Book Description

A veritable master class in appraising art pottery, this authoritative guide includes an introduction to the subject, covering such topics as buying and selling, care and security, materials, decorations, periods, and styles. All the key studios of American art pottery are featured including Paul Revere, Rookwood, Grueby Faience, Dedham, Volkmar, and Taco. A directory of specialists, galleries, and museums, and a glossary of useful terms make this an invaluable resource for collectors. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

This is THE book!
I might be biased because I think everything Rago touches is genius but you just can't beat this art pottery expert. This man knows his stuff in a way no one else at this time can touch. His extensive auction and appraisal experience give him light on a subject that is still quite murky. Most of the examples in the book are from his collection or auctions so the reader gets a vicarious view of these masterpieces through Rago.
This is the one book to own if you love art pottery. I have spent years waiting and wanting a book like this. Apart from Kovels (written years ago), you cannot come close to this book. Miller's Treasure or Not Art Pottery is also excellent but Rago pours his all into this one. The photos are outstanding-they make you drool. Nearly all notable potters are represented. This is a great book for the expert and novice collector.

Get it now...it'll be relevent for decades!

Yet another book on American Art Pottery? Give me a break!
Yet another book on American Art Pottery? Give me a break!

And thatÕs exactly what the authors here have done. TheyÕve given us a break. Given us entree to insights and opinions formed from their handling and viewing more than 100,000 pots and tiles over some 30 years. And theyÕve done it in a refreshingly readable, yet authoritative style.

This work is aimed at the less experienced collector as well as those of us who will admit to still having a few things to learn. Whether new to the game or an old hand, if you love pottery, but your experience doesnÕt quite stack up to that of the authors, we think youÕll find this a helpful -- and very enjoyable -- addition to your antiques library.

Longtime art pottery aficionados, dealers, auctioneers and, for the past five years, appraisers for the "Antiques Road Show," authors David Rago and Suzanne Perrault have taken a leaf from Albert SackÕs popular "Fine Points of American Furniture" to give us a look at "Good" and "Better" pieces from 43 American art potteries, from the popular and ubiquitous Ð like Roseville -- to the relatively obscure Ð like Walley.

Using a reader-friendly format, they present, for each pottery, a Good and Better example on facing pages, together with a value range for each -- 60 such combinations in all. Then, for each piece, they highlight and analyze the key features that distinguish it from its neighbor and tell us why they value one more highly than the other.

You may argue with some of the cited pricesÐ which they readily admit reflect their own biases, to wit, "I like Grueby more than WheatleyÉand I like Weller less than Roseville" Ð but youÕll find the careful and thoughtful analyses nonetheless interesting and helpful. The prevailing biases of other collectors as regards their attitudes toward the effect on value of damage, one pottery vs. another, are but one example.

Encompassing 124 pages, this comparison section alone is more than well worth the price of admission. But the sections on Understanding the Market and An American Art Potteries Primer are equally helpful, as a learning experience for newer collectors, and a thoughtful refresher for those whoÕve been to Zanesville more times than they care to tell.

Few antiques authors manage the authoritative and colloquial with such ease and aplomb, and to such enjoyable effect. It is in these sections where that effect is most evident.

Here weÕre helped to understand and make sense of a market where, from 1975 to 2000, an 8" Rookwood Standard glaze, floral decorated vase increased in value by 450%, while a similarly sized and decorated Iris glaze vase soared by more than 1600%. And here weÕre provided a thoughtful analysis (though not without bias) of the essential elements which serve to distinguish the producers and the products of the Ohio Valley, New England, the South and California.

The one fault we found is in the brief section on How to Clean a Pot. Recommended is soaking "for at least 24 hours in a bucket of very hot tap water to which is added a cup of sudsing ammonia and at least a half a cup of Spic and Span. After the soak, remove the pot and soak for at least another 24 hours in clean hot tap water." Perhaps inadvertently deleted in editing is any caveat restricting this approach, at best, to non-porous pots. DO NOT try this on porous pots Ð like Peters & Reed Moss Aztec -- or cracked or crazed pots.

With only slight and otherwise forgivable puffery, the book jacket heralds this as "a master class in appraising art pottery." And a "master class" it may be. But as anyone whoÕs earned and gone forward with a "masterÕs" will attest, you have to get your hands dirty before it pays off. "The best you can do," say the authors, "is to learn enough about pottery to form your own biasesÉ learn to appreciate the beauty of the objects, and integrate the history that fueled the kilnsÉ(and) Allow the works of these great potteries to enter your life and delight your soulÉ" as they have quite obviously done for the authors.

And take this book along.

A book for the ages!
David Rago knows his subject to the point of having no need for reference books or any other source for information. This title reflects years of knowledge accrued through ongoing study. Thank you David Rago for sharing your knowledge with us!

A must have for arts and crafts enthusiasts!
This book is not only a great source for reference, it also details the most important aspects of the art pottery movement (with great photographs as examples!). ... Read more

Book Description

The definitive, practical guide to all the tools, techniques, and materials of paintings, drawing, printmaking and related visual arts. Over 1,000 illustrations and 175,000 words of text. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A great resource for artists
This book is an important resource for artists. Ray Smith has a complete knowledge of art materials, and he gives a complete and detailed description of each material and how they are used. It covers a wide range of art materials including paints, grounds, pencils, inks, printing equipment, cereamic tiles, stained glass, and so forth. Also included is information on color, perspective, framing, photography, and exhibiting your work. Basically it's a complete guide to the 2D mediums of art. if you're interesting in 3D arts such as sculpture or pottery, you're not in luck. Those fields aren't covered.

For me, it's interesting to just look through this book and examine the wide range of techniques and materials presented in it. You can find a lot of new ideas to try out. Even if you're an experienced artist, I think you can find something new that you will be excited to try. Check it out. It's worth it.

ADDIT TO LAST REVIEW I SUBMITTED
When recommending an alternative text in the last review I wrote of this book, I suggested Robert Gottsegan's book. His real name is Mark David Gottsegan. Apologies for this mistake.

Good but contains some bad advice
I agree with the preceding reviewers but must add I found this book to be so general as to require supplementation by other books such as those by Ralph Mayer(somewhat out of date but still useful) or Robert Gottsegan. Ray Smith does offer some very dubious advice in parts of the text eg. he suggests that after priming your support with the traditional lead primer, you should sand it to smooth the surface. This is a TERRIBLE suggestion. Lead is very dangerous when inhaled--it only becomes inhalable when sanded or when used in pigment form. Sanding it is an absolute no-no.Ralph Mayer is a chemist, so his advice on safety issues is a lot more reliable than Mr Smith's. Of all three books, that by Gottsegan is probably the one I would recommend most as it is far more up to date than Smith's or Mayer's.

Get this book!
Quite simply this is a fantastic book. The things you can learn from it are amazing. Starting from the very first chapter a very in-depth analysis of pigments, their types, chemical structures, lightfastness, reactions to different types of binders, etc. are given. And that's only the beginning because the next chapters cover different types of oils, resins, glues, starches, gums, solvents, waxes, and additives...and all of this just for the paint in the tubes or the mediums you use with it. Then the author moves on to an in-depth look at various supports (wood, canvas, steel, copper, fiber, etc). Paper and grounds each get its own chapter.

All this before ever discussing the media you can choose to use. The obligatory big four are covered in detail (watercolor, acrylic, soft pastel and oil) but what makes this book such a treasure is the coverage of so many less well-known media. Just some of the media that get their own chapters are pencils and graphite sticks, colored pencil, oil pastel, chalk and conte crayons, charcoal, silverpoint, scratchboard, pen and ink, brush and ink, egg tempera, gouache, encaustic, fresco, dry wall (aka mural) painting, stained glass, ceramic tiles, enameling, and a bunch of chapters on various kinds of print-making (woodcut, linocut, intaglio, lithography and screen printing). There are chapters covering color theory, perspective, painting restoration, making frames, repairing damaged paint films, varnishing, photography, computer art and even a chapter on how to set up a well-lit, well-ventilated artist studio and exhibiting your art. The last chapter gives formulas for making your own paints or pastels. The book finishes up with a glossary, bibliography and an index.

The only things I would've liked to see included but didn't (maybe they'll add them in a second edition?) are chapters on casein, calligraphy and various types of sculpting and glass etching. Even so, that is a minor quibble. Overall, I really have high praise for this book. Definitely give it serious consideration as a reference for your bookshelf.

A fine canvas of technique and materials.
A medium and the tools applied to it are only the beginning. Along with exstensive introductions the the history and content of medium, there are wonderful examples and exercises which encourage experimentation. Well written, well illustrated and an excellent reference tool for anyone interested in art, technique or the tools of the trade. ... Read more

Book Description

The result of years of work, this dictionary of universally used symbol designs is organized into categories by basic symbols, disciplines, color, and graphic form for easy access. This book includes translations of data into 17 languages. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Just keep it symbol.
Four stars because a book that is involved with communication does it in such a disappointing way. The cover, text pages, bibliography and index are extremely bland. For instance, the few text pages have a line space between the paragraphs and also an indentation on the first line of each par, the bibliography is set in the same weight of type so punctuation is required, this can nearly be eliminated by using various weights of type to separate the different elements, the twenty-two page index could have been less if it was set in three columns instead of two.

However this is an important book and the symbol content rightly deserves five stars. Henry Dreyfuss started work on this project in the fifties while working for an oil-drilling equipment manufacturer, who wanted some way of communicating with workers in parts of the world where English was uncommon. Two-dimensional illustrations were developed and Dreyfuss slowly expanded the scope of the idea into this book, which presents several thousand in twenty-six categories.

The selection is very comprehensive, pages ninety and ninety-one include hobo signs with one for Cowards Will Give, To Get Rid Of You, or Free Telephone, which looks remarkably like a profile of a turkey. A fascinating four pages show Olympic symbols from the Games of 1948, 64, 68 and 72. I think 1968 are clearly the best, the designer avoided using stylised human forms and presented basic sport elements in a black rounded corner box. Throughout the book, where there is space, Dreyfuss has added sidebars on a variety of topics relating to symbol origins and usage.

To make this book as practical as possible the contents page is in eighteen languages, a good example of why Henry Dreyfuss, apart from being a great industrial designer, was also a person who never lost his humanity.

A Must for any Interactive Designer!
This is one of the best books on symbols by one of the best designers of the 20th Century! It includes everything from technical symbols to hobo and astrology signs. If you are an interactive designer this book will prove to be a useful tool for research for icon design.

Symbol Sourcebook
I just recently flipped through this book and definitely stopped me from looking for the actually book I was looking for. If you love symbols, this is it. It contains symbols from areas such as medical field to underground symbols used by hobos, which I found pretty interesting. It contains in depth symbolism of colors. Virtually all symbols that you might recognize or not are here. Check it out.

Symbols abound
I use Symbol Sourcebook as a bible for interpreting meaning from it's very thorough pages. It is full of insightful and seemingly rare symbols. From engineering to chemistry to any other form of language through symbol this book by Mr. Dreyfuss is astounding. It is my reference for many, many corporate identity projects. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Besides being a writer himself, Eric Maisel is a therapist with a practice centered around artists, writers and performers and has seen many of the demons that haunt the creative life firsthand. In this inventive workbook, he comes up with many exercises designed to help you blast through your own inertia and fear, to get you back to the typewriter, the easel, or on the stage where you belong. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Puts action in your creative traction
Maisel knows artists, whether they are writers, painters, dancers, musicians. And he knows what makes us tick, get stuck, frightened and give up. And he won't let us use a shred of an excuse. Thank goodness. Here is a book for the artist who wants to make meaning in life, work deep and see results. And while we are getting real, Maisel is there helping us plan, sell, and make money at it as well. Not for the faint of heart, or those who expect to be told that everything we do is wonderful and we are misunderstood. Wait, I take some of that back. This IS a book for the faint of heart, but not if you want to stay that way. This is a book for artists who are serious, who want to grow, who want to move forward every day. Maisel is never cruel, never patronizing, never so tough that you want to give up. This is a wonderful supportive book that makes you glad you decided NOT to make art your hobby while you got a "real" job. Maisel's book is filled with steps and exercises you can use for years, appreciating their flexibility as you do so.

A sophisticated look at the creative process
As a coach, I work with a lot of artists (writers, actors, musicians), and this is the book I consistently recommend to them. The Artists Way is good for getting you launched, but it doesn't address the nuts and bolts challenges that you face if you want to make an income or regularly produce finished works of art. This books really looks at all aspects of being a producing artist from start to finish. It helps you pinpoint where in the process you may be getting stuck and gives concrete steps you can take to move forward.

Maisel's ""Fearless Creating" helpful, thorough
Eric Maisel's "Fearless Creating" is thorough and tough-minded, brooking no excuses for failure to start and follow-through the creative work, yet gently tolerant of the blocked artist's vulnerabilities and limitations. The book's only shortcoming is the silliness of some of the exercises, but this is easy to overlook in view of the book's overall helpfulness. It will be especially useful to the reader who resists the New Age, spiritual approach common to the genre.

This book works!
A friend of mine recommended "Fearless Creating" and after reading just one chapter I found myself scrambling around the house, searching for paints and brushes. This book has really made a difference in my life. It helped end a ten-year creative block and changed my life.

Disappointing
I found this book to be lacking in creativity. While some of the exercises in the book were useful in getting me started writing, parts of the book put me to sleep, which did nothing to enhance my creative process.

I recommend "Writing Down the Bones" by Natalie Goldberg for anyone wishing to write more creatively. ... Read more

Book Description

Today graphic design is done almost exclusively on screen, where colors look different than when they are printed. To help designers and the people who work with them address this critical disparity, authors Michael and Pat Rogondino have completely revised and expanded their standard manual, Computer Color (0-87701-739-5). A boon for all designers, production people, artists, and printers, Process Color Manual provides an astounding 24,000 colors that match from computer display to printed page. The standard-issue Pantone color books, by comparison, can cost as much as $175 and offer only 3000 colors!

Also included with the book is a handy cardboard mask, white on one side and black on the other, that allows the user to isolate a specific block of color. This sturdy color guide partly came about due to demand from the people who have sworn by the previous edition: Chronicle Books designers. For accuracy, accessability, value, and sheer volume, Process Color Manual is indispensible to everyone who works with graphics and colors. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Indispensable (and affordable, too)
I lost this book due to our recent earthquake, and here I am ordering it again already. This manual is really indispensable in specifying process builds and is an unbelievable bargain for what it offers. It's more accurate than the 1999 Pantone Process book and is way more accurate than relying on a software's spot-to-process conversions. Don't guess or hope -- use this book and get the color you want!

Not as useful as I hoped
The book provides a lot of colors, ya! For a more useful tool, choose a book featuring color combinations. Try "Color Index" by Jim Krause.

Process Color Manual, 24,000 CMYK Combinations for Design, P
This book has no color theory whatsoever. What a waste of money!

Toss out your pantone process book
Wow. I am rarely impressed with books on color. However, this book is fantastic. The entire book is composed of blocks of color with the cooresponding CMYK values. I have found printed color reproduction of these values much more accurate than using the Pantone Process Guide. In the past, I have had consistent color matching troubles using low end-quick turn around 4 color postcard printers. They do not do Pantone Matching on these print runs - so you have to cross your fingers and pray the printed colors are within a few levels of the Process Pantone Color you plugged in. I have had much better results with these types of print runs using the CMYK values from this book. This is a book that sits on my desk within arms reach. A must have for all print designers.

Confusing!
The color combinations are very comprehensive. However, I found the methodology used in organizing the color grids extremely confusing, and not very practical. I purchased this book to replace a well-used process color manual given to me by a printer 15 years ago. I'm disappointed, as I had high hopes from the description. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Outstanding book you'll refer to again & again...
This is a gem of a book that I find myself referring back to time and time again. The illustrations are lavish and the technique instructions and description of materials are clear and concise. I find new inspiration each time I refer to this book. I have found, however, it's not a good idea to read it at night before going to bed. Invariably it gets me so inspired, I am compelled to get up and start a new creative project in the middle of the night! There is truly a wealth of information and inspiration contained in this book. Many unusual techniques and materials are also covered. Highly recommended!

Absolutely Awesome!
This is by far my most favorite book.......It is inspiring and has loads of ideas and "how-to's" for different techniques!
This is a must-have!

arteffects
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK! WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO GET THE JUICES FLOWING. THERE IS NO WAY TO EVEN THUMB THROUGH THIS WORK WITHOUT FINDING SOMETHING TO INSPIRE YOU NO MATTER HOW DEEP OF A SLUMP YOU FIND YOURSELF IN. THIS BOOK IS EQUALY GOOD FOR THE NOVICE OR THE SEASONED PROFFESIONAL. EVEN KIDS LOVE IT!children must be superviced!!! I ONLY HAVE TWO REGRETS, 1 THERE IS NO SEQUEL& 2 I ONLY HAVE A SOFT COVER EDITION WHICH IS MESSY FROM USE. THE LAST THING I,D LIKE TO MENTION IS THAT NON ARTISTS CAN LOOSE THERE FEAR WITH A BOOK LIKE THIS.

Wonderful for paper artits, very creative, inspirational
As a rubber stamper & paper arts lover I found this book very useful. It is packed with tons of ideas and numerous color photos inspired me. I would recommend this book to anyone who ever runs out of creative ideas or needs some inspiration.

Included in this book are many techniques for creating stunning & unique backgrounds in almost every media type. Ideas include texturing with sand, freezing or microwaving ink, and using a non-stick spray as a resist.

However, this book is not just for backgrounds. Painting techniques for many mediums are also included. There are original and helpful ideas for using pastels, acrylics, oils, inks, gouache and watercolor.

Finally, to my surprise and delight, it also covered encaustic painting, carving on hardboard & then painting it, impasto effects and many original ideas for batik type work. Get this book and use it! ... Read more

Book Description

From initial concept through to finishing touches, for the first time, Boris and Julie give an in-depth description of how they paint their masterpieces, taking the reader through every stage of the creative process. As well as teaching the main techniques, the premiere fantasy-art team shows the reader how to use a wide variety of media to create a whole range of different types of painting, and explain how they create the effects for which they are so renowned, such as Julie's legendary "metal flesh," with its mix of fluidity and hardness contrasting with the sensual softness of the skin. Illustrated throughout in full color, the Practical Guide to Fantasy Art includes step-by-step photographs that Boris and Julie have taken as they've worked as well as a selection of their finished art appealing to art students and fantasy-art admirers alike. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

I expected more
I was quite disappointed with the quality of the pictures in this book. They were very grainy, some without much contrast. As far as the poses go, there were only a handful that 'worked' in terms of composition. Also the models tended to be too similar in size, shape, and ethnicity. The point of figure drawing is to develop skills to draw ALL shapes and sizes!

There are other books on figure drawing that are much better in terms of skill development but I am still looking for a good book of photos to draw from. However, this one is not it.

Only ordinary
The one thing this book contributes is variety, at least a little. As pointed out elsewhere, the models are all young. Still, there are a few different men and women with interesting differences between them. The fact of having a pregnant model at all is distinctive - pregnancy could be a topic for a whole pose book itself. Blacks, Asians, New World faces and others are also conspicuous by their absence, but that's true of most other pose books as well.

This book has some value, but isn't the hardest-working book on the shelf.

Not for artists looking for poses!
The author of the book said he wanted to go for aesthetically pleasing, but figured artists wanted more on visibility. He would've done so much better going with his first choice! I wanted a good book of poses, and have yet to get one picture out of the book! Most of the poses in this book weren't pleasing to the eye at all. The models are all young, thin people in ridiculous, often painful looking poses. A little variety would've been great, too, and the two photos of pregnant women in there don't count for much. There are no old people, fat people, or even normal sized people! There are, however, an archive of the worst poses I've seen to date. Do yourself a favor and go get a good book like Anatomy for the Artist by Sarah Simblet or Virtual Pose 2 by Mario Henri Chakkour. You'll actually get some use out of them.

Good for what it is
The photos could be a bit sharper, but if you're like me and don't have ready access to a live model it makes a decent resource for figure drawing practice. Most of the "pose file" books I've seen have flaws in one way or another (pictures are too small, contrast isn't very good, etc.), but this is one of the better ones, relatively speaking. The photos are at least large enough to see, with most either full or half page.

Nothing learned here.
Can sum this book up in one word: disappointing. There is nothing artistic in any of the pictures. No commentary given. As amuturistic as nude photos can be. ... Read more

Book Description

The tools of design research, writes Brenda Laurel, will allow designers "to claim and direct the power of their profession." Often neglected in the various curricula of design schools, the new models of design research described in this book help designers to investigate people, form, and process in ways that can make their work more potent and more delightful. "At the very least," Peter Lunenfeld writes in the preface, "design research saves us from reinventing the wheel. At its best, a lively research methodology can reinvigorate the passion that so often fades after designers join the profession."

The goal of the book is to introduce designers to the many research tools that can be used to inform design as well as to ideas about how and when to deploy them effectively. The chapter authors come from diverse institutions and enterprises, including Stanford University, MIT, Intel, Maxis, Studio Anybody, Sweden?s HUMlab, and Big Blue Dot. Each has something to say about how designers make themselves better at what they do through research, and illustrates it with real world examples--case studies, anecdotes, and images. Topics of this multi-voice conversation include qualitative and quantitative methods, performance ethnography and design improvisation, trend research, cultural diversity, formal and structural research practice, tactical discussions of design research process, and case studies drawn from areas as unique as computer games, museum information systems, and movies. Interspersed throughout the book are one-page "demos," snapshots of the design research experience. Design Research charts the paths from research methods to research findings to design principles to design results and demonstrates the transformation of theory into a richly satisfying and more reliably successful practice. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Think differently
If you want a linear, predictable textbook explanation of how to do design research, this book isn't for you. If, however, you want to be grounded in an appreciation of the craft by people who live it everyday, and inspired to think differently about its many facets and future, I highly recommend it. This book seems intended for the serious practioner who wants to elevate his or her game.

How disappointing...
I agree with the reader from St. Louis. The design of this book is typical of Burdick, hard to read and disorganized. I was surprised that Brenda Laurel was associated with this in any way.

An Insight to designer's process
I found the book to be a great insight to the design process. By collecting different designers stories of their design process, it was very interesting, inspiring and definitely educational.

Design Research: Method and Perspectives
Disappointing. Book is a mishmash of essays most of which are only minimally helpful to someone seeking a logical and organized presentation of information about design research methods. Many of the essays are rambling and self-congratulatory. The selection of an odd yellowish green make sections in which color was used difficult to read. Great topic for a book - but, unfortunately, this one is a waste of time and money. ... Read more

Book Description

The digital revolution has brought with it a dizzying multiplication of new styles and techniques in the field of graphic design-not to mention a whole new professional jargon. The Designer's Lexicon is the only cross-disciplinary technical dictionary that captures this rich and often confusing profusion of design-speak. It is packed with over 4000 terms that cover the broad pectrum of practices a modern designer must be familiar with: traditional graphics, pre-press, photography, printing, typography, and computers. Four hundred color diagrams and illustrations visually supplement the definitions. With a sturdy concealed spiral binding that reduces wear-and-tear, The Designer's Lexicon exemplifies the criterion designers seek most in a reference book-utility. For established professionals navigating new design terrain, as well as students, production managers, and printers, this is an essential dictionary for a new century. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

An education in itself
I have a fairly minimal background in graphic design, except for a two week class I took when I was 12 (I'm 24 now). Other than that, I'm just computer literate and I learn things quickly. This book gave me a wealth of knowledge in an easy to digest form- Running into terms in your Adobe help files that you don't recognize? Get out the lexicon. Talking to a printer and you don't want to sound like an idiot? Get out the lexicon. Everyone from beginners to pros should have this book. The definitions are simple but precise, with examples of the more difficult terms to make them easier to understand. I wish I could give it more than 5 stars.

A definite reference book worth owning!
Have you read about the story of a designer who went for an interview with a design company and was not considered because they didn't know terms such as "gutter" or the difference between "seriff" and "sans-seriff".

Sure, many of us should know those terms but if you are an individual who wants to continue to learning these terms that printers or professionals tend to use and you are asking yourself in yourself "what the heck are they talking about?". Sure, no one will blame you if you were nodding off in your graphic design class or didn't really read that chapter on print terminology or just plainly forgotten the terms but the thing is, if you really want that job, don't want to look ignorant in front of certain people or if you don't want to continually badger that professional, printer or broker of terminology, then "the designer's LEXICON" is the book that you will find quite helpful.

The book is broken down to chapters for terms such as:

· Computer Terms
· Internet Terms
· Photography Terms
· Typography Terms
· Prepress Terms
· Paper Terms
· Printing Terms
· Finishing Terms
· General Terms

And to find these words, you are provided with a word finder which helps finding that word in a jiffy.

You know paper but you are asked by a client about satin laid paper, a printer wants you to ad a bleed, a designer asks you about glyphs or asks you about a pica size for print where you usually are working more with pixels, it's important to know these words and it's good to have a book that you can look to and get the definition quickly.

There are a few reference books that I highly recommend which include popular books such as "Artist's & Graphic Designer's Market", "Pantone Guide to Communicating with Color" to name a few, "the designer's LEXICON" is one of those books that is worth owning.

Great reference tool for all in the graphics field
A great book for defining all those confusing terms in all the computer and design books. It clearly defines the terms you will come across in the design, layout, pre-press, and printing fields as well as offering many illustrations and diagrams or useful charts further explaining terms.

I looked long and hard to find it and for this price, EVERYONE who works in the field should own it!

The Designer's Lexicon : The Illustrated Dictionary of
This book is useful to learn about graphic design. For another language speakers, (for example Japanese, French, Spanish. etc.) are interested in how to say the contents in English. And this book includes more recently topics. We can learn exactly meanings. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Good For Beginers, not so Good if you know Mehndi at all.
I bought kit and was upset by the small amount of henna. The book tells you very little about creating your own henna paste; its all mixing solutions not telling you how to do it yourself.

It does contain excellent transfers that allow beginners to do great tribal peices and traditional Indian peices. But the weakness of the book is it only concentrates on these designs, not training you to do your own designs.

Ideal for begginers,simple and clear.
Although I haven't used the kit yet,I have found that the book has put me at ease and makes me feel I can do well even without much experience.The chapter about making your own henna explains what the catylist solution is and what its for.Read through it thoroughly and you will learn all the basics to start.More information than I expected from a kit.

Buying for the second time
I liked this kit so much last summer that I'm purchased another for this summer. The amount of henna in the kit looks small, but as they say...a little goes a long way. I used it weekly on my ankle for about 6 months. I still have some left and plan to use that for at least another month. I always get compliments on my henna tattoos.

Disappointed
I was disappointed with the amount of henna & few transfers. I also wish the kit had a bottle with an applicator tip instead of it being it that little baggie thing. But the book is very pretty, as someone else said.

Wonderful
A big group of friends and I tried out this kit together and we had wonderful results. The henna went a very long way, much more so than I had expected. We had to mix a little water into the cones because they were a little too thick, but the rest of it worked great. You will want to reenforce the sides of the cones with tape before you start, because no matter what the seams (they are shaped zip lock bags) eventually give with the force of pushing the henna though the cone. We all had wonderful, dark orange results two and a half hours later. Leave the henna on longer than the author suggests, until it is mostly flaking off by itself (say 2 and a half to 3 hours).
Good luck! ... Read more

Book Description

Featuring more that 250 color reproductions, this comprehensive edition explores Renoir's formative years, his artistic evolution among the Impressionist painters of the Parisian art world, and the fame he enjoyed before his death in 1919. Includes extensive critical text and captions. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Renoir- his life and works
A very large lovely book with many of Renoir's most famous works. Has a somewhat brief bio as well with many actual photos of Renoir himself, his family and works. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Drop-Dead Gorgeous Book
I credit this book hands-down with inspiring and introducing me to the beautiful art of glass etching. Page after page of breathtaking sophisticated etched glass carvings are interspersed with photos of smaller examples easily within reach of a beginner. The authors have had over 25 years in the business and now hold beginner through master level classes at their art studio in New Mexico.

This is a thorough book describing the various methods of etching, the materials, types of glass, types of techniques, etc. For example, etching cream - which is what I'm learning to use as a beginner is only capable of surface etching. Even so, this simple technique can make very beautiful designs on different types of glass. I've been practicing on jelly and juice jars I keep after finishing off said jelly or juice. That way, if or when I mess up it doesn't matter as much like it would had I practiced on an expensive wine glass or bowl. Soon I'll be ready to move on to the next project and type of glass to practice on. The authors discuss in particular detail surface etching, carving and shading. Applying and cutting various types of resists and etching creams, numbering patterns so you know which order to etch for a proper 3-dimensional effect, beveling, how to hold the carving/blasting wand, etc. is all here. Most of these techniques can be done now (at least on a small scale) with a small air compressor like the ones used for airbrush, portable blaster and tabletop sandblasting cabinets. Chapter 8 gives extensive advise on the various types of equipment (from hobbiest tabletop units to industrial room-sized) used for sandblast etching along with each piece of equipment's pros and cons.

I'm looking at one tabletop unit that is moderately priced (less than $270). With this one tabletop unit (which the book shows a photo of and discusses) anyone can start recreating even the most sophisticated designs and projects included in this book for beginners and beyond. Detailed step-by-step photos for each project are shown in each chapter and the patterns for each project are provided in Appendix B. The other Appendices cover a glossary of terms, suppliers of etching machines, stencil sources, sources for glass, further reading and handy reference charts covering Moh's hardness scale, volume/linear/pressure measurements and abrasive grit sizes including microgrit powders. It really presents a very broad overview of everything one needs to get started making beautiful glass etching/carvings.

And I want to stess again that page after page is a visual feast of gallery designs of what professional glass etchers can do. The cover of the book does not even begin to show how beautiful the artwork displayed inside really is. I can not stress this point enough. The artwork shown inside is truly worthy of anyone's coffee table. The fantastic thing is that I'm having a ton of fun learning this beautiful art - and all thanks to this one comprehensive book. Bravo! I want a sequel!

A BOON IN DISGUISE
It was a boon to have this book Mr. Dobbins!! I have been able to etch and carve glass successfully and beautifully just with the help of the detailed instructions in the book! Today, if I am successful it is because of this book. Thankyou Mr. Dobbins for putting in your heart and soul into this book!! Aarti Jhawar(India) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

DA DOO DOO DOO DA DA DA DA, THAT'S ALL I WANT TO SAY TO YOU
Dada? Neo-Dada? Mono-Ha? Sots Art? If you find yourself utterly confused by art terms, timelines, and general overall descriptions of art movements since the 1940's, Art Speak is a great book to have. Robert Atkins of Village Voice fame, has put together a dictionary/mini-encyclopedia of "ideas, movements and buzzwords" touching on everything of note that evolved in the art world from WWII through 1989. The books opens with a timeline 1945-1989 detailing and comparing (in capsulized form) major world and art events, giving the reader/student an idea of the corellation between history and how art evolves and intertwines with it. The remainder of the book is an alphabetical listing of art movements with descriptions and snazzy graphics. It isn't a huge text book with intensive essays and pages and pages of commentary on each style, but it is a great set of "Cliff Notes" for those trying to find a jumping off point to learn more about that slippery entity called art. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

a++++
its a goood and extremely helpful book!

Architects take notice
A very good book an sacred geometry with lots of diagrams.

Elegant
This beautifully illustrated and diagrammed book attempts to show the harmony that exists in nature and all good art and architecture. Not only that, Doczi attempts to weave into this picture, (with some success) Pythagorean concepts of harmony and it's relation to growth in nature.
The essential concept in this book is the 'power of limits.' Doczi shows that this limiting factor is the golden section. And he does it using almost no math! The golden section has the powerful quality that division or expansion by this proportion always leads to harmonious growth. No matter how small or large is the division, there is never anything "left over" to create disharmony. This limiting factor is of transcendental power, thus "The Power of Limits."
Unregulated growth could never achieve anything but randomness, which is not what we observe in nature.
Of course in nature and in life it is impossible to achieve perfection. Yet Doczi elegantly explains how nature compensates for this inability by using the Fibonnaci sequence instead. Profusely illustrated with many detailed, easy-to-understand diagrams, this book is a must for those who wish to understand more deeply how our world is constructed, without wading through a lot of math.

Interesting, Helpful, Fuzzy
While I agree with the other reviewers that this book is both well written & well illustrated, the Jungian cant of the author feels too new-agey to me. Proportion is indeed present in the world, but to assign proprtion to EVERYTHING is an over-generalization, and to ascribe a metaphysical meaning to it based on this over-generalization is a bit much. Useful for the illustrations of proportion, a thing every designer ought to know, but when it wanders off into the woods it looses me.

Mathematical Harmony in Nature
Any serious observer of nature can tell you there are rhythms in nature, patterns that repeat themselves. Far from chaos, there is harmony. The Golden Section, A : B = B : A + B, is part of that harmony. From Fibonacci numbers to the Golden Rectangle, this book will awaken the reader to a sense of perfection, an incredible order, found virtually everywhere in nature. Beyond the interesting phenomena, there lies a larger message. This, all of this, did not happen by some cosmic accident. ... Read more

Book Description

From abhayamudra through ziarat, this is an essential dictionary for anyone stepping into the fascinating world of South and Southeast Asian art. With over 700 entries, 78 line illustrations, and 15 color photographs, this basic dictionary makes a handy reference for anyone interested and engaged in South and Southeast Asia. Explanations are succinct and easy to understand. Entries range from terms encountered in South and Southeast Asian history, religion, mythology, and literature, to those specific to art and architecture. Words are drawn from the diverse religious traditions of the region, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Sikhism, and Taoism, and from the countries of the region, including Burma, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. ... Read more