Book Description

Process Recess collects the art of James Jean. From his travelogue-sketchbooks of Vienna, London, New York, LA and Taiwan to his finished illustrations and paintings, we get to see a side of the artist that most have not seen. James's artwork blends media such as watercolor, oils, computer work, and sketching - all of which is collected here in a beautiful hardcover format. ... Read more

Book Description

Craig Fraser's Cheap Tricks & Special F/X is the most comprehensive and up-to-date how-to handbook on automotive airbrushing and Kustom graphics you'll ever want to own! With a range of topics from basic layout and simple fades to the most advanced airbrush effects used by the industry experts today. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A very good book!
I've never airbrushed before I got this book, but I feel like I have a head-start after reading it. It explains things very well, like the may types of automotive paint, and demonstrates the use of stencils and freehand sheilds. He even has a computer that he can make designs with! I always thought everything was done freehand. He also explains and demonstrates how to highlight and very effective use of shading and shadows. He even shows how to do a carbon fiber effect. Very cool! I highly recommend this book. Thanks!

Imagination peaker
This book is one of the best. It motivates a person to paint-paint-paint. This book has great tips, illustrations, directions and good common-sense.

Cheap Tricks for Cheap!!!
This is one of the best books of it's kind! I absolutely love this book! I've been a fan of Craig Fraser and Jon Kosmoski for years, and they(mostly Craig) have done a wonderful job compiling information and demonstrating various techniques in the field of automotive airbrushing. Though focused mainly on the automotive genre, these techniques can be used in any field of airbrushing!! Craig is one of a kind, and he has been a tremendous mentor to many, and a terrific teacher to "airheads" everywhere. For the price of the book, you will get priceless information! It's well written, informative, and loaded with the coolest tips and tricks!!!

Craig Fraser's Automotive Cheap Tricks & Special F/X
Excellent book! Well worth the money (all the pages are nice glossy paper). This book is extremely useful and comprehensive. The photos and layout are done well, with clear numbering and descriptions. An excellent book for the novice or pro. Another useful addition is the use of a materials list for complex and invovled projects. There are to many projects to list, but some of them include, a full-sized truck graphic layout, torn metal effects, chrome effects, and nebula demostrations. This book is one of the better automotive painting books around. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

More than Creative Low-Budget Design
This book is a great marketing resource. The thinking behind the examples is what is really inspiring. The book goes beyond being a useful guide and idea resource. It demonstrates how to get results and think creatively whatever your budget.

I've worked in both for-profit and non-profit organizations and Mary Pretzer's book has been a great help for projects in both situations.

Creative Low-Budget Publication Design goes on my list of marketing classics.

The bearable lightness of nickeling-and-diming
The nine sections of CREATIVE LOW-BUDGET PUBLICATION DESIGN show high-impact graphics cutting costs with clip art and on-hand photos, imaginative grids and typefaces, and one- or two-color ink printing. What it comes down to on any budget is readability, with easy-to-relate-to centers of attention, designs, and moods. On a shoestring, it also helps to proofread early against corrective reprints and to minimize design and paper expenses, the latter of which can be 50 percent of all costs.

I especially like Mary Pretzer's information on color. Black elegantly organizes while a second color accents. Also, two colors together can create the illusion of a third color, known as the adjacency factor.

Excellent evidence backs each budget measure, and the do-it-yourself section example of a coffee stain scanned for background art proves great ideas can be inexpensive. With a good index and well-explained terms, the book gets along with Val Adkins' CREATIVE BROCHURES & BOOKLETS, Poppy Evans' THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO ECO-FRIENDLY DESIGN, Steven Heller's NEWSLETTERS NOW, and Rita and Roberta Street's CREATIVE NEWSLETTERS & ANNUAL REPORTS. Anyone interested in desktop publishing, graphic arts, marketing or just painlessly learning something new should walk away a happy camper. ... Read more

Book Description

For designers working in every medium, layout is arguable the most basic and most important element. Effective layout is essential to communication and enables the end user to not only be drawn in with an innovative design but to digest information easily.

Making and Breaking the Grid is a comprehensive layout design workshop that assumes that to effectively break the rules of grid-based design one must first understand those rules and see them applied to real-world projects.

Text reveals top designers' work in process and rationale. Projects with similar characteristics are linked through a simple notational system that encourages exploration and comparison of structure ideas. Also included are historical overviews that summarize the development of layout concepts, both grid-based and non-grid based, in modern design practice. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A great book on handling type and layout
This is a developed look at handling type and page (surface) layout in a simple-yet-abstract way. Using grids and ideas presented in this book (with some practise), the learning designer can begin to utilise elements once thought as simple and static in ways which add dynamism to your layouts.

For a designer such as myself, a fan of Swiss and Bauhaus, simplicity, directness, Making and Breaking the Grid is a book full of idea and potential. Although not radical per se, it is a concise look at one of the most powerful aspects of communication design out there, in my opinion. Definitely worth a look.

A good supplement
As the title implies, Samara's work teaches how to both successfully apply and trash the grid system in design. In this sense, the book is quite unique, as most texts of the same topic do not put focus on the latter approach.

I found the pictorial examples of both applications to be more useful than the text itself, and keep the book around for graphic inspiration rather than an informative read.

If you are a designer, this is a good book to take a serious look at, but I would only purchase it after reading Josef Muller-Brockmann's outstanding Grid Systems in Graphic Design.

Extremely helpful
My friend designer bought this book couple of months ago. Suddenly I noticed that I can't help myself looking into that book again and again. So, despite having it not far away, I decided to buy another instance for myself.
The book covers the grid theory and usage almost perfectly. If you're engaged in brochure or booklet design, you'll find this book full of ideas and extremely helpful, no matter whether you just start with it or you have been practicing brochure design for years.

finally a book show me how to crate and use a grid
i have seen so many books talk about grid,
most of them are too dry, either only have the imagry or just the grid itself,
this is the book would totally show me how is the grid being create, use and how the break it when it comes to layout.
check it out!

Great for inspiring designers
This book is great for young inspiring designers to use as a learning tool and reference book. It shows how to make a grid system work and how to modify different styles of grids to a designers particular needs. The book is less in content and more focusing on showing images of the grid at work. This is a must have book and the price is well worth it. ... Read more

Book Description

From Laundry List to Strategic Business Tool

Peter L. Phillips Reveals the Secrets Behind Successful Design Briefs

The design brief has finally been de-mystified! Once considered a simple set of directions that was handed down to the designer by a disengaged manager, it has evolved into a multi-lateral, strategic business tool. The creation of these super briefs is the subject of a new book by author Peter L. Phillips entitled "Creating the Perfect Design Brief: How to Manage Design for Strategic Advantage." The first title to analyze the secrets of successful design briefs and their management, this book successfully and comprehensively outlines a document, a process, and a discipline that places strategic thinking and objectivity at the core of a relevant design project or program—using words, concepts, and criteria every business manager will understand and appreciate. Published by Allworth Press with the Design Management Institute, Phillips’ book is a critical tool not only for designers and design managers, but for marketing, marketing communications, and engineering managers involved in a design project.

Many organizations still view design merely as a decorative service function and overlook its vast potential as a core, strategic business resource. The design brief can help designers and managers change that perception by making each stakeholder part of the creation process. Creating the Perfect Design Brief covers all the essential elements of the brief: assembling the team; developing the design brief; project overview; category review; target audience review; company portfolio, business objectives; phases; scope, time line, and budget; and research data. Designers and design managers will learn how to:

• Rethink design, and design management as a strategic process
• Establish mutually valuable relationships with the design brief team
• Receive substantial and timely input from upper management
• Create a design brief that can deal with changes
• Use the design brief in project tracking and as a tool to measure return on investment. ... Read more

Book Description

A combined book-and-DVD package, Freewave is a sourcebook of freeware for the cut-and-paste generation and a showcase of graphic design talent. The disc contains the complete makeup of the book, including fonts, layouts, photographs, and illustrations, as well as pieces of interactive software, animations, and sound loops. All the content supplied can be reused without restriction for printed material, websites, software, or presentation. AUTHOR BIO: David Luscombe, designer and developer of Freewave, cofounded Fontmonster, an Internet company that offers free fonts, in 1999. Alison Rosco is project manager and researcher of Freewave. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The Art Quilt
Beautiful color plates. If you are an artist or quilter who prefers to emphasize color and design, then this book is invaluable for ideas and inspiration. Highly recommend for your library.

Tremendously inspiring - gorgeous photography
I'm a weekend quilter - and love working with rich color. This is not only a coffee-table beautiful book but it inspires creative ideas far beyond normal quilting. You don't have to be a quilter to enjoy - the art is wonderful. And if you do quilt, this will inspire you to all sorts of radically new ideas.

Recommended for needlecraft students, quilters & collectors.
Robert Shaw draws upon his impressive expertise to celebrate the traditional bed quilt as a needlecraft art form that is a creative, emotional, example of "form following function". His insightful text traces the transformation of the quilt from bed cover to display piece, the quilter from homemaker to academically trained artist, the workshop from kitchen to studio, and the materials from simple to complex. The Art Quilt is superb survey of an art form grounded in tradition and, at the same time, committed to originality and innovation. The works of such superb contemporary quilters as Michael James, Yvonne Porcella, Julia Pfaff, Nancy Crow, and more than two hundred others, serve to illustrate the quilt as art -- and the art of the quilt. The Art Quilt is enhanced with 300 full-color reproductions and numerous insightful sidebars of important technical processes and leaders int he art quilt field. The Art Quilt is highly recommended reading for needlecraft students, quilters, collectors, and popular culture enthusiasts.

Incredible quitls, great gift
From the moment I set eyes on this book I knew I had to have it. The quilts are totally incredible. The skill of these quiltmakers & the detail they obtain is astonishing. They are true artists. It is a great value.

The abstract quilts combine color, pattern & shape so beautifully it takes your breath away. Surface techniques such as dyeing, painting, applique & embroidery make these quilts remarkable works of art.

Some of my favorite quilts include a nude pregnant woman & two quilts depicting Noah & his ark. I enjoyed a few scenes with vases & another made as a memorial to the artist's parents. I also fell in love with the many landscape quilts.

The text is fascinating, discussing the history behind quiltmaking & the techniques used to make these beautiful quilts. The captions are great, explaining the methods used to make the quilt as well as the artist inspiration.

good book
Was a very informative book on quilts, but was puzzeled by the caption on page 56 of the quilt titled Hank Williams. I don't believe the idea of the artist intended for it to be catagorized in pop art. Maybe a quote from the artist would be appropriate or a way to contact the artist about her view. Did the artists in the book have to sign a release for use of their quilts? ... Read more

Book Description

This book contains negotiation tactics and thirty-three forms designers need in every-day business, including: Estimate for Client, Preliminary Budget and Schedule; Proposal Form; Job Sheet; Production Schedule; Estimate Request for Suppliers; Contract with Illustrator/Photographer/Printer/Sales Representative; Merchandising Agreement; Release Forms; Permission to Use Copyrighted Work; and much more. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

It's a $29.95 Lawyer!!
Our small graphic design firm had been relying on the legal forms and contracts from this book for about one year. Finally, we decided that perhaps we ought to visit with a lawyer to make sure we were doing it right...$560.00 later for an initial consultation, we realized that this $29.95 book was the best business investment we'd ever made! The lawyer confirmed that the contracts that we had been using were airtight and were great (he had a few other pointers...but, none worth $560.00).

We have had many comments from our clients that over all the creative teams they'd worked with over the years, our design firm had surpassed them all in business professionalism. If you are serious about running a firm, or just want to protect yourself, you really can't go wrong with this book! Such a small investment for such a large return!

Buy it, you won't be sorry.
This book has EVERYTHING you need ... and then some. When you think you're not going to need one of the forms in this book, you later realize that YOU DO! As a freelance artist, using these forms made me feel as though clients noticed that they were dealing with a real professional. Absolutely a great investment.

Useful Guide
While I probably won't use too many of these forms directly out of the book (or off the included CD), I find every form filled with helpful tools and ideas. Since purchasing this book, I have used a number of the forms just a guides for creating my own.
While I can understand that people might be disappointed that the forms included on the CD use fonts that not everyone has, as a designer, I would strongly recommend that you get those fonts anyway. If you are serious about being a successful graphic designer, you can't rely on the default fonts that come with your computer (besides, Helvetica is a great and well-crafted font).

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the business side of graphic design, or anyone who is interested in covering their behind (protection from those eventualities such as uncooperative clients).

A good investment
There are many books that contain legal forms for graphic designers but the reason why I enjoy these types of books from "Business and Legal Forms" is the fact that it does come with a CD and that you can fix the forms up to your liking.

It's one thing to use copies from this book or any book but more than likely you want to change something, omit something or add something to the forms and thus this is where this book provides convenience.

This book offers forms for graphic and web designers as well. Definitely a good investment.

Great forms! No fonts.
I agree with other reviewers that the CD-ROM could use some help. My computer didnt have any of the fonts used with the forms which has caused me major problems trying to get the forms to print out as they look in the book. The fonts should have been included. Otherwise, the forms themselves have incredible potential. ... Read more

Book Description

6 3/4 x 10 North American Distribution graphic design Whether you're a start-up business or an experienced owner, The Graphic Designer's Guide to Pricing, Estimating & Budgeting, Revised Edition, provides a one-stop source of indispensable, innovative methods for achieving productivity and profitability in every area of a graphic design business. This brand-new and completely updated edition offers practical guidelines for setting rates, dealing with clients' budgets, preparing an estimate, and establishing profitability. Readers will also discover step-by-step strategies for pricing on the Internet, negotiating effective pricing with clients, and developing options to traditional pricing. Plus, the easy-to-read sidebars throughout this valuable guide offer dozens of creative, resourceful success tips for running a top-notch business. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Most of the book is not about pricing and estimating
The title doesn't really describe this book. Two of the 14 chapters pertain to pricing and estimates, but don't expect a GAG PEG-style list of suggested numbers. In fact, actual fees are seldom mentioned.

This book mostly covers the business of graphic design, from hiring to self promo to client relations. If you're getting the Creative Business newsletter, you're already getting this information. If not, this is a practical guide. Williams is experienced, and her advice makes good sense. Her writing style is casual, and the book is a quick read.

Great business resource, carefuly written
Of all the books in my business/design library, I think this one has proven to be the most valuable. While I am not quite to the point where I can reasonably charge some of the prices that Theo recommends, I still feel like this book is a great resource for much of the business of design. If anything, I think this book does a good job of building confidence in pricing and business as a whole. The writing style is very smooth and easy to follow, and her personal accounts help tie in real-world experiences to justify her recommendations.
Theo Williams also does a pretty good job of covering a broader sense of project management and client relations, though not in too great of detail (which is okay, as that is not the point of the book). The end of the book provides us with some rough business forms (invoices, estimates, etc.) which I also found greatly helpful.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a better grasp on how to go about figuring out prices for design projects. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Imaginative and Thought-Provoking
Trying to describe this book is difficult, so I'll just start by saying it is WONDERFUL. It's imaginative, thought-provoking, whimsical, intense and unique; if you're hesitating about buying it, be assured that it is well worth the money. On a practical level, it's just packed with fascinating drawings, a full color "map" on most pages, and many double-page color spreads. They range from ancient carvings to wild modern art by people like Adolf Wolfli to computer-generated maps of air routes across Great Britain (which look a bit like Jackson Pollock paintings!) Each map is worth an afternoon of contemplation: maps of heaven and hell, maps of Gilligan's Island, maps of the world seen through the eyes of a New Yorker (or a Californian), two maps (one for a woman's heart, one for a man's) with "Obstacles and Entrances Clearly Marked." Maps of the digestive system and of phrenology systems, roadmaps to success or despair, missionary maps from the 19th century, and lots of maps from famous books such as Gulliver's Travels. Just think of the word "map" as a metaphor for our desire to "locate" ourselves in an interior as well as an exterior way and you'll get the gist of this book. It's really delightful, and you can go back to it again and again. You'll see new details and find new things to think about each time you do. ... Read more

Book Description

Published to accompany a major international touring exhibition, this stunning, lavishly illustrated book is the first global examination of the Arts and Crafts Movement, one of the most far-reaching and influential design movements of modern times. Emerging in Britain in the late 19th century and quickly adapted in America and Europe, the movement has given us some of the most recognizable and popular architecture, art, and decorative arts ever created, including work by Gustav Stickley, Frank Lloyd Wright, Walter Crane, C.F.A Voysey, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Josef Hoffmann, and Georg Jensen. Today, Arts and Crafts furniture, textiles, glassware, metalwork, and other objects remain widely admired and avidly collected.

With beautiful photographs and authoritative texts written by a team of experts, this is the first major study to cover such a wide geographical range and to present the Japanese Mingei (folkcraft) movement within the international context of Arts and Crafts. Additional chapters on photography, architecture, and gardens contribute to a wider understanding of this much-loved style. AUTHOR BIO: Karen Livingstone is a research fellow at the V&A. She contributed to Design and the Decorative Arts: Britain 1500-1900. Linda Parry is an expert on William Morris. She curated the highly successful V&A exhibition on William Morris in 1995 and edited the accompanying Abrams book, William Morris. Parry is deputy keeper of the Furniture, Textiles and Fashion Department at the V&A. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great book
I am a Graphic Design student in Kansas City. Finding anyone to teach you marker rendering is impossible, yet the field demands you have this talent. This book is a great start. I've looked all over for good books on this subject and they are rare. The book is in FULL color, with plenty of exercises. He also tells you the exact marker he used in each drawing, to keep u on track. And works through all perspective problems. It's inspiring just flipping through the pages. However, it still demands practice and discipline, but with this book it will help. If you've been scared of marker rendering, start with this book, it will get u on your feet.

This is a great learning tool.
I had been looking for a book on marker rendering for some time. I researched many and checked them out before purchasing this one. This book is great for "how to" learning. The author shows the steps in three sequences from your black line drawing to fully colored using Prismacolor pens. I highly recommend this book if you look at drawings and wonder-How did they get that effect? I have always been afraid of markers and I just did my first presentation with them and felt great! ... Read more

Book Description

"Textile Designs is a dazzling, informative fabric encyclopedia ofarchival beauty. It is a necessary tool for the fashion industry, schools, and libraries."

—Women's Wear Daily

"An iconography of textile motifs and a vocabulary of pattern. . . . Highlyrecommended." —Choice

Never before have printed textiles been celebrated in a book of this magnitude. Now inpaperback, Textile Designs is the indispensable sourcebook for the colorful patternedmaterials that have been used in fashion and interiors for the past 200 years. Organizednot chronologically or geographically but by motif—Floral, Geometric, Conversational,Ethnic, and Art Movements and Period Styles—this bible of textile design presents astunning cross-section of the materials of everyday life: printed calicos and cottons,flowered cretonnes and chintzes, polka-dot silks and foulards. With its informative textand pattern names provided not only in English but also in French, German, Italian,Spanish, and Japanese, this is a must-have for everyone interested in color and pattern. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

textile designs
hi my name is Cevahir I am studying Cyprus International university. My departmen is fashion and textile design. I need this book(textile designers) I want buy it so I wonder how much can I take and how can I take
thanks

Textile Designs: Two Hundred Years...
This book is crammed with designs in every conceivable category. It is a must for anyone studying textile or surface design.

THE ONE WHO KNOWS THE VALUE OF ARTS
I AM HAPPY THAT THE COST OF SUCH VALUABLE BOOK IS REASONABLE AND MANY PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD CAN GET A BENEFIT OF THAT. NABEEL NIMRI.

Magic Carpet Ride
TEXTILE DESIGNS provides the reader with more than just a visual smorgasbord. That alone would warrant owning this beautiful book. The depicted designs, limned clearly is vibrant color, can be returned to again and again for both inspiration and delectation. In addition, the accompanying commentary deeply impresses me with its scholarliness. The book is scholarly in the sense of reflecting much research and thoughtful distillation of material. It is also witty, trenchant, and amusing in the manner in which facts are presented. And facts there are aplenty. Tracking the history of textile design carries us through the spread of French, British, Dutch and Russian colonialism. It takes us on a tour of Art Nouveau and Art Deco. Leaf through the book on a randon basis, and you will find nuggets of information that throw light on subjects as disparate as the origin of the myth of the cornucopia; the relative cost of a fine paisley shawl in early nineteenth England (as much as a London townhouse); or the connections between the slave trade and the textile industries of France and England. Indeed, reading this book is like taking a ride on a magic textile-design carpet, darting and swooping from one aspect of the human story to another...but maintaining a unique perspective based on a deep appreciation of the link between decorative design and its cultural and historical context. This book is a must-buy not only for those who seek aesthetic visual delights, but for individuals who are intrigued by the web of socio-economic connections generated by the textile industry during the past two centuries.

I highly recommend this product.
I designed and printed my own engagement announcements and wedding invitations using patterns from TEXTILE DESIGNS DIGITAL: FLORAL. They came out beautifully!! Not only did it save printing costs, but it was a lot of fun for my fiance and I to create them together. We have also used the CD-ROM designs to make note cards, birthday greetings, post cards, and gift wrap paper, resulting in many compliments. I highly recommend this product. It contains many beautiful patterns. ... Read more

Book Description

Acclaimed botanical artist Bente Starcke King shows artists of all levels how to create artful and soulful illustrations of tulips, irises, rose hips, echinacea and more. Taking readers step-by-step through proven techniques for capturing this popular subject matter, Beautiful Botanicals:

*Provides numerous tips and 19 demonstrations for all the most popular mediums, including watercolor, pencil, pen and ink, ink wash and mixed media (watercolor with colored pencil or ink).

*Draws even casual readers in with striking, colorful illustrations set against white backgrounds.

*Appeals to fine artists, decorative painters and even garden enthusiasts with clear instruction and plentiful demonstrations.

The book also covers such practical topics as cleaning, along with signing and framing one's artwork, and it includes interesting stories and facts about the flowers and plants presented. It's a must-have for any nature or art lover! ... Read more

Book Description

"Every Room Tells a Story" offers the most interesting and provocative interiors published to date in the first 12 issues of the widely acclaimed shelter magazine, "nest". Called, among other things, "Homes and Gardens for the decadent and deranged" ("Wallpaper"), the special chemistry of Nest brings it all under one roof: not only David Mlinaric's interiors for the Rothschild home at Waddesdon Manor, Gabhan O'Keeffe's redecoration of Sao Schlumberger's Paris apartment, a recreation of Louis Comfort Tiffany's lost designs for the White House Blue Room, but also an Inuit igloo, the tents of Tibetan nomads, a U.S. Navy nuclear submarine, and women's prison cells. And because process is as interesting as result, "nest" Editor in Chief and Art Director Joseph Holtzman takes readers behind the scenes and shares the way his unique features are hatched and achieve adulthood. The book includes photography and text by more than 50 "nest" contributors, as well as examples of design projects commissioned by "nest": a flipbook by Matt Groening, a flocked wallpaper by Rosemarie Trockel, a chair by Tom Sachs, and a textile by Todd Oldham. "Every Room Tells a Story" will be a must for all fans of the magazine, and will also introduce its one-of-a-kind sensibility to the uninitiated.

"Every issue of Nest invites you to think about the world we live in and not just the glut of commodities it has for sale" --Gary Indiana

"Production values are lush, care is given to text; coyness and correctitude are nowhere to be found. It's got guts, an eye, and a pulse." --"Artforum"

"Nest represents an aggressive deliberate throwback to content, modulated with a perfectly honed, contemporary pitch. The breadth of Nest's scanning is overwhelming."--Rem Koolhaas

"Nest is one of those fine crucial labors of love which in a better world we'd find in the pouches on the back of airplane seats, and in every hotel room like the Gideon bible." --Jonathan Lethem

"I subscribe to 92 magazines a month, and I always open Nest first."--John Waters

Edited by Joseph Holtzman. Introduction by Matthew Stadler. Text by Carl Skoggard. Contributions by: Laurie Simmons, Nan Goldin, Todd Oldham, Rosemarie Trockel, Tom Sachs, David Mlinaric, Gabhan O'Keeffe, Diane Cook, Tina Barney, Nathaniel Goldberg, Richard Tuttle, Julian Schnabel, Matt Groening, Nayland Blake, Richard Barnes, Nicolas Reynard, Muriel Spark, Michael Cunningham, Julia Alvarez, Garouste & Bonetti, Carlo Mollino, Rei Kawakubo, Andree Putman, and others.

150 color and 50 b&w.
9.75 x 12 in. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Nest helped me to appreciate both jails and castles
Having been lucky enough to spend one week in a "deep-South" county jail for hitch hiking on expressways (back in the 70's) ... then released with no charge! I loved the Nest article on the cells. I bought Nest for our guests in Chateau-Bois-Briand because of its sophistication and originality. Most of our guests are "road-warriors" and "trouble-shooters" who enjoy reading this kind of books, sipping a Cognac next to the fire-place in a 600-years old castle.
Viewpoints and pictures are so unusual that you never get bored. Nest is a reference. This is why I would advise to buy it, either as a magazine or as a book like this one. You will never throw it away.

Displeased
Had Amazon allowed me to preview even a single page from inside the book, I never would have bought it. A curiosity, a novelty, a cultural speciman, it may be. But as far removed from helpful or even interesting as one can get.

A disappointment
Poorly designed, nothing more than reprints of selected pages from each issue. If Nest is going to do a book, I want to see a "Nest"-y type book featuring the same wit and creativity that characterizes the magazine, not some self-congratulatory, half-baked reprint. Buy the back issues instead, don't waste your money.

Every Room Tells a Story: Tales from ... Nest Magazine
Holtzman is the John Waters of interior design: ironic, iconoclastic, an impresario of the outrageous. His publication is die-cut and drilled (I thought Grant Mudford was going to punch him out for piercing his images when the two met at an LA reception for nest) but never dull. This editor has progressed far beyond conventional notions of good taste, juxtaposing stately homes and prison cells, trailers and Carlo MollinoÕs Turin apartment in a surreal collision of styles. As a minimalist I put down this book with a shudderÑthe riotous excess brought on an attack of claustrophobiaÑbut others may love it. (Michael Webb is the book reviewer for LA Architect magazine.)

I recommend this book very highly
Nest has been a true godsend in the otherwise discouraging world of disposable-vehicle-for-consumption magazines. Not only does nest have more visual appeal than the slickest of fashion or design magazines, it also has content: articles ranging from the scholarly to the surreal, but always well-written; photography by the likes of nan goldin and richard barnes. Anyone who is interested in architecture, design, photography, or simply the peculiarities of human behavior- in fact, anyone who is interested in anything at all- would enjoy reading nest.
For those who don't know the magazine, this book is a great introduction to the first twelve issues. And for those who are already fans or even devotees, the book provides wonderful insights into the design and editorial process of the magazine's creators. It also contains material from the first issue, which is impossible to find used.
This book will inform, educate, entertain and astonish you. I cannot recommend it highly enough. ... Read more

Book Description

In celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Ryman Program for Young Artists, The Ryman-Carroll Foundation is proud to present a book of extraordinary insight into the magical worlds of Disney and its quintessential artist Herbert Dickens Ryman.

A Brush with Disney is the story in 252 pages of color illustrations of artist Herbert Ryman's personal journeys around the world and through the "world of Walt".

Told through the marvelous illustrations of the artist and his own personal notes and thoughts on a 50-year journey, this rare compilation (many never-before-seen works) is edited by Bruce Gordon and David Mumford, with research by Irene Naoum. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

herbert ryman painting
i have a herbert ryman oil painting that i would like to sell if you are interested please call robert (562)435-4833

Not enough Disney
I hate to sound like an ingrate writing this review: Herb Ryman has done some great illustrations. Unfortunately, this book spends too much time showcasing Herb Ryman's non-Disney art--which is pretty mediocre--and not enough space showcasing his Disney work. The highlight of the book--Ryman's first illustration of the soon-to-be-built Disneyland--is spread across two pages, but the page break makes it nearly impossible to decipher what's in the middle of the drawing. (It should have perhaps been on a fold-out, or at least on a single, uninterrupted page.) Other great illustrations, especially early renderings of Tomorrowland, are printed in extremely small 3" images, making them very hard to read. All in all, I'd say don't bother with this book. Ryman's best drawings are already showcased in many other books.

Not so much for Disney historians...
As a general book about the person Herb Ryman, it is very pretty and well made, and deserves 5 stars.
But as a source of info for the Disney historian, all I can say is: get the public library near you to buy a copy.
Personally, I feel I should have waited to buy it until I had the chance to have a look at the contents... [added later:] I would have bought it, anyway.

A Must Have
I will admit that it was strange at first reading this in the first person (I was under the impression that Mr. Ryman had passed away some time ago....If I'm mistaken...Sorry!). Other than that, the book was great.

I think the general public doesn't give a thought to the fact that Imagineers are highly trained/skilled artists. This book really demonstrates this nicely. Who better than Herb Ryman as an example of the fine artistry Disney has cultivated over the years.

Don't expect to see lots of pictures of Mickey and Disney stuff. Sure, it's there, but the book focusses on Ryman, as it should. We can see why Herb was great at his job with Disney because of the wealth of life experiences he had and therefore painted.

Good stuff. Great book!

This book doesn't disappoint
Here's a book that in no way disappoints. If you like Disney art--and who doesn't?--this book is full of it. But more than that, it's the story of a master artist, who not only traveled the world, recording what he saw in words, drawings and paintings, but also worked with Walt Disney and his team of core artists during key formative periods of the development of animated features, Disneyland, Epcot and the other theme parks. It is apparent that Herbert Ryman played a significant role in the success of several Disney enterprises. But perhaps more importantly, he dedicated his life to art, and the results are easy to see in his works. And, for those of us involved in making art, the icing on the cake is the wisdom he offers from his lifetime of diligent work and study. It's a compelling story presented in a beautifully prouced book. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great book and a lot of text
Hi all. I draw as a hobby and have been drawing since I was a about 10. I took drawing classes before, but when I look at my previous artwork, they really don't have the "realism" that I wanted, i.e. they look too much like cartoons. I wandered around and tried looking for some books to teach me how to obtained that photo-realistic quality with a pencil.

Flipping through this book, my jaw dropped in amazement at the examples in this book. Near the end, the illustrations of zoo animals (tigers, horses, etc) were so life-like! The artist really know how to shade. I instantly brought the book.

Let me tell you, this book is very complex and loaded with information. There are lots of text for an art book. First, the book goes over the basics of shapes and different shades of pencil lead (from hard 6H to very soft 8B, the "#2 pencil" is near the middle). Then we go over shading. The book is primarily focusing on different shading and strokes techniques in order to get that "life-like" realism in your drawing. In my personal experience, trying to obtain that level takes many hours and many practice. If you are the type who gives up easily, then this book isn't for you. Nobody said drawing is easy. Or, if you are only interested in drawing nice line-arts (and letting a computer do the rest), then this book is NOT for you as well. However, if you want to draw to the highest realism with just a pencil, then this book is worth considering.

I should also mention that a small chapter is devoted to color pencils (whereas the rest, or 90% of the book, is on graphite pencil), but I haven't bother with color yet.

Good book for beginners!
Any beginner to drawing with pencil should and eventually will come across this book. Save yourself the trouble and get this book now for you drawing library. You will learn something from it!

Good starting fundamentals
I like this book as it covers most of the basic topics in pencil drawing. As compared to other books for beginners, this book gives sufficient guidelines and examples. The only concern I have is that the examples are not very "real", not "live" enough. After all, I would recommend this book to beginners in pencil drawing. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It isn't easy finding a job these days and for those working in the creative fields like graphic design, illustration, photography, filmmaking, and music, a digital portfolio is just the shiny object you need to catch the attention of a prospective employer. But you can't just slap a few files on a CD and call it a night. As Cynthia Baron points out in Designing a Digital Portfolio--a thorough guide to digital portfolios--your first impression is critical and good preparation will pay off.

The books begins with soul-searching: what work are you hoping to get, who's your audience, what style of presentation should you choose, and what technology--Zip, CD, DVD? Effective portfolios from various fields are analyzed, for example, one for an industrial designer or a flash animation artist. If you happen to do both or are otherwise a jack-of-all-trades, Baron outlines your strategy for targeting your audience and deciding how to focus your presentation.

There're several great chapters on prepping your work, collecting it (do you have your process materials, like pencil sketches?), digitizing the non-digital and cleaning it up (like stitching together scans or effective cropping), nitty-gritty items like optimizing and encoding (crucial if you don't want your future boss frustrated by large files), and dealing with that neglected cousin of the visually creative: good written content.

Next, the book considers delivery (for example, Web versus a portable portfolio on CD or DVD), a presentation metaphor (for example, gallery or diary), and the navigational master plan. The chapter on copyrights and attribution are worth the cover price alone. (For example, do you know who owns the artwork you just created for that latest brochure? Do you know how to present a large project on which you worked as part of a team?)

Throughout the book, Baron profiles some stellar examples of digital portfolios, most of which are viewable online, for example, illustrator Michael Bartalos's Web site at bartalos.com. And the appendices offer even more resources to help and inspire you. --Angelynn Grant ... Read more

Reviews (2)

One of the Best Books on the Topic
This is one of the best books on its topic that I have ever seen. From the title, I expected to find advice on preparing images for the screen, how to put them on a CD or DVD, etc. Those things are there, but the book begins in a logical place that I wouldnÕt have considered. BrownÕs approach is truly holistic.

Check out page 23 for the first page of a three-page self assessment check list. It has you evaluate your professional strengths and weaknesses, goals and personality.

Chapter 3 asks you a bunch of questions to help you identify who your audience really is and focus on them.

The rest of the book covers various digital formats, how to organize your work, how to get images of 3D and oversized work into your portfolio, including choosing a camera and setting up for shooting.

Ms. Brown covers editing your images to remove the most common problems, such as moirŽ, sharpening needs, bad crops, etc. And ... she devotes a section to creating written content to accompany your stunning images, telling you how to write to that audience you defined earlier.

She explains the differences between a monitor screen and a printed page. You need to know that to design the correct interface for your portfolio. She also has a full chapter devoted to marketing and copyright issues.

The entire book is scattered with quotes (in friendly green type) from experts and those who have gone before you. The quotes tell you what agencies are looking for in a portfolio, how others have found success at this, what things you can do to streamline the process, etc.

The definitive resource
For several months I searched for an appropriate textbook for a course that I was developing. Several days prior to the deadline for the course outline, "Designing a Digital Portfolio " was published. After reading the book, I realized this was the authoritative text for anyone in a creative field. The book asks and answers all the essential questions. It is perfect for the technological savvy multimedia programmer or for any artist with limited technology expertise. I urge anyone who is even considering developing a digital portfolio to buy this book. Without qualification, this is the most valuable book on the market

Multimedia Portfolio Instructor/Art Institute/Art Institute Online
Subject Matter Expert / Curriculum Development Multimedia Portfolio ... Read more