best book an animator can begin with. Along with The Illusion of Life, it is a must have book for all animators. It taught me the differences between the "cute" types and the "screwball" types, showed how the stopwatch and metronome are used, and even a few things about clean-up. If you love cartoons, by all means GET THIS BOOK!

5 comments about Art in Theory 1900 - 2000: An Anthology of Changing Ideas.

1. The subtitle to this book is "An Anthology of Changing Ideas", which is remarkably accurate. The excerpts in this book run the ideological spectrum from Winston Churchill to Adolf Hitler, and everyone in-between. The assembly of so many artists, politicians, philosophers, and theorists in one place has had a profound impact on my understanding of particular artworks, and my relationship to art in general. It's an intimidating book, but somehow this diverse group of thinkers is organized in a way that could be read straight through. Personally, I find it to be an invaluable tool for research and artistic growth.



2. It seems that students of art and art history eventually end up with a copy of this book in their possession, at least for a while. This is a book of excerpts. It's fantastic because it presents the written thoughts of artists, critics, and intellectuals in their own words. It's maddening because all the entries are trimmed, edited, boiled down into excerpts. The book is a good starting point and offers a meaty cross-section of thought in the twentieth century art world. But if one wants to read the whole article, one must seek the original sources to find what has been cut away. Also, editing the work this way allows the editors to insert their own slant on the material. Consequently, though I like the book, I can't give it five stars.



3. my college library had the "feminist art theory" volume from this same series, and i LOVED that book to death.
   since i liked that book so much, i thought it would be a good investment to cash in a recent gift certificate on this hefty volume.
   i wish that i had gone for the feminist art volume-- it's much more relevant for anyone who is interested in art as political expression... that topic is really not addressed in this anthology.
   it's probably still good as a reference if you're going to be writing a lot of papers for standard survey courses covering this time period, though.



4. Had I read the reviews about this book, I wouldn't have bought it.
   I had to though, for my "Art: Language and Theory" class, in my second year of Graphic Design major. I was shocked with it at first, it's almost 1300 pages, with not a single image in it! It looked extremely dull. But the thing is, I found it extremely useful, and enjoyable to read at times too. It covers art theories in the 20th century, and has texts written by artists, philosophers, polticians and much more.
   I now refer to it with every paper I write, every presentation I make and so on. There are also letters and notes in the book by artists such as Cezanne and Matisse, which are delightful to read. I use a dictionary sometimes, but not always, though I agree, the language is hard to comprehend at first glance.
   I don't think any art student or teacher could do without this book, I used it as a beginners guide while studying art, and I won't stop using it. Don't be put off when you first get this book, you'll learn to value and appreciate it with little time.



5. I used this book for a graduate theory class and ended up reading pretty much all of it. The book provides an excellent overview of the major movements during the past 100 years but also misses out on a lot of the most current trends. I believe there were less than 3 articles dated after 1999. The writings seem to be obscure at times, with the editors trying to draw distant similarites between varying fields. Most of the passages used overly pretentious language, so keep a dictionary nearby. This book is not a beginner guide and it helps to have some knowledge of art history as well as a little world history. A better or easier read would have to be "Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art"...

5 comments about Gardner's Art Through the Ages, Volume II (Chapters 19-34).

1. Book received in good condition and complete with all additional material. It was hard to find this edition complete with CD.



2. I ordered this book for a college class. It was shipped right on time and in perfect condition. I was very impressed. Couldn't beat the price either, it was a lot less expensive than the college bookstore.



3. This book is a good starting point for those trying to learn about art history. It's used in many colleges and is well written. - Noga Rosenthal



4. I bought this text for my art history class, and I must say that the parts of the book about European art are great, but it fails with regards to its treatment of Asian, African and Native American Art. If I were a member of any of the above-mentioned groups, I would be greatly offended, because it just flies through those chapters, with a very Western way of looking at things...sad! The other sections are amazing, but this way of looking non-european art is common and I should be used to it by now! Since my course is based around this text, I must say that I am disappointed by my course too!



5. The book came quick and in new condition with a supplement and DVD that I was not even expecting. Over all, this is and great book with amazing picture and descriptions.

1 comments about Type Addicted (The New Trend of a to Z Typo-Graphics).

1. From the cover and through all the book you'll find many surprises. Lot's of wonderful and talented people. Inspiration.. should be the title of this book.

5 comments about 1,000 Graphic Elements: Details for Distinctive Designs.

1. As a graphic designer, I did not find this book very useful in generating ideas. There is very minimal info about the pieces featured and some photos are unnecessarily close-up and you cannot get a sense for the project.



2. A comprehensive display for the experienced and novice alike.
   Open up your world by seeing the splendid designs of others.
   A broad picture to the world of design from logos to brands.
   Yes, this is well worth the price.



3. 1,000 Graphic Elements: Details for Distinctive Designs
   In my mind's eye I see this series being originated by a marketing expert that decided to focus and feature their own industry. These books offer frequency in category, classic designs, and creativity that lends to brand building. This series is a collection promotion experts should have as part of their consistently used library. Enjoy...



4. the title and description are misleading. This book should be called "1000 examples of ultra-high budget junk"
   
   These aren't graphic elements, they are complete projects. furthermore, the "elements" themselves are over-dependent on materials, embossing, die-cuts, metalic inks and other expensive processes that it is of little value to real-world designers. It gave me no fresh ideas or inspiration whatsoever, and is going in the recycle bin 15 minutes after arrival.
   
   I've seen better looking and more compelling work with rubber stamps. Buy this book if you want to see how over-priced production is used by spoiled designers and clients with money they have no problem wasting.
   
   The book tries to divide itself into sections such as binding, graphic devices, and typology, but there is no consistency applied, and each example could qualify for another category, because of the abundance of junk incorporated.
   
   If you want to create pieces that cost a ton of money, hurt the eye and poorly communicate, this is the book for you. I've seen more compelling graphic work from an 8-year old with glue and glitter.



5. It is a great book to reference and I look forward to purchasing the rest of the series.

5 comments about Getting It Printed: How to Work With Printers and Graphic Imaging Services to Assure Quality, Stay on Schedule and Control Costs (Getting It Printed) 4th Edition.

1. The content of this book is excellent, but who cares? You can't read the stupid thing because the design is so bad it absorbs all your attention trying to ignore it. I would offer concrete examples of the design flaws, but there are so many it's overwhelming to even begin. Also, the organization of the book is haphazard. For example, the visuals seem to land anywhere but where you'd expect in relation to text flow. I would value this book much more if it were set in Courier and held together with a rubber band. The production team was definitely out to lunch when this monster made it through the approval process.



2. They may know printing, but the 4th ed of this book is not readable.
   
   Every single left and right page border contains CMYK registration marks. Cute idea, fine for a front page, but the stark color contrast is constantly distracting.
   
   Chapter headings are migraine-inducing 3" x 7" YELLOW hyper contrasted with blinding full-on CYAN. Other headings are set off with CMYKCMYKCMYK color chunks that are twitchiness defined.
   
   All the text is sans-serif font. Please have mercy on your readers!
   
   This is exactly how not to design a book. A kids' cereal box, maybe... a book, no. The 3rd ed is much more refined and readable, why oh why did they assign this design to the amateurs?
   
   My recommended antidotes: 1) anything by Edward Tufte. Start with "The Visual Display of Quantitative Information"; 2) Robin Williams' "The Non-Designer's Design Book".



3. book is brand new great shape, it got here so fast didn't miss a class without a book.



4. This book is a great learning tool for printing... production and prepress. This is a great book to have as a graphic designer or design student. There is a great deal to be learned about printing to get the results you want, and this book will help you along the way. There are amazing terms and definitions to aid in expanding your printing industry vocabulary.
   
   It is broken down into 10 chapters:
   Chapter 1 Overview: Planning for Results
   Chapter 2 The Parts: Type and Graphics
   Chapter 3 Assembling the Parts: Prepress
   Chapter 4 Outputting the Parts: Film and Flats
   Chapter 5 The Magic of Color
   Chapter 6 Using Paper and Ink
   Chapter 7 Exploring Offset Printing
   Chapter 8 Exploring Other Printing Methods
   Chapter 9 Techniques for Finishing and Binding
   Chapter 10 Working with Printers



5. I use this book to teach a Graphic Production class. This is a good entry level book to wet one's interest in the broad scope of each part of the printing production process. It touchs on everything from scheduling to design to prepress to actually getting it on press al the way through the bindery and shipping processes. Without this basic understanding, new design students have no understanding of what they are creating. This gives a brief snippet about each process. The early designer then at least has an idea of how their final products will possibly be used.
   
   Each area of print production can have its own book and ideally designers will learn these processes in depth. As an entry level book however this has all of the basics without overwhelming the student. It also delivers the dry information that creative folks need in simple clear form. After thirty years in this industry I welcome the simplicity this book provides.

5 comments about Illustrating Children's Books: Creating Pictures for Publication.

1. Illustrating Children's Books: Creating Pictures for Publication
   
   This is a short overview of the general basics of children's book illustration. It is not a "how to" or in-depth discussion of illustration or story line, and it is not meant to be. It is well written, illustrated, and organized and will give you a general sense of what goes into this type of book.



2. This wonderful book walks you through the world of illustrating children's books. The many colorful examples show you that there are no limits to illustrating styles and materials. A good practical companion book is "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books" by Harold Underdown.



3. Many artists might be searching for a book on the techniques for illustrating children's books, and although this book does not show an artist HOW to draw, it does go into detail about what is behind illustrating for children's books that makes the illustrations successful.



4. This is an excellent, easy read for those interested in illustrating children's books. I bought this book along with Writing with Pictures (which I do not recommend) and found this to be an incredibly valuable resource for someone NEW to the field or illustration student. The book is filled with interesting insights into the minds of various illustrators, tips for processing ideas, understanding how the basic process works when dealing with a publisher and writer, etc. It also has a great brief history of children's book illustration, and talks about what is happening today, as far as media, market, etc.
   
   Unlike many "how-to" books, this one is actually fun to read- and very easy to finish. I have been bored to tears with how-to books in the past- but I finished this within a couple of days. It is filled with inspirational illustrations on every page, and being a very visual person, I found it delightful to read.
   
   If you are looking for specifics- exactly how to lay out a page, exactly how to prepare a portfolio, (though it does give tips) exactly which publishers to send your work to- then you will find this book disappointing. However, if you are new to this field and want a basic overview (and a bit of encouragement) before getting a very specific book- this is the best buy out there.
   
   Other books I highly recommend:
   Childrens Writers & Illustrators Market 2007
   Inside the Business of Illustration
   Bologna Annual 2006 (Bologna Annual. Illustrators of Children's Books)



5. As a hobby illustrator and a great admirer of Children's Illustration books, this book has provided a generous overview of the world of picture book publishing. Whilst, no area is covered in great depth, it's simplicity and wonderful illustrations provided more than enough information for the interested reader.
   
   To self induluge, I would have loved to have seen some Australian illustrators mentioned though such as Mem Fox, Shaun Tan and Graeme Base as they are considered wonderful Picture Book Illustrators.
   
   I showed this book to some of my collegues and they loved it!

5 comments about The Story of Art: Pocket Edition.

1. This is a beautiful book with comprehensive text. It is written in common English that anyone should understand. I already have a copy I received as a gift and bought this copy for my grandaughter who will enter college this year to study Art History.



2. That may sound a bit strange, but this is a great book to take on the plane or train with you -- or even to the beach.
   
   It is a compact volume (though about 1 1/2 inches thick). Because of this compact format the text is in front (thin paper) with the plates in back. Phaidon provides two ribbon bookmarks. That also means that it is easiest to read using both hands.
   
   That said, Gombrich leads the reader along with a style somewhere between a conversation and a lecture -- more like what you might expect from a learned uncle or family friend. Pleasant delivery, but leaving you no doubts about the value of the information that is to be passed along.
   
   There may even be an advantage to having the plates in the back. I found myself dwelling on them perhaps a little longer than if they had been in with the text -- and the text calling for my attention.
   
   You can read this book in long sessions, or in little bits. It doesn't matter, because the information is always there, and in the case of this book, the journey itself is important.
   
   Enjoy.



3. An excellent book in an easy to read formatt. My professor used it for my art history class. Beautirul illistrations. Highly recommended. Great reference book as well.



4. For somebody interested in art, a book with many pictures is easy to read and enjoy.



5. The convenience of the pocket edition is incredible and the quality of the images and analysis is excellent.