Book Description

This publication is the first comprehensive overview of renowned artist April Gornik's paintings and drawings.This richly illustrated volume presents a visual history of her work and tracks the development of her signature style. ... Read more

Book Description

1,200 high-quality color images of traditional and innovative textiles, in print and on CD-ROM. Modeled on the successful Surfaces (1996), this new collection of photographs catalogs how hundreds of varieties of textiles, grouped by structure and surface treatment, look up close and in interior and exterior applications such as window treatments, upholstery, awnings, tents, and floor coverings. Like Surfaces, the book is tailored to research needs in scope and focus, offering examples for architects, interior designers, theatrical and film designers, illustrators, and graphic designers. Interviews with professionals describe how they use visual research in their work. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Eye Inspiration
I have both of the "surface" books by Ms. Juracek. I have looked through them again and again as a child would with a picture book! These are the kind of photos I often take, to capture the beautiful surfaces that the world has to offer. The images are inspirational starting points for creating my own art work.

A review from a 3d perspective
As a computer artist, I have found both of Juracek's books to be extremely useful in creating photorealistic textures. Her samples are colorful, varied, and highly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description

55 interviews with art dealers--from postwar giants like Leo Castelli and Betty Parsons to the art magnates of today--create a well-rounded picture of how the art world operates, how galleries work with artists, how prices are established, what it takes t ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Art Dealers: The Powers Behind the Scene Tell How the Ar
This book sheds real light into how New York based art dealers from the 1940s to the 1980s lived, worked and thought about art. There are many interesting anecdotes, opinions and brief biographies inside this book filled with short essays about some 25 dealers who hepled shape the world of art as it is still known today.

Formulaic Padding
This is a mere formulaic padding of the prior edition of this book. There are a few new chapters. In some cases, these chapters address dealers who have come into prominence since the 1985 edition. Other dealers given equal attention were added for reasons that shall remain mysterious, as they address players never known or soon to be forgotten. The original chapters related to figures such as Sydney Janis and Leo Castelli have some historical interest. The new chapters tend to be shorter and tend to suffer from a narrow focus on the personal background of the dealer and the editors' apparent effort to prompt the dealers to speak to art world issues that may have been new or compelling in 1985 (e.g., the "new" role of auction houses) but which are certainly capillary today. The upshot is that I learned quite literally nothing about the contemporary art market. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Saving Planet Earth
I particularly like books no more than 150 pages in length, with an elegant and simple style and with good glossaries and indexes. Poppy Evans makes all that available in THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO ECO-FRIENDLY DESIGN, one of the user-friendliest books I have ever read. It is also a well-organized book that makes its EARTH IN THE BALANCE message clear and its environmentally responsible print shop easy to set up.

The six chapters look at how to fight toxicity and how much recycling can be done on the job even for those not using such earth-friendly print shop stock as soy- and vegetable-based inks. Susan Quilliam warns in the earlier INTO PRINT: HOW TO MAKE DESKTOP PUBLISHING WORK FOR YOU about recycled paper's rough finish possibly causing press-damaging dust. However, Evans assures us that recycled paper has gotten better while its price has lowered.

The section I find most intriguing is on all the tree-free paper sources. I ended up rooting for kenaf as a new Southern cash crop replacing tobacco. Also, Evans reminds us that the Watson Paper Company of Albuquerque, New Mexico, makes Levi Strauss' non-bleached blue paper from denim scraps.

I would read other books by the author. It is especially helpful to read Evans along with Mary Pretzer's CREATIVE LOW-BUDGET PUBLICATION DESIGN. Probably anyone interested in computer publishing and graphic arts, as well as in environmental studies and marketing, would find this a worthwhile read. ... Read more

Book Description

This is a comprehensive reference book to more than 12,700 painters, sculptors, graphic artists, and architects in Latin America (Mexico, Central America, South America) and the Caribbean region active during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Entries include the artists’ years, countries, and bibliographies. Also included are brief biographical information, stylistic notes, a record of each artist’s exhibitions, and a list of collections where his or her works can be seen. There are 89 photographs of selected works that supplement the entries. The introduction includes brief informative background essays on the individual countries and their artists. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

muy bueno
te permite entender con facilidad por estar escrito en un lenguaje sencillo y va directo al punto

excellent book
It is good to see that two of Ophiel's books are in print. There were eight works of Ophiel that I know of: The Art and Practice of Astral Projection, Creative Visualization, Art and Practice of the Occult, Art and Practice of Clairvoyance, Vignette Lessons in Occult Power, Correspondence Course in the Foundations of Occult Knowledge, Correspondence Course in Astral Projection, and the Oracle of Fortuna. Ophiel was a very straight forward writer on these subjects. He really knew what he was writing about. His instructions are clear, simple, right to the point, free of all the fluff so often found in books nowadays days, and very effective. His writing style is also very amusing - very American colloquial, casual and unpretentious. It is hoped that Weiser will eventually reprint all of Ophiel's books. They probably could fill one nice sized volume.

yes!
This book takes you through the art of astral travel like no
other,with the exception of Robert Monroe's 1st book.If you want a fun read, this is it!It also works!Good info here.

G-r-e-a-a-t!
This is a great book! It actually makes it clear that there are different types of "projection" corresponding to the different levels of energy configuration of the body and our perception of other realities. For example, at the "etheric" level, the energy body is very similar in shape, size and senses to the ordinary physical body. This is the only body you can use to "see" things in "everyday" life since the etheric plane is the only plane really close to the physical body.

In the astral plane, he talks about lower and higher - the lower astral is more like our normal body with "twisted normal" (why is the door handle on the wrong side of the door?) or angelic scenery, while the higher astral becomes more shapes, lights, symbols - where you might just be a "glow" instead of a well defined "body."

Ophiel also gives great techniques - a great system for exploring the nearby, actual geography of your residence, for example; a way of "projecting" into symbols; a way of building a body of light; a way of working with dreams.

He is ultra clear and ultra concise. He is sometimes annoying with his occasionally grumpy old man style of writing. Sometimes he is hilarious - a great, down to earth sense of humor.

This book was old when I first read it as a teenager in the '60's. There is a reason why this irrascible writer has stayed in print all these years!

My one small advice: Ophiel gives a ritual called the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram in this book. This is a well-established technique of "white" magic. It isn't in the book because Ophiel had a religious or ideological axe to grind, but because this ritual really helps to build a body of light.

Practical and clarifier
I looked for any useful information in a lot of books and only found something valuable with this book. Ophiel gives us 4 different methods to achieve projection goal. You can complement its wisdom with his other books. ... Read more

Book Description

Based on the 2003 Clark Conference, this new volume in the highly successful series Clark Studies in the Visual Arts examines the intersections and divergences between art history and anthropology. How do these disciplines understand the term “art”? What sorts of questions do they ask of the work of art? Is it possible to find a cross-cultural definition of art, or are such definitions inevitably Western in their origins and concerns? What implications do the answers to these questions have for the collecting and display of Western and non-Western objects in art museums? Fourteen leading art historians and anthropologists discuss these and other questions.



... Read more

Book Description

This invaluable collection of reference photos will save artists time,money and frustration. It presents hundreds of color images of nautical scenes and vesselsin a huge variety of locales, in various configurations and from different angles. Subjectsinclude: Commercial boats, such as cruise ships, fishing boats, seaplanes and tug boats Private boats, such as sailboats, small boats and yachts Nautical scenes, including docks, harbors, lighthouses and marinas Miscellaneous images, such as commercial fishing equipment and seabirds

A special section helps readers portray boats and water accurately, and providesguidelines for taking their own photos.

The book also includes six step-by-step demonstrations in a range of mediums by authorGary Greene and several guest artists. Detailed instructions clarify exactly how theseartists used photos from the book to create their work.

Gary Greene is a professional graphic artist, photographer and award-winning coloredpencil artist.His work has been featured in The Artist's Magazine and American Artist.He is the author of six additional North Light Books, including three other titles in theArtist's Photo Reference series: Flowers, Landscapes and Buildings & Barns. He lives inWoodinville, WA. ... Read more

Book Description

In this fourth volume of the Art of the Twentieth Century series, the contributors address a fascinating variety of themes relating to art from the 1960s to the end of the century—the period of “postmodernism.”

The first of the book’s seven chapters deals with the emergence in the 1960s of what has been called an “expanded field” for art activity. Other chapters discuss the consequences of Conceptual art for notions of the aesthetic; the Post-Conceptual practice of painting; practices of Post-Conceptual photography; video, performance, and installation art; and women’s practice and the question of gendered and nongendered objects. The final chapter explores the globalization of art at the end of the twentieth century. Full color illustrations are featured throughout the volume.

Gill Perry is senior lecturer in art history, The Open University. Paul Wood is senior lecturer in art history, The Open University.

... Read more

Reviews (18)

A must-have for every artist
This book, for some reason, reminds me of a best-selling psychological fiction book I read so long ago that the title has escaped my memory. In the book, the facial expression of a woman in pain during child labor was described similar to that of one at climax in lovemaking.

Drawing and painting humans are certainly the most difficult task for every artist. It is most difficult because there is very little room for error. Humans have become so familiar with their features that any aberration will be easily spotted. Drawing facial expressions to accurately present the mood and emotion of the subject is even more daunting.

This book is probably one of the most complete documents currently available that deal with facial expressions. Consisting of three parts, the author leads the readers from the structure of the head, the muscles of expression, to the six basic expressions, such as sadness, anger, joy, to name a few. Frequently referring to the works of the Old Masters, the author has done a good job presenting to the readers the greatness of their masterpieces that went beyond the superficial 'just a beautiful face' level of appreciation.

It is certainly not possible to capture completely endless facial expressions by humans, due to diversities in races, cultures, and personalities. This book, however, serves as a good reference for every artist who would like to express the depth and sophistication of human souls through facial expressions.

STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.

Learn to see what makes a face "tick"
This is just the best book around to understand how to make a portrait alive with feeling. As the title states, it is all about facial expressions and not about drawing per se, or even portrait drawing. It lists the basic expressions, the main muscles of the face, and then goes on to illustrate how they are related and how expressions "work".

The book is not as dry as this description sounds. The prose is witty. Most of the illustrations are purposeful pencil sketches or cartoons rather than academic portraits: they are very illustrative and to the point.

Reading this book helped me understand better how to make a portrait come alive, by keeping all the features of the face coherent. It won't help you draw, but it will make you "see" better what makes up a face and an expression.

Definitely 5 stars: the book is fun, easy to read, well bound, and as far as I can tell, exhaustive.

Great reference for artist in animation
Faigin's drawings and explanation of facial expressions is detailed and well organized. He breaks each expression down to the muscles and utilizes theory to compliment his explanations. This book provides a good foundation for understanding facial expressions and contains enough illustrations for those who do not care for theory. The only thing missing from the book are photographs of different facial types. Although his drawings are good, photographs of his subjects would provide an additional level of detail.

extremely well done
This book explains what is behind the scenes in the human face, in terms of muscles and bones. It looks at things from every possible angle. It shows how different emotions create different facial expressions. It shows how faces change as they age.

Excellent Guide for NLD and Autistic Spectrum Disorders
Yes, this is a book meant to be used by artists and enthusiasts, and it is good for that. I am using this book in another way. For people with NLD (Nonverbal Learning Disorders) and on the autistic spectrum (Pervasive Developmental Disorder(PDD), Autism and Aspergers) it is an invaluable instructive tool for teaching how to read facial expressions, and how we use our musculature to form these expressions. I'd been searching for a book like this for years, but was looking in all the wrong places: psychology, social skills, spectrum disorder studies, and psychiatric tomes directed toward the therapeutic community. Then I found this book, serendipitously, at an art store. I am so grateful! My son has high functioning autism, and is terribly frustrated trying to understand non-verbal and social language cues. This book satisfied him in every way, and he now studies it. Not only is he learning the difference between subtle facial expressions, but he is learning how these expressions are made, physiologically. He is becoming more expressive himself, and more able to understand the clues of every day social interactions. I have given this book as a gift to Speech/Language Pathologists who deal with Pragmatic Language skills, to Occupational Therapists, to psychologists and psychiatrists who run social skills groups to help kids and adults navigate the social maze, and to my nephew, a professional clown (on the order of Bill Irwin and Jeff Hoyle, not Emmet Kelley) who is fashioning an act involving social cluelessness (a very common subject in commedy, when you think about it). For these reasons, I highly recommend this book to professionals and parents who are the mentors, friends and teachers of NLD and spectrum disorder people and those people themselves. Terrific. I give it the highest possible marks. ... Read more

Book Description

For painters of every level, this comprehensive volume presents each creative process in clear, full-color photographic sequences.

From mixing colors and applying washes to tonal studies and pattern in landscapes, The Complete Guide to Watercolor contains everything one needs to know about working in this very expressive medium. This all-in-one volume presents each process in clear, full-color photographic sequences, reveals secrets of the trade, and contains easy-to-follow projects to help master new techniques. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Watercolor Beauty
When I think of watercolor, my mind wanders to the past where we were in art class trying to paint a still life. What a pity my teacher didn't have this book around. For some reason, I was always allowed to leave art class and go to the library where they felt I could be more useful. I guess I've been recently trying to "renew" my interest in drawing and painting.

There are just so many expenses when it comes to "art" projects. So, watercolor is a nice way to get your feet wet again.

Some great hints:

1. Stretching Watercolor Paper
2. Toning Paper - Gives your art a nice color background
3. How to use a sponge to soften details.
4. Letting each layer dry before building up the colors.
5. Expert Color Mixing Techniques.
6. How to Frame your art.

You will also learn interesting things about paintings of the past. How they mixed in egg yolk to make the pigment a stronger medium. Giovanna Garzoni's Still Life with a Bowl of Cherries looks tempting or you could just start by making a sketch of apples and cherries and coloring them in.

The "Gallery" sections feature works by artist like Philip O'Reilly, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, June Berry, Sue Sareen, Winslow Homer, Philip Fraser and Paul Cezanne.

Contents:

Materials: Pain brushes, Brushmarks, Other Marks, Gallery of Brushstrokes, Paper, Stretching and Toning, Gallery of Paper.

Techniques: Ways of working, capturing an Image, Composition, Drawing, Laying a Wash, Washes, Gallery of Washes, Tone and Color, Building up Layers, Sponging Out, Scratching Out, Resist Techniques, Using Gouache, Gallery of Techniques.

Color: The Language of Color, Color Mixing, Gallery of Limited Color, Warm and Cool Color, Complementary Color, Gallery of Complementaries, Color Influence, Exploring Composition, Harmonious Color, Gallery of composition, High-key Color, High-key Still Life, Low-key Color, Low-key Interior, Gallery of Light, Warm Summer Light, Cool Autumn Light, Gallery of Atmosphere, Expressive Color, Portrait Study, Color and Pattern, Pattern in Landscape, Gallery of Pattern and Shape, Abstract Color, Gallery of Abstracts.

Landscapes: Getting Started, Venturing Outside, Monochrome Study, Monochrome Gallery, Receding Color, Limited Color, Effective complementaries, Gallery of Trees, color Unity, Gallery of Light, Creating Atmosphere, Skies Gallery, Sketching Buildings, Painting the City, Gallery of Buildings, Sketching Water, Painting Water, Sketching Figures, Toward Abstraction, Abstract Landscape, Abstract Gallery.

Still Life: Introduction, Gallery of Colorists, Making Sketches, The Working Studio, Creating a Composition, Selection vs Inspiration, Seashore, gallery of composition, Light and Form, Tonal Painting, Creating Form and Tone, Negative Space, Gallery of Perception, Transparent Painting, Opaque Painting, Gallery of Paint Types, Day and Night, Special Effects, Gallery of Effects, Presenting Your work.

This is really a comprehensive introduction to Watercolor painting. All you need to get started is a small watercolor box, water, a couple of brushes and a pad of paper. If you follow the basic guidelines, you can achieve a surprising degree of expertise in a relatively short time.

Highly Recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

a treasury of lost teachings
This book is essential for those students who wish to study art seriously, and to make themselves capable enough draftmen in order to paint. It is a complete reproduction of the "fabled but rare" drawing course used in Gerome's studio in nineteenth century Paris, comprising multiple levels of cast drawings, master-copies and linear life-drawings designed specifically to train the student's eye for painting.

The plates are meant for study, to be copied by the student for several purposes; mainly serving as an introduction to the academic drawing process, but also as an artistic and anatomical reference for showing what is essential in form - Bargue, as a teacher, is unmatched in this respect.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the study and/or appreciation of fine drawing, and cannot thank the Dahesh museum enough for compiling it! ... Read more

Book Description

COME LOOK WITH ME: Enjoying Landscape Art with Children is the second volume in the COME LOOK WITH ME series of interactive art books from Lickle Publishing.Each book in the series introduces children to twelve magnificent works of art.More importantly, they offer a whole new way of encountering any work of art, one that engages the imagination as much as the eye.

Well suited for both individual and classroom use, Enjoying Landscape Art with Children pairs quality art reproductions with thought-provoking questions, encouraging children to learn through visual exploration and interaction.Thoughtful text introduces the world and work of the artist, making the most of a child’s natural curiosity.

Children are asked to imagine themselves in the depicted work of art: to feel the winter child of Pieter Bruegel’s Hunters in the Snow or be in the jungle stillness of Henri Rousseau’s The Repast of the Lion.

Drawing from a wide-ranging selection of 20th century works of art, children explore the artwork, invited to pantomime the boldly swirling brush strokes of Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night or cover a figure in the foreground of George Innes’s Lackawanna Valley and consider how the painting would look without it.

Engaging and interactive for both children and adults, Lickle Publishing’s COME LOOK WITH ME series celebrated what Mrs. Blizzard called the "pleasure of shared experience." ... Read more