Studios Books

This book doesn't contain a lot of jargon. It has pictures of how to do things and explains things in non-technical terms. Great for beginners but also useful as a refresher when you haven't used some aspect for awhile. Well laid out index so easy to find what your looking for. These people have done a good job. Hope they bring out another one more advanced.

I had no idea what the interface looked like or ANY idea about how to use 3DS Max; I just knew I want to learn how to do animations.

Well, I know this book isn't going to have me making 3D animation movies, but it does give a great insight into the program's basics.

Lots of hands-on exercises, just as I like. Lots of pictures too. The authors do an excellent job of spelling out the basics and telling you exactly what you need to do to complete an excerise. And, as you move further along in the book, they "neglect" to tell you how to do something they've already covered - just like a teacher would do in class. It forces you to explore, reread (if you don't understand a subject) and practice with the program - what you need to do if you're ever going to learn to use 3DS Max.

A very well written book about the basics of 3DS Max 7.

I highly recommend this book to the beginning 3ds max student. It was very helpful to me, as it explained more of the basics and gave more detail behind the steps. Also, the tutorials frequently used diffent tools to accomplish the same task. This showed how to use the graphical interface, quad-menus, toolbars, etc.

I found it the best of several books I bought to get my feet wet with 3ds max. It really helped with some of the basic lighting and material concepts. While, this book doesn't even begin to touch all the features of 3ds max, it was a great primer and I'm glad I read it.

This book is perfect for those just getting started in 3ds Max 7. There are a lot of easy to follow screen shots to accompany the text so it is possible to still follow along when you're not in front of your computer. It is written with plenty of step by step explanations of what you are doing and why as well as a great accompanying disk to help with tutorials. It even tackles some of the more difficult aspects of 3d modeling such as composition, the dreaded material editor (it even throws in a side bar about UVW unwrapping) and lighting. It is written with the beginner in mind and does a great job explaining concepts and procedures without insulting your intelligence. It may, however, be a little below intermediate users, it can be a great tool to brush up on fundamentals. I can't recommend this book enough for those looking to get their feet wet in MAX.

The book by Till & O'Connell is great for newcomers simply because it doesn't attempt to give you too much information but only what new users might need to learn the basics of max 7. I had never turned on max 7 and within a week I was amazed as to how much I had learned without having any previous experience with 3d softwares. This should be the first book you buy if you are starting from scratch with max 7.

The full-page illustrations in this book are simply stunning. The soft pastels blend with the glittering jeweltones, and the fantasy settings and gorgeous characters are sumptuously detailed. Each plate is a work of art and suitable for framing; believe me, if you have a color scanner/printer you'll be grateful. Notes at the end of the book inform us that the illustrations are reproduced from the original gouache paintings, and the pages are in heavy glossy paper.

There are four tales in this volume: The Firebird, Maria Morevna, Vassilissa the Fair, The Snow Maiden.

The pictures will take your breath away. The stories are charming and well translated (from an older Russian translated into French volume), but you will probably be too taken away by the glorious art to really pay much attention to the not-really-for-small-children fairy tales.

The illustrations in this volume are lush and expressive-- Baba Yaga is truly a sight to see. Boris Zvorykin's vivid imagination perfectly complements the stories, bringing them to life without overshadowing them. Of all the books I read as a child, this is no doubt one of the most memorable and most touching.

I grew up with this book, a gift from my grandmother, and the illustrations by Zvorykin and the stories are as beautiful as any I've ever seen. It is not for preschoolers, however--the language is appropriate for mid-later elementary school as is some of the content (think along the lines of Grimm's Fairy Tales). Plus the quality of the book is high enough (metallic ink, 6-color printing) that some may hesitate to let it be crayoned in. But so marvellous--a truly georgeous publication.

Like a fool over 22 years ago I gave my copy to my nieces my copy of this most wonderful storybook. The illustrations are some of the most imtensive color printing I've seen in many years, the stories are equally wonderful, and would be welcome in anyones' fine book collection.

I have had this book forever... The illustrations are beautiful. Highly recommend it.

This is the best book of FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY I ever seen! I'm a still life and food semi pro photographer and this is my perfect book.

I suggest this book to all the photographers .. not only for food photographers. Everybody in the sector must have this book.

It's really easy and helpful!
Thanks to the authors to share with everybody the secrets of food photography.

From the original review on [...]: This recently published book is a fine how-to primer on preparing food for the camera. Bellingham is an Oregon-based stylist. Bybee is a Dallas-based commercial photographer. The detailed content runs the gamut: cold beverages, salads, pasta and sauces, burgers and sandwiches, grilled and roasted meat, vegetables, ice cream, desserts, breakfast and garnishing. My only complaint is not about the information on styling - which is comprehensive and easy to follow. Rather, as a food photographer, I am naturally interested in the sets and photo techniques used to create the hero shots. While there are a number of set shots and brief descriptions of how the shots were created, their small size and limited number suggests that they were an afterthought. Again and again, I wished that Bybee's comments on her vision and process had been greatly expanded into the ample amounts of adjacent white space. Clearly, the book was written primarily for food stylists. A more appropriate title would have been Food Styling For Photography. Nevertheless, Food Styling For Photographers is an important read for both students of food photography and styling.

This book is an excellent way to get started in food photography. It has chapters dedicated to meats, drinks, ice cream, garnishings, and more.

Each with a shopping list of what was used for the featured photo (or photos) for that particular chapter and tips for shopping for food photography in general which I found very interesting.

It does leave out something which would be nice to have, such as how to prepare beer for photograpy but, they mention this would require a full book dedicated to it which I think is fair, I wouldn't expect someone to write a book on every item of food out there.

Bottom line: A very buy. Well worth the price.

Finally, there is a Food Styling book for Photographers. I took 2 food styling classes in LA before - the purpose was to understand how food was prepared for the camera and also to see how food photographers setup their lights. I love food photography and read many popular food blogs with their work. So when I know this Food Styling for Photographers came out, I can't wait to order a copy and I was very happy after flipping through the book.

This book gives you many tricks of the trade and notes from photographers with lots of setup photos, both food setup and camera/lighting setup. The printing quality and the page layout are very good - the font size is easy to read, the color pictures are clear, clean and colorful. They gives you details on how to buy the food, how to prepare the food, how to assemble the food, how to plate the food, how to decorate the food, etc. They gives you before, during and final photos.

I also own Digital Food Photography by Lou Manna and Working with Plate by Christopher Styler and David Lazarus. In my opinion, if you are interested in food photography, buy Food Styling for Photographyers and Digital Food Photography and you are good to go. Highly recommend these two books.

My status as a photographer is almost professional, since for the moment i work part-time however I LOVE food photography wich is why I decided to buy this book. I just got it 2 days ago and for what I've read its a must have book. (Also very much recomended: Digital Food Photography by Lou Manna) Just to give u an idea. These r the chapter titles: 1)Intro to Food Styling. This includes simple game rules, shopping tips, planing ahead, list of supplies often used and a how to versions on how to assemble your own food styling kit. 2)Sets and Settings. This includes tips for choosing sets and surfaces for food photography, table setting tips, working fabriks on set, and tips on how to make your image POP. 3)Chilling fact on cold beverages. This includes beverage choises, frosted glass techniques, making a frozen margarita, making and placing bubbles, and more. 4)Making a Salad for the camera. This includes salad ingredient selection shopping and handling tecniques, supporting techniques, fruit salads, how to dress a salad for photography, and more.5) Pasta and Sauces. This includes perfect pasta for camera, sauces and vegetables for camera, building your pasta food additions to pasta...6) Burgers, Sandwiches, and BEYOOOOOOND. This includes prepping tips for burgers sandwiches and patties, shopping tips building tips, on the set tips, bulding a half or cut sandwich for photography.7) Meeting meat..8)veggie perfect 9) ice cream for hot light (very interesting) 10) Desserts. 11) Breakfast for the camera 12) Garnishing basics. Like i said this is to give u an idea of what u will be purchasing. Happy buying and break leg!!

This is an awesome book. I have started reading it, and can tell it will be a good summer read.

I am currently planning a garden area for my back yard. I have bought a few books specifically on victorian gardening and design and although many were good, I felt that this book really touched on the feeling and the things that make a victorian garden special and unique. The author goes into detail on most aspects of gardening and how the victorians were able to get such lush, peaceful, and interesting gardens and out door spaces.

This book is much more than a "how-to" book on Victorian gardening. It provides insight into Victorian daily family life. Anyone interested in Victorian life or gardening will find it fascinating. Anyone interested in restoring or creating a garden for a Victorian home should consider it essential reading. It has been extremely useful in planning a garden for our late 19th century house. As a lagniappe, the book's appendices provide a wealth of additional information on Victorian gardening and life. This is a great addition to gardening literature, especially since there is so little information available on designing a Victorian garden.

I read this book and was amazed at what I learned. It not only
told me about the way it used to be in the garden , but it also gave me so many ideas that I could use right now, in my own garden.
I would heartily recommend this book to anyone if you are interested in gardening or not.

If you own a Victorian home, or are simply interested in Victorian gardens, this book is an amazing resource. From period advice on everything from walkways, to drives, to historical shrubs, this is truly the first book EVER (at least that I have found) to advise the American homeowner on practical gardening matters for old houses. Easy to read, with great pictures, From a Victorian Garden is a must for anyone interested in period gardening! I loved it!

I bought the Geronimo Stilton collection for my granddaughter and we listened to the 3 CDs at least 4 times already. I even listen to the great stories when I'm not with my granddaughter. The narration is great for all ages.

My son is just turning 3 and LOVES to listen to Geronimo in the car. The chapters are just the right length for short trips to the supermarket or post office. He quotes the narrator and loves the sound effects. It is entertaining for me too. Trust me, I've heard these 3 stories again and again. I got introduced to the series from a free CD of Curse of the Cheese Pyramid in the kid's meal at Wendy's. (I wish more fast food places would try this as a prize instead of plastic junk--it really gets the kids interested in reading.) He loved it and I've bought the first 2 sets in the series. If it's great for a 3 year old, it would be even better for kindergarten - 3rd graders too. I highly recommend it.

The Geronimo series books and audio books are all great. The audio books are well-done and do a lovely job of bringing stories to life. I definitely recommend listening to Sitlton for a long car/plane ride rather than the brain-numbing GameBoy. And my husband and I even enjoy listening in and will play the CD in the car rather than letting our kids listen privately on their Ipods. I also find these audio books to be a great price. If you're not familiar with the actual books, give them a try, too. The puns captivate your older reader who may techinically be older than the suggested reading level, and the fun colored fonts will encourage younger readers to push themselves. I am a big believer in reading books both below, at, and above reading levels (to gain confidence, push yourself, reinforce, and enjoy), so the Geronimo books are wonderful to appeal to those from ages 6 to 10 minimum.

Do you want to read an exciting hilarious book? Well then The Curse of the Cheese Pyramid is waiting for you! Geronimo is a great newspaper editor. He has to go to Egypt because a scientist, Albert Spitfur, has a new way to make electricity! Geronimo went to Egypt because he needs to report the new way to make electricity. Geronimo's great grandfather is on a money diet (he is not spending a lot of money). Weird things happen, you will have to read the book! Oh, did I say they talk about cheese a lot in this book? Well they do!

I like how great grandfather William always calls Geronimo and screams at him, "You're spending too much money", when he really is not!

I recommend this book to people who like talking animals, Egypt and lot's of cheese! So read it!

My 9 Year old daughter was having some trouble with her reading and the entire Stilton series has reversed that. The books are very well written for young readers and the stories are even fun for the parent to read as well. Overall this is a fun series with alot of good humor and will make you child enjoy their reading experience

All my girlfriends and I do the activity in the book. I have gone through 57 days already!

As an elementary school teacher, I recommend this book for its delightful activities. The book's age range is "age 7 to adult" so it covers a range of activities. Some are so simple, it is meant for the lower age of the range, while the more complex ones are meant for groups or for the older readers. For anyone who has read the Gifted Girls books, this activities book ties in nicely. I disagree with one of the reviewers who suggest the book is just jumping onto the "girl" bandwagon. Obviously she has not done her research or kept up with any girl's readings since the Gifted Girls books has been around for a while and is even recommended on the reading lists at schools. There are plenty of activities that deal with developing self-esteem and social awareness in here. For that and its positive message, I give it 5 stars.

Cute book, but more importantly, the book does give you 365 days of activities to do. It has recipes, crafts projects, team-building exercises, community awareness projects, even self-esteem-building exercises. Generally, a pretty good book that balances these activities, while being a good companion to the fiction series (Gifted Girls) for girls, a series that has been around for years. I'm a parent and can be critical, but I found I enjoyed this book just as much as my daughter Sam.

I've reviewed hundreds, close to thousands of books, and I see the same thing in most books, be it large publishers or small publishers, best-selling authors, or new authors, I've always managed to find one or two typos. So, it is very very petty for a reviewer to trash a book based on finding a few typos in the book. As far as this book is concerned, I found very little. Now focusing on the more important issue - what does this book teaches - positive belief in yourself. This is combined with activities that help develop self-esteem and creativity. There are some detail instructions and recipes, besides suggestions on what to do. The fact that it ties back to the Gifted Girls Series is an added bonus. Young girls should get this book more for the message and for the activities. It is a fun book that is written, designed, and meant to be taken in fun. Highly recommended.

Becoming the best person you can be is a daily practice. Author Gow offers a daily guide full of activities that are creative and inspiring, and always fun. As teacher and parent, I'm using this to help me with any afterschool activities or group activities I have to supervise. Easy-to-understand, and creative, I especially like the Gifted Girls characters guiding you through the process. Unbelievably cute style. I'm picking up a few for my friends.

Ordered to provide a performance to the local tyrant/mad scientist, & wanting to avoid a long stay near the tyrant, our Heroine (Agatha Heterodyne, Girl Genius) & the troupe of actors & circus performers she is traveling with puts on "The Socket Wench (NOT a typo) of Prague", a play so naughty they are certain to get bounced out of town ASAP. (Tee-Hee!) {No actual vulgar material is portrayed in this quite teen-safe book. Lots of Hee, not so much Tee.}

The tyrant likes it.(uh-oh.)

And wants Agatha, who was the female lead in this spicy play, to come to dinner at his castle (OH DEAR!).

There, Agatha is taken prisoner by the Tyrant & his daughter, a clockwork Cyborg. (HORRORS!)

What plot do they have in mind? (Gasp!)

What nefarious scheme is in motion gainst our poor heroine? (Gasp-Gasp!)

Who are the mysterious "Geister Daemon"? (GAAAASSSSP!)

And, can I stop laughing before I do meself an injury? Probably not, this is too darn funny!

The drama is heating up, the humor is outrageous & the art is better than ever! The use of lighting to suggest mood is very well-done, & as always, character design is outstanding.

Way to go, Phil & Kaja! This series is the best thing you have ever put in print!

The Foglio's beautiful Heterodyne series continues with what must be the biggest cliffhanger yet.
Agatha's secret becomes known to more and more people, Lucretia is revealed as the Other, and then takes over Agatha's body.
It's impossible to imagine how Agatha can get out of this one, but we know she does. After all there is a 6th volume.
A peek at the GeniusGirl website is also recommended.

'Genius' describes this comic. It is some of the best writing I have seen in comic books in a while. The humor is fast, smart, and compelling. There is not a single cut-out or flat character to be seen. There is mystery, drama, science, action, explosions and more. A MUST read!

These books just keep getting better and better. If anything, this book is more interesting, with more action, than the previous four. Can't wait for the sixth book.

This is a great series, especially if you're sharp-eyed.

Is Baron Wolfenbach a hero or a villian? Well, yes. What about Othar T.? Well, about the same, only ... not. There's a lot for the reader to sort out, which means a lot of possibilities in the storyline, and the Foglio's seem to have gotten the hang of it.

The characters are extravagant but well within the bounds of high adventure. Countess Marie wields a mean frying pan. The Jagermonsters are the biggest, baddest boys on the block since Moe, Larry, and Curly--and they have a sense of humor, just like the authors.

The "steampunk" is delightful: airship castles complete with emergency escape paragliders, mechanical orchestras, pocket-sized robots and the true Napoleon of cats.

The artwork is first-rate, not only in the execution of the images, but in the way the images and the dialog reveal the story together. There are Easter Eggs: a character loses his composure--and his bag of candied fish. Agatha dismantles a clank (robot) and removes a giant 3-pronged plug marked with the letters "UL" and the red slash-over-circle (think NO LEFT TURN). The name and dates of The Greatest Spark of All Time should remind you of a -very- famous person from real history (don't think of toothpaste).

And best of all, there's a real plot. A backstory complete with The Villian's Beautiful Daughter. Also Mimmoths. (Gotta have Mimmoths.) A worked-out milieu (doctors wear forked beards. Why? We don't know yet.) A plotted plot, as bits of the story we've forgotten about take their places in the jigsaw puzzle. And that means that sometime, somewhen in the future, all the threads will resolve in a massive, ten-fingered chord with thunder from the pedals. At least they will if people keep buying the books, which I heartily recommend. (Did I mention that Agatha plays the Silverodeon?)

I have this calendar and have given it as a gift. The art work is excellent, moving and inspiritional. All important and lesser feast days are marked on it. A wonderful calendar for your home or work.

The fabulous masterpiece paintings, the inspiring Jubilee quotes, and the colorful and celebratory tone of this calendar add up to one real Jubilee gem. That's why I call it a masterpiece of masterpieces!

As one who has done lots of "calendar browsing" over the years, I've found this wall calendar to be one of the finest keepsakes for the Year 2000. Every month is a real treat for the eyes -- and mind, heart, and spirit. It has LOTS of neat elements thoughtfully included for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, celebrating two millennia since Christ's birth. Examples: Jubilee quotes, prayers, and verses; photographs of Rome and Jerusalem; special Jubilee days; various scenes with Pope John Paul II; and beautiful artwork depicting the life of Christ. And, if you're a fan of such Old Masters as Rembrandt and Raphael (as I am!), you'll LOVE the monthly paintings. One of my favorite months is February -- which includes a wonderful "Return of the Prodigal Son" painting (by Batoni) and a photo of Pope John Paul II embracing young children. As a Catholic, another feature I really like is the liturgical feasts, saints days, and holidays included throughout. Even if I weren't a Catholic, I'd buy this really special calendar for the Year 2000!

I've bought each edition of the pre-Jubilee "trilogy" of this calendar series -- and have always looked forward to the next year. When I saw the special Year 2000 version, I thought, "Wow, they've truly saved the best wine till last!" A lovely, lovely calendar.

Makes a really great Christmas present for this special year. Glad to have a gift that will last all year.

This is a beautiful black & white collection of photographs of Greece, mostly taken in the mid to late 1960's. These are 'true life' photographs; some deeply emotional, some merely depicting day-to-day activities, but all are wonderful. The whole collection gives the reader a flavor of the 'real' Greece. The photographer is a true artist and I would happily purchase any other collections of his work, sight unseen, if this collection is representative of his artistic vision (and I feel confident it is).

The black and white images show what every day life was like in Greece when Manos made these pictures. The pictures speak to the heart and show the darkness and light in life, which is what black and film does best. Manos obviously had to have been in Greece long enough to understand the people and their lives and his pictures show it. This is a book to treasure.

If it is true that a picture is worth a thousand words, then Manos' "A Greek Portfolio" speaks volumes! Mr. Manos has captured (thankfully!) a Greece that is now more or less gone. Luckily for us, he was photographing at a time before McDonalds became an everyday sight, before "Rooms to Let" signs dotted the landscape, before everyone owned a cellular phone. Even in remote and rural parts of Greece today, it is rare to find images, activities, and people similar to those seen in this book. As an anthropologist, I think this is a great ethnographic work; as a Greek-American I think this is wonderful "window" to the homeland of yore!

will love this book. It captures a time in our existence as human beings and particularly for those who trace their heritage to Greece that is unparalleled in art. These photographs, in your quiet moments of reflection, will warm your heart and soul, and for Greeks and those who love Greece, will remind you of the importance of history and the story told through art.

Consta is one of the best photographer/printers of the day. His willingness to not only capture the moment to convey feeling, but to take great strides in the darkroom to further his view is a rarity nowadays. This additional emphasis is evident in all of this Magnum photographer's work, but most so in "A Greek Portfolio". He uses a minimum of equipment, yet achieves a height of awareness in this monograph not present elsewhere. If one has the chance to see the original prints on display, do so!

For the beginning figure drawing student this is a must have resource. Lots of illustrations with explanations to study. The book is divided logically by anatomical part. I do not regret spending the money for the book.

I was struggling to get the concept of drawing the human figure even though I was enrolled in a figure drawing this class. Within a week of buying this book, and this is true, I was drawing extremely well applying what I seen and learned from the book to my drawings. The book shows you both the anatomy of the body, something extremely helpful since you'll need to know what goes where when you draw, and the bone structure and how one bone connect to the other. Louise Gordon's drawings are simply magnificent and can easy be achieved just by reading her notes and drawing the way she does. Once you do you can easily apply it towards your own drawing technique. And with the many depictions of famous artist drawing renderings, this book with give you a very high jolt in artistic vision to where it's impossible for you to not improve. Do yourself a favor, BUY-THE-BOOK and also check out her other books. If you start a collection of How To books, Louise Gordon should be a primary choice.

This is a very clear & concise, small-sized, paperback anatomy book that'll very likely impress beginners.
Why do I like this? Firstly, the origins & insertions of all major muscles are *clearly* depicted in a simple & accurate way, rendered capably in pencil. This is truly a book that gets straight to the point(!). The author is an established medical illustrator *and* an artist in general. She's a graduate of the University of Toronto, and was a member of the staff there for 8 years. Apparently, Canada really is good for more than just ice fishing, hockey, and penguins! :) Secondly, there's just no wasted space in this book. And its physical size is convenient! There're no photographs, although a few drawings from the masters of western art are included. It's mainly the author's own simplified treatment on anatomy here, and you can tell she didn't just copy other anatomy books when putting this together: there're some truly unique perspectives taken on the figures & muscles here. It's not quite as beautiful as Barcsay's Anatomy for the Artist; it's not as genius as Bridgman's Constructive Anatomy; it's not as creative as Hogarth's Dynamic Anatomy; and it's not as in-depth as the many overly large treatments available today. Yet I'm still glad I have it!

I thought that this book was great. It was really helpful. It had many great and useful tips on the human anatomy, which really helped me alot since I couldn't draw the human figure if my life depended on it lol. Now at least you can tell it's a human.

The author is a medical illustrator and her familiarity with human anatomy is evident with each drawing in this book. Both male and female anatomy is presented, and the differences between each are noted. Where possible, the anatomical and finished drawings are placed side by side so that underlying musculoskeletal features are shown on the surface. Most of the drawings are of dynamic poses to show how the parts of the body work together. This book will be one of your primary references on human anatomy.