1 comments about Colour Etching (Printmaking Handbooks (PH)).

1. This modest-sized handbook is packed with useful tips for intaglio color printing. You will find detailed information about paper, inks, wiping, and edition handling beyond most general printmaking books. I have an extensive collection of printmaking guide books, yet found myself underlining and starring numerous technical tidbits unique to this book. Particularly useful is the treatment of photopolymer methods in addition to the expected coverage of traditional acid etching approaches. Finally, one gets the occasional "bon mot" such as this:
   "..there is no mystery to etching but plenty of magic."

2 comments about Engravings by Hogarth.

1. The large size of the pages (11X14)allows the reader to appreciate the quality and detail of Hogarth's work. Beyond the artistic merit of the engravings, I have found them to be of great value in understanding England of the 1700's. As it is said, "a picture is worth a thousand words". This is especially true with Hogarth, who was as much a humorist and social commentator as he was an artist. Sean Shesgreen provides the (absolutely) necessary background and explanitory information to understand the pictures.



2. Hogarth is the best. His rich images of the moral underbelly of London are as resonant today as they ever were. The level of draftsmanship is high. The many symbolic details are superb. The plotlines combine moral outrage with lurid vouyerism with smirking satire - Bret Easton Ellis should have spent forty years as a Hogarth scholar before attempting to write his first book. This edition is cheap and large, with commentary that is a pleasure to read. I recommend it to anyone.

4 comments about German Expressionist Woodcuts (Collections of Fine Art in Dover Books).

1. Some much to see, feel and love in this rare compliation of some of the best art to be created in this century. I'll open it for any kind of creative inspiration i need, and it has never let me down!



2. wonderful collection of woodcuts- like all dover books, it is a great buy!



3. An excellent introduction to German Expressionist Woodcut artists and easily worth the price.



4. very happy with the contents but would like to have known if prints were actual size?

No comments about George Rodrigue Prints: A Catalogue Raisonne 1970-2007.

1 comments about Home Screen Printing Workshop: Do It Yourself Techniques, Design Ideas, and Tips for Graphic Prints.

1. I found this book very helpful for people just wanting to do one-off basic designs. The illustrations were good and the text easy to follow. It is a good book for the amateur craftspeople among us.

5 comments about Mad Man's Drum: A Novel in Woodcuts.

1. "God's Man" (1929) was Ward's first wordless, illustrated novel. It was a hard act to follow: masterfully illustrated, articulate, and thought provoking. "Mad Man's Drum" (1930) tops that remarkable achievement. In it, Ward shows even finer skills in his demanding medium, more evocative imagery, and more baffling turns of narration. The result isn't just a pointless puzzle, but a starting point for an exploration in thought, the kind that rewards the reader no matter where it leads.
   
   The format is stark: one black and white image per page, for over 140 pages. The nature of woodcut, in the style used here, is that there are no greys. The black-and-white blacks are truly black, and whites blank white. Ward overcomes that with mastery of fine line, and with "gray" carefully modulated in their alternation. One scene, an optical effect of light streaming though a cathedral window, is simply mind-boggling.
   
   Dover has printed these images beautifully in dense darks on heavy, opaque paper. Part of the reason that this book has been so long out of print may be that the technology for doing justice to Ward's images has only just matured enough to make books like this affordable. Don't assume that low price means inferior reproduction - Dover has created (or recreated) a book truly worth having.
   
   //wiredweird



2. the progression of the story was excellent, and it is great to see the origins of the popular graphic novel today!



3. Lynd Ward's Mad Man's Drum is a graphic novel in the truest sense of the word; told through the use of 128 woodcut prints, and using no written text, Ward tells a story of obsession and the tragedy that can be a result of succumbing to that obsession.
   
   Given that there is no text, the reader must rely on the imagery and symbolism that is presented in each woodcut; therefore, I believe that each reader may take something different from the story. Perhaps I am not the person for this story, but it took me several "readings" to feel that I was beginning to come to an understanding of what was happening, and I still don't believe that I have a true grasp on all of the nuances of the story. This is why that I feel a true review of the story would almost be impossible for me to write.
   
   Mad Man's Drum was Lynd Ward's second graphic novel, and is an amazing piece of art; however, given that the drawings are all in black and white and limited with the amount of detail woodcut prints can offer, I found it difficult to follow the characters and what was happening in each frame. While the basic principle is easy to understand, I felt the subtle nuances of the story are lost somewhere in the telling. I give it three stars for the complexity of the project alone. Perhaps someone with a better understanding of the psychological symbolism and imagery would be better suited to this book.



4. I first saw this book when a friend of mine bought a first edition for two dimes and a nickel thirty years ago. I almost stole it from him! This is one of the most fascinating novels ever made. Lynd Ward was an absolute genius. He helped pioneer the graphic novel. The wood cuts are sublime and filled with detail. What wonderful compositions! What a story! I've read and reread this novel many a time and I seem to see something different in it (and myself) every time. I was delighted to see Mr. Ward's works republished in a paperback format that decently represents the original. Since the original hardback version can cost a fortune, it's nice to have this so I can give it to others and let them experience this magical thing. Check out his other woodcut novels too!



5. I've only recently come across the work of Lynd Ward.
   Originally published in 1930, Mad Man's drum is a true graphic novel, telling a story only through wordless woodcuts. [Rather than a collection of masquerading comic books bound between hard covers.]
   Every page of this graphic novel is a lesson in woodcut technique.
   I've always liked Dover books as publishers. Their books are well made and inexpensive. For 10 bucks or so, this one is a bargain tutorial for any wood-be woodcut artist.

1 comments about Monoprinting (Printmaking Handbooks (PH)).

1. A hodge-podge of techniques, none of which are explained fully. There isn't one sequence of how-to-do-it pictures. Instead, the authors provide written instructions that test the limits of understanding. I'm an experienced printmaker, but this book was a mystery to me.

1 comments about Dore's Illustrations for Don Quixote.

1. Gustave Doré was a frustrated painter. Forced by circumstance to produce illustration illustrations for a number of literary works, he primarily longed for fame and success as a painter. But while shooting for fame as a painter, he inadvertently achieved immortality as arguably the greatest illustrator in history.

   Most illustrators of the classics fall far short of the efforts of the works they are asked to illustrate, but Doré almost always managed to eerily echo visually the genius of the original authors. After reading the first half of DON QUIXOTE, I discovered this Dover collection of Doré's illustrations of the work, and I found them to be completely stunning. Doré had a genius for precisely visualizing events in the novel and transferring them precisely into his illustrations. No scene is too much of a challenge to him. The famous moment when Don Quixote attacks the windmills, mistaking them as giants, is depicted brilliantly by Doré. Every famous scene and many less famous scenes are all depicted, and I can honestly say that not once does Doré disappoint me in his imaging of how the scene occurred. One can, if one wants, make minor quibbles with Doré, such as his drawing Quixote wearing the wash basin helmet even in section later in the novel where he is said to have worn a sallet helmet. But this truly would be mere quibbling, for throughout Doré perfectly captures the spirit of DON QUIXOTE.

   I'm convinced that this collection of illustrations is not nearly as well known as it deserves to be. Graphic novels are an extremely popular genre today, and it is impossible to imagine anyone interested in the visual aspects of those stories not being fascinated by Doré's far more complex and classically organized illustrations. Likewise, no one interested in graphic art or the history of art could not find these less than riveting. Most of all, anyone who loves DON QUIXOTE will adore these drawings, and to work through the various illustrations is to relive all the glorious events of the novel once again. Indeed, one could almost argue that while other translators have managed with more or less success to translate Cervantes's masterpiece into English or German or French, Doré managed to translate the novel into a purely visual language.

1 comments about American Circus Posters.

1. Wow, this book of circus posters is amazing! I love the old circus and needed to find good illustrations for an elaborate tattoo. I can't stop flipping through the pages. Anyone will enjoy this book!

5 comments about Looking at Indian Art of the Northwest Coast.

1. Through well-detailed photographs and drawings, this book provides a nice introduction to Northwest tribal art. It uses examples of two- and three-dimensional works of art to explain the meanings and symbolism behind the animal motifs. You will quickly learn to recognize the ovoid, and S and U shapes that are characteristic to the art form. It also explains stylistic differences between the different cultural groups. I used this book on a trip through the Northwest and it really enriched my experience.



2. Great pictures, explainations, and examples, Put in wonderful catagories and easy to understand!! Fully recommend!! I wish there was more of it as it is so well thought out!!



3. This is a great book if you are looking for explanations of the history of the Haida artwork and drawings. It also includes many examples of the artwork and is easy to read and understand for all ages.



4. Interesting and well written, this book has been not only a wonderful source of entertainment but a good reference for this native art style. Every image is a beautiful example of the style, and covers several medias (print, paint, clothing and carving). Stewart spends time covering all the basics, from the rudimentary design principles, to the myths and symbolism of the many animals and figures represented by the examples. Differences between tribal styles are also covered, each group accompanied by several wonderful examples of the art. This book is a great starting place for anyone wanting to study this art form, whether it be primarily cultural or artistic.



5. Great, yet another book about "Northwest Coast" and "Coast Salish" art that ignores the art of the Salish Indians of Western Washington. Ever since J. E. Standley flooded the Seattle tourist market with the fake Kwakiutle artwork, fake totem poles, and other hybrids of art forms from the northern coast Salish tribes, the art forms that are indigenous to our tribes here in western Washington have been all but forgotten, brushed aside by authors who chase the market with books that pretend to deal with all "of the Northwest Coast" but in reality ignore anything south of the 49th Parallel.