4 comments about The Book of Exodus.

1. I first read a review of this coffee table book in New York Times and went on line to purchase it from Rizzoli. It was selling for list price of 40 plus dollars. I have purchased two from Amazon and given as gifts. The recipients were very pleased. It is a beautiful book depicting the story of Exodus, soft pastels for illustrations. Would highly recommend it for those interested in the old testament and this compelling rendition.



2. THIS IS AN ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL BOOK AT A BARGAIN PRICE. THIS BOOK MAKES A WONDERFUL COFFEE TABLE BOOK OR A FANTASTIC GIFT. THE ARTWORK IS WONDERFUL AND I WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE!



3. This is an amazing book. It far exceeded my expectations. I purchased it for the 6 year old daughter of a friend. The little girl is just beginning to read Hebrew. I know she will love the paintings and will eventually be able to read the text in both languages.



4. We all know the story of Exodus. Now to see it interperted in these amazing skys gives new meaning to each chapter.The caligraphy in both english and hebrew superimpsed on the sky is amazing. This is truly a work of love and art by the creator of this book. We have bought several copies and given them as gifts to friends and associates.Everyone who has seen this book at our home wants their own copy

5 comments about The Art of Trompe L’oeil Murals.

1. I ordered this book, hoping to gain insight into the "art of trompe l' oeil" as suggested by the title. Instead I found myself bored with a book full of the same looking gaudy murals and images, with the same drab earthy palettes for each one. The "how to's" and I use that phrase lightly, are nearly nonexistence, except for the last 15 pages - which basically demonstrate the same faux stone relief technique, only using different motifs. I found this very useless! It almost feels as if the "how to's" were an after thought, or thrown in to fill the pages. Purchasing this book, with the understanding of it being a "how to", instructional guide to trompe l'oeil painting - I found it extremely dissapointing! Though the artist's work is OK, there was nothing new revealed here that isn't thoroughly covered in Grahm Rust's marvelous books, which I highly reccomend. Rust is an obvious matured muralist who graciously reveals his inspirations and knowledge on the subject with elegance.



2. I loved this book and although I would have liked more instruction on painting some of his illusions, I am quite happy with what the author did include. Great photos of his completed works.



3. I found this to be a wonderful book and will give it often as gifts.



4. I mistakenly thought this was a Graham Rust book. I don't buy this type of book thinking I will be a grand muralist. I buy them for high-end decoupage images. I rip the book apart and use the images. This book did not meet my needs. I found the images bland. Again, I do not buy these books for the intended purpose so keep this in mind



5. This is a very nice coffee table book, and for a beginning art novice there are some "secrets". But, for artist with general high school level education this is little more than a nice picture book.
   There is no discounting Yves Lanthier's skill or excellent creative ability but the few tips he gives are not for creating the Trompe L'oeil ceilings he exhibits in the book. Rather he shows simple stone / marble technique, a basic wall effect and basic light shading in the last fifteen pages of the book.
   This is not a book the speaks to basic line and eye illusion of ceiling depth which I was looking for.

5 comments about The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci (Oxford World's Classics).

1. I'm not much of a reader and it's not blatantly spelled out in this book's description BUT if you're looking for a book with DaVinci's art DO NOT LOOK HERE!



2. With pictures all over the CD I was led to believe that at least minimal effort would have gone into including at least some of the illustrations from Leonardo Da Vinci's notebooks. Not one illustration is included on the CD let alone the complete works. :( While having the footnotes is potentially useful for scholars, having the illustrations would have been far better.
   
   The product description needs to be re-written to include the fact that this is a text only presentation and thus not as complete as the title leads one to believe. In fact, the title should be properly revised as well because it is deceptive.



3. Nothing of Leonardo DAVinci's sketchbooks were published until the 20th century. These are some of the most important documents of the Renaissance, and they did not become known until the 20th century. There are still people who do not know how important this work was. His anatomical studies were a watershed moment, because they introduced visual diagrams as the standard for communicating knowledge of the body and self. This was no more and no less than the conviction that the true knowledge of the shape of any body could only be arrived at by seeing it from different aspects. The truth of the body, the truth of the human being can only be discovered by looking at the body from multiple aspects, like; level, motion, perspective, transformation and growth. He opened up the body, it had always been closed, now its open. Now, what goes on inside the body is going to give us the essence of what it means to be human. It is the internal struggle, the self with the self, within .you. When you look at his sketchbooks, you see just one place where the whole world opens up.
   
   Leonardo DAVinci-- Leonardo DAVinci invented the modern self. He invented the modern self precisely in this way, through the perspective of disappearance. What he tells reality and us about the self is that it only exists by that which is perceived by the eye. Reality is a product of nature; reality is that which we perceive by the eye. Reality is only that by which we can see. Moreover, in his notebooks he gives us another foundational belief about the human subject and its form. That the sound rules are the issue of sound experience and observation. Experience and observation can only be our best teacher. Of course, this is also, what Voltaire is telling us to by the way. The challenge comes when we realize that we are both to the subject observing and the object that is observed. In our search for self, we experience a kind of division between our constitutions as objects and our constitution as subjects. However, when we look at the human form, when we look at the self we find that the body is in harmony with nature, and that it is in harmony within nature. How does DA Vinci make these kinds of claims? Alternatively, how does he ground these kinds of claims with the function of the eye or the power of the eye? Well, one of the ways he does it is thru the camera obscura. Earliest record of use of camera obscura is in DA Vinci's writings. The camera obscura gave birth to the science of optics, the science of seeing. It is with DA Vinci, that the science of seeing became the foundation of self-representation, a representation called the self, thus the representation of the human form. Now DA Vinci embodied his own concept of the painter, as philosophers. He saw painters principally as natural philosophers. To him, nature was all important, absolute, the image of the eternal. In one very significant passage of his notebooks, he defines the relationship of art to nature and its process of evolution. "The painter will produce pictures of small merit, if he takes for his standard the pictures of others. If he will study from natural objects, he will bear good fruit, as was seen in the painters after the Romans always imitating each other until their art constantly declined from age to age. Therefore, this was paramount for him in some ways what he was doing, and thinking was very radical and revolutionary and in other ways, it was very traditional. He appears to be quite a traditionalist, he studied ancient sources, Greeks, medieval sources, he studied anatomy, and these traditions get him to compare the microcosm of the body and the macrocosm of the world. These analogies extend to everything that he attempted to trace, to record and to know about the human form. Comparisons between the arteries in the body and the underground rivers of the earth. The flow of blood to the head in relation to the circulation of water to the summits of mountains. How does blood get to your head? If you want to understand that then understand how water flows up to mountains. Blood when it bursts in the veins of your nose and water rushing out of a vein in the earth. Almost everything that occurs in the human body can be found in the natural world. His interest in these analogies becomes very evident in the notebooks and sketchbooks. Scholars argue that these microcosm and macrocosm analogies are more than outright comparisons that belong to a pre scientific age, they lead him to compare the study of the body and Ptolemy's study of the earth. Consequently to use Ptolemy's method in the geography as the starting point for his own systematic study of anatomy. Therefore, anatomy and geography here become one in DA Vinci's mind. The forms of the earth and those of the human body have a parallel. "Thus in 15 entire figures you will have set before you the microcosm on the same plan as was before me adapted by Ptolemy in his cosmology, and so I shall afterwards divide them into limbs as he divided the whole world into processes. Then, I will speak of the function of each part in every direction putting before your eyes a description of the whole form and substance of man as regards his movements from place to place by means of these different parts. Thus if it please our great author I may demonstrate the nature of men and their customs in a way I describe this figure." Therefore, within the human form and within the kind of intricate details of human anatomy he discovered a way of describing and recording, not only the geographical construction of the natural world, but of Divinity itself. And when you look more closely at the system he devised to study the body, the more carefully you look at his drawings of the human form the more clearly you begin to recognize how strikingly stunningly original it is.
   
   Earlier authors had relied exclusively on verbal descriptions of the human body. The human body had been a verbal entity but he emphasis visual description and some of the illustrations he has to bring visual dimensions to the philosophy of Plato, Aristotle the descriptions put forward by these men he presents in visual terms in these kind of body scapes. In the course of 20 years, roughly from 1489 to the end of his life, he dissected about 19 corpses and became very much obsessed with dissection. He drew these parts of bodies in minute detail every part of the human anatomy, he would draw each piece separately, together and at different angles. He laid out bodies in his drawings to mime classical poses in painting. He is referencing the history of art with the poses and the visual representation of the human subject. It is presented to us that deeply challenge these values of human nature, of life and death of living form and the cadaver it really raises some profound questions. The problem is in order to get to those questions, in order to explore some of the deeper philosophical implications of his work you have to get past the gross factor and the moral and ethical questions that his work raises. He is an artist that works very consciously with the sense of the ethical lines that he is crossing; he is not an artist that wants to make you comfortable. He sees that blood gets in the way of his observations, so he advises that you make a model of the body part and then you draw it. Model making and scientific art go hand in hand for him. You have to reconstruct reality before you can represent it. Therefore, before you can draw what is real you have to make it yourself. One of the most striking features of the notebooks is the manner in which he presents his work to us. There are no criticisms of the shortcomings that he has discovered in earlier authors, he does not boast about his own accomplishments, his writing style is pedagogical, and he is writing a teaching manual with descriptions and advice. Therefore, if you want to draw a lung, here is how you should do it. What he is trying to do is to convey to a larger audience this method of presentation and by representing human form, he relies on diagrams, and his reliance apparently causes some serious problems for the printing presses of the day. It also caused real issues for publishers because of the graphic nature of the work.
   
   This was very important for medicine. He shows us we can separate human emotions and passions from the human body in understanding human form, and what it means to be human. There is a purely clinical dimension and this other dimension of feelings and emotions, and they do not have to come together at all, this is radical.
   
   Thus again, this inside outside, you see it everywhere in his work. Why are we fascinated with the painting of the Mona Lisa? Because of the question we always ask, what is going on inside? The study of the Mona Lisa, it seems to me has always been organized around precisely the question that drove DA Vinci in his research. All his sketches in this obsessive and fanatical devotion to drawing every part of the body in relationship to every other part of the body at multiple levels and multiple perspectives and in motion, outside inside. There is the outside, what is going on inside, isn't that why we are obsessed with this? This painting just demands that we try to find out what is going on underneath. The truth is underneath, behind her smile, something she is keeping from us. Yet she is revealing just enough of it to make us have to find out what is going on inside of her. It is that relationship once again between the inside and the outside.
   
   I read this book for a graduate class in the Humanities. Recommended reading for anyone interested in history, psychology, philosophy, art, and science.



4. I do not see anywhere that this a pdf file with no pictures. There are pictures all over the cd. This is a rip-off.



5. I was hoping that after getting these books, I would learn some secret in art making from the great one, but I found them book very disappointing. Tons of texts and very few explanation.
   
   However, the first volume is worth buying because it's about his drawing and painting theory. Beware they are very advance and i found them very confusing.
   
   The second volume has nothing to do with art but rather pure science (Astronamy, sun, etc).

5 comments about The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson.

1. I can't really add anything substantive to what the other reviewers have said but wanted to add my five star review - this is just a beautiful book that any artist or any person interested in painting would love to have.



2. I love the book! I wanted a book with more paintings than text and that's just what I got. Beautiful paintings on page after page. You won't be disappointed.



3. After viewing a Tom Thompson art show in Ottawa, Canada, I became mesmerized and hooked on Tom Thompson.(Previous to the show, he was an unknown to me. No references in my art history classes!) I read about his short life and mysterious death. I became enamored of his style of painting, anxious to try it myself.
   I bought my first copy of this book as a gift for someone else. After seeing what a lovely reference it was to T.T. and the Group of Seven. . . I knew I needed my own copy! A nice chunky overview of all these great painters, their styles, their visions. A thumb's up!



4. If there were no words at all and just this incredible trove of pictures, this book would be worth its price many times over. These painters had an incomparable way of taking the ethereal and ineffable and turning it into thick literal frosting; so many of these pieces just floor me, wordless. I have been in large US art book stores and found no mention of this group (typical American myopia/hubris), so it is great to find such a vast and thorough collection at last. In particular it's great to see Lawren Harris' early urban pieces. I've already bought two extra copies as gifts, and they were breathlessly received. Brilliant book, very happy to own it.



5. This is an exquisite book filled with amazingly beautiful images of some of Canada's most amazing painters' work. I'd recommend it to anybody who loves landscape art or who is studying to be a painter as I am.

5 comments about Paintings in the Louvre.

1. As a Parisian-born art lover, I have been to the Louvre many times and skimmed through many catalogues and books about its collections. I can reasonably say that this is the most beautiful sum ever published on its paintings collection. The illustrations do justice not only to the masterpieces, but also to more minor works, which other publications seldom show. The text is minimal but lively. It is a heavy item, not easy to bring back home, but it is worth the effort.
   
   The only regret: over the last ten years the museum has acquired some wonderful works, so maybe it is time this book were updated, since it is more than ten years old.



2. Context: I'm not an academic or a scholar; I'm a regular guy who likes visiting museums when I travel and I wanted to do a little researach before I left. This book worked well for my daughter and I to determine which parts of the museum deserved the most time (on a short trip) and to get a better understanding of the works. I'm not qualified to evaluate it from an academic perspective, but as a layman it was exactly what we needed.



3. I love this book. The reproductions in my opinion are really stunning and many fill a full page. Often times you really have to concentrate to follow which painting a caption is eluding to - that is my only criticism of this book. It is a fantastic addition to any art lovers collection, and anyone who has been to or will one day visit the Louvre in person. There is not alot of historical detail so do not buy this book thinking it is an art HISTORY book. It is not that although there is VERY VERY minor detailing of periods in art and a discussion of the history of the Louvre itself. This book is a treasure to be had but not a great instructive work. For the high quality reproductions and the pleasure the reader has of viewing the vast and beautiful painting collection of one of the worlds greatest museums I give it the highest praise of five stars. I should just note that my version is newer than this and has the Mona Lisa on the cover. Cheers!



4. I admire deeply the work put together in this book. I believe it was compiled with integrity to the purpose of relaying the center of some of the world's most exquisite art. First of all it is a massive volume in deep, rich color and when you receive it no matter what price you paid it feels well worth it. On several pages you will see a whole painting and then on the next page an enlarged version of the painting's focal point, a section of the art to show the rich detail. Of course you will lose some detail with any representation of this work. But if you can't make it to the Louvre or have been to the Louvre and would like to bring some of the soul stilling art home I highly recommend this book.



5. I'm surprised by the glowing reviews for this book. The reproductions are of poor quality. My advice would be to buy a book published in the last ten years, no more.

No comments about Giorgio Morandi: Works, Writings, Interviews (Ediciones Poligrafa).

5 comments about Painting With Your Artist's Brain: Learn to Paint What You See, Not What You Think You See.

1. I found this book by accident, started to read it and left without buying it. I was overjoyed at finding a copy on Amazon. This book is loaded with great information, instruction and exercises. I highly recommend getting the book and practicing the exercises, you will learn more that way. I can see why he would be a good teacher. This is no "rip-off" of any other book, especially "...Right Side of the Brain." Completely different approaches to a very sometimes difficult medium! I don't think you can go wrong with this book.



2. ...and I've bought a lot of them! There are some similar ideas in this book to the those in Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, but this book is all watercolor-specific and boiled down to pack in the maximum information. I like Mr. Purcell's style, as well, which is always a bonus. I found that it inspired me to work harder, and few books can do that. I highly recommend it.



3. Carl Purcell is not only a talented artist but most practically, for everyone who picks up this book, a clear and gifted teacher!
   
   I've read and studied many books of this genre but THIS ONE is my favorite....
   
   Every page is a LOADED tip sheet of instructions in concise short and to the point lessons.
   
   TWO BRAINS you see... one is your friend/one your enemy (if you are an artist!)
   
   In a room full of painters you can see who is using which brain!
   
   Identify the enemy and watch your work take off....
   
   I AM GRATEFUL to find the book that makes my work satisfying and new.
   
   Just sorry I did not find this jewel sooner....



4. This little book is packed with important concepts for artists. The wisdom presented is essential for visual composition, regardless of the specific medium.
   
   The author's treatment of value is especially valuable (pun intended). Color is important, but value is even more important. He explains why and shows how.



5. My instructor has many books but suggested this one over all for new students. I found it very helpful and suggest it as a good start for learners. I like the colors used and had good results with the various exercises.

5 comments about Visions.

1. The books are awesome for sure BUT I think Amazon should warn buyers that this "book" Visions is actually a hard case containing the books Transfigurations and Sacred Mirrors so that people don't buy both or all of them (as was the case here).
   (In fact, on the Amazon page it is recommended to buy Visions and Transfigurations....)



2. Amazon is great! Got the books fast and well-packaged. These books are amazing, and Amazon is amazing for getting them to me so fast, right before Christmas, and we are all very happy with the transaction. Thanks, Amazon!



3. In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, Grey's paintings are intellectually provocative, as they show human bodies as energy forms interacting with other energy forms.



4. This is an amazing collection. If you don't mind spending the money this is the best option for the complete Alex Grey experience. It comes with both of his books in beautiful hardcover format. They aren't just all of his pictures either. There are many, many side articles and writings with pictures describing many fascinating things about his life and works and other teachings. Plus, you get the 6 glossy drawings you can frame on your wall. The book contains close-ups of many of the paintings so you can see the incredible detail put into them. My only complaint is that the little lock on the outside of the whole hardcover casing can be hard to lock because of the books on the inside pushing out, but this is a minor detail. I highly recommend this for anyone craving the complete Alex Grey experience in hardcover.



5. These book and prints give you a very complete look at the amazing work of Alex Grey. He teaches through his paintings. You can't go wrong with this purchase!

5 comments about Daring Color: Mix and Mingle Watercolor on Your Paper.

1. I love the way she combines color - "color mingling". Her colors are transparent yet intense. There is much attention to shadows and compostion that is quite helpful. Get her book; you'll love it.



2. This book has some good ideas and great use of color. Pretty instructional for a veteran "hobby" watercolorist.



3. I think "Daring Colors" by Anne Abgott is a fantastic book! It gives me those shortcuts I've always been thinking about. Instead of painting tons of layers, you can mingle your paints on the paper and get the same or even better results! Awesome book! I am drooling all over it! Very well written. It guides you how to achieve very vibrant and realistic paintings without investing many hours, so you can enjoy your finished product much sooner. One of my favorite books on watercolors.



4. As a watercolor instructor, I am always on the lookout for new approaches to color. This book meets all of the criteria and more. Information is clear and simple with great illustrations. This is a great book for beginners and up.



5. Just a fun book to read if you want glow in your paintings.....good ideas to try, and techniques for creating interest in watercolor paintings, and for getting good mixes without ever getting mud.

5 comments about Silk Painting: The Artist's Guide to Gutta and Wax Resist Techniques (Practical Craft Books).

1. An excellent book showing many and varied techniques with very easy instructions. This book is very inspiring.



2. You name it she tells you how to do it. For beginner & Intermediate silk painters. Educational, Informative and well formatted. My only suggestion is a ring binding so the book could lay flat when it is being used for refeence.



3. An excellent, comprehensive guide for the beginning silk painter. The author demonstrates many inspirational designs and recommends her preferences for dyes (by brand), gutta, and other resist options. I've not painted on silk before and, after reading this book, I feel I have all the knowledge I need to begin painting on silk.



4. I love this book! I think the blend of historical content and variety of techniques described make this the perfect book in your resource library!



5. This book has great, inspirational photos and very good instructions. My main disappointment with it is the authors attitude toward silk paints (i.e., not dyes). I have used several varieties of the paints that are made to mimic dyes and find them to work very well, leave the silk soft and be very easy to use. They are a great way for a beginner to get started and try most of the same techniques used with dyes without the hassle of steaming or the toxicity. I am glad that I had some experience silk painting before I got this book because her attitude would have discouraged me from every trying. Aside from that - it's an excellent book, worth the price and full of great pictures to inspire you.