Reviews (1)

Our heritage for sense of modern design
This book reminds Japanese our modern cultural history after the WW2. I realize that the modern design has enriched our daily life and kept us informed to revalue our cultural historyD ... Read more

Book Description

Rockport's Best of Brochure Design series is a perennial best seller worldwide. This eighth installment is not unlike its predecessors. It, too, looks at the latest of the best and the brightest brochures produced by leading designers around the world.

Brochure design is a very important and common area of design yet it often poses unique challenges for graphic designers. When stalled for ideas or grappling for a solution to a problem, designers routinely turn to their peers for advice and inspiration. This book is like having your peers at your desktop-inspiration and advice at your fingertips. It provides a wealth of ideas for choosing type, layout, photo treatments, and much more. It is a problem-solving, brainstorming, high-quality resource that is sure to spark the creativity in any reader.

It is little wonder that designers have come to rely upon and look forward the Best of Brochure Design series year after year. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"A is for Amy who fell down the stairs. B is for Basil assaulted by bears. C is for Clara who wasted away. D is for Desmond thrown out of a sleigh..." The rhyming couplets of this grim abecedarian are familiar, of course, to devotees of macabre humor, but the darkly crosshatched drawings are (as Poe put it) "the soul of the plot." Several years went by during which The Gashlycrumb Tinies: Or, After the Outing was not available in a small hardcover edition like this one, which is the true format for Edward Gorey's specialty, the adult picture book. (For those who wish to share the gloom there's a 10-copy assortment with The Curious Sofa.) ... Read more

Reviews (66)

"N is for Neville who died of ennui"
But you will not die of ennui if you open this book. It illustrates the misfortunes of 26 children with names A-Z to a ghoulishly humorous rhyme. The cover image of the umbrella wielding symbol of death and his doomed "tinies" is one of the most famous artwork out there; especially in the gothic world. Inside are drawings of the children before or after their sudden deaths. My favorite is "H is for Hector done in by a thug" with a drawing of an innocent schoolboy and two arms holding a long piece of cloth in the background. No doubt this scene was inspired by the barbaric cult that practiced ritual strangulation known as the "Thuggies." The most gruesome drawing is "K is for Kate who was struck with an axe" the rest are more witty than grisly. Like the title, this book is tiny in size as well but big on macabre humor!

DARK FUN
Edward Gorey's illustrations, those spindly, dark and often macabre etchings of pen and ink, are instantly evocative - they place you in a dark, vampire-ish Victorian-era place, where behind every curtain lurks another pair of hands with a scarf, ready to choke you. This truly inspired, and hilarious, collection of drawings and their accompanying poem, detail the ghastly deaths of 26 children, one by one, through the alphabet. Whether you are a fan of Gorey's large paperback compilations, or of his spectacular set designs (Dracula), or not, this book is strictly for those with a twisted sense of humor. And if yours is, you will love it. Since I first read this 20 years ago, friends still quote it - "A is for Amy who fell down the stairs...."

Drop-Dead Humor from A to Z
Edward Gorey's dark subversion of children's alphabet books is a tiny book guaranteed to bring a sinister smile to the face of every one with a twisted sense of humor. Opening with "A is for Amy who fell down the stairs" and running all the way to "Z is for Zilla who drank too much gin," the simple but inspired rhymes combine with Gorey's pseudo-Victorian Gothic crosshatch illustrations to wickedly funny effect.

Although his disaster-specific illustrations (such as "R is Rhoda consumed by a fire") are macabrely witty, Gorey is really at his best when he leaves the most to your imagination. Consequently, it is really his illustrations of impending doom ("P is for Prue trampled flat in a brawl") or the shocking aftermath of an unknown circumstance ("K is for Kate who was struck with an ax") that are most likely to inspire a mischievous grin.

Although you might not want to give this to your anxiety-prone niece or your traumatized stepson as a Christmas stocking stuffer unless you wish to make them worry about your intent, older children will likely find it every bit as comical as adults--but adults are the real audience here, much more likely to catch the drop-dead humor involved. Wickedly amusing and sinisterly charming in every way.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Cute and Creepy
This is for anyone with that sense of humor that most people just don't seem to get. A genuis dark twist on teaching the ABC's... very delightful.
~CS112_tih2

A cool little book
I'm so surprised to find this book here! I actually have this one! My cousin bought it for me, knowing my morbid sense of humor. It's pretty funny if you have my kind of humor. ... Read more

Book Description

Now 20 years old, Jim Henson's classic fantasy film The Dark Crystal--featuring the breathtaking concept design of renowned fantasy artist Brian Froud--is a soaring work of the imagination. This mystical adventure has such a huge cult following that when the film was recently re-released on video and DVD, it quickly sold a million copies. Just as remarkable is the cult status of The World of The Dark Crystal, Froud's book on the film. Originally published in 1982 and long out of print, this definitive volume--packed with brilliant artwork--has been in such demand that used copies can sell for well over $400.

Abrams is now proudly reissuing this sought-after book in a brand new collector's edition. This beautifully printed reproduction of the original volume contains all of its stunning art and text--plus a new essay by Froud, illustrated with never-before-published paintings, drawings, and sculptures from the film's archives. And this new edition features a facsimile of a 20-page booklet Froud and Henson created to present the film to backers--a gorgeous overview of the story so rare only a few copies are known to exist. This collector's edition of The World of The Dark Crystal, like the re-released film, will truly be a must-have for Henson and Froud fans. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Jim Henson's most unknown masterpiece!
This book is out of print and very hard to come by, hence its largely inflated "collector's" price, but well worth every penny! Much of the book contains the conceptual design artwork Brian Froud did for the Henson production "The Dark Crystal". Considered Henson's biggest box-office failure, it has gained much more appreciation in recent years since its recent DVD Release packed with extra features (which I also highly recommend). The World of the Dark Crystal contains the memoirs of Aughra, one of the film's main characters and follows her first-person account of what the world was like before the Crystal was shattered and the events leading up to its healing. Froud's dark and cryptic, yet elegant and beautifully mysterious, illustrations bring much depth and life to Aughra's story, and were carried over into memorable creatures seen in the film itself. Highly recommended for fans of The Dark Crystal, Henson puppetry, Froud artwork or just wonderful aestethically pleasing pictures.

World of the Dark Crystal Reprint
The Dark Crystal... one of the most beautiful films created by two of the most talented artists our culture has ever seen- Jim Henson and Brian Froud. I collect Froud's books, and receieved the orginal edition of The World of the Dark Crystal last year for my Winter Solstice gift. If you are a Froud or Dark Crystal collector, but you aren't quite obsessed enough to search for months for this book, and then pay [dollar amount] for it (coughcoughME)--- this book is your salvation! Not only is the artwork brighter, and the paper of better quality, but the new cover is stunning, it features a lovely new forward and the fascinating promo book in the back. However--- If you already own the orginal copy of this book, and are looking forward to the 15 new artworks that the new version promises, I must warn you: THERE IS NO NEW MATERIAL IN THIS BOOK ASIDE FROM THE PROMO BOOK. I don't know how this happened, especially since it says right in the jacket that there ARE 15 new artworks. There is work that wasn't in the book before in the forward, but the only image no one's ever seen is the photo of Jen and Kira. While the new book is certainly exquisite, I was disappointed at this. I don't regret having purchased the book, however- for I'm very adement in my Froud collecting and seek to own every bit of Froud merchandise that comes my way. :) :) :) I hope this was helpful to all of you! Blessed Be!

A rare beauty
I just happen to own the original 1985 copy of The Dark Crystal. To be honest I never knew it's value for content and that it went right out of print. I would say if you appreciate Brian Froud or if you are a collector, I would snatch up this book for it's Brian Foud artwork and it ability to only be in print a short time the second time around too

Wonderful, absolutely
I went to the San Diego comicon this year(first time ever and was suprised by the absense of trekkies.lol) and saw some older books with his designs stating that he had worked on Labyrinth and Dark Crystal which are my two fav movies... I had never known that he worked on them.
While I was walking around I spotted a huge booth with prints from the movies designs and this book.
I picked it up and was in awe, it is so awesome and the little add-in the back is great! He was there and I got it signed. Sooo happy!

Beautiful... Simply beautiful...
This covers every aspect of The World of the Dark Crystal.

The beggining of the book has beautiful artwork and explains how the Crystal was broken and how the skeksis came to be. The story itself is pretty short, but the sidenotes are great.

The sidenotes go into detail on the timelines, the meaning of the trines, the suns, the moons, the seoeration of the skeksis, everything. It even has an additional booklet in the back that depicts the origanal story and artwork.

If you love the Dark Crystal, this book should be high up on your list. ... Read more

Book Description

Renowned typographer and poet Robert Bringhurst brings clarity to the art of typography with this masterful style guide. Combining the practical, theoretical, and historical, this edition is completely updated, with a thorough exploration of the newest innovations in intelligent font technology, and is a must-have for graphic artists, editors, or anyone working with the printed page using digital or traditional methods. ... Read more

Reviews (50)

I can't remain in my profession without this book.
As a designer, I am always looking to hone my skills. I thought I was adept at setting type until I found this gem. Bringhurst's study of type covers the obvious to the arcane. Beautifully designed, it illustrates type and their families, page geometry, philosophies of design, and typesetting rules. Master Craftsman, Hermann Zapf (you know -- his faces are in your computer) said himself that "he wishes to see this book become the Typographers Bible". This book is a must for the writer, publisher, designer, and editor because it covers a multitude of topics and rules vital and common to each sector. This is the "Manual of Style" for typesetting. It requires us to think more carefully about the setting of words and its impact on writing: "Typography is to literature what musical performance is to composition -- full of endless opportunity for insight OR obtuseness." I recommend this for anyone even remotely interested in the artform of letters. I highly recommend it for writers considering designing their own books.

Only five stars?
How can I possibly only give this work five stars? Robert Bringhurst's "Elements of Typographic Style" is more than a list of prescriptions. It is a definitive reference which explores the history behind typography, and uses that history to explain in its clear, lucid way why rules exist. Where the antiquated rules have no practical basis, Bringhurst is quick to dispell their necessity - but he neither dismisses them nor rejects them.

The visual beauty of this book is apparent upon opening it - it is a model of all it preaches. It addresses ongoing issues of basic formatting and page shaping, but also modern needs such as setting more than one language in one text - including those that read right to left (e.g., Arabic scripts). The simple yet elegant writing style makes reading this work a pleasure in itself. Anyone who deals with type - and this now means most everyone - should read this book; its advice is complementary, or even superior, to a style manual.

The Amazon editorial above lays out its sections, and as that shows, the book covers the full breadth of modern typography and page composition.

I strongly recommend this book. It is an honour to read it.

One of the Few Really Fine Works on Classic Typography
Along with the later book by James Felici, called "The Complete Manual of Typography" from Adobe Press, Bringhurst's book is a landmark work in English for any level of typgographic study.
Read it slowly and carefully for all the nuggets he leaves in a trail for us to follow. An amazing, brilliant effort no graphic design person should omit from his or her typographic education.

The book to own
If you were allowed only one book on typography, it should be this one. Bringhurst is a poet. He loves language, written language, and all its parts. That love comes through in the text and the visual presentation of every page.

Bringhurst advocates a subdued typographic style. This makes good sense in the vast majority of cases, since typography is the servant of the text that it carries. Like any good servant, it should be unobtrusive, well dressed, and competent to handle every task it is given, quietly and promptly. Bringhurst demonstrates nearly everything he says, starting first with this book itself.

The book is a beautiful artifact, with an elegant and informative page layout. Body text, side- and foot-notes, references, running titles, and more - they all fit together well on the page. Each kind of information is set off only slightly, but clearly and predictably. The content is well organized: prose in the early chapters, reference material in the later chapters and appendices, and all the intermediates in the middle of the book. Diagrams and tables are minimalist and communicative.

The text spans centuries, from ancient Egyptian page layouts to the rationale behind Unicode. Bringhurst is passionate about typography's history, and insists that it inform every modern decision about print and printing. He embraces the new just as much, and is careful to note the strengths and weaknesses of each typographic technology.

Bringhurst discusses far too many topics to touch on here. In every case, though, he brings his poet's sense to all of the writing, using witty, descriptive language for even the most mundane of technical issues. The one weakness I saw was in the geometry of page layouts. I like his mathematical rigor and esthetic practicality. Still, I think that the number of different constructions was more a tribute to what can be done than to what serves a real need.

This is the best, most complete text I know on book design. As Bringhurst points out, there are lots of other uses for type than books, but he chose books as his subject - I have no problem with that limitation. The only problem I saw, and not really a problem with the book itself, is its subtlety. The nuances (well, most of the nuances) he discusses are important. Beginners, however, may not see the significance of small matters. Once a reader's eye it tuned to the fine detail, however, this book is the most helpful I know.

An anal examination of type.
If you are into fonts in a big way you'll like this book. If you design fine books you'll enjoy it. Much on history. The section equating musical scales seemed insane to me. The derivations of the names of the fonts (obscure mythological or operatic characters) is interesting but useless. Most of the book is useless to me at this point in my design career. I'm looking for something more concrete. Something that compares the legibility and usability of various fonts or gives examples of why a designer would choose one font over another for which type of job. I was looking, perhaps, for a discussion on the relative merits of slab serifs vs. other types of serifs, or x-height and usability, or think and thin strokes on serif type. I just finished reading "The Elements of Graphic Design" by Alex W. White which, for me, was much more instructive, giving me concrete reasons for using various styles. Not to say I didn't learn something. The section on analphabetic characters was enlightening as was the comparison of different fonts that really aren't what they seem to be (two entirely different fonts named Garamond). I now know that when people speak about the relative excellence of Garamond they probably don't know what they are talking about. Two stars may seem low but I think people here generally overrate things. I didn't find it very readable either. Still I'd like to have it in my library, good reference on rare occasions. If you are a font fanatic, go for it. ... Read more

Book Description

In celebration of its 65th anniversary, the House of Ideas proudly presents a timeless testament to another true Marvel visionary! Best known as the first artist to bring Spider-Man to life in the pages of Amazing Fantasy, Steve Ditko illustrated Amazing Spider-Man for four years - helping create characters such as Doctor Octopus, the Lizard, the Vulture, and dozens more of Spider-Man's classic villains. In contrast to the grounded realism of Spider-Man, Ditko also drew the adventures of Doctor Strange, a master of the mystic arts who defended Earth's citizens from bizarre otherworldly threats. Now, this deluxe keepsake edition collects his greatest moments.Stories from Tales To Astonish #26, 42; Strange Tales #94, 97, 110, 115, 126-127; 146; Amazing Adult Fantasy #7, 10, 12-13; Amazing Spider-Man #1, 31-33, Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1; Hulk #6, 249; Tales Of Suspence #48, Daredevil #162; MSHS, Speedball #1. ... Read more

Book Description

The team behind the blockbuster animated hit Ice Age --Twentieth Century Fox, Blue Sky Studios, and Academy Award®-winning director Chris Wedge -- joined forces with acclaimed children's author William Joyce to create another visually magnificent, animated classic in Robots. Conceptualized by this stellar creative team and voiced by stars such as Ewan McGregor, Halle Berry, Mel Brooks, Stanley Tucci, Greg Kinnear, and Amanda Bynes, Robots is a magical contribution to the art of animation. Here to celebrate the film is The Art of Robots, offering a sneak peek at the early visual developmental stages of the film. Featuring the spectacular concept art created by the team at Blue Sky Studios and by producer and production designer William Joyce, this innovative and imaginative book is an exclusive backstage pass to the hidden animation artistry behind Robots. ... Read more

Book Description

The Guild Handbook of Scientific Illustration, Second Edition
Sponsored by the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators and written by top illustrators, scientists, and industry experts, The Guild Handbook of Scientific Illustration, Second Edition is an indispensable reference guide for anyone who produces, assigns, or simply appreciates scientific illustration.
Offering broad coverage and more than 620 outstanding illustrations, this new edition offers up-to-date coverage on all aspects of this specialized field, from illustrating molecules and 3D modeling to important material and advice on copyright and contractual concerns, as well as establishing a freelance business.
With step-by-step instructions, in-depth coverage of illustrative techniques and related tools, and helpful advice on the day-to-day business of scientific illustrating, it is easy to see why scientific illustrators refer to this book as their "bible." ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The definitive reference for scientific illustration
Since its first edition this book has been by far the best single resource available for anyone with a serious interest in scientific, medical, biological, nature, botanical, or wildlife illustration.

Don't be daunted by the price - this book is worth far more than the next 10 competing books combined. I've been a professional medical and scientific illustrator for 35 years, and I own hundreds of books on the subject, but I think this single volume should be the foundation of any reference library on visual communication in the biomedical sciences.

There is no greater guide to Scientific Illustration . . .
ELaine Hodges' "The Guild Handbook to Scientific Illustration" is truly a landmark as a reference and the finest on my shelf -- and I cannot count the times I've sought it since 1989 out either to clarify a client's request or as a refresher for some obscure technique (carbon dust, for example) . . .

Even though the book is quite expensive even by reference standards (twice its price of 1989), I would purchase it again without hesitation. Truly, there is no question of hand technique that is left unanswered . . .

If that were not enough, the volume weighs over two kilos and could also prove a formidable weapon . . .

The book is the final word in scientific illustration
Over and over in my work I found myself referring back to this encyclopedic manual. A must for all those in the field of scientific illustration, and a huge help for graphic artists and illustrators in general.

Most authoritative single book in the World in the subject!
The most extensive coverage of media and subject matter for use in creating science art. For use by practicing illustrators. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Squarely between art and science
Josef Albers was the Johannes Kepler of color. Kepler spent his life observing planetary motion, and distilling his observations down to simple laws of gravity. Change planets to color, and gravity to human vision, and you have Josef Albers. This book describes the gravitational laws of color. It has the whiff of simple perfection: you can't change one word without diminishing it. It is the bible of color interaction, and will remain so until an Isaac Newton comes along and explains these laws further.

In the rare book collection, I had a look at the first edition, from 1963. It's this enormous book with lots of colored paper and plates for you to experiment with. I really wish it were still in print... I'd buy it at once.

Interact without Color
How can someone put this title on a book and then exclude color examples? To really appreciate what Albers is trying to tell you, you must have examples to lay side-by-side and this paperback does not facilitate that. So I went to the public library to examine the hardback edition, all 20+ pounds of it. And guess what. The text is without examples. But there is a collection of colored paper appendicies that you can use to follow his examples. So buy the paperback and get a package of assorted colored paper and you may succeed in comprehending what Albers is trying to tell us.

He apparently spent his entire career thinking about this subject and he has insights that are very valuable. Unfortunately his writing style reminded me of a few philosophy classes I slept through in college. You have to work very hard to capture the flavor of all of his thinking and observations. If I am pesistent and frequently consume small portions, maybe in time I will feast on his experience.

Magnificent study of Colors
This is a book for everyone who like to dive into the wonderful world of colors. Josef revealed and explained almost all cases of color study. If you've read the books of Newton or Goethe. Josef will be the one of creating color theories and setting the pace for different art-form(s) in this 20th century. Bravo... it does show you what is the Presence of Absence.

helpful, but original Hardcover was better
Having experienced the original hardcover version, and having been given the task of going through the excersizes given in the book, the softcover version is useful, but not nearly as comprehensive and in depth as the original hardcopy.
Still a worthwhle read from a master theorist!
Better than a good read is to get a hold of a packet of Colored Paper and replicate some of the assignments in the book. Best way to learn.

Libro de ejercicios practicos
Para conocer la iteracción de los colores es imprescindible la práctica y una buena práctca es este libro; nos lleva mas allá de la teoría del color ubicandonos en la experimentación visual del color por el color mismo. Excelente para cualquier nivel de conocimiento. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Worth every penny! A must have for anyone who renders
This book takes perspective to another level. I have been taught perspective before with 1, 2, and/ or 3 vanishing points, so I thought that I knew what I was doing. But sometimes I just had to eyeball some of the perspective in my drawings, because objects would look too distorted. This book showed me what I was doing (and taught at art school) that was acceptable but not perfect. Within the first few pages, I easily learned the correct rules to doing perspective from a floor plan at any point of view that I choose. I am a graphic designer for retail interiors and "Perspective for Interior Designers" has made my life so much easier. It's very easy to understand and follow...a must have!

simple to follow, down to the point
For any one who loves perspective drawings rather than CADs, this book, small, simple, straight forward, not redundant at all, gives you many methods and tips for perspective drawings starting with principles and then building some extras. if you follow it to the end, you might not need any other []book. it might need some more effort on producing a second edition, as the examples are really old but they serve the purpose anyway, but you kind of feel that it is not from our time that's all, still it is highly recommended.

Stop struggling
This book's truly great, easy to understand, walking you through lots of examples with graphics that make sense. As an interior design student in my 3rd year, no instructor has thus far been able to teach 2-point perspectives, and the handouts copied from other textbooks were even more confusing. Pile's book is like a breath of fresh air-- walking you through examples (how to place floor plan in relation to drawing, etc.), how to draw circles in perspective, plan perspective, 2-point perspectives, 1-point, it's all here in the simplest, easiest to understand version I've come across. I recommend the book to all my friends at college. Buy this book would be doing yourself a really big favor if you need to draw perspectives.

A life saver
I am an Interior Designer in SAudi Arabia and was asked to teach a drawing class on short notice. No problem! What I didn't realize was Perspectives were part of the course. I went book shopping. In Saudi Arabia that is no easy ordeal, besides there are so many realy bad perspective books out there. Anyway I had an old copy of "Perspective for Interior Designers" and guess what? It is still the best and easiest book out there! It's straight to the point. It is great for beginners. It takes you step by step through constructing a complete One Point, and Two Point Perspective. It also deals with trouble points, such as stairs, ellipses, cones etc... Great Book! Could not have taught the class without it. I ordered this book as an official text book for the " Foundations of Drawing IDES 1303" Class. Two thumbs up.

Very Helpful
Although I have had some background in perspective drawing there are alway situations that may trip me up. I like the way this book demonstrates these concepts from a basic viewpoint without being condescending or overly technical. I have used it to successfully teach perpective drawing to interior design students who had no previous experience. I think this book is useful as well to budding illustrators and artists. ... Read more

Book Description

A superb reference book and an ideal instructional textbook for classroom use, this beautifully illustrated guide is organized into units that reflect required courses at leading design colleges. Twenty step-by-step exercises cover methods of finding inspiration, developing observation techniques, and creating fashion drawings in both color and black-and-white media. Separate sections are devoted to getting started and understanding figure proportions, planning and designing garments, and creating and assessing flat specification drawings. The book also features cross-references to its various art instruction techniques, a designer’s glossary, and a helpful index. This book guides students through their first steps in fashion illustration, covering everything that is presented in the best college-level courses. It makes a fine starting point for all students of fashion, introducing them to fashion drawing as a first step toward a career as a creative costumier. More than 250 illustrations in color and black and white. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

a real course in fashion design
Unlike other fashion design books, the authors do not teach figure drawing and clothing. They start out with a visit to a museum where you need to gather information, then find a theme and make four sketches. The individual lessons build upon each other so that the beginner can easily follow. The authors require you to be active, go out and find your sources of information and inspiration. You learn to do what fashion designers do: look at architecture and find ideas for a new fashion line, look at flowers and find a color scheme, etc.
The book has 24 lessons that lead the student of fashion design from the first sketch to the fashion show. It's a good book if you are looking for a guided course that helps you to improve and evaluate your designs.

Important principles of fashion illustration
The book mentions the main and the important principles of fashion illustration, how to use colors and more. ... Read more

Book Description

Every business needs a logo-the mark that tells consumers who they are and what service they provide. Designers are responsible for creating this mark. It's an extremely difficult task, especially when you consider that most designers select from the same pool of existing fonts and/or images to create a "unique" identity for their client.

This book-a hands-on guide to the entire logo-making process-combines an enjoyable visual approach with extensive, industry-tested information. It puts the tools of innovative logo making into the hands of designers, giving them the expertise and inspiration they need to create their own lettering and art for truly unique logo design.

They'll learn how to:
*develop a discerning eye for quality lettering and logo design
*create innovative logo design both traditionally and on the computer
*create custom-made fonts for use in logo design
*build a profitable business with logo design work

With the tips and instruction in this book, designers will no longer have to rely on pre-existing typefaces or clip art to design competitive logos-now they can do it all themselves. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

An excellent book about logos and typography
As a college instructor who teaches a variety of graphic design classes, I am always on the outlook for another book for inspiration and supplemental material for lectures. I have quite a decent number of books about typography in my personal library, but since getting a copy of Cabarga's book, I would count it as the best of the best. I am enthralled that I have found some good background on what exactly goes into designing fonts and lettering by hand. I also found the information about Fontographer extremely helpful. I would recommend this title to designers and design students and instructors.

Five Stars and more...
I predict the Logo Font & Lettering Bible: A Comprehensive Guide to the Design, Construction and Usage of Alphabets and Symbols by Leslie Cabarga will become a classic for the graphic artist, designer and signer.

The publisher is hyping this book as a Logo book. Their pitch says: "This book-a hands-on guide to the entire logo-making process-combines an enjoyable visual approach with extensive, industry-tested information." And all that's true. However I wonder if the writers for How Design Books have ever done lettering or desinged a logo. I don't think so by the level of excitement in their releases.

No, this is not all together about just logos, fonts and lettering; this is about the very soul of an art, a design discipline, and a fine craft. This is about the way creative people think and react to visual stimuli. This is about the most visually exciting and inspiring book for graphic designers to come along in long, long time. In fact, I cannot remember any that really come close.

BRAVO, Leslie, my JMU Typography students will LOVE this one -- and I know it's one they'll really use just because it's so much fun!

If you don't buy this book, you'll be missing something very important.

Fred Showker, Design-Bookshelf.com

An excellent work
I normally don't buy many books dealing with art but the title caught my eye. This book is excellent. I've been a typographer and letterer for over half my life and I wish I had something like this 20 years ago. It covers many aspects of good logo design as well as using and modifying a font for a design. In my opinion the best part is when Mr. Cabarga goes into some detail about designing and creating your own font. This is an idea that I have been toying with for sometime and now that I have read this book I have a lot of ideas on how to get started. I couldn't recommend this book enough.

A Really Wonderful Type Book
I'm a typography nut and a college design instructor. I love older, more traditional approaches to typography and am always wary of many newer books that think of type as the simple digital byproduct of computer keystrokes. Here's a book that makes the important connection between real typography and the digital world.

Once you get past the awful cover of this otherwise incredible book, you'll find an exploration of type and letterforms that draws from history and explores numerous aspects of type in a whimsical and entertaining way. This is one of those rare books that lets the design talk about design and shows good and bad examples as well as successful rule-breaking. The tone is light and entertaining, and the author doesn't prattle on with formal, intellectual approaches.

The book covers how to see type, how to work with type, how to create type, what is (and isn't) a logo, and also shares works by great typographers like Michael Doret and others.

While typography is not on everyone's list of most entertaining subjects, this book is as fun as it is educational. I'm recommending it to all my students at the Art Institute and can't see how any designer would fail to both enjoy it and benefit from it. If you buy one type book, this is the one.

Inspiring & Educational
I bought this book immediately after seeing it! It is one of the best books I have seen on Logos & lettering because not only does it illustrate logos, but he tells you why it works or doesn't. This book delves into creating your own type and explains how to do it, using Illustrator or Fontographer. I am in a typography class now and this book will certainly help me finish the semester and in my career as a graphic artist. If you only buy one book on logo design--this is it! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Grushkin Great
This is absolutely the most comprehensive collection of poster art celebrating rock n' roll. Whether thumbing thru and glancing at the artwork, or carefully reading the history behind each piece, it is a thoroughly enjoyable book. DON'T buy the paperback version of the book, as the images are a great deal smaller, and not near as magnificent as the hardcover edition.

A must for all fans of the 60's!
This is a great book showing the evolution of art in the rock & roll world from the 50's on.Obviously this was a painstaking task,putting all these together and it was worth it.It's a must have for the S.F. Fillmore era poster art alone.

don't bother straining your eyes.....
be aware that this TINY book is not much bigger than a book of matches. a true rip off.
save your money for a real rock book.this book is a joke.

can you say zero stars
I was unaware this "book" is only 4x5 inches.Kind of defeats the purpose of looking at posters.
Man, what a rip off. The type on some of the "posters" is so small,that you will need a magnifing glass to read what band it is for.
Don't waste your money

herculean effort
get the large , hardcover one if you can. i got it at a book store for like 14 bucks, they had plenty of excess copies. while i personally don't care for much punk rock, there are hundreds of wonderful , creative, and beautiful posters from the real golden age of rock- 1965 to about 1971 or so. a bad band from that period would be better than most so called good groups today. i mean, limp bizkit. what the hell is that b.s.? grushkin is to be commended for a great job assembling this tome. ... Read more

Book Description

This fourth book in David E. Carter's perennially best-selling Big Book of Logos series is the largest yet!Now expanded to 400 pages of content, The Big Book of Logos 4 shows what is new and interesting in the world of logo design, providing endless inspiration for graphic designers in the critical 'idea-generating' stage. From over 11,000 logos submitted by the top design firms in the country, Carter has selected 2,500 of the very best to feature here. Many of the designs featured are show in use -- as appearing in uniforms, signage, packaging, and other applications -- as well as in stand-along imagery. Showcasing an impressive variety of logo styles and techniques, The Big Book of Logos 4 is another indispensable reference for every graphic designer’s shelf.

Book Description

Capturing the lively and dynamic nature of the history of furniture—with a focus on innovation and change (the key moments and connections in the evolution of style)—this book combines coverage of early periods and later periods in one comprehensive, authoritative volume. Features an abundance of illustrations with detailed captions.Ancient and Classical. Middle Ages. Renaissance and Baroque. Eighteenth Century. Neoclassical. Victorian Historic. Victorian Modern. Arts and Crafts. Modern Moments. Art Nouveau and Art Deco. European Modernism. Industrial Design. Postwar Modern. The Office. A Round 2000.For Interior Designers, Architects, Historic Preservationists, Museum Curators, Modern Dealers, Gallery Operators. ... Read more

Book Description

Henri Matisse's ancestors had been weavers for generations: textiles, a key to his visual imagination, were in his blood. Although he was to outgrow every other influence, textiles retained their power for him throughout his life. His studio in Nice was a treasure house of exotic Persian carpets, delicate Arab embroideries, richly hued African wall hangings, and any number of colorful cushions, curtains, costumes, patterned screens, and backcloths.

This sumptuously illustrated book, which accompanies a groundbreaking exhibition at the Musée Matisse, Le Cateau-Cambrésis; the Royal Academy of Arts, London; and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, explores for the first time Matisse's relationship with the textiles that surrounded him from his earliest days. Charting how the fabrics he painted became the very fabric of his painting, the authors examine the ways in which one of the greatest pioneers in modern art history used what he called his "working library" of textiles to furnish, order, and compose his extraordinary works of art. AUTHOR BIO: Ann Dumas is an independent exhibition curator. Jack Flam is professor of art and art history at Brooklyn College and New York University's Institute of Fine Arts. Rémi Labrusse is professor of contemporary art history at the Université de Picardie, Amiens. Hilary Spurling is working on the second volume of a biography of Matisse. Dominique Szymusiak is director of the Musée Matisse, Le Cateau-Cambrésis. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Breathtaking paintings, sketches, and art objects
The collaborative publishing project of art historians and expeters Ann Dumas, Jack Flam, Remi Labrusse, and Hilary Spurling, Matisse: His Art And His Textiles is a stunning, full-color artbook showcasing how Henri Matisse, an artist descended from weavers, was influenced by his personal collection of vivid textiles - Persian carpets, Arab embroideries, African wall hangings, cushions, curtains, patterned screens, backcloths and more. Over 100 of Matisse's artworks along with numerous colorful fabrics, displayed as the catalogue of an exhibition at the Musee Matisse, the Royal Academy of Arts in London, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The text explores the connection that Matisse had to beautiful textile works, though the latter half of Matisse: His Art And His Textiles is devoted entirely to breathtaking paintings, sketches, and art objects. An enthusiastically recommended addition to library collections and art shelves.

GLORIOUS ILLUSTRATIONS AND EXCELLENT SCHOLARSHIP

What does the name "Matisse" bring to mind?For most, it would probably be the fact that he was a great artist, perhaps some would think of his use of color, the Fauvist movement, or perhaps his cut-outs, works that marked his late career.Textiles, fabrics would probably notcome to many minds.Now, this sumptuous volume published to accompany an exhibit that traveled to France, Britain, and New York sheds light on how very important these elements were to Matisse personally and to his oeuvre.

Matisse's unique visionwas astounding.In addition to his paintings, he sculpted, illustrated books, and designed sets for Diaghilev.Born in the north of France, which is the core of that country's textile industry, Matisse was exposed early on to the beauty of fabrics.. For many generations his family had been weavers, perhaps his love of textiles came to him naturally.It's been said that he was particularly attracted to Islamic art, the intricate patterns and colors that arrested the eye.What is known is that his Nice studio held a veritable trove of exotic carpets, embroideries, wall hangings, and all manner of brilliantly colored cushions and curtains.

His use of textiles is evident in his paintings in which he uses fabric as a backdrop or simply to drape a model.It was, indeed, part and parcel of his art.Consider the use of fabric in his "Purple Robe and Anemones" - there is, of course, the purple striped robe worn by his model but also the two wall coverings in golds, red, blue.Amazing.Or, consider his "Interior, Flowers, and Parakeets," in which we find the table covered by a colorful, intricately patterned runner above a diamond patterned ruby rug.

Many of the fabrics on display in the exhibit and brought to vibrant life in this marvelous volume have been stored away since Matisse's death in 1954."Matisse, His Art, and His Textiles, " in addition to being superbly illustrated, explores the relationship of Matisse'sfabrics to his paintings, and thus adds considerably to our knowledge and appreciation of one of the forerunners of modern art.

- Gail Cooke
... Read more

Book Description

• Assuming no prior MATLAB experience, this clear, easy-to-read book walks readers through the ins and outs of this powerful software for technical computing
• Generously illustrated through computer screen shots and step-by-step tutorials that are applied in the areas of mathematics, science, and engineering
• Clearly shows how MATLAB is used in science and engineering

Reviews (1)

very good book for begineers
If you do not know anything about MATLAB, this is the book you should have at the first step. It teaches you every basic steps and how to apply them to real engineering or mathematical problems in an interactive environment. It has very good screen shots and real world problems to show how to use MATLAB. It reinforces the concepts with quality exercise questions. It is very easy to read and understand. It is absolutely a beginner book not for an advance user. ... Read more

Book Description

For 50 years, Playboy magazine has showcased the world's best and brightest cartoonists. Their spectacular stable of artists includes luminaries such as Buck Brown, Jack Cole, Eldon Dedini, Jules Feiffer, Shel Silverstein, Doug Sneyd, Gahan Wilson, and hundreds of others. Hip subversives and sly revolutionaries all, Playboy's artists have continually proffered a sophisticated brand of humor sorely missing in other men’s magazines. Now, Playboy celebrates its golden anniversary with this glorious collection of the finest and funniest cartoons. Handpicked by Hugh M. Hefner himself, the pages are filled with the distillation of the entire cartoon archive, offering insightful commentary on topics from the sexual revolution to relationships, money, and politics. More than 450 cartoons feature sweet young things, terrible tarts, winsome wives, suitors, and studs -- a riotous chronicle of five decades of Playboy cartoons. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Fifty years of fun.
It's nice to see a book of coffee-table proportions just devoted to cartoons, well why not? Previous Playboy books have covered the history of the magazine, the delightful Playmates and now the cartoons. The 450 plus illustrations are the work of 107 cartoonists and if you are a regular reader of the magazine you'll see your favorites. Gahan Wilson has the most (thirty-two) followed by regulars like Eldon Dedini, John Demsey, Alden Erikson, Kiraz, Roy Raymonde, Doug Sneyd (he of the flamboyant signature, which I was never able to decipher until now) Erich Sokol and between these, dozens of great artists who have maybe one or two works each. The humor might not be the wonderful ironic style of the New Yorker but it is amazing how many fresh takes can be created with the bachelor lifestyle.

This is a handsomely produced book, printed on thick glossy paper which, nicely, allows you to really appreciate just how good some of these artists are. My favorite, Jack Davis, unfortunately only has four shown, Richard Taylor has a super picture on page ten, an art gallery where he has created several Picasso type paintings, Doug Sneyd, Phil Interlandi and Dedini are all brilliant draughtsmen and Shel Silverstein can create so much with so little line and color.

However I was a bit disappointed with this book, as another reviewer has commented, there is no indication of when the cartoons appeared and I wish the publishers had gone the extra mile and perhaps devoted some space throughout the pages for a photo and biography of the regulars, some of these guys have been with Playboy for years. Someone though, at least, did have the foresight to compile an Artists index and a useful Order of appearance list, both of which are in the back pages.

Clearly a wonderful book for the bedside table if your date didn't turn up, try laughing yourself to sleep.

Not enough Yeagle !!!!
I enjoyed seeing the work of some of my favorite cartoon
artist...together in one book. Some I had forgotten about.
It cetainly must have been difficult to narrow down the
selection with so many great cartoons over the years.
However, I was disappointed not to see more of one of my
very favorites.....Dean Yeagle. There is one cartoon of his
in the book...and it is also on the cover...the showgirls
and earrings cartoon.
Mr.Yeagle does excellent work....just check out his website..
www.bellefree.com.....His Mandy pinup girl is adorable!
I would love to see an all Dean Yeagle book published !!!!!!

nice book, but...
First of all this book is printed on excellent paper & is well done except for one thing. there is no way to tell what year the cartoons are from. They should have had chapters. 1950`s 1960`s ect so you know what era they are from ... Read more

Book Description

Read the Prose.Study the illustrations.And apply what you have learned to design your own pages.It's easy with Basics of Design; Typography and Layout for Beginners!This heavily illustrated, compact guide is ideal for readers with no graphic design or art education background who need to create first-rate visual page designs.Entrepreneurs challenged with designing their own business cards, and administrative assistants suddenly put in charge of producing newsletters and fax cover pages, are just two examples of readers who benefit from the information in this primer.Its uniquely conversational tone - combined with numerous "before" and "after" illustrations- provides everything needed to design pages as effective as those of professional designers.Part One introduces readers to important design principles, as well as how to use color and images to add impact to designs.Part Two concentrates on the basics of typography.Part Three features a number of common design projects of the variety frequently assigned to non-designers (.., company business cards, fax cover letters, graphical and statistical reports, and more).To further aid readers, each project is accompanied by a brief listing of some of the special considerations involved in that type of visual page design.The final chapter of the book lists useful design books and resources for readers interested in advancing their typography and layout skills. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Coherent and Accessible
A friend of mine recommended this book as a solid introduction to graphic design. The author, Lisa Graham, covers the principles of design effectively and even throws in some unexpectedly funny explanations that really make the point. For example, the beginning of the Balance chapter is hilarious and made me realize that a page really can make a person feel weird, if it isn't designed using the design principles. Once I read that balance chapter, I realized that many of her illustrations also were surprisingly humerous, and reveals what must be a delightful sense of humor.

If you buy this book, keep in mind that the humor is used to support the points Graham makes, and is not the sole focus of the book. This is after all a design book and makes some serious and informative points.

Perhaps what is most effective about this book is the thorough explanations she gives on why a design works and why it doesn't work. This is a refreshing change from many other introductory design books that I looked at where the primary focus of the text seemed to be to show off pretty pictures. Pretty pictures are nice, but WHY do the designs work? WHY don't they work. Basics of Design tells you why, and in such a wonderfully understandable way that you remember, and easily apply what Graham teaches.

Good job Lisa. When are you going to write more books on graphic design? I'll be sure to keep an eye out for more of your work!

Excellent for Beginners
Having wasted much time looking through a number of other books supposedly covering the same subject, this book is a welcome relief.

This book covers in adequate detail the essentials and the basic principles of design, including emphasis, contrast, balance, alignment, repetition, flow, the use of images, color, typography, etc. It gives enough explanation with examples for one to get a good grounding on the subject, without getting too technical, keeping the book highly readable. A part of the book also focuses on specific design situations, including logos, flyers, newsletters, resumes, etc.

Perfect for anyone with no formal training in design, but would like to improve his/her understanding of design.

Absolutely Wonderful
I am a complete dunce at design (or at least I was). Whatever the optical equivalent to a "tin ear" is, I have it. In this book Ms. Graham gives step-by-step simple and yet logical and practical instruction on how to make one's designs both attractive and effective. Her writing style often made me feel as if I were being given advice by a "friend in the design business." I began using the principles that she teaches in my web pages and flyer designs before I was even half-way through the book. The improvements that I saw in my abilities were amazing.

This book has (the basics of) everything: typography, contrast, color, flow, emphasis, etc. Most of the books I had examined prior to finding this little gem were nothing more than over-sized "picture books" with writing in the margins, I couldn't bring myself to spend the money on so little information (but they sure were pretty). This book, on the other hand, is mostly text with small, well-selected illustrations, and at the end of every chapter the author gives several "case-studies" of the current topic and walks the reader through each one.

I cannot imagine a better book for someone new to design.

Easy to Understand
This book makes it easy to understand typography and layout. The author gives the reader a good grounding in typography and the basic principles of design, making it easy to improve your own designs and pages. Her explanations makes it a lot easier to pick the right type to go with the image and the topic. My designs have improved after reading this book. ... Read more

Book Description

This book provides comprehensive, up-to-the-minute coverage of today's digital tools from scanners to sophisticated software for preparation of artwork to film and plates for printing. A broad overview of the reproduction process introduces the many other integral variables as they relate to production. Topics such as camera-ready and computer-ready art, pagination, color reproduction, hardware and software, press technology, work flow issues, output and service bureaus, on-demand technology and the latest applications of media technology are discussed and placed into this logical approach to prepress processes. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

usefull but outdated
expected:
an up to date explanation of the digital prepress process, tools and applications in simple terms.

got:
an outdate but thorough explanation of digital prepress written like a stereo manual. Alot of things were left unexplained and the writing was repetitive due to the "poket guide" style i suppose.
While i did learn some tips and got some detail (sometimes much more than i needed) the material is needs alot of updating. Some areas were better written and fully explained than others and the use of diagrams and tables was OK but they did not tie in well with the text..they would just appear.

One other BIG complaint is the horrible quality of the diagrams and the fact that they were all in black and white/greyscale. How can you try to explain color processing and printing using black and white diagrams?

Bottom line:
may make a good quick reference for older processes, but does not do a great job at emplaining some important stuff.
The author needs to update the material and GET COLOR into the book, even if it's just some pages with color plates. also he needs to use a better drawing program to illustrate points, b/c it looks like he used MS Word's drawing tools.

All what you need to know
I started a graphic design Department out of my love for design and printing, but I had no knowledge of the "REAL" Graphic Art Business until I read this Book. It has all the information you need starting from working your files on the computer, how to save them, problems encountered with saving files in the wrong format, as well as information on AM and FM screening, dot gain, banding, exposure,... and all the information one needs to know about the business and ART of Digital printing. If you are a biginner or a professional, this book will satisfy you since it has all the answers to your "UNASWERED" questions. It will guide you through all the process as well as the "SECRETS" of Prepress. This is a MUST READ AND HAVE BOOK.

Good, but now outdated
This was a great book for the time it was written [1996], but is now pretty much outdated. Worth picking up to get some background on the early history of PostScript and imagesetting, but for a greater understanding look for more current sources.

It covers virtually every aspect of digital prepress process
A compact yet weighty volume covering virtually every aspect of the digital prepress process. The author provides an historical base for the latest technologies. This authoritative work, written by renowned expert Frank Romano, provides a clear and understandable treatment of the technology applied to each step in the prepress process. ... Read more