Artists Books

My 11-year old son loves to draw. His skills are self taught, and he has checked out MANY books from the library over the years. He recently checked out this book and declared it one of the best he'd ever seen. (I bought it from Amazon for a Christmas present.) Even though he already understands shading, perspective, etc., he thought this book helped him improve even more. The book also has a lot on drawing people and faces, which can be very challenging.

I ordered this book based on some of the reviews I had read and I am very impressed with it. Though it is geared for kids, it is great for older artists as well. It breaks down steps and procedures wonderfully and presents them in a very informative many. If you want to learn the basics of drawing I would strongly recommend this book. Enjoy!

The book has enough explanations for those children that want to learn basics of drawing on themselves.

We purchased this book for our 7-year old daughter. The book is written and illustrated in a manner that she was able to open the book, read it and go by the illustrations by herself. She has been using this book almost daily since Christmas.

This book is excellent for the beginning art teacher and drawing student. I am basing a lot of my curriculum on ideas inspired by this book in my upcoming school year. It takes your thoroughly through each step/stage of learning to draw so that anyone can master it! Great illustrations and ideas are perfectly fit onto each page, without annoying "materpieces" that you don't think possible. By the end, you will be drawing with the best of them-- and students will too!

I LOVE THIS BOOK! It is a wonderful complete collection of some of Peter Max's finest works. He is one of my favorite comtemporary artists. I love his use of color and inventive themes. If you love bright colors and/or psychedelic art this is the book!

I first saw this book on a cruise and knew I had to have it. Its an excellent book for the art enthusiast and a beautiful book for display. I highly recommend to anyone.

This book is GREAT - it gives you a complete understanding of his art past and present.

I became fascinated with Peter Max after seeing his unique work while I was on a cruise ship this fall. This book is full of images of Peter Max's colorful works of art and it discusses his life story as well. It costs an additional $20 at stores. I decided to wait it out, and order it online. It was worth it.

This edition I had was printed in Japan, notwithstanding the quality of the prints, pages and the cover were stunning!

Unfortunately I was hoping for more of Peter Max's psychedelic artwork & merchandise which he was most remembered for, as the book featured most his more recent paintings and his penchant for the Statue of Liberty & American icons. In fact I bought the book as a reference for 60s color scheme & rock posters but retro artwork added up to abt 30 odd pages out of the 240...

I'm thinking contemporary fine-art artists/lovers might take to this book with more enthusiasm than illustrators or graphic designers, despite this, the book still manages to inspire me with Max's whimsical use of paint colors and his contribution to society.

It is amazing to see the scope of the body of work he produced during this time period, LIFE was pissed at him Magnum fed up! All the world didn't understand his need to see! This book shows the work in full! wonderful buy.

I purchased Dream Street after reading about the Pittsburgh Project and what it ment to Eugene Smith. I think it's an important book for anyone interested in Photography, Photojournalism or Eugene Smith. The size and quality of the prints is quite allright for the price paid. And the photos are the best part. Great book!

This book was bought for Christmas for my husband who just loves photography. He has had this on his must have list for some time so he was delighted with it.

This book does a great job in documenting not only W. Eugene Smith's four years of extensive research and photographing Pittsburgh, PA but it also reveals a torment man's struggle in trying to capture something that we will never understand since his 6000 photographs of Pittsburgh set a standard for not only documenting a city but he also raise the bar in the artistic expression of black & white photography. The prints of Smith's work in this book are very good and edited quite nicely, included are some of the photograper's letters to his friend and relatives revealing the thoughts of a troubled genius in words that show he could have been a great writer, too.

I'm a Pittsburgh native, though I was born after the pictures were made. Still, I found Dream Street to be an interesting perspective on my hometown. Smith's special gift is looking beyond the typical "beauty shots"- the Pittsburgh skyline, the parks, etc., and capturing images that create a strong feeling of the local neighborhoods and their residents. While the topology of Pittsburgh creates strong local neighborhoods, it's the mix of residents that really gives it character. Local restaurants, the alleys and streets of some of the less glamourous sections of the city, and the sense of history and grandeur of Mellon Bank downtown. This book is a great opportunity to step into the past and feel the grit of a true industrial city. Smith's personal genius - and his demons- heavily influnce the project. We're fortunate to be able to benefit from his views after the fact. Special credit has to go to the editors for wading through the 17,000 images Smith shot to get down to the highlights for this book.

I've always been fascinated by dreams we have and what they mean. Many of my writing ideas come from the different strange dreams that I have while sleeping. You can imagine my eagerness to read this book.

In "The Dreamer," Molly Parker has lost her father in a car accident exactly a year ago. In her dreams she is visited by a strange little girl who offers her help bringing her father back. Molly is introduced to Father Time, with whom she makes a bargain. If she finds and delivers a new crystal ball to Mother Time, she can have her father back. Molly begins an adventurous quest full of obstacles in search of Mother Time, along with her new and loyal friends.

I enjoyed this story very much. It's an easy read (as it is intended for all ages), and easy to follow.

My favorite of all, I have to say is Father Time, Mother Earth, Death, Chaos--all personified! There were many interesting fantasy characters. I loved the winged horses. I was particularly intrigued by Medusa who also makes an appearance in this story. I've always been fascinated by Medusa and her hair full of snakes (I'm terrified of snakes).

Overall, great story!

World building is one of the most significant aspects of any fantasy novel. For many people, including myself, that is the exact reason they read fantasy novels. Truly, if an author creates a unique world that gives life to the story and makes the reading experience memorable, he has written a first-rate fantasy novel. Matthew G. McMillan has done exactly that.

In his first novel, The Dreamer, McMillan has given us a splendid setting called The Realms of Timeless Wisdom. It is a place separate from our Earth, yet connected enough that with some help we, too, can go there-in our dreams. It is there that we go when we sleep or die. And, maybe more importantly, it is in this Realm that all the creatures of legend exist: dragons, flying horses, and giants to name a few. To make it a little more intriguing, McMillan hints at the possibility of other Realms, too. As one of the characters states, there are many Realms and Worlds.

Enter Molly Parker. She is a young girl from Littletown (on the planet Earth) whose father passed away in a car accident exactly one year before the book begins. Struggling with her loss, Molly has only one wish: that her father was still alive. Molly is then given a chance to see this wish come to fruition by Father Time, himself, provided she succeeds in the mission he has entrusted her to complete. It is this mission that remains central to the novel and sends the heroine off to battle evil in The Realms of Timeless Wisdom.
Though there are many facets of this book that I love, there are two that really stand out for me. One is that the book has some thought-provoking qualities. As a teacher I constantly find that I slip into Teacher Mode while reading and I ask myself, "How could I use this in the classroom?" Though many fantasy novels lack this type of educational quality, I could certainly see The Dreamer being used as a springboard for many discussions. Topics such as time and its uses, the possibility of life on other worlds, and what it's like to lose someone you love are a few that could be brought up while reading this book.

It is the topic of loss that truly puts The Dreamer into a unique group. In a day when most books seem to get their characters and families from shows like The Simpsons (where everything is sarcastic and dysfunctional), McMillan paints an opposite picture. The love between Molly and her mother Klara is tenderly portrayed and nurtured throughout the novel. We get to experience their pain over the loss of Mr. Parker, which in turn gives us a window to see that this was once (and in many ways still is) a very loving family. That, in today's market, is truly rare.

With all this in mind, I heartily recommend The Dreamer to all readers, both young and old. Matthew G. McMillan has written a wonder of a first novel. McMillan's novel has enough strange events in it to make Rod Serling scratch his head and enough fantasy to make Tolkien smile. Yet, like many of the classic young adult books, The Dreamer leaves one with the idea that hope is real, and life can (and will) get better even when it's rough. It's a great read and the thing that makes it even better is knowing that there will be more books to come!

Thomas Bolme, Jr.
an independent professional book reviewer

Matthew G. McMillan has written a superb fantasy story that asks you to suspend your disbelief in the impossible and allow the infinite range of possibilities to sweep you away in a tale of excitement, love, courage, and redemption. I cannot wait for the second and third books to arrive!!

With a writing style that I can only compare to the great Lloyd Alexander (Of "The Prydain Chronicles" fame: ... Matthew G. McMillan takes us into a world where fantasy is real and our heroine has only her wits and her friends to survive. I truly enjoyed this book, and can't wait for the next installment. I guarantee that my daughter will enjoy it as much as I did.

This is one of the best books I have read in a while,
I def. reccomend this book to anyone who likes fantasy. This book is good for all ages. I can't wait till the other 2 books come out.

In "Everything That Creeps" by Elizabeth McGrath you'll get a rare view into the mind of an astounding and original sculptor and artist.

There's more to be found on the web about her influences, her world and there's even a peep into her studio and her living and workspace. McGrath's art seems to draw on bits of life we might sooner keep in the background, but which fascinate us all the same...sideshows, freaks, the darkness that religion can harbor, and that ol' grim reaper. Her art can bubble with that uncomfortableness we feel when we brush up against the those gristly and grisly things that live in our dreams and nightmares but also draw us to them irresistibly.

In spite of the description above, her work breathes with a tenderness and human warmth that makes one feel protective about her pieces when you view them, almost as if you're looking into the cage of a rescued animal at a humane shelter.

McGrath has the eye of a naturalist, and though some of her work seems cobbled together from taxidermist's leftovers, she presently uses no animal parts in her art. If you appreciate the vision of artists like Edward Gorey and Tim Burton along with an original mix of old museums, funeral parlors and faded circus sideshows, this book is for you. Elizabeth McGrath is a totally original artist.

The book is beautifully printed and presented as well and makes a perfect gift for that special someone.

This one really knows her own niche, and it is fantastic! I love this book and I'm mesmerized and inspired by the metaphors, and hysterical and haunting irony she poses with her art, photographed beautifully in this book. Everything she does has so many elements to it, you could look at each piece over and over and bring something new to your analysis of it. If you aren't someone who analyzes art, though, it's just as fabulous for the visual effect. This woman merits all the attention she's gotten in Juxtapoz and on the art scene, because she is clearly dedicated, to the core, and her artistic and socially expressive creations are pure gold. I would love to find more artists that measure up to the bar she's set for this kind of work, so I can suck up the inspiration and drown myself in it, until it's coming out my ears. Yes please.

Not for a large audience. Me, I'm disturbed so I love it. If you like Tim Burton's movies you will like this book. I wish I could do art like this but I guess my love for horror everything has not yet made me creepy enough. Elizabeth you are awesome, you rock! (or whatever the latest expression is)

I bought this book for my friend as a birthday gift. And the next day I bought another one for myself cuz the book is really fantastic! I wanna share it with my other friends who like creepy things. The details are so delicate that I could spend hours reading it. Highly recommend it!

This book is really great for the close up photos of Elizabeth's work and gives you background information on her.

This book is an awesome book. I remember reading Famous Monsters of Filmland back in the 60s. The quality printing of this book is incredible. I love that they had printed a hard bound version. It's well worth the money. The color of the paintings pop right of the page.

I'm in agreement with another reviewer that mentioned the book could have been better written. That being said, it is well worth the price for all the fantastic paintings and drawings. A must for every fan of horror and sci-fi art.

Even without text, this book would've earned 4 stars, just for the impressiveness of Gogos' work. Within this book are large, crystal-clear repros of his most famous monster cover paintings, as well as samples of his illustration work.
The only setback for this book is its lack of depth in the text. It seems that whoever was sent to interview Basil didn't ask too many questions, didn't want to really know too much about him except for his general acheivements, and didn't ask him for a demonstration of how he works. Among all of the great pics, some candid ones of the artist would've been nice, most notably a pic of his studio.
Still, the images are so rich in color and character. Worth it!

First of all...Like so many reviewers before me have said; almost every boy that grew up in the '50s & '60s anxiously collected our 35 cents every month so we could go to the local candy store & buy the latest issue of Famous Monsters of Filmland. This magazine became our bible & 4E Ackerman became our surrogate father. More than 45 years have passed; but I can still remember those magnificent covers as though it were yesterday. Basil Gogos painted the cover of the Gorgo issue which had a blue background & also the Vincent Price issue which had a white background,etc. This Book displays all of Basil Gogos outstanding cover art which graced the cover of FM for so many years. Don't take my word for it...ask Stephen King, Rick Baker, George Lucas, Stephen Spielberg, John Landis, Rob Zombie & a host of others..This book is an absolute delight for the senses & like fine art is meant to be treasured,

this book is great.Very happy to included this one in my collection.Already have a tattoo planed of bride of frankenstein.

A chance meeting with the artist has given me a new sense of hope. I shall forever cherish my signed copy of "Guided by the Angels" My husband and I were so drawn in to her vision that we purchased one of her original paintings entitled, "Keeper of the Lights". This book is a great and inexpensive way to have a glimpse at creation as seen through the eyes of a true angel here on earth, Mandi keep doing God's work and his light shall forever shine through you!

EVERY THING YOU WANT TO KNOW.

I simply cannot describe how this young girl's paintings make me feel. It is like looking into the face of God through an angel by the name of Amanda Dunbar. She is destined to attain greatness in her lifetime. Her angels speak so that we all can listen. It is time to heed the lessons by the child who is surely "Guided by Angels" Thank you Amanda for your precious, precious gift!

I simply cannot describe how this young girl's paintings make me feel. It is like looking into the face of God through an angel by the name of Amanda Dunbar. She is destined to attain greatness in her lifetime. Her angels speak so that we all can listen. It is time to heed the lessons by the child who is surely "Guided by Angels" Thank you Amanda for your precious, precious gift!

Amanda Dunbar has an extraordinary gift. To look at her paintings gives me a sense of inner peace and hope. I'm also amazed at the technique and vibrance of colour each one of her painting has. I would love to own at least one of her paintings. it would definitely be a valuable collectible and worthwhile investment. But for now the book is fantastic ! Keep up the good work Amanda!

What a pleasure to read. Wolverton weaves through the book personal history and her experiences at the Los Angeles Woman's Building to bring art history and feminism in LA to life. Wolverton easily evokes engaging images with just a few strokes of the pen.

Terry Wolverton's Insurgent Muse is one of the most powerful, moving memoirs I have ever read. Once I started reading, I literally could not put the book down and stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it. Wolverton writes with insight, courage and humor about her own coming of age as an artist, her coming out as a lesbian, and her experiences with the Los Angeles Woman's Building, not only as an institution but as a vision of a creative, collaborative community of women. Anybody who is interested in the connections between art and politics, especially how artists get politicized and how political art gets made, should read this book. Though there's no happy ending to this story - in that the Woman's Building is no more - I found Insurgent Muse incredibly inspiring and an important reminder that art DOES matter and that sisterhood - however chimerical it sometimes seems - can indeed be powerful.

This book is really two books in one. A facinating look at a pivitol moment in time for women in the arts woven together with the story of the author's own growth and evolution as an artist and a person. A must read for anyone who is interested in modern feminist history.

Insurgent Muse is much more than a retrospective of feminist art and history. Terry Wolverton has written a personal, honest, detailed history of the venerable Woman's Building. The discovery of self, the intensity of feminist spirit many found at the Woman's Building live on in this wonderful and courageous book.

For those who want to learn about the feminist art movement, "Insurgent Muse" is an informative and insightful book that is deeply complex yet very accessible. This book gives voice to an important but much neglected part of American history. What makes this book so compelling is Wolverton's ability to weave her personal experiences with this political movement. With gorgeous prose and honest and courageous self-exploration, Wolverton shares some valuable life lessons gleaned from some very difficult experiences. In particular, I appreciated her insights about the nature of empowerment and how the artist informs the art and vice versa.

I'm a pretty picky reader. Half the books I begin I never finish because I lose interest. Among those I finish, there are very few that leave a lasting impression. "Insurgent Muse" not only held me captive to the very last page, but it also left me with a feeling of excitement. I highly recommend this book. Read it and you won't be disappointed.

What is art?- you really answered this question! Through the many people you probobly interviewed, you probobly learned this too!!! I just absolutly LOVE THIS BOOK AND I RECOMMEND IT TO PEOPLE OF AGES 10 AND UP!!!! You must have worked really, really hard!!! Good Book and Exelent work!!!!

I absolutely loved this book! I think that you must have put a lot of effort, work, and time into this masterpiece. Love the word usage and the story overall. I hope that you write more books.
Great Work!

Highly entertaining peek into the art world -- what is art? How do you find it and create a market for it?

The artists in The Last Folk Hero are charming people whose talent is brought to light by an unlikely character from Atlanta.

Well researched, well written and fun read.

A friend gave me this book and I started to read it just so I could thank her properly... but I was hooked within a chapter. It is a great read with memorable personalities, some history, some art and suspense. For those with an interest in folk art, it is a must read. For those looking for a page-turner, it is a must read.

Andrew Dietz brilliantly captures the layers of race relations, exploitation, white liberalism and the dynamics of individual egos. As Lonnie Holly captured in his piece "Mystery of the White in Me" (the artist and a photo of this piece are featured in the book), Dietz's exploration of the line between artist promotion and exploitation demonstrates that nothing is as black and white as it appears.

As a reader that knew little of the history and politics of folk art, it did take me a while to get drawn into the book (I was hampered by the fact that a house guest started reading my first copy and was so drawn in to the story that I let him take it with him), but once I got to the third chapter I could not put it down.

I was extremely happy with the service I receivec. I requested that this book be sent to the county jail, via Overnight Mail, for my son, and it wzs received the next day. Time was of the essence and you delivered. I can't rate the book myself, because it was not for me. I would definitely use Amazon.com again.

I have been admiring and studying the Art of Boris Valejio since 1988. This is a collection of Art (late 1970s-mid 1980s) from his career PEAK. Details and tones duplicated from a MASTER Painter. If you buy ONE collection of Boris's fantastic Art, IT MUST BE MIRAGE...

There are some beautiful pencil renderings with precision use of the eraser to bring his sketches to life. An added bonus to pages of glorious full color women and men in the god-like exploitation of the human form.

I'm a long-time Boris fan. I actually own this in hardback, purchased over twenty years ago. It still is one of my favorite art books even after two decades.

Okay, why "Mirage" and not some other Boris book? This isn't a just some anthology of book covers. Quite simply, it has the finest collection of sensual fantasy art I've seen. I say sensual and not erotic because there is a difference. Boris paints lots of skin in this collection... plenty of gorgeous female pulchritude, but it keeps to the tasteful side lecherous. Oh, there are a couple of male figures as well, and they're just as well executed as his females, so you can't fault him there, either.

But don't think this is a series of illustrations with some poetry (by the artist's then-wife) thrown in to justify a book full of nudes. There's always a heavy element of high (or sometimes low) fantasy in every scene... that's fantasy as in mythic, not fantasy as in Penthouse Letters, even though Bob Guccione would have jumped at the opportunity to have any of these women grace the pages of his magazine. And to the surprise of some, there are several very humorous images as well.

Yet there is some truly incredible art in this collection as well. There is one painting of a triton and mermaid... uh... "disporting" themselves underwater that still stands out after twenty-plus years as one of my favorite pieces of art regardless of style, genre or medium. That's saying something.

If you find nudity objectionable, skip this book... you'll never get past all the skin to see the art behind it. Some of the images are slightly disturbing. Some are what I'd consider "filler" to add volume to the book, not as appealing or creative as many of the others. Yet there are some that are simply stunning... breathtaking in color, style and subject, and that makes up for any weaknesses the rest might suffer.

And as I mentioned, there is poetry included as well, contributed by Boris' wife (before Julie Bell). As far as open verse goes, she does respectably well. Some of the poems are rather forgettable, but others may appeal to the individual reader. I like Dylan Thomas and a few other modern poets who use free verse, so the style doesn't bother me a bit. Still, on the whole, the art is why I got the book, not the poetry.

If you want art by daVinci and verse by Tennyson, save your money... you'll be disappointed. Personally, I enjoy art by Boris and poems by Doris just as well.

Overall, an incredible collection well worth the acquiring.

If you are a fan of Boris Vallejo, or are thinking about buying a book of fantasy art -- this book should be the first one you buy. This is an absolute must-have for any art book collection, fantasy art or otherwise. Of all of Boris Vallejo's work to date -- this book by far has all his best art.

Boris Vallejo is by far the best fantasy artist EVER! His 1970s and 1980s art is by far much better than his current work, as is evident from the Mirage book. The figures/subjects in his early work in the Mirage book look like they actually belong in the painted scene. Many other fantasy artists draw subjects in scenes that look like models posing for a painting -- and look really stiff like cardboard. Boris meshes the scenes perfectly and transports you into another world with his vivid depictions of fantasy characters.

I recommend buying Boris Vallejo books in the following order:
1) Mirage
2) Fantasy Art Techniques -- buy it even if you're not an artist.
3) Enchantment
4) Dreams
5) Sketchbook

Verdict: Buy it!
Reviewed by Harrison Chua.

This book collects a series of Boris' paintings, plus a few very detailed pencil drawings, done between 1979 and 1982. If you're not already familiar with Boris' work - well, you probably are whether you know it or not. He has done years work of book covers for Edgar Rice Burroughs, as well as reams of posters. The one constant through all his work is passion for the human form and human power, both male and female.

These paintings range from the lush and sensual to humorous or macabre. A hookah come to life has a demonic presence, but a bar of soap come to life (and licking the bather) is more charming and a little silly. Even the simplest pictures have overtones - that bather is truly a beautiful woman, leaving me just a little envious of such close contact. Maybe not envious either, but off in thoughts of my own. And the preface is right, 'erotic' is much too simple a word for all the different feelings and combinations of feelings that come from having or holding a strong, healthy body.

My only complaint is a sameness in the female figures presented. The faces are beautiful, long and elegant, but mostly the same. The figures - the one figure, really is beautiful, but I value the uniqueness of a figure and the differences between figures. Cloning can serve a narrative purpose, certainly, but sameness wears. Even the loveliness of Danielle Anjou, acknowledged as a principal model and collaborator, wears.

Boris is the master of the figure in fantasy art, and has been for many years. This is a great sample from an earlier time in his career. It's almost impossible not to like.

//wiredweird