1 comments about The Woodcuts of Harlan Hubbard.

1. Harland Hubbard's simplisitc woodcuts are an excellent source of inspiration for printmakers and artists. He captures the true meaning of life through his work. Next to his art in the book, are selections from his journal during his shantyboat home,and farm life in Northern Kentucky. This is the next best thing to viewing his original works at the Berringer-Crawford Museum in Norhtern Kentucky!

1 comments about Contemporary Polish Posters in Full Color.

1. In Poland, posters evolved as an art form in a way completely different from that in the United States. Before the fall of Communism, they were generally not used as commercial advertisements, but to express nonpolitical cultural and nationalist themes. The posters in this collection are from the period 1961 - 1977, when political repression was still very high. They are all award-winning pieces and in looking at them, it is easy to see why they won honors. The colors and organization are very pleasant to look at; they are compact without being cluttered. Many have circus themes, which was a source of national pride.
   Posters are an art form that deserves the amount of attention given to other forms. In this book you will see some of the best examples of posters and when you look at them, keep in mind that they were created in an atmosphere of extreme political restrictions.

5 comments about Complete Encyclopedia Of Illustration.

1. This book contains a seemingly endless supply of exactly what you need when you are looking for detailed visual reference, drawn, displayed and categorized in that compulsive Victorian manner. A very handy book to have.



2. A quality sample of a thousand, or so, engraved pictures. With computer graphics, many facets of this art will become lost, because this book represents the best reproductions of tedious, labor-intensive 'photography' in the era before film photography and computer imagery. All of the illustrations here probably started out as simple sketches that were turned over to a plate engraver for inclusion in a magazine or book, many in reference books for engineers and scientists, in order that the reader could follow along with the author's 'pictorial' narrative. Were it not for the meticulous detail and precision of the enscriber, many accounts of historical value would be forever lost as many of the drawings in the book depict machinery, architecture, archaeological wonders and detail that are no longer used, made, or found in existence or in the Modern World. Simply put, this is a phenomenal Book!



3. This book offers large old engravings, with exquisite detail. That's nice if it's what you're after. You'll have page after page of scenes from old books: battles, gods, animals, stories, and more.

   But most of the engravings are large, detailed, and highly specific. And most are quite strange, as if awkwardly removed from their original places. Plus, they are somewhat limited to the 18th and 19th centuries.

   For my purposes--clip art--this book didn't really help very much. I did wind up finding one illustration for my wedding invitation, but not much more. For those interested in a much wider array of illustrations, and those who wish to use illustration for clip art, I would instead recommend _The Clip Art Book_ by Gerard Quinn. In the latter book you'll find machines, animals, people, letters, and more. All done in a great variety of styles. Even those who aren't interested in "clip art" will find Quinn's book to be a more encyclopedic array of illustration. It's the diversely illustrated book which this "encyclopedia" fails to be.




4. This is not a complete clip-art book. It is not a composite out of many sources, even in the 19th C, with different styles.
   
   This is the complete collection of b&w engraved plates from a single German encyclopedia, 1851, but only the plates and their captions. Subject areas include mathematics & astronomy (sky charts); physics & meteorology; chemistry, minerology & geology; botany; zoology; anthropology & surgery (anatomical); geography & planology (maps of continents, countries, and select cities); history & ethnology; military science; naval science; architecture (w/plans of famous buildings); mythology & religious rites (as understood in 1851); the fine arts; & technology.
   
   So illustrations range from complex pulleys and horse skulls to knights in battle and how they built the Thames Tunnel. "Alphabets of Various Languages for the Use of Engravers" includes even samples of cuneiform. Two plates are on theatre architecture. Among the least satisfying may be the engravings of famous works of art for the Fine Arts section.
   
   At nearly 600 pages, landscape, the book is difficult to manage on a scanner. I just use a sharp craft blade and cut out close to the binding the pages I need to scan. Then I stick them back in the space. Bit by bit, they are becoming what the originals were, a portfolio of loose pieces. The maps went first: scanned at 400 dpi, they became readable on screen, where the print on the page was too small. I suspect the original plates were larger and were shrunk when photographed for reproduction.



5. This book is the Bible for anyone looking for a large collection and variety of quality engravings. I use this thing constantly and wouldn't mind seeing a vol. 2. seriously.
   
   FOR ARTISTS: To make this book more compatible with a scanner go to Kinko's and have them cut the spine off. Then have them 3-hole drill it. Then put the whole thing in a large 3-ring binder. Now each page can be easily removed and placed on a scanner.
   
   Seriously. How about a vol. 2?

No comments about Intaglio Printmaking (Printmaking Handbooks).

No comments about Helen Frankenthaler Prints.

No comments about The Encyclopedia of Printmaking Techniques: A Comprehensive Visual Guide to Traditional and Contemporary Techniques.

2 comments about The Prints of Michael Mazur: With a Catalogue Raisonne 1956-1999.

1. The newly published book, The Prints of Michael Mazur, extends research into the field of monotype printing and printmaking in New England in general. Mazur's exploration of the figure is competent as illustrated by his tour de force, Dante's Inferno series, and his landscapes, which progress towards a poignant abstraction, furthers the use of color, and extends the issue of scale in the printmaking world. This book is an excellent teaching guide. Professor Kurt Wisneski, author of Monotype/Monoprint: History and Techniques



2. This magnificent volume is the companion piece to the recent exhibition at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, showcasing the prints of one of America's foremost contemporary artists (and Provincetown resident) Mazur. The catalogue raisonne is as good to look at as it is to read: all of his prints from 1956 to 1999 are fully illustrated, and essays have been penned by four leading authorities, covering various aspects of Mazur's life and career. Richly produced, and rich in reference.

No comments about Vogue Poster Book.

No comments about Frankenthaler: The Woodcuts (Helen Frankenthaler).

No comments about Origins of the Chinese Avant-Garde: The Modern Woodcut Movement.