Book Description

This is the only title on the market that gives readers a comprehensive look at negative painting. Linda Kemp shows beginning and advanced artists how to harness the power of these often overlooked areas around a painting's focal point.

The book is brimming with easy-to-follow, interactive elements, including:
*Step-by-step techniques, exercises and projects
*Do-it-yourself tests and worksheets
*Troubleshooting suggestions and secrets
*Straightforward diagrams for color and design

Whether they want to paint florals, landscapes or patterns in nature, readers will come away with the skills they need to make their next work more striking than ever! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Painting negative space does positive things for your art
Linda Kemp's work is luminous and seems to float off the pages. She recommends EVERYONE to use the technique of painting negative space to improve their art. Negative painting is going AROUND the outline of a subject, the way you might lay down a leaf on a white sheet of paper. Then dab paint around it. Lift off that leaf and you have a white leaf floating on a colored ground.

The book has the following chapters:

Basic Painting Supplies

Underpaintings - laying the groundwork

Getting into Shapes - become aware of negative shapes!

Working with Glazes and Building Layers

Building Nature's Complex Shapes

Picture Planning Made Easy

Assembling the Pieces of the Puzzle

The author says this technique applies to all media (certainly those who do charcoal or pastel are well aware of the importance of negative space, as are sculptors.) As a watercolorist, if you concentrate on line and wash, this will be quite revealing. In fact, this is probably a "must-have" on the technique bookshelf. ... Read more

Book Description

A lavish survey of the work of one of the world’s leading interior designers. ... Read more

Book Description

This volume in The Cambridge History of Japan provides the most comprehensive account available in any Western language of Japan's transformation from a feudal society to a modern nation state.Volume 5 traces the roots and the course of political, social, and institutional change that took place in Japan from late Tokugawa times to the early twentieth century.The interrelated collection of authoritative and analytical essays by specialists in the history of nineteenth century Japan discuss the fissures in late feudal society, the impact of and response to the Western world, the overthrow of the shogunal government, and the revolutionary changes that were instituted as defensive measures to strengthen the country against what seemed a dangerous competition with the Western world. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Is there a more delightful book than this?
Everyone should own this book - it is utterly irresistable! It has magical characters, magnificent finely drawn illustrations, and presents an overall philosophy of life that we could all learn lessons from. Please don't be fooled into thinking that it is just a children's book - it is a wonderful addition to any library.

It has a believable and detailed discussion of the food is are most loved by gnomes, how they raise their children, when they marry, where they live, what sorts of pets they have (cute mice in little baskets!) and how they tend to animals in the wild. The section which shows a cut away of their house is worth the purchase price alone - the imagination and thought that has gone into this book is amazing.

So if you want a little whimsy in your library, or on your coffee table, this is the book for you. If you want a book with magnificently detailed ilustrations, this is a book for you. Overall I think it is a book for everyone who is young at heart, or who likes a little magic in their everyday lives.

Don't stole it from your son!
This book will enrapt you! It's bucolic atmosphere, all the wonderful illustrations, the beautiful hardcover bookbinding, and those little fubsy folks! Great at all!
Perfectly convincing and consistent, this isn't a book made for children. Left your bias out and take a squint, you won't take too much pages to fall in love with 'Gnomes'.
And don't be surprised if after reading it, you catch yourself constantly looking for something in the floor...

For the young and old alike!
This is a fabulous book for all ages. It serves as a great bedtime story for the little ones because of the captivating illustrations and it is also a fun read for adults. Everything that you want to know about gnomes are within this book, and everything in this book that you didn't want to know are also here such as a look at half-naked drawings of gnome women. This book discusses the gnome lifestyle and culture from its very beginning. The likes/dislikes and the loves/fears of gnomes are all explained in this book. For those with an avid or even a passing interest in gnomes should get their hands on this book because it serves as a primary staple, or the "main course" of information on gnome life. Some areas might get a little slow and tiresome because of the immense detail in some of the descriptions, but these same details allow you to really know more about gnomehood. I recommend this book wholeheartedly - it is a timeless classic!

I LOVE this book
I absolutely love this book. I want every morsel of it to be fact, rather than fiction. I want it to be real. It's beautiful, well written... and makes a great story time for children. I really love this book!!

The life of the Gnome
This book is dedicated to the life of the gnome. I have to admit that gnomes are a little strange but they're so interesting. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

ONE OF THE BEST!!
As a self-taught mosaicist, I own 25 mosaic books, including this one, and I can honestly say that the Mosaic Idea Book is one of the best of the bunch. Instructions are clearly presented and accompanied by a generous assortment of photos. As in any good how-to book, the author explains the basic materials, tools, and techniques used in mosaic work, but she does so in a way that really holds the reader's interest. One of the book's best features is that it contains plenty of patterns -- a tremendously valuable resource for both beginners and advanced mosaicists. The patterns are especially helpful, however, for the novice mosaicist who is still learning how to plan and lay out a design. Friends and I have used a few of the patterns in the book -- we enlarged/reduced them on a copy machine, to fit our specific projects. I used the chameleon pattern and created a mosaic that everyone describes as "spectacular." This book gives readers a lot of "bang for their buck." If you can buy only one mosaic book, I highly recommend this one.

Many designs to copy
I bought the book as a beginner looking for the basics of how to get started. While the book has that info, its emphasis is on specific animal and plant design, borders, symbols, etc. Heavy on the animals.

While this isn't the main book I consult in mosaic-making (I like Leslie Dierk's book), I will definitely keep this as a reference.

The best mosaic book of all!
This is the hands-down, all-time best. I have just about every mosaic book published in the last 10 years. It has tons of interesting patterns--sophisticated yet simple. It's a little 'long' on animal patterns--it even includes the ever-popular 'winged bat' in various poses. The animal mosaicist will especially enjoy the book--but don't let that put you off. It has more useful patterns than any book on my mosaic shelf. Simply: The best.

Great ideas
This book is a great source of ideas. Many books just give you projects, this book helps you create your own design and make a project that is more 'you'

Great beginner book!
This book is great for beginners like myself. The designs were easy to follow, and a great starting point for your own designs. It offers individual design elements and borders with multiple color suggestions as well as the usual examples of completed mosaics and technique. I have found this an excellent reference book. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This lavish but manageable book is the catalog for one of the most successful van Gogh exhibitions ever (at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., through January 3, 1999, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art from January 17, 1999, to April 4, 1999). Judging from the haunting, beautifully reproduced paintings and drawings in the book--which range from the iconic to the rarely seen--it is easy to see why hordes of people keep pressing through overcrowded galleries to get a glimpse of the originals. The ones here are all from the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, where most of Vincent's work resides.

Author Richard Kendall does a heroic job of writing van Gogh's tortured story one more time. Few artists have analyzed their own work with the clarity and insight Vincent brought to his. And Kendall relies heavily on Vincent's letters to his brother Theo, giving the reader broad access to the ultimate expert, the painter himself. The wealth of color plates is intoxicating--70 paintings, including The Potato Eaters and other early, gloomy works, a dozen self-portraits, Almond Blossom, Wheatfield with Crows, Butterflies and Poppies, The Bedroom, The Zouave, and The Courtesan (van Gogh's take on a Japanese geisha in full regalia).

It seems trivial to further praise the book's designers for holding it to only 150 pages, but the length makes an important difference. This is a volume that fits comfortably on the lap, to be perused and enjoyed at close range, for hours if you want, and not just displayed in unwieldy glory on a coffee table. --Peggy Moorman ... Read more

Reviews (6)

the most original artist of his time
Vincent van Gogh is the artist who I feel I relate to most on a personal level. His demons are my demons. His yearning to some day find "the right girl" is my yearning. His spiritual faith in God is my spiritual faith. His weaknesses are my weaknesses. His strengths are my strengths. I'm very fond of van Gogh. He made many mistakes, including getting involved in a doomed love affair with a prostitute, or how he cut off his earlobe in a fit of anguish. Well, okay, I identify with him but that's something I've never been tempted to do haha. Vincent was a troubled and tormented and deeply under-appreciated artist in his day, only managing to sell one or two paintings in his life. Now he is among the very most popular. His works sell for many millions, even minor works.

David Rehak
author of "Love and Madness"

A GREAT JOURNEY WITH VAN GOGH
One of the best pieces that I ever read explaining paintings along the different periods which were passed by Van Gogh. Also, it gives a complete ride through his life and personality.

A Quality Work!!
I have this book and I am so glad ,I discovered it. I am, a painter,and have always been influenced by Van Goghs work. However most of the books I own do not have very good quality , printing .This book however is excellent! It is very close to , standing in front of the original painting. I would recomend this book to anyone that loves Van Gogh. I am so proud to make this book a part of my art library. Get it while you can!!

Didn't see the exhibit? Read the book!
The next best thing if you weren't able to make it to this record-breaking exhibition in Washington and Los Angeles. This book, an overview of the exhibition, is an extremely thorough and interesting overview of the 70 works on display. But it's more than that. I was very impressed with Richard Kendall's commentary in the book. Not only is this a comprehensive and thoughtful look at the "Van Gogh's Van Goghs" exhibition, it's also an excellent look at Van Gogh's life and career--period. I might have expected this--this major exhibition was superb and this catalogue is a worthy companion. Exhibition or not, this book is first-rate.

brillant
Interest in Van Gogh heightened with Hollywood movie with Kirk Douglas an Hollywood actor. My mother has a wood painting of sunflowers (l6) and she asked that we research this for her, it has numerous local newspaper clippings taped to the back, which raises even more questions. It is signed Vincent? I saw a one man narrative of Van Gogh's life depicted by his brother Theo, Actor: Jim Jarrett called Vincent. It was much informative of the letters Vincent wrote to Theo. . This enlightened one as to Vincent's odd behavior. Vincent the man. Mr.Kendall, if possible please cooresponde back. My sister is also in contact with you. Thank you for reading this message and any redirect would be appreciated. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Directed at the expert, fine for the fan, too!
I would like to add to the reviews below that this book is a pleasure to hold and to view because it is so well made. If there is any 'art' book that should be made for posterity it is the catalog raisonne of an artist. In this instance, the publisher has done the artist's audience a real service for, the book is beautifully printed and bound in Italy by Amilcare Pizzi; Italy seeming to have usurped Switzerland's place as the world's premier art book printer. The pages are thick and glossy and the reproduction is top notch.
For those of you who are unaware of what a catalog raisonne is, it is meant to be a compilation and historical record of an artist's work that documents execution date, medium, size of image or plate, size of edition if a print, whether signed or unsigned, etc. This information is used by artists, historians, collectors and dealers to attribute a piece of art and place it in the artist's oevre, and of course to aid in placing relative value on it. Here too, the archivists, publisher, and editor have done a fine job of documenting the relevant facts. This is especially important in the case of Warhol who was a serial printer, sometimes to the point of intentional promiscuity. So, the fact that wherever possible relevant information is provided speaks volumes about the prodigious effort that must have gone into this undertaking. I rate this book four stars because I fear that since this is the third edition, there will be yet another edition published that renders this one obsolete. I understand this is precisely because Warhol was an inprecise documentarian, when he chose to do so at all, but I don't relish having to purchase another high dollar, though valuable book that is only slightly different from the one I already own. For people who don't give a darn, the book rates a five.

Andy Warhol Prints
This 3rd edition of Andy Warhol Prints gives much information to someone who is interested in the various published and unpublished works which Warhol created. In addition to providing color photographs of the prints, the book gives details about the edition size and characteristics of each individual portfolio. This book will be quite useful for the Warhol fan, art students, as well as collectors of Warhol's work. It is the most definitive book of his prints available.

Definitive Guide to Warhol
Prints, proofs, paintings -- everything is here, plus essays that explicate and set context.

The best catalog of Andy's Prints
This gem of a book gets into all the details of Warhol's print making. See source images as well as artist's and printer's proofs. A must for any collector wanting to explore Warhol's work as well as a real eye opener as to how busy this man really kept himself. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (15)

a good starter book
This is a great introduction to the practical side of the fine art business.
It touches on general themes and gives resources/ contacts for further help.
Some of the tips are pretty intuitive.... such as get a tax number, save your receipts, etc
On the other hand, I found the sample contracts for sales, models etc. to be one of the most helpful parts of the book.
If you wish for a more comprehensive look at the legal side of fine art check out legal guide for the visual artist by tad crawford.

It's more for the painter or printmaker.
While this book does touch many topics that are important in marketing your art, it seems to be a bit single minded on the markets (galleries, museums, businesses, etc) and the art (mostly painting, prints, photography, etc.). I'm an installtion artist that is interested in investigating alternative markets, but didn't find much information here. Smith does give many helpful tips and contacts, but none that can't be found elsewhere. While the most of the information could be applied to any fine artist, I didn't really warm to the following comment from Smith's book:

"Most working artists will be able to complete at least five original works a month....If it takes you a month of working eight hours a day to finish one painting, this probably means that you will have to get involved in the print markets and forget about selling your originals." (74)

It seemed obvious to me, that Smith was much more interested on "marketable art" and more traditional methods of pushing a business, but hopefully not at the sacrifice of the spirit of the art.

Better Choices Are Out There!
In preparation for teaching a class in marketing for creative professionals I purchased this book. Although it says it was revised in 2000, I found some egregious errors, one of which was a listing for a book that's out of date and out of print. Carroll Michael's book, How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist, is a far better reference and empowers the artist in his/her efforts. Smith tends to buy into some of the 'starving artist' concepts and, instead of cheering artists on, creates some real barriers to success.

Check it out at the bookstore before you buy it
Out of all the art marketing books available, this one is not nearly as good as, say, Carol Michael's books or Daniel Grant's books. If I were an artist just starting out, I'd look at this book at the bookstore and compare it to several other art marketing books. There are many books out there that are better than this one.

Art for arts sake
I found this book a great starting point, out of school and trying keep creating and supporting myself with my creations. This book allows you to take the next step of thinking and open your mind to selling art. Good begining book I wish I got while in school. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Beautiful Book!! A Tribute To The Dark Knight!!!
I just recently received this book,and I can tell you it is well worth having. True, there are definitely some covers that are missing (in my opinion all of Jim Lee's covers should have been here from the Hush series. OUTSTANDING!!!) A beautifully done book to add to your Batman collection. This book does not cover all of Batman's many comic book covers, but this was not to be expected. Instead they point out some of his most daring and bold covers. Batman has had the benefit of being drawn by some of the greatest comic book artist ever. I beleive you will find it truly amazing how each one has their own distinctive style on creating the Dark Knight. So make sure you own this one. You won't be sorry. Hey, maybe they'll make a volume 2.

It's about time, for someone like Batman
Well first, it's Batman; that might be enough reason to buy it, even for the price. (I'm a collector anyway, so what's some bucks?) Anyway, it features a number of cool and "forgotten" covers done over the 65+ years of Batman being in comics. I was even surprised some of the covers of War Games got in, really nice. There are some well-written commentaries too, by artists and editors and the like, and what cover they picked.

The cover of the book itself is great. I thought it was just a hardbound book; it turns out, the dust jacket reveals some more to it. I was in awe when I opened it, well done.

My only rant, not all of the covers I wished to be there was not there. Well, that's how it is. Tec#700 and Strange Apparitons, I think, should've been in the list. Well, all in all if you have the money and would really have something to keep for a number of years, get this. Well, if not, I hope you can browse through it when you get a chance. It would be great.

... Read more

Book Description

Great for the beginner and the expert, this book offers readers exercises to improve their work. ... Read more

Reviews (33)

If you can only buy one art book, buy this!
The book was published posthumously in 1941 by Nicolaides' students. Their ferver for their late revered teacher is evident in the manner in which the book is written. They developed a rigorous lesson schedule which demands consistent attention of the artist.

I first read The Natural Way to Draw in 1983. In January of 1985 I began a self study course using this book as my guide. I followed every lesson plan and read and re-read until I could recite the book by heart. Too broke to afford a nude model for the lesson plans, I drew my neighbors chickens, cows, horses and sheep, supplementing those subjects with weekly attendance at a drawing group and borrowing the local science teachers human skeleton. Whatever the subject matter, Niccolaides taught me to understand the essence of gesture. A little over a year and a half later, I finished the book. I went on to earn a college degree (BFA)in Painting and to become a professional artist. When I look back at the past 18 years of my life as an artist,this book had the most influence of any that I have ever read or worked with. I highly reccomend not just reading this book, but studying it. Devote a year of your life to studying this book and you will be a better artist.

THE Book for Serious Drawing
I bought this book in 1972 (hard cover). Glad to see it's still in print. If you have some talent, and are willing to put in the work to fulfill the lessons in this book, you can learn to draw as well as ANYONE, and drawing will never be a limiting factor in your creative process. Better stock up on cheap paper, because you will end up with a stack about 6' high. But you will never forget what you learn here. Thanks to Mr Nicolaides!! Note: I didn't have models available for all the exercises, so I just went out to a place where there were a lot of people and drew them. You can adapt the lessons to your circumstances. I completed the course, working 6 hours a day for 6 months. I still use the book when I want to sharpen up some of my skills.

Over-complicated & wordy
"The Natural Way to Draw" by Kimon Nicolaides, 221 pages

Nicolaides book is often compared to "Drawing On the Right Side of the Brain. Now I understand why. They are both complicated, overly-intellectualized approaches to drawing. Nicoliades writes the better complication however, because his book is approximately 60% wordy text/40% pictures. Betty Edward's is approximately 80% wordy text/20% pictures.

The quote from the back cover, with the full page photo of Nicoliades shows how narrow an approach he holds:

"There is only one right way to draw and that is a perfectly natural way." -Kimon Nicolaides

Anyone who knows anything understands that there are as many approaches to drawing as there are people. If Nicoliades is simply telling us that all ways of drawing are "natural ways" it is a redundant statement, because nobody is arguing anywhere that anyone's drawing is unnatural. Such tautological complications of basic drawing show Nicolaides approach as wordy and intellectualized.

The gesture drawings in the early chapters are uninspiring. The rest of the sparse illustrations seem to come from either student drawings and master reproductions. There are just too few of them. Nicolaides' approach to art is tedious and discouraging and nobody should be expected to read through 221 pages of boring text.

There are much better books on the market with less text and more illustration.

a method of learning to "feel" and move in your artwork
I just finished taking a drawing course in which my instructor taught the same concepts that Nicolaides writes about: extensive gesture studies, blind contour drawing, modeling of the form with gesture-mass studies. Honestly, as I worked in class, I had very little idea of what these exercises were for (it would have been great to have had a hold of this book then). I have always been good at rendering figures in a hyper-realistic manner, but as one reviewer described student work at his school as "well rendered work, but its flat, uninspired, and repetative," my work had no life to it. What I found was that the more I practiced seeing and feeling my subject matter through these "scribble" drawings, the freer my line and hand grew, and the more presence I started to see in what I put on the paper.

If you want a method to help you learn to "feel" your work and move you beyond mere rendering, I highly recommend this book. But along with that desire should come a commitment to practice the exercises with an open mind if you want to get the results. I have learned for myself that having a lot of head knowledge about art techniques hasn't made my work vital, nor his it given me the itch in my bones that I need to truly create. Even though this may sound silly, I used to consider myself a good drawer, but now I feel that the door to being an "artist" is opened to me.

If you are more interested in a book to help you practice techniques with less of a time/effort commitment, I recommend Bert Dodson's Keys to Drawing. It is more of a "how-to" book for beginning students. It takes a very different teaching approach, more practical, but I like it for the many visual examples, the broad range of fun exercises, and the sections on drawing faces and proportions.

It's Amazing
This book has taught me so much I wouldn't know where I'd be without. Others have already spoken to all it offers, so I'm gong to limit myself to the folks who've trashed it.

First, this is a book of exercises. You either do them or you don't. But anyone who "flips through the book at the library," then complains it has nothing to offer is like someone who goes to the gym, watches other people work out, then leaves feeling unimpressed with a gym's ability to help him get in shape. Making a judgement about this book without "working" it is exactly as foolish.

Second, there's nothing "modernist junk" at all about "The Natural Way to Draw." You'll be moving into anatomy studies and reproductions of the masters soon enough. Nicolaides is all about observing the details of life and recording them well. Again, such an ignorant comparison of the techniques Natural Way to Draw with a sloppy draughtsmanship and "modernist junk" only reveals the reviewer (who admitted he only "flipped" through the book) didn't flip very far and with little understanding of what he was holding in his hands.

Third, there's a story further down about an art school where the teacher mocks this book. Too bad. I studied at that school. And I'm glad I did: I learned a lot. But that school ultimately is not enough. Their students draw well rendered work, but it's also flat, uninspired, and repitative. "That Natural Way to Draw" gives you the tool YOU need to draw the way YOU want to draw.

Look: there's no easy path to drawing and painting really well. And this book guides you to drawing and painting really well. So, yes, it takes time; it takes effort. But at least all your effort is focused and fruitful. This book gives you the fundementals in a series of exercise. It's like doing exercises at the paino before you can play a concerto. And there's nothing wrong with that.

If you want to apply yourself and become great, check this book out. ... Read more

Book Description

Offering an exploration of Western and World civilization's cultural heritage, this book is richly illustrated, beautifully designed and engaging. Readers move chronologically through major periods and styles—from prehistoric culture to the renaissance and mannerism in Italy—to gain insight into the achievements and ideas in painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, philosophy, religion, and music. For arts and cultural coordinators, professionals and enthusiasts. ... Read more

Book Description

Creating Their Own Image marks the first comprehensive history of African-American women artists, from slavery to the present day. Using an analysis of stereotypes of Africans and African-Americans in western art and culture as a springboard, Lisa E. Farrington here richly details hundreds of important works--many of which deliberately challenge these same identity myths, of the carnal Jezebel, the asexual Mammy, the imperious Matriarch--in crafting a portrait of artistic creativity unprecedented in its scope and ambition. In these lavishly illustrated pages, some of which feature images never before published, we learn of the efforts of Elizabeth Keckley, fashion designer to Mary Todd Lincoln; the acclaimed sculptor Edmonia Lewis, internationally renowned for her neoclassical works in marble; and the artist Nancy Elizabeth Prophet and her innovative teaching techniques. We meet Laura Wheeler Waring who portrayed women of color as members of a socially elite class in stark contrast to the prevalent images of compliant maids, impoverished malcontents, and exotics "others" that proliferated in the inter-war period.We read of the painter Barbara Jones-Hogu's collaboration on the famed Wall of Respect, even as we view a rare photograph of Hogu in the process of painting the mural. Farrington expertly guides us through the fertile period of the Harlem Renaissance and the "New Negro Movement," which produced an entirely new crop of artists who consciously imbued their work with a social and political agenda, and through the tumultuous, explosive years of the civil rights movement. Drawing on revealing interviews with numerous contemporary artists, such as Betye Saar, Faith Ringgold, Nanette Carter, Camille Billops, Xenobia Bailey, and many others, the second half of Creating Their Own Image probes more recent stylistic developments, such as abstraction, conceptualism, and post-modernism, never losing sight of the struggles and challenges that have consistently influenced this body of work. Weaving together an expansive collection of artists, styles, and periods, Farrington argues that for centuries African-American women artists have created an alternative vision of how women of color can, are, and might be represented in American culture.From utilitarian objects such as quilts and baskets to a wide array of fine arts, Creating Their Own Image serves up compelling evidence of the fundamental human need to convey one's life, one's emotions, one's experiences, on a canvas of one's own making. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

The title and canned reviews can fool you.
This book is more about teaching art than teaching kids how to draw. More theory than fun. I rate the book 3 stars rather than higher because there are very few simple to use drawing techniques, the kind of techniques found in the "50 Nifty" and the "How to Draw" series of drawing books featuring simple characters, trucks, airplanes, animals, and monsters that grab kid's imaginations. "Drawing with Children" is more a text for art teachers than for use by classroom teachers, Scout leaders, and parents trying to help kids ages 6 to 11 learn how to draw for fun. I'll be ready for this book in about three years, but I can't start kids at this level.

Anyone can learn to draw!
Haven't yet begun the lessons, but after reading the earlier reviews I can't wait! The ideas in this book make so much sense! We don't expect children to sit down at a piano a la Mozart and belt out original compositions. We don't expect our children to learn to read without instruction. Yet if they can't draw realistically, we chalk it up to lack of talent (after all, YOU can't draw either, right?).

This book gives you the tools to teach your kids how to draw even (especially!) if you aren't an artist yourself. The author is also very generous in allowing unlimited photocopying of the exercises to elementary teachers which I think shows she genuinely cares about helping children learn. My only regret is that there is no Monart school nearby!

Love it! Love it! Love it!
I am 33 years old and have absolutely no artistic ability - or so I thought. I've always been interested in learning how to draw, but no matter what books I consulted, I still couldn't get it. The techniques presented there assumed you already knew some basics, but I didn't. My mother even told me that drawing is inherited, and since there is nobody in my family who draws, I felt I had no chance.

Then I found this book. The first thing you are supposed to do before any instruction is to draw a scene a house, person, tree, bushes, etc. My picture looked like a 4 year old drew it. Now less than one week into the book, I am on lesson 3 with 2 more to go, and I am astounded at my progress. It's simply night and day. I get so engrossed in my drawings now that 3 hours will go by in a flash. My husband is now starting the lessons because he's amazed at my drawings. Today I even started sketching my husband's face as he was eating. It took all of 5 minutes and it turned out beautifully, if I do say so myself. Plus, I hadn't yet started the lesson on drawing humans. I sketch everything in sight and just can't seem to get enough.

You may not need this book if if you already know how to draw and need more detailed instruction on technique, but definitely get this book if you need the basics of beginning drawing. You will not be disappointed. Drawing is not inherited, but developed. I am proof of that.

a little too advanced for younger ages...
I bought this book on the advice that it was appropriate for younger children, but after reading it I am convinced that it will be several years before it is appropriate for my son. It seems to be more a "theory" book than a how-to manual which is what I was led to expect.

A great book BUT YOUR CHILD MAY NOT BE READY FOR THIS!
The book is great; HOWEVER, my intelligent six year old was not mature enough for the lessons in this book. I meticulously read the directions (and followed same), but my daughter (who loves to create and draw) did not like the lessons because she has yet to perfect her fine motor skills (she likes to create stories but does not like the physical act of writing). I would suggest using this book for an older child (eight years old?), especially if your child does not have his/her fine motor skills fully tuned or does not like to sit still for very long. I admit that I was a little disappointed when the child illustrator on the front cover drew such a wonderful picture (age 5), but every child is different. Incidentally, my art skills (formerly limited to simplistic ball and stick drawings) have improved quite a bit since using the book! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (6)

Absolutely amazing!
I was lucky enough to meet ken at an art educator conference in NJ and he is not only an amazing speaker, but an extraordinary teacher. In this book he turns run of the mill art lessons into thought provoking challenges. They truely make students think outside, around, in and out of the box. These are lessons that i can't wait to use with my senior art students next semester.

The best book
i have rencently been lucky enough to meet the author of this book at an art educators conference, and he is a creative genius. This book is one of my favorites to use with my advanced studio classes. The ideas are innovative and thought provoking. It is a refreshing change from the run of the mill lessons done in many art classes. I highly recommned buying this book.

Seeing the ordinary as extraordinary
Creating a piece of art can sometimes be a daunting task, the moreso since a great idea for the next project is not something that can be turned on and off like a faucet. That's where a book like this becomes a priceless little gem. Although primarily targeted for K-12 art teachers it gives fascinating project ideas that any artist will find helpful. Throughout the book both 2D and 3D art projects and ideas are given and illustrated with students work throughout.

The entire goal of the book is to open student's eyes to seeing everyday things, people and places around them with new eyes and then bringing that experience to life. Things as simple as popcorn or a coffee mug find new life as transformed objects or drawings. Lessons in composition, color, sculpture and meaning are but a few things discussed in detail. Each chapter shows many pieces of art demonstrating how students worked on a particular problem posed by the teacher. A list of suggested supplies is provided so the reader may create their own work from the project discussed. For example, one project was "Expressing Music in Visual Language". For anyone interested in ideas for new artwork this book would be a worthy investment.

From simple to amazing
An excellent book with faboulous ideas and lessons. I find this book to be very helpful. Ken Vieth ideas involve not only the visual arts but the historic arts as well. His book help students to think creatively and gives them the opportunity to make their ideas come true. He gives the teacher different options and educators can take his ideas to a next level by expanding his techniques.

Works for me!
I am an Art Teacher with 25 years experience. I ordered this book because of its title. I have used several of the projects and techniques with great success so far. I can highly recommend all aspects of the book, from the logic and ideas to the famous "rubric on page 34". Cheers to Ken. ... Read more

Book Description

Over six decades, Lucian Freud has built up a reputation as one of the most distinctive contemporary figurative artists. Freud's startling and disconcerting portraits and nudes have a haunting quality that makes them impossible to forget. This stunning book brings together key works from Freud's entire career, including over 140 paintings, drawings, and etchings, some new, and many never before exhibited. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An In-Depth Survey of This Important Painter
LUCIEN FREUD is certainly one of the most talked about contemporary figurative artists around the world. Most people are familiar with his greater than life-sized portraits of corpulent male and female nudes and of his much talked about protraits of friends such as Francis Bacon and David Hockney. But few of us have been exposed to the gamut of this artist's output to the extent that this very fine book by William Feaver investigates the entire career of the grandson of Sigmund Freud.

The book is a catologue for the exhibition currently in Los Angeles, having opened in London and travelled to Barcelona. But to classify the scholarly and intensively detailed tome as an 'exhibition catalogue' simply does not do justice to the scope of this volume. The writing by Feaver is wise, witty, and thoroughly readable - the essay portion that opens the book is more a biography and an analysis of Freud's position in art history than a resume. The color reproductions are superb, spreading as they do across two pages for the very large paintings. As a catalogue the editors can be forgiven for not including sufficient 'detail views' that enhance understanding, but this is a minor point. The supporting data in the back of the book is as fine a catalogue raisonne as has been published to date.

Those of us fortunate enough to live in Los Angeles allowing multiple visits to this impressive exhibition can use Feaver's book as a Master Class on Lucien Freud. But the book stands alone in its mastery of the life and work of this exciting painter. Highly recommended.

At last ...
The definitive book on one of the greatest figurative painters of our time. The format is large enough (double paged, at times), the repros rich enough, and the scope comprehensive enough to properly capture a life/work as important as Lucian's. A must have.

Look into the work of Phil Hale ("Goad" from grantbooks.com), Odd Nerdrum (nerdrum.com) and Jenny Saville (geocities.com/craigsjursen/index.html) if you enjoy this artist. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Very Useful Handbook
It's beyond cliché to say that a book has changed your life, but this little handbook - a supplemental art history text, of all things - ranks with scripture and great literature as one of the most personally beneficial books I've ever read. This may say more about me than the book, of course, but if you are the sort of person who finds it difficult to think about art, let alone talk or write about it, then perhaps this will give you hope.

Professor Sayre starts this handbook with a simple thesis: everyone could write about art, if only they knew where to start. To prove his point, Sayre chooses pieces that most laypeople would consider indescribable (like the abstractions of Jackson Pollock) and teaches the reader, slowly but surely, how to really look at the work. With subsequent lessons on choice, composition, and color, even the most "non-artistic" thinkers will begin to see things in a different light... and then Professor Sayre will then teach you how to put those thoughts into words.

If you are privileged enough to attend a school where the humanities are still actively taught, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of this book - your papers and grades will doubtlessly improve. But even if your chances of ever taking an art appreciation class are slim, if you have any interest in the subject at all, then I highly recommend this book.

Excellent for Homework
Although I am not an Art History Major, I found this book to be very helpful when writing a paper about particular artwork! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (6)

Easy to Understand
Good, solid, workmanlike explanation of perspective, described step by step. Plain language, no wasted words. Clear drawings. Do the assignments, it's like taking a class you'd pay $350 for. I've tried to learn perspective from other books, but they were too complicated. This is THE classic. Every illustrator needs it. I use this knowledge every day.

The one book on perspective you¿ll ever need.
For a book first published in 1939, Norling's "Perspective Made Easy" is still the authority on perspective. This concise book contains in roughly 200 pages and 256 illustrations all you'll ever need to know about perspective drawing. In twenty masterfully organized chapters, from simple to complex, the author explains the basics and not so basics of perspective drawing. He includes suggestions on how to make your drawing more simple, drawing methods for observation and space division, a Remember section at the end of each chapter in which he summarizes the most important information and principles presented in that chapter, and a Problems section with exercises that will help you apply what you just learned. One of the best rewards of this book comes in its last chapters where the author covers perspective drawing for a great number of regular and irregular figures like a sphere, a cone, ovals, circles, lamps, cars, etc. With this the author goes many steps beyond all those other books out there that only teach you how to draw cubes and square buildings.

The book may be a bit repetitive at times, but this is not annoying at all, it just makes the author sound as if he was teaching a class in school or college, and it helps you to easily remember the most important information presented. After reading this book my understanding of perspective and the perspective in my drawings have improved 100%. If you follow his teachings and exercises you will learn how to determine the perspective you need to apply to your drawing, whether you are drawing in the field or using photographs as a model, and you will soon start making your drawings look solid, deep and proportionate.

If you are only getting one book on perspective, get this one.

Excellent introduction for beginning artists!
I bought this book because Andrew Loomis (Figure Drawing For All Its Worth) recommended it. I'm glad I followed his advice. If you are going to own only one perspective book, then this is it. However, if you're an interior designer, architect, engineer or draftsman then looks elsewhere since this book's primary audiences are freehand artists.

This is one of the few books out in the market that exactly delivers what it says on the back cover. And it's a reprint from 1939!

I'd give this book a rating of more than 5.

EZ to Understand, Priceless Improvement in my Drawings
I can highly recommend this handbook to anybody who likes to draw. Through small, easy to follow steps, with illustrations for each step(!), this classic author makes this highly misunderstood topic become CRYSTAL CLEAR!

You can follow along, drawing each step, or just read through the book, (like I did), and you will still find yourself applying these techniques that make your drawings much more realistic and accurate looking.

In the introduction, the author says that we should not FORCE our drawings to fit into any rigid rules of perspective, but after reading this book, I find that I don't have to force the perspective rules, I can just subtly apply them as I go about my drawings.

The author has very nice, cute, and simple illustrations of his own, to show what he's talking about in each step of the process of understanding perspective correctly. This makes the book feel very user-friendly.

This book covers a lot of ground and information, but if you take your time and start at the beginning, you will reap big results with your own improved drawings.

Comparing price to benefit, this is easily the best value of any art technique book that I have ever purchased. Buy with confidence, this book amazing!

Very useful book
A very well written easy to follow book on what can be a complex subject. It is very inexpensive and my favorite of several I own on the subject. The Author gets right to the nuts and bolts of drawing in perspective. If you want the basics this book is for you. ... Read more