Reviews (2)

A wonderful voice behind the paintings
How many great painters have been eloquent on their work or methods, or, for that matter, on art or culture in general?In recent times, only Ad Reinhardt compares with Agnes Martin, who has that rarest of gifts among the non-literary, a voice.In a series of articles, some of which were apparently talks given to art students, she delves into consciousness, creativity, judgment, personal development, self-assurance, transcendence, meaning, value.She takes on the big subjects with language that is gloriously unpretentious in a style epigrammatic and occasionally poetic.

Visiting an exhibition of her pencil-grid paintings a few years ago, I experienced the transformative power of her paradoxically simple physical means to create shimmering, magical spaces.The staying power of that work has inclined me to believethat she's one of the greatest painters of the second half of the twentieth century. This book of her writings is a delightful enhancement to that discovery.

Quiet and Quite...
...lovely and profound.

Martin's work here and on the canvas is deceptively simple. Not really about silence but about the possibility of grace and knowledge within.

This book recommended for all artists and lovers of art, life, and silence. ... Read more

Book Description

One of the most respected and widely used books in its field, A GUIDE TO DRAWING is a classic, comprehensive, and systematic introduction to the art of drawing, focusing on the mastery of traditional skills as the basis for expressive drawing. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Based on the popular course Eisner taught for several years at New York's School of Visual Arts, this lovingly written book on visual storytelling contains an accumulation of his ideas, theories and advice on the practice of graphic story-telling and the uses to which the comic book art form can be applied. Whether you're a film student, literature student, artist or simply a fan of good storytelling, you'll love this book filled with Eisner's cartoons. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

INDESPENSIBLE EXAMINATION OF THE ART OF COMICS
INDISPENSIBLE HOW-TO BOOK THAT REALLY STUDIES THE MEDIUM Reviewer: Zorikh Lequidre from Brooklyn, NY Before this book came out, most "how to draw comics" books were mostly concentrated on big, muscular heroes and action poses. There was very little emphasis on comics as a storytelling medium. Will Eisner has been drawing comics since God invented dirt and has explored almost every way a story can be told. One of his biggest contributions is using every element of the medium to tell the story. This book expounds heavilly on this.

Written years before Scott McCloud's "Understanding Comics," Eisner expounds upon how comics are a visual, reading experience using both words and pictures. He instructs the reader in how words and pictures can be used together to tell a story. The author must lead the reader with visual clues to each sequential immage. Mood, emotion, even time can be expressed visually in a comic. Camera angles, panel borders, typefaces, all play a part in the effectiveness of a story.

Eisner gives plenty of examples of his work to illustrate his ideas. Most significant are his "Hamlet," "Life on Another Planet," and several "Spirit" works. Looking at this really helps the reader see how creatively a story can be told.

Also included in this book are examinations of the various types of work a comic illustrator can do, including storyboards and instruction manuals.

This book, and its sequel "Graphic Storytelling," are must reading for anyone who wants to create comics, and good reading for anyone who wants to understand them better. Don't settle for mediocrity, read the best!

The basic to the advanced can learn from Mr. Eisner
This book is one of the finest productions when it comes to the production of the comic book medium. There are several other books available that can tell someone how to draw, but none do what this one does, it focuses on teaching the reader how to tell a story, a virtually lost art in the modern comics arena. It breaks down into simple, yet not trivial components, the way a comic book artist should tell his story, as well as providing examples form Mr. Eisner's portfolio to help the reader understand what is being said. After all what is a book about telling a story with pictures, going to do without using pictures to tell it's story. The book also contains the basics of the drawing medium and some helpful tips for the rendering of comic art, but this is probably one of the best you'll ever see when it comes to learning what it is to tell the story.

Professor Eisner explains comic books as sequential art
"Comics & Sequential Art" is based on a course Will Eisner taught at New York's School of Visual Art although originally this work was written as a series of essays that appeared randomly in "The Spirit" magazine. Eisner provides a guide book to the "principles & practice of the world's most popular art form, and while it is of interest to those of us who read comic books it is clearly intended to be of use to aspiring comic book artists (and writers, albeit to a lesser degree). One way of measuring the book's success is to note that I have the 24th printing of a work that was first published in 1985 (and expanded in 1990 to include print and computer), but then the fact that the book was written by Eisner and uses dozens of examples of his own art work to evidence his points, as well as drawings down specifically for the book, is enough to tell you this is something special.

There are eight lessons in Professor Eisner's syllabus: (1) Comics as a Form of Reading looks at the interplay of word and image in comic books that has created a cross-breeding of illustration and prose, including the idea of how text can be read as image, which shows the sense of detail Eisner brings to his subject. (2) Imagery begins with the idea of letters as images and develops a notion of how the "pictograph" functions in the modern comic strip as a calligraphic style variation. The key subject here is that of images without words. (3) "Timing" considers the phenomenon of duration and its experience as an integral dimension of sequential art, with Eisner drawing (literally) a distinction between "time" and "timing." This chapter looks at framing speech and framing time, with Eisner making his points in the textual part of the chapter and then providing a series of comic book pages evidencing different features he wants to emphasize. (4) The Frame is a major chapter that examines in detail the sequences segments called panels or frames, with Eisner emphasizing the idea that these frames do not correspond exactly to cinematic frames because they are part of the creative process and not the result of the technology. Eisner examines encapsulation, the panel as a medium of control, creating the panel, the panel as container, the "language" of the panel border, the frame as a narrative device, the frame as a structural support, the panel outline, the emotional function of the frame, the "splash" page, the page as a meta panel, the super-panel as a page, panel composition, the function of perspective, and realism and perspective. This chapter is not half the book, but it is close, and it basically tells you everything you ever wanted to know about a panel in a comic book. When you are taking into account the meaning of the border of the panel, then you know this is a comprehensive examination of the subject under discussion.

The rest of the book deals with what you put in those panels: (5) Expressive Anatomy provides a micro-Dictionary of Gestures before covering your options in drawing the body, the face, and the body and the face. As an extended example Eisner provides his complete "Hamlet on a Rooftop," which does the "To be, or not to be" soliloquy. (6) Writing & Sequential Art talks about the relationship between the writer and the artist (whether they are two separate people or not), and various story telling elements. There are several choice examples on the application of words and the various ways then can add meaning to a series of panels, and practical examples of how writers and artists work together to create comic book stories. (7) Application (The Use of Sequential Art) makes a distinction between the functions of sequential art as instruction and as entertainment. This leads to a discussion of not only the graphic novel and technical instruction comics, but story boarding for commercials and films as well. (8) Teaching/Learning, Sequential Art for Comics in the Print and Computer Era lays out the range of diverse disciplines involved in comic books, laid out in a structured typology (categorized under psychology, physics, mechanics, design language and draftsmanship). Eisner also briefly shows what adding a computer to the process means for creating comic books.

There is an inevitable comparison to be drawn between Eisner's "Comics & Sequential Art" and Scott McCloud's "Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art," but I really see the two books as being complementary. Although you obviously can shift back and forth between perspectives, McCloud is looking at the medium from the reader's point of view and Eisner is more concerned with the creative process. Eisner has praised McCloud's book as "a landmark dissection and intellectual consideration of comics as a valid medium," which is a fundamental assumption of Eisner's work here. The primary value of "Comics & Sequential Art" is for professional and amateur artist, but students and teachers, and even mere comic book fans, can benefit from a serious and comprehensive examination of the art of funny books.

A Comics Pro Gives It A Thumbs UP!
As a veteran comic book illustrator (You can find my work here on Amazon.com; I am the CO-creator and artist of Transmetropolitan), I am often asked to recommend books to aspiring professionals in comic book illustration. In that case I always enthusiastically recommend any of Eisner's instructional books as essential reading for anyone serious about their craft and dreams of getting into the industry.

From the earliest work of his career, Will Eisner was an innovator in writing as well as illustration. Even in his twilight years the man is still a vigorous and creative artist producing work that pros as well as fans can't wait to get their hands on.

These books display his genius in an entertaining and easy to follow method, and if put to practice will inspire and reveal hidden keys to making your work truly professional grade. A great companion book to Eisner's "Graphic Storytelling".

- Darick Roberston

More for the professional than the lay person
This is something of Will Eisner's lifework, the non-fiction complement to his wonderful work from the 1950s onward with _The Spirit_ through _A Contract with God_. Herein, Eisner describes the means by which his stories work, what makes them flow and live. Before Scott McCloud's _Understanding Comics_, Eisner was the standard bearer for the explanation of how comics achieved their effect. But this book never got the acclaim that McCloud's did, for it is not necessarily directed at the public, but at the would-be comics professional. In fact, most of the book is a reworking of Eisner's lecture notes from his teaching time at New York's School of Visual Art. The general public can still glean some great information about the medium from this book, but McCloud has supplanted Eisner as the popular textbook for courses on comics. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Treasure!
If you are going to buy one book about color mixing in painting, this is the one for you. She explains the best colors to use and gives helpful hints as to what mistakes not to make. She does so in a straight forward understandable way. I want to buy more of her books!

Helen was the best teacher on public tv
I was fortunate enough to have studied with Helen at her studio in Rockport MA. She was so giving of her talent, and her teaching is so down to earth and easy to understand. I have all of her books, and refer to them often. She solves just about any problem you may have in painting. How sad that we have lost her, but how great to have her expertise in her books. This book is an excellent reference book as well as a teaching tool. You cannot go wrong buying any of her books.

Excellent
I have all of Helen Van Wyk's books (3) and I think they are all excellent examples of how to paint and how to use oil color effectively. I don't know that this particular book is any better than the others, as I use them in tandum. They have good ideas and many examples of how to apply paint that are very helpful. Check them all out! ... Read more

Book Description

This third volume in the More How to Draw Manga series takes a focused look at means of enhancing a character's sense of presence as well as explains in detail techniques for imbuing a character with presence by suggesting movement. ... Read more

Book Description

fabulous line drawings and 14 Harper’s Bazar covers, 8 in full color. Erté’s exotic temptresses with tassels, fur muffs, long trains, coifs, more. "Imaginative and colorful...A fascinating glimpse into the development of fashion."—Arts Review (London).
... Read more

Reviews (2)

Just Fabulous-bought another copy after I wore the 1st out!
Great graphics, imaginative design, fabulous period reference. Outstanding in every way!

Quaint text and dynamite illustrations of original fashion
Vogue editor Diana Vreeland once said that no one in the 20th century had a greater influence on fashion than Erte, this desite the fact that he worked for a competitor, Harper's Bazaar. That's an indication of just how revolutionary his work was for the times. Working with virtually no direction to blunt his creativity, Erte published paintings and sketches of ingenious fashions that are as playful and lighthearted as they are luxurious and exquisite. He envisioned modern women (from 1915 to 1926) as goddesses, ultra-chic stars, children of nature, and totally feminine creatures to be adored and exalted. His fashions reflect this, individualistic and charming, colorful and startlingly functional. The 8 color covers and many B/W illustrations show insight into a dimension of fashion that one normally sees only on the show runways: the never-ending well of creativity brought to life by a truly inventive mind unhampered with concerns of marketability. Peruse the illustrations and notice allusions to gardens, paper-weaving, architecture, tennis, various members of the animal kingdom, ceremonial draperies, sailing ships, and flames. Dresses, coats, masks, swimming costumes, sleepwear, and gowns all ornamented with beads, fur trim, sheer draperies, corded lacings, silver embroidery, leather and straw. Practical? Not really. Mass manufacturing? Not in a million years. This is extreme fashion, the stuff of couture, such as would be worn to the salon of writers and intellectuals. Erte loved best to design for the stage, and the drama and fantasy of theater is in evidence in each ornate illustration. Although for 3 years he produced designs for Altman and Bendel in NY, most of his work was strictly conceptual, and many readers of Harper's saved covers and sketches to muse over as they would an art history volume, as evidence of another world. Ignoring fashion trends, Erte generated innovative and outre designs that still amaze and delight those of us who appreciate true originality. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in textile or fashion design, but also to graphic designers, sculptors, and those who really enjoy art for its own sake. This book is, in one word: luscious. ... Read more

Book Description

Design Drawing Book and CD - ROM Francis D.K. Ching with Steven P. Juroszek Author and architecture educator Francis D.K. Ching shares his unique command of visual language in this new presentation of drawing principles and techniques. Design Drawing is a comprehensive introduction to drawing and more-its innovative book-plus-CD-ROM package sheds new light on the relationship between perception, drawing, and design. In his distinctive graphic style, Ching takes us on an exciting journey through the process of creation. He unmasks the basic cognitive processes that drive visual perception and expression, incorporating observation, memory, and rendering into a creative whole. But the author sees drawing "not only as artistic expression but also as a practical tool for formulating and working through design problems," showing us how to apply "visual thinking" as a versatile tool for approaching design projects. Design Drawing covers the traditional basics of drawing, including line, shape, tone, and space. Different types of artistic conventions such as multiview, paraline, and perspective drawings are also lucidly explained. The final section, "Drawing from the Imagination," fuels the creative spirit to find its own direction. Throughout the book you'll find over a 1,500 hand-rendered drawings and exercises which reinforce the concepts and lessons of each chapter. The supplemental CD-ROM is packed with brilliant gems of information and instruction, elucidating a broad range of design drawing concepts through the communicative power of animation, video, and three-dimensional models. Intended for use with the book or as a stand-alone supplement, the CD-ROM includes 25 interactive lessons which demonstrate concepts and techniques in a way that a 2-D book format cannot. For example, the CD-ROM contains video of the author demonstrating freehand techniques in a step-by-step manner, as well as the author's voice throughout the CD-ROM explaining the various lessons. For professional architects, designers, fine artists, illustrators, teachers and students alike, this all-in-one package is both an effective tool and an outstanding value. System Requirements: Windows(r) Processor - 486DX 66 MHz (Pentium recommended) RAM - 16 MB Hard disk space available - 10 MB Graphics card and monitor - 640 × 480 SVGA display/256 ColorSound Blaser compatible sound card and external speakers Windows(r) 3.1 or Windows '95(r) 4X CD-ROM Drive Macintosh(r) Processor - 68040 25 MHz or PowerMac 601 (Quadra 650 or/PowerMac 6100 or better) RAM 16 MB Hard disk space available - 10 MB Monitor - 256 colors (640×480) Standard internal Mac sound (external speakers optional) Operating System: System 7 or later 4X CD-ROM drive ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Wealth of Information
This is one of the best drawing books that I've read in ages. The information on basic drawing techniques is simple, clear and beautifully presented. Fine Artists may find much of the architectural drafting information irrelevant to their needs, however I feel a the superfluous pages are worth paying for, for the extensive and useful material on perspective drawing and rendering techniques. Read more of my book reviews at http://drawsketch.about.com

Great Introductory book
This book was recommended to me by an architect teacher of mine. After reading through it and browsing through the cd-rom that comes with it....I am very pleased that I got it. It contains all of the basics that you will need for drawing(perspective, isometric drawings, art terms).

just great...
it wouldn't be too much to say that this is one of the best books written for this purpose. the smooth transition from chapter to another and the gradual develpoment of skills and concepts makes reading through the book both exciting and benefitial. specially the chapters regarding perspective drawing. it gives u all the points and nearly every thing u might bump into. For those seeking to improve their drawing skills, this is ONE book u cannot miss.

Great book for new architecture students ...
This is a comperhensive book about all drawing systems essential as basic knowledge for architects in their beginning study ...

Design Drawing a good beginning
As a beginning architecture student I found the book to be most helpful. It contains excellent illustations on shading and shadow techniques, and on developing architectural perspectives. The CD-rom version is especially helpful in explaining some of the basic concepts. I would highly recomend this book to those interested in design architecture. ... Read more

Book Description

From Leonardo da Vinci to Louis Kahn, the world's great designers and architects have used the observation and drawing of real objects to inform and inspire visionary constructions. This book prepares students of architecture and design to carry on a similar dialogue between their perceptions of the physical world and their understanding of the elements of design. It instills an understanding of the basic principles of drawing that are universal to all designdisciplines-mass, volume, form, contour, texture, shadow, and more-as it explores the knowledge, rational thought, and analysis that design professionals rely on to create successful drawings. This combination of technique, theory, and analysis equips the designer with a powerful set of tools, crucial to both the creative process and the successful career. ... Read more

Book Description

Comprehensive, easy-to-master lessons on composition and techniques using pencil and pen and ink for beginning and amateur artists.

Reviews (6)

It is a disappointment...
I ordered "The Drawing Handbook" by Frank J. Lohan from Amazon because I was impressed by the "content" page inclusion of The Golden Section. I thought that any book with that subject would have to be a good book; but the book is a disappointment. There is some good material in the latter chapters, especially regarding Architecture & Landscape drawing, and these are well illustrated. However, though the author suggests we should study the "geometry" of shapes, there are no illustrations of geometric shapes in the human figure drawing chapter, and it is poorly illustrated and poorly covered. For the price, it might be worthwhile as a general reference, as it covers drawing materials adequately enough. The placement of the chapter on Composition as Chapter #1 (the first 19 pages) was a turn off also. This presupposes that the beginner will begin by "composing" a final work, which simply is not true. We begin by learning to draw, and after some ability is obtained, we want to display our best drawing, and that is when we will "compose". I cannot imagine anyone "composing" a final work, prior to actually learning to master at least, elemental drawing/sketching.

The craft of drawing?
If you want to learn a very basic "method" for creating a likeness (say for the purposes of primary school teachers), this may be the book for you. If you have artistic aspirations, however, I cannot recommend it. Much better are Herold Speed's "The practice and science of drawing" and Anthony Ryder's "The complete guide to figure drawing". You can't go wrong with either (or both) of these.

Great Beginner to Intermediate How-To Book
When I think of a beginner to intermediate "traditional" how-to-draw book this is exactly the kind of book I think of. It is not a "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" type of book. So if you are someone who hasn't picked up a pencil to sketch seriously since you were 12 I recommend getting Betty Edward's Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain book *AND* Mona Brooke's EXCELLENT (5 stars IMHO) "Drawing for Older Children and Teens:A Creative Method for Adult Beginners, Too". I recommend those two books even to advanced artists - especially the Mona Brookes book which I think is rather under-appreciated and unknown compared to the Betty Edwards book.

When you have finished the two books I listed above get this book . It will help you on toward the next stage of your drawing and sketching. It's divided into two main sections with several chapters in each. The first section has chapters covering composition, drawing materials, perspective and shadows, the geometry of things and drawing techniques for pen and pencil. I really liked the chapters on composition and perspective and shadows as they seemed to go into a bit more detail than most "beginning" traditional drawing books give. The composition chapter explains the golden section, triangle-based composition, s-curves, balance and eye movement. The perspective chapter explains 1 and 2 point perspective and drawing circles in perspective. There is a section that tells how to use a grid to enlarge a small photo or sketch to a much larger one and how to make the calculations so your final drawing will account for matting and framing dimensions. There's even a neat section showing how to create and fold your own gift notecards.

The second Part gets into actual drawing exercises involving landscapes, architecture, birds and other animals, flowers, faces and clothing. In fact, it's packed with these demonstrations/assignments. For the novice the author provides a gridded outline pattern of the finished art. This is to be used as a guide for enlarging or reducing the subject onto your own paper. With each project the author gives step-by-step instructions of each technique used, what, when and where. You may choose drawing and shading techniques that look exactly like the finished project the author shows. Or, an option which I think is just as fun and valuable, you may choose other techniques he's demonstrated to draw that project and create a different result from the finished picture in the book. In fact, you could draw the exact same project over several times using the gridded outline he provides and re-do it in each one of the techniques he's shown.

I also noticed the author lists on his Suggested Reading page John Rushkin's Elements of Drawing (and Elements of Perspective) and Henry Rankin Poore's Composition in Art. I happen to own both and highly recommend them (both 5 stars in my opinion).

For me, it's the second half of the book that really makes it a gem among traditional how-to-draw books. Some of the artwork shown is more "sketchy" and some more finished. But the author has provided plenty of advice and helpful aids for novice to intermediate artists to create successful drawings and have fun while creating them. And that's the best reason of all to draw. Because it's just plain fun!

One of the best books for learning to draw
This book explains how to draw. After you read "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" and understand that anyone who can sign their name can learn to draw, this book will help you learn. After good instruction, you are given practical exercises.
Only critcism: figure drawing is mentioned in the beginning but there are no such exercises in the second half of the book.

Excellent
This is an excellent starter book for learning how to draw in pen. This is the first drawing book that I have read that starts exercises using a large grid pattern which aides in maintaining the proper perspective of the sketch as you draw it. The author shows the final rendered drawing and then two sample drawings for each exercise - how to do basic outline and then individual sections of the sketch on where to put markings, shade, etc as you build up on your outline. The book covers landscape, animals, people, flowers, & buildings. Good book to have in your library. ... Read more

Book Description

Hundreds of examples illustrate the male figure from all angles in a wide variety of stationary poses and in motion. Covers materials and techniques like line drawing, shading, foreshortening, and lighting, as well as important principles of human anatomy. All stages of drawing are presented, from the initial spatial dimensions to the final details that make it come alive. “An excellent manual...useful in most public collections.”—Library Journal.
... Read more

Reviews (1)

TERIFIC!
A wonderful supplement to Mr. Civardi's Drawing the human anatomy! For those of you who wish to study the male anatomy in detail, this is the book for you. While you may be familiar with the general proportions of the human body, this book will give you the specific proportions of the male body! Get it ... Read more

Book Description

Walter Foster's classic How to Draw and Paint series provides aspiring artists with an exceptional array of art instruction books featuring all subject areas and media. Each title includes easy step-by-step exercises as well as finished illustrations or paintings that will inspire artistic talent in anyone.

Packed with practical information, helpful tips, and fundamental techniques, the How to Draw and Paint series offers a complete library of resources to which artists of all skill levels can refer again and again.

What you'll learn from this book ...

• Proper construction of the human head, and where to place features

• Hints on creating differences in type and character

• How the construction of male heads differs from that of female heads

• An understanding of form based on the use of planes

• Skills for using the proportional differences among heads of people of different ages

• The simple bone structure of the head on the neck

• How to draw a variety of facial expressions ... Read more

Reviews (2)

walter foster publishing ruins what they touch
I held Andrew Loomis's books in the highest esteem. Then walter foster came along and decided to cut cost by publishing every third page and discarding everything in between. Think this statement is absurd! Compare Andrew Loomis's books BEFORE and AFTER walter foster got his hands on them.

A very, very good book!!!
"Drawing Heads" by Andrew Loomis is a very thorough and comprehensive book that has amazingly been crammed into under 70 pages.

There is no waste whatsoever in any of the pages. The illustrations are beautiful and it contains simplified, easy to understand approaches to drawing the head as well as basic anatomy and facial planes. Also contained are the proportions for small children, babies and teens.

It would have to be the best book on drawing the head i have come across and is at a bargain price. It is a "must have" for anyone serious about learning how to draw the head. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Every biology student knows Ernst Haeckel as the originator of the "Biogenetic Law": ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny. Haeckel was a passionate student of the evolutionary shaping of biological forms, and Art Forms in Nature captures both his artistic sensibility and the scientific rigor he applied to all his studies. First published in 1904, Art Forms in Nature is a glorification of function and form, a demonstration of organic symmetry that has nothing--and everything--to do with nature as it actually exists. Each plate exhibits organisms carefully arranged and exquisitely detailed, "a symbiosis between decorative sketches and descriptive observations of nature," as Olaf Breidbach states in his fascinating introductory text. The radiolarians, medusae, rotifers, bryozoans, and even frogs and turtles lovingly recreated here are gorgeous and self-explanatory, rendered in delicate, filigreed lines, and colored gently with muted green, delicate pink, and sepia. Art students will appreciate the designs found in nature--scientists will love the evolutionary statement of form inherent in the beauty. --Therese Littleton ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Excellent Haeckel Starter
This a a lovely book, though a bit on the lean side. It's a good sampler of Haeckel's work, the printing is well done with thick pages and a non gloss finish. Great for the coffee table or reference.

stunning
I'm not kidding when I say this book has changed my life. Visually stunning, unimaginably beautiful.

A most excellent book
The illustrations are awesome, there's a universe of beautiful complex lifeforms that are too small for us to see. The illustrations are all in color, unlike other versions of Ernst Haeckel's prints, and it also has lots of text in the front about Ernst Haeckel's work, an autobiographic timeline in the back etc... Unbelievable art ... Read more

Book Description

Todd Schorr grew up in the 1950s in a world populated by Revell models, MadMagazine, Mr. Peanut, and Mickey Mouse. These images fueled his artisticimagination, spawning vibrant, outlandish visions of Santa Claus and theEaster Bunny in a murderous pas de deux, hapless kiddies forced throughflaming hoops, a genocidal egg hunt, and all other manner of mayhem. Thisillustrated tour of Schorr's best work is like a Saturday morning cartooncreated by Hieronymous Bosch. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Dreamland indeed.
This is a beautiful book! Featuring super detailed work by one of the most talented artists of today, the photographs of Schorr's paintings are stunning, and the typography is set beautifully in this hardbound masterpiece. Absolutely amazing. Awesome coffee table book. A pleasure to read. Highly recommended. Rock on, Mr. Schorr!

Great Art
Todd Schorr is at his best. The book has his latest work from the last 7 or 8 years. The next best thing to seeing them in person is looking at it in this book. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Drawing for Dummies
Lee Hammond must be a remarkable teacher. Her book " Draw Real People " creates joy, confidence and insight into our own natural ability to to be creative. I would love to attend her class but I am a little further than a 'cut lunch' away. Best Regards...... Garth Crabb.

Excellent for beginners dedicated to improving
"Draw Real People" is one of the best art instruction books out there. Many art instruction books that teach you how to draw are too boring and difficult to follow, and the drawings aren't really all that interesting either. In Hammond's book she breaks down everything into simple steps. Hammond's techniques, gridding and shading, are so obvious that I wondered why I'd never thought of them before.

Throughout the book you'll find step-by-step instructions, exercises, examples of Hammond's own work and before and after drawings of her students. After implementing Hammond's technique, my drawing skills improved greatly. Instead of looking cartoonish and sketchy, they looked realistic and smooth. I was so thrilled with my progress that I went and got the rest of the "Discover Drawing" Series. I was bit disappointed, however, when I saw that half of each book was devoted to gridding and shading. They were the same exact things Hammond taught in "Draw Real People."

I recommend to beginners to only get two of Hammond's books: Draw Real People (good for portraits) and Draw Fashion Models (good for people, clothing, hair, etc.). Once you get a hang of gridding and shading you can basically draw anything, so there is no need, in my opinion, to get the rest of the "Discover Drawing" Series. All you'll need to do after that is practice.

Draw Real People
I am just getting back into my artwork after many years. Although I have always drawn many things I never thought I possessed the talent or ability to draw a realistic portrait. Whenever I would attempt it, the portrait would be a beautiful picture of someone, but NOT the person I was attempting to draw. I just could not seem to make it look life the person. When I followed Lee Hammond's method using the grid, my portrait came out not only realistic, but it looked exactly like my daughter. My friends and family were amazed by the exact likeness of the portrait. This was on my very first attempt. I would highly reccomend her book. I plan on getting seriously into portraits now. I cannot believe what I was able to accomplish through her instruction. I am definitely going to be purchasing more of her books.

Draw Real People
I am half way finished with the book. Gridding photograohs makes you break down the parts and shapes of the nose, mouth, eyes, and ears. It changes how you veiw subjects you see shapes and not the whole face. I found trying to draw the whole face very over whelming as a person getting back into drawing. The gridding process teaching you symetry and helps you draw individual features better on the face.

Excellent Drawing Guide
This book is the BEST drawing book I own. By following Lee's advice, which included her shading tecnique - it's easy, and makes your drawings look really good, and using circle stencils for the eyes so they look natural, I was able with some practice to draw some realistic looking faces and be told I am a good artist (and truly - I needed help!) Lee goes step by step with each part of the face, then teaches you how to draw an entire face with important facts to remember (like there is one eye width between the eyes). She included some drawings done by her students, and a couple of fun exersizes with scrambled bar graphs where you have to draw in each square how you see it in the right spot to see what the mystery picture is. If you are curious about drawing faces or wish you could draw better, get this book! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Pretty But I Didn't "Get" The Organization
If you are willing to just float along, Zen-like, with the way the material is presented, you'll be just fine. However, there appear to be no thematic groupings or progression of information in this book. There's working with white, then using a limited value range, then emphasising texture, then monochrome, then a focal point.

It would have been better if it started with how to handle to materials, then how to compose the work, then how to edit the image (simplifying the composition), then form, then color.

If you already know what you are doing, it's a nice book to flip through. If you feel discouraged because you think "it can't be done" when you are looking at some complex pattern in nature or a photo, just look at the illustrations. The artist can handle some pretty dicey things like complex foliage.

The desert scenes, I'd like to say, are yummy. Wonderful. I think that desert scenes are the illustrator's forte. If he or she did a book just on desert painting, I'd get it.

Great reference book, 72 lessons, excellent instruction
This is a great reference book for anyone interested in pastel painting. It has really helped me improve my pastel skills. It covers materials, color and techniques for every kind of nature subject.

Included are 72 different lessons. Each lesson covers a different topic. Some include handling a detail close up, painting all kinds of water, choosing a focal point, describing diverse textures, & underpainting.

Each lesson contains a color photograph & the artwork in various stages along with written step by step instructions. Some of the artwork subjects include clouds, sunsets, frozen landscapes, desert vistas, & autumn scenes.

Many animals covered include an elk, a swan, a monarch butterfly, & a robin's nest. Moreover, some plants studied include sunflowers, junipers, many trees, & cactus. Mountains, fields, rocks, & a cabin are covered as well. ... Read more

Book Description

Using picture after picture (and handwritten instructions, for a more intimate feel), Claudia Nice teaches artists how to use dots, fine lines, brush strokes, black & white and color-a mixture of mediums and techniques to create the gleaming transparency of glass, rolling surf and ocean waves, the warmth of brick and adobe, rainbows that glimmer, sunrises and sunsets that glow, dramatic wood grain, smoothed driftwood, foliage of distant trees, intricate leaf textures, the woven texture of basketry, lifelike animal hair and dozens of other textures!

Artists will learn how to use such diverse materials as technical pens, paint brushes, colored inks and liquid acrylics, along with ways to alter and combine ink and watercolor for exciting texturing effects. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Nice, but material is duplicated in another of her books...
This is an excellent book... IF you don't already own "Painting with Watercolor, Pen and Ink" by Claudia Nice. The material in this book is entirely duplicated in the "Painting with..." except for the last chaper called "Fur and Feathers".Please do not buy this book if you already own a copy of "Painting with Watercolor, Pen and Ink". I did and was disappointed that there was only one chapter of new material in this book.

Now, if you own the other book "Painting Nature in Pen & Ink with Watercolor" then I highly recommend this book as it has subject matter that was not covered in the "Painting Nature..." book.

If you don't own any of her books, then buy the "Painting with Watercolor Pen and Ink" ISBN 158180265X because it completely combines the material in both "Creating Textures..." and "Painting Nature..." books.

New title for this excellent book.
I recently checked this book out from the library and found it to be an excellent resource for me, a student new to these media. I enjoyed the book and decided to purchase it. Amazon lists the book as out of print. Indeed this title is out of print. However, don't despair. This book has been re-released under the new title "Painting with Watercolor, Pen and Ink."

Not what I expected or wanted
A better title would have been, "Creating Textures in Pen & Ink, Enhanced with Watercolor."75% of each texture comes down to "make a detailed ink drawing".The other 25% is enhancing that ink drawing with watercolor.The pen & ink predominates everywhere.If this is the style of drawing you desire (e.g., detailed drawings where pen&ink predominates), then you will probably give this book 4 to 5 stars.I was looking for watercolor texture techniques and was disapointed.

With that said, the drawings are very well executed and the instruction quality moderate.The author relies too heavily on step-by-step examples as a teaching tool.The addition of color greatly enhances the pen & ink drawings, with spectacular results.

Texture for illustration
The style of this book is of ink illustrations colored with watercolor.Very good resources to use as examples.I would call it more illustration than watercolor painting.If you like the style, it is a great resource.I keep it my library and pull it when I need it.Good for the well-seasoned beginner.

I love this book.
As a new botanical illustrator working in mostly in watercolor I have often found rendering realistic fine detail and texture a difficult and frustrating task. This marvelous book introduces the artist to a new approach that produces detail and textural effects that are both effective and fairly easy to achive.

The illustations are beautiful and the explanatory text is clear, to the point, and easy to follow. The book is well organized; starting with the various pen and ink methods and how they can be combined with watercolor techniques. This is followed by the demonstration of how these techniques can be applied to achive realistic rendering of multitudes of surface textures from apples to zebras and almost everything in between.. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Finally, a good cartooning book!
Most cartooning books are, quite frankly, crap. There are a very few exceptions, This book is one of them! Hart covers many aspects of cartooning, from coming up with jokes, to character design, to design tips. If you are learning to cartoon, or just want a few pointers from an expert, this is the book to read! Another excellent one is How To Draw Comics the Marvel Way. These two books should be on every cartoonist's shelf

A great nuts-and-bolts book about cartooning
If you're confident in your drawing abilities, but have little knowledge about the specifics of putting together a comic strip, this is the best book I've seen. When I decided to dabble in comic strips, I didn't care about how to draw them; I was more curious about character views, composition, what makes a scene funny, ballon placement, and timing. This book covers all that and more.

If your interested in the mechanics of what makes a comic funny, this book is a must-get. Those who know how to draw will get great advice on what makes a character look funny. If you don't know how to draw comics then get a different book that covers that topic...then buy this book.

Excellent book!
Very helpful book on the basics of creating comics. I needed a book that would take me from square one and show me the ropes. This did all that and more. I would definitely recommend this book!

Bleh
I wanted this book to be good. I really did. It had what I was looking for, info on the most important aspect of cartooning: the writing.But, unless you intend to create cliche, unoriginal cartoons, this book is not for you. Because that's all it does. It explains in detail the most common cartoon character stereotypes and how you should use them. it tells you what is normally done and tells you to do the same. cartooning is not about following paths that have already been followed. i enjoyed The Naked Cartoonist by Robert Mankoff, cartoon editor for the New Yorker. It explains the creative process in general.
Here's my advice: don't listen to advice from cartoonists who aren't even successful themselves. they clearly don't know what they're talking about.

Great book but not what I was looking for.
Well this book has it all. How to draw and come up with characters, how to layout out for comic panals. What and What not to do writing strips and doing the comic layout, etc. I'de say you have it all here. I was just hoping it would give more on writing scripts, but I guess there realy is no help guid it's just skill. ... Read more